Computer Games – The History Of Fun
Computer Games have been with us for longer than you might think. The first video games were written in the 1950s, using classics like Chess and Tic Tac Toe to measure the computational power of new machines, and to being exploring the exciting world of Artificial Intelligence.
The 1980s were the real golden age of video games. With the rise of cheap personal computers, and the appearance of video game consoles, suddenly more and more homes were able to afford a computer or games console of their own. The demand for video games exploded, making the fortunes of companies like Nintendo, Sega, Atari, and Sinclair, who would soon become household names.
Talented teenagers programming in their spare time soon became the foundation of the emerging video games industry. Due to the hardware of the consoles of the time, it was possible for a single person to write an entire game on their own – something that is not possible these days. Talented programmers like David Braben and Ian Bell (who wrote the classic Elite) or Steve Cargill (who wrote the Garfield series of games, as well as Sir Lancelot) won awards and industry recognition for their games.
