Have You Played Atari Today?
While Gaming Till Disconnected looks towards to the exciting times, consoles and software that lie ahead, we know that it is important to also look back at how the video gaming industry has got to be where it is today. To this end Gaming Till Disconnected will endeavour to review and otherwise discuss some of the greatest, mediocre and even worse games that the industry has ever created over the decades.
The first commercial arcade machine Computer Space and the current generation, are separated by thirty-nine years, a mere moment when compared to other forms of entertainment like music, writing and storytelling. This is in part due to the technology that was required to bring electronic games to life in the first place, as well as the need of the medium which they were presented on, the television. From the humble beginnings of a 1.19MHz processor lodged in-between some wood-finished plastic – AKA the Atari 2600 – to the raw power of today’s behemoths, videogames have seen an insanely speedy transition through technology that is unparalleled in any other cultural medium.
For the purpose of the site, “retro” will refer to any console from the previous generation back to the release of the aforementioned arcade game; which is to say consoles no-longer produced by the companies that originally made them. This of course means that the original Xbox, Playstation2, Game Cube and Game Boy Advance games are as eligible for articles as the true classic oldies like the N.E.S. and Atari 2600 are.
Games in this section of the site are still scored and governed by the ten scale system, but to keep things relatively fair the games will be compared to their contemporaries of the time – N.E.S. vs. Master System, Mega Drive vs. S.N.E.S., etc – though adjustments and acknowledgement will be given to just how well they have coped with the passage of time, again when compared to their brethren; essentially asking the simple question: is the game still fun and engaging to play in this day and age.
In some cases where it is deemed appropriate, reviews may will also include a look back at the game’s legacy in the days and years following its release; whether the game managed to spawn a long-running franchise; established, saved or destroyed a company; created, defined or revolutionised a genre; or simply created a popular internet meme.
Hopefully, these excursions into gaming past will spark some nostalgic memories, or help to inform readers on a series’ roots, and maybe even get them to seek out a few of the gems of the past.
