"I, Videogame" - episode 2 in-class survey

1) What kind of company was Nintendo before it made videogame and videogame consoles?

Nintendo started out making plastic toys and playing cards.

2) What videogame system did it sell before it made its FAMICOM (known in USA as Nintendo Entertainment System)

The Magnavox Odyssey.

3) Shigeru Miyamoto was not a programmer - what skill set did he bring to the industry?

He was an artist and aspiring storyteller. He brought story to video games.

4) How did the limits of the technology affect the way Mario could be shown?

The design had to be less complicated to fit on the small screen and within the technological limitations. He had to be small, so his nose is big to see at the small size and he has a mustache because there wasn't enough room for pixels for a mouth. His colors were also chosen to be recognizable at a distance.

5) Why did US retailers think there was no future in home videogame consoles at the time just prior to the NES release in the USA?

They believed the fad of the home gaming console was over and personal computers were the future.

6) What was assumed to the be the 'next big thing' by electronics manufacturers?

Personal computers.

7) What did Legend of Zelda bring to gaming that was new?

Legend of Zelda brought leveling (he gains weapons and life energy) to video games. It was the first successful combination of RPG and action. It was story based and emotionally engaging.

8) How did the conservative values of the 1980s (Reagan & Thatcher etc) affect the culture of videogames?

The concept of collecting treasure. More money was often a goal in the games of the time, which was in line with real life aspirations of the adults in the 80s who were purchasing these games.

9) How were the PC games published by Mystery House like King's Quest different from console games?

It had graphics. It also required more patience because the story was more involved and the puzzles was deeper.

10) How did Sega's 16 big Megadrive system change home console gaming?

It had double the processing power so it could handle superior sound and graphics. The game Sonic that was bundled with the system introduced an antihero to video gaming.

11) How did "Leisure Suit Larry" differ from most genre based games of the period?

It was the first game to have racy content. It was also the first game to have a more life like world.

12) How is this aspect reflected in many games of today?

There are many realistic games on the market today.

13) What is 'motion capture'

A technology developed by hollywood where markers are placed on a person so their motion can be captured with cameras as they move and can then be mapped to an animation to make the movement more lifelike.

14) What is the 'uncanny valley'?

The negative response a human has to the uncanny looks of computer animations that are lifelike but not quite human.