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Game History
The Ultimate History of Video Games Ch. 15-20
118
Games
Graduate
02/07/2011

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Cards

Term
What classy restaurant did Bushnell build in Northern California
Definition
the Lion and the Compass
Term
Who did Bushnell loan his Learjet to?
Definition
George Bush
Term
What company did Bushnell start in 1981, and what did they do?
Definition
Catalyst Technologies. He traded building space funding, and equipment for a share of many small companies.
Term
Chuck E Cheese's big rival
Definition
ShowBiz restaurants
Term
Who did Bushnell purchase after his non-compete contract ended?
Definition
Videa Inc.
Term
Busnell changed Videa to...
Definition
Sente
Term
What did Bushnell receive after he won the Transpac sailing race?
Definition
A telegram reading "bad News In The Second Querter, Stop."
Term
Who replaced Kassar at Atari and what was his background in?
Definition
James Morgan, tobacco.
Term
What is special about jack Tramiel's past?
Definition
He survived six years in Auschwitz.
Term
What was Tramiel's business practice?
Definition
Don't pay the bill, but keep getting product. Then, when the company is out of money and has to sell, swoop in and but it for cheap then forgive your own debt.
Term
What helped the commodore sell when everyone else was faltering?
Definition
It had good components and a much lower price than competitors. Also, SHATNER WAS THE SPOKESMAN!
Term
What happened to Tramiel and some clients on the PetJet?
Definition
A fire almost killed everyone.
Term
What home computer did Commodore release in August, 1981?
Definition
VIC-20
Term
What home video game console did Commodore release in August, 1982?
Definition
Commodore 64.
Term
1982, what replaced the public's interest in game consoles?
Definition
Home PC's!
Term
The Computer Coleco made
Definition
Adam
Term
What doll did Coleco put out to great success?
Definition
Cabbage Patch Kids
Term
What killed Coleco?
Definition
1. The Adam was too defective
2. Cabbage Patch peaked in 1985.
3. They caught on to trivial pursuit too late.
Term
When Mattel closed the game division in 1983, who did they sell to?
Definition
Terrence Valeski for $20m
Term
What was Bushnell's Freed Day party?
Definition
A lavish event with wild animals and a big crowd to celebrate being out of his non-competition contract with Atari.
Term
What was Sente's concept?
Definition
Arcade machines that played games stored on cartidges.
Term
Why did Sente fail?
Definition
They were a subsidiary of Pizza Time Inc, and when that failed, they were tainted.
Term
What did Trip Hawkins do to video game packaging?
Definition
Made them like "album covers" in a box with good art and designer's name on the front.
Term
Why did the Commodore 64 make so much $$?
Definition
It sold for almost 6 times the amount it cost to make.
Term
What media functions made the Commodore 64 special?
Definition
It had a cartridge slot and a floppy disk slot.
Term
What company was the biggest and most successful during the Commodore 64's reign?
Definition
Electronic Arts
Term
Who founded Electronic Arts?
Definition
Trip Hawkins.
Term
What year did Trip Hawkins peg as the right time to get into the game industry?
Definition
1982
Term
How did Trip Hawkins get his interview with Apple?
Definition
By doing a study on personal computing as a way to meet executives.
Term
Who backed Hawkins with his start up?
Definition
Don Valentine
Term
How did Hawkins treat designers?
Definition
Like stars! (Because we all are!)
Term
What convention did Hawkins break from the start?
Definition
He lowered the discount given to distributors from 55% to 52%
Term
What three bestsellers did EA launch with?
Definition
Hard Hat Mack, Archon, Pinball Construction Set
Term
What basketball game did EA make and why was it special?
Definition
Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One-On-One, it was the first game to use an individual sports star.
Term
Dr. J and Larry Bird led to what brotastically successful game?
Definition
FRIKKIN' JOHN MADDDDDENNNN FOOTBALLLLLLLL!!!! *spittle*
Term
Who replaced Tramiel and why?
Definition
Marshall Smith, because Tramiel wanted to bring his sons in and what shot down.
Term
What steps did Morgan take try to turn Atari around?
Definition
he pushed for new products. The 7800 was released and he signed a deal to make LucasFilm IPs.
Term
What Breakout style game could read a player's mind? (Or so it was said..)
Definition
Bionic Breakthrough, a title for the Mindlink from Atari.
Term
Who did Warner sell Atari to?
Definition
Tramiel!
Term
What did Warner retain after selling Atari?
Definition
Atari Games, the coin-op division
Term
What did Tramiel do to Atari's workforce?
Definition
Fired most of them and consolidated the departments.
Term
Who was put in charge of Marketing at Axlon?
Definition
Tom Zito, former writer for Rolling Stone
Term
Who started Axlon?
Definition
Bushnell.
Term
What toy did Axlon create and what similiar toy ROFLstomped it?
Definition
A.G. Bear was beat by teddy Ruxpin
Term
What was the Nemo?
Definition
Interactive video that utilizied features of the Colecovision
Term
What happened to Zito and Bushnell?
Definition
hasboro told him they would go on without him on the Nemo unless he bailed from Axlon. This broke up their BFF status.
Term
What company did Zito form after Axlon?
Definition
Isix.
Term
What full-length movie game did Zito create?
Definition
Night Trap, a game about vampires terrorizing teen girls at a slumber party.
Term
What was the second full-sized game for the Nemo?
Definition
Sewer Shark
Term
What console was introduced in May, 1983 to Japan??
Definition
Famicom
Term
What did the Famicom have in common with the VCS?
Definition
It had the same processor but more RAM and a better graphics chip.
Term
What was special about the Famicom controller?
Definition
Used a +-directional pad over the joystick or disc. It allowed more precision.
Term
Who did Nintendo of America try to partner with to sell the NES in America?
Definition
Atari
Term
Why did the Nintendo-Atari deal go south?
Definition
Coleco's Donkey Kong breached liscensing agreements and made Nintendo useless. also, Kassar quit.
Term
Why did Atari wanna team with Nintendo?
Definition
It would have let them sit on the system and kill it in America.
Term
What happened at the CESs that the NES was shown at?
Definition
Lukewarm interest, no buys.
Term
How did Nintendo market the NES as something other than a game console?
Definition
The Light Gun and ROB made it an entertainment system!
Term
What was the NES called in America before it was the NES?
Definition
Advanced Video System (AVS)
Term
What light gun game was featured in Back to the Future?
Definition
Hogan's Alley
Term
Who started Rare?
Definition
Joel Hochberg, Chris Stamper. and Tim Stamper
Term
How did Minoru Arakawa test Hochburg/Stamper?
Definition
By forcing them to reverse engineeer an NES in order to develop games for it.
Term
What market did they test the NES sales future in?
Definition
New York City
Term
What did Arakawa offer retailers to help sell the NES?
Definition
A money back guarantee.
Term
What game helped the NES become a success in the beginning?
Definition
Super Mario Bros.
Term
What company did the five ex-Atari executives go to?
Definition
Worlds of Wonder
Term
What did Worlds of Wonder market?
Definition
Teddy Ruxpin and Laser Tag
Term
Who warned Jim Whelms about distributing Nintendo's NES?
Definition
The Atari Exec's that worked for Worlds of Wonder.
Term
What system was Nintendo's main (but not very much) competition in the NES days?
Definition
Sega Master System
Term
What came with the original NES system?
Definition
Two controllers, the console, and Super Mario Bros. for $129.95
Term
How did Nintendo establish an identity early on?
Definition
By using the same characters over and over to create mascots (like DK sitting in Punch-Out's audience)
Term
What are first-party games?
Definition
Internally developed titles.
Term
Who did Nintendo form exclusive partnerships with?
Definition
Taito, namco, Konami, Hudson, Capcom, and Bandai
Term
How did Nintendo institute quality control?
Definition
They manufactured all of the games and had final authority as to content.
Term
Which American company was the first to license with Nintendo?
Definition
Acclaim
Term
What games did Acclaim bring over from Japan for the NES?
Definition
Star Voyager, World Runner, Tiger Heli
Term
What happened to Worlds of Wonder and Nintendo?
Definition
Nintendo got to big and split off, taking the sales team that was supposed to be laid off.
Term
SEGA means?
Definition
Services Games (not a Japanese word!)
Term
How did David Rosen get his start in Japan?
Definition
he invented Photorama, or two minute photo booths.
Term
What record did Rosen's booths achieve?
Definition
First franchising business in Japan.
Term
After photorama, what did Rosen do?
Definition
Import arcade games/novelties to Japan.
Term
What business did Rosen open in Shinjuku, and how did it fare?
Definition
He opened a bowling alley that was an unqualified success.
Term
What game was the first to be set at .25$ per play in America?
Definition
Periscope.
Term
Who did Rosen, Stewart, laMaire, and Bromley sell Sega to?
Definition
Gulf and Western
Term
Who did G&W sell Sega to?
Definition
Rosen
Term
What was the number one pick in the North pole Poll?
Definition
NES
Term
What did two reporters call Nintendo and what false claim did they make?
Definition
NINE-tendo, and the ROB could fetch drinks for you.
Term
How did Nintendo sales affect the world economy?
Definition
It accounted for 1/10 of the trade deficit between US and Japan.
Term
The three strikes of Nintendo with the media:
Definition
1. games are dead. 2. never heard of Nintendo. 3. Nintendo was Japanese.
Term
Who protested war toys put out by Nintendo and how did they respond?
Definition
Families for Peace, and they covered the logo with Christmas decorations to shield it from cameras.
Term
Who acted as a spokesperson for Nintendo until 1991?
Definition
Howard Phillips
Term
What was the forerunner for Nintendo Power?
Definition
Nintendo Fun Club
Term
What were the four facts on home video games put out by Howard Phillips?
Definition
A manifesto on why Atari's failures are not doomed to be repeated by Nintendo.

1. Limited Graphics and depth of play
2. Played at their best only in arcade
3. Restricted to a few colors
4. Constrained by poor audio quality and lack of sound of effects
Term
What was Nintendo's most important message during the NES era.
Definition
Qualitity
Term
What quality controls did Nintendo put in the licensing agreement?
Definition
1. Maximum of five games per year
2. All games are exclusive for two years
Term
What differentiates hardware?
Definition
First Party titles
Term
What three mega influential games did Nintendo release in 1987?
Definition
Legend of Zelda, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, metroid
Term
What was MR. Do!
Definition
It was a conversion kit for pre-existing arcade machines.
Term
What was the VS System?
Definition
A line of arcades with double screens for head to head play from nintendo.
Term
What was the Play Choice 10?
Definition
Jukebox like arcade machines with interchangeable boards. All games were modified NES carts.
Term
How did Nintendo playtest Zelda in America?
Definition
They had English employees play with japanese translators.
Term
What concerned Arakawa about Zelda?
Definition
It took a while to warm up to it.
Term
How did Nintendo soften the learning curve for Zelda?
Definition
It had help material packaged with it (map, bestiary), and they started a 1-800 line for game tips.
Term
Zelda was the first game to...
Definition
Include an internal battery for game saves.
Term
What did the NES Punch-Out feature over the arcade version?
Definition
twice the fighters, including Mike Tyson himself.
Term
Who did Arakwa allegedly model Little Mac after?
Definition
Howard Phillips (but it might have been Glass Joe)
Term
Who created Metroid?
Definition
Nintendo's R&D team, headed by Gumpei Yokoi.
Term
Konami's Five Games from 1987:
Definition
Gradius, Track and Field, Rush n' Attack, Castlevania, Double Dribble
Term
Konami code first appeared where, and what is it?
Definition
Gradius, up,up, down, down, left, right, left, right B, A, START. It gave more weapons to the ship.
Term
Data East's NES Games in 1987:
Definition
Burgertime, Tag team Wrestling, Karate Champ
Term
Taito's games in 1987 for NES:
Definition
Elevator Action, Legend of Kage, Arkanoid (breakout rip off)
Term
Nintendo Licensee with the most staying power?
Definition
Capcom
Term
Sega's add-on for the Master System was..
Definition
3D glasses with Shutter!
Term
Which critics liked the Master System over the NES?
Definition
Siskel and Ebert (He's so in touch with the industry!)
Term
Who spelled his name backwards in Nintendo power?
Definition
Steve Wozniak to keep atop the leaderboards for Gameboy Tetris.
Term
What contest did Nintendo run to improve its image
Definition
"Invent the ultimate video game!"
Term
Side scrolling game mistaken for political message:
Definition
Konami's Contra
Term
What game featured a dead hamster as an Easter Egg?
Definition
Maniac Mansion
Term
Why did Super Mario Bros 2 bear little resemblance to the first game?
Definition
It was originally about an Arabian character in Doki Doki Panic!
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