Artwork from Ancient Atari History

Matey-O writes: "Safestuff.com contains some early information on Atari's arcade games. Internal memos, brainstorming sessions, and artist renderings that accurately predicted what arcades would look like. (Except there seems to be a LOT more women in the arcades than I seem to recall.) The artwork has been there a while, so it's archived on the wayback machine."

Comments

Stylin'

[alexmogil]

Looking at the pictures, the arcades 'of the future' force you to wear clothes 'of the past.'

Re:Stylin'

[Savage Henry Matisse]

Indeed! My favorite pic by far is this one. Not only is she wearing a halter-top that has a play on the word "avacado" printed on it, but she also appears to be HOLDING an avacado. God bless you, zany Japan 100%!

Art Style

[byolinux]

A similar style of art was used by the BBC for I love the 70's/80's/90's which features items talking about the significance of Space Invaders in 1978 and Pac-Man in 1980

The 'blood' under most of the machines just raises yet more worry for me.

Those games were fun to play...

[Doctor O]

...and I have very rarely had more fun with any "modern" game than I had with my old VCS2600. Maybe it was the fact that the graphics were so bad you had to use your imagination which made the game experience so much fun. Sure, interactive movies with 5.1 sound are impressive, but mostly they aren't as fun as a good match of David Crane's "Decathlon" with two joysticks and some friends.

Re:Those games were fun to play...

[Eskimo Bob]

It probably has to do with the fact that all a "modern" game needs to sell an assload of copies is to look pretty. having lots of space to make things pretty sort of does that. Original 2600 games were limited to 2k in size. And, many of the standard game types weren't invented yet (the shooter, the maze game, and the porn video game were basically it, oh and the single screen platformer and racing game). To make a game sell a lot o' copies, it had to be fun, cause it looked like ass. Which is why Custer's Revenge wasn't the best selling 2600 hundred game, and many E.T. carts currently occupy a nice, big, landfill. Those 2 games sucked.

Fun games are fun, even if they look like my ass. I'd rather play Super Breakout and Yars Revenge than most games released these days. Or even Dodge 'em.

Dont know why I enjoyed this......

[Marcus Brody]

For some bizarre reason, this is actually a facsinating read

Interesting controls...

[mav[LAG]]

...on this one. Perhaps there's a reason for her smile of anticipation?

put the cross in the centre square

[matp]

Well, I thought I was in for a treat here. Hi-resolution, colour, exciting images of a bygone era: remembrance of things past. Instead I'm presented with a bunch of links (no thumbnails) of badly photographed pictures of 'art' of extreme dubious quality, unceremoniously dumped on a page with scant regard to format or presentation. One of the photos even has the flash reflecting off the frame's glass!!! Most are off-centre. I hope to God my enthusiasm of retro geek does not cloud my judgement as much as this guy's does.

Somehow that scene in war games where they're playing tic-tac-toe springs to mind. Maybe we could get a jpeg of *that*, taken with a digi-cam off my vhs recording of it when it was on TV last christmas. Yeah, cool.

I can't believe

[FastT]

I can't believe Atari thought so many "hot chicks" would be hanging out at the arcade playing their games. It's clear that this is the staff's collective male fantasy captured for all of us to see.

Maybe Atari's downfall was hastened because of their inability to see video game culture taken over by hordes of people just like them: mouth-breathing, pimply-faced, adolescent male dweebs in O.P. shorts.

2nd Generation Computer users

[BrookHarty]

My kids are 2nd generation computer users. I was the first in the family to get a computer and learn how to play games. My parents NEVER asked me what games I was playing, never monitored my online access (until my first 600 dollar long distance bill.) My parents didn't buy a home computer for themselves until 10 years after I had my first computer a c64.

My kids started using a computer when they could move a mouse. They would play the preschool toddler series, and graduated to basic movement games and puzzles, now its fighting games, racing sims and some RPG games. My girls can already play street fighter well enough to at least put up a fight. I wouldn't be surprised when they get older they want to play arcade games. They have been playing games for years.

It was 1 computer in the house when I was a kid, and it was in my room. Now its almost 1 in each room, and 6 in my den. Each kid has their own computer, all networked, internet access, Instant messaging, online games with other kids. They email and send pictures to the grandparents.

So am I surprised more girls are in arcades? No, Im more surprised that arcades can compete with a xbox, ps2 or pc.

-
Life is like a dogsled team. If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes. - Lewis Grizzard

Interesting games

[FastT]

You know, looking at the list of items from the brainstorming session in February 1980, I see many games listed that would be more interesting that the clone games that have been in arcades for the last 5 years:

5) 1st person Space Invaders

11) 1st person Adventure - player moves through rooms (25 cents each) and encounters situations and characters in each

13) 1st person Cockroach - like wack-a-mole, but using feet (my personal favorite!)

15) Hang Glider - Hang from controls, terrain scrolls on video under feet

16) 1st person Mole - find your way out of 1st person maze. Screen is black except when you hit a wall. (Doesn't sound fun at all, but interesting nonetheless. It's the licorice of game designs.)

17) 1st person Skydiver -use fans or stereo sound to indicate wind direction.

18) Color/pattern generator based on player input. Could be located in discos and keyed to audio input from P.A.

It really sucks that Atari can't take these ideas and revitalize the arcade market. I'd love to see something new and unusual like these games.

Re:Interesting games

[mav[LAG]]

5) 1st person Space Invaders

Real Life Space Invaders was the funniest thing that happened to me in the army. The bombardier (artillery equivalent of a corporal) had us on parade and decided we should all play a game of Space Invaders.

He was the player and we were the invaders. We had to take small steps sideways saying "dun dun dun dun" and moving our arms correctly for effect while he shuffled sideways and threw stones at us. I distinctly remember being the last invader "killed" - of course by that time I was crabbing quite quickly and going "dununununununnunun" :)

All the babes in the pictures are laughing

[eclectro]

as they say "In your dreams nerdboy!!!!"

Arcades cannot be beaten

[Beautyon]

Atari's vision of the future was pretty intelligent: games like "Thrill Drive" can only be appreciated in the arcade, sitting in a fully blown machine.

In the '70s they said "Home Taping is Killing Music". Today it can be said that "Home Gaming is killing Video Games". The custom hardware and elaborate bespoke controls that are deployed in Arcade games are ruled out for small, generic controls when you move from the arcade to the home console.

This is a Bad Thing®

There are some incredible games on home consoles, thats not in dispute. What I mourn is the ability to play a game like "Marble Madness" with its control (a huge trackball) made specially for the game, or "Paperboy" (bicycle handlebars), "Crystal Castles" (trackball), "Propcycle" (full size bicycle with fan in front to simulate rushing wind), and of course, "Missile Command", one of the early trackball games...there are so many examples. Ideally, the controls should be designed for the game. Game designers should be free to design both the controls and the gameplay.

I mourn the fact that these types of innovative game are being sidelined for development of Hollywood tie-in Lamestation fodder, and that so many Arcades have bitten the dust. In London, all the great Arcades have gone; the ones that remain are full of slot machines, meaning that no one under 18 can get in. The last big Arcade, at the Trocadero is full of poorly maintained machines, poor security, bumper cars and other distractions.

Namco Wonderworld is one of the last great, true arcades in London.

Re: Arcades cannot be beaten

[Squirrel Killer]

...Disney World...apparently they have a new attraction in the complex...a giant arcade, focusing on the games of old.

It's called DisneyQuest, and the old-school arcade is just a small part of it (or at least it was when I went a couple of years ago.) They have about as many games as a mid-sized mall arcade from the '80's and they're mostly the well known titles (Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, etc...) Supposedly there's one in Chicago too. The rest of the building is taken up with a Cheesecake Factory Express (not as good as a real CF,) a bumper car where you can shoot other cars, some odd remote-control car adventure, a learn-to-draw classroom, and some other stuff.

It was cool, but I don't think I'd pay $40 to get in though, too many tikes who don't know how to play hogging the machines. I kinda wished that it did cost to play, so that I could put my quarter up and wait my turn instead of of watching "Jimmy" try to "catch" the ghosts (without eating the power pill first.) I'd rather go to Dave & Buster's.

-sk

Missile Command II

[Apreche]

I can't believe it. Missile command 2 has finally been found. It's the first frickin' picture I'ver ever seen. I remember back in the day there was a long article on the atari historical society's page http://www.atari-history.com this guy wrote about his long and arduous journey to find a MC2 machine. He ended up speaking to many former atari employees, and in the end he found a board, but the person wouldn't give it to him, and he found the side art. Can't find the article though, dang.

Anyone played Ping lately?

[Luxury P. Yacht]

Yes, Ping! The exciting new game from Atari that measures IP path latency. Thrill as you send packets into battle with enemy hosts! Will they return safely, or will they be forever lost in the hostile ether? It all part of the fantastic adventure that is Ping! Lowest score wins!

Play Ping: the game that will really socket() to 'ya!

4 Way Warlords

[dmaxwell]

My favorite was Warlords with Capture Ball and Fast Release enabled. Am I going to......nail you....nail you.....OR NAIL YOU EAT THIS! Yep, it looked like crap but sure was fun. The competition factor was completely different from fragging people in huge arena. There was no running around trying to find someone. Everybody was right there and fighting for control of the ball so they could get their licks in. Since it was a paddle game, the Capture Ball variants allowed fast unpredictable attacks. The psychology of this game is fantastic.

"Ping" Arcade Game

[gcondon]

I like the concept design for the "ping" game ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20010828031441/safestuf f.com/atariart25.jpg

I think they should have arcade versions of all the standard UNIX system functions.

"d00d, I just set the new high score on grep!"

Those crazy Japanese...

[Hard_Code]

I wonder how they brainstormed *this* up:

Boon Ga Boon Ga