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Precursor to Doom Racks Up 30 years of Fragging

Posted by michael on from the eye-of-the-beholder dept.

VirtualUK writes "Back in 1974 the first 3D networked multiplayer first person shooter game Maze War set the ball rolling for todays games like Quake and Doom. Initially written on a Imlac PDS-1 players represented as an eyeball fought it out inside what could be considered a minimalistic graphical adventure in comparison to the texture mapped, hi-res extravaganzas on the shelves today. On November 6-7 at the Vintage Computer Festival 7.0 held at the Computer History Museum (Mountain View, CA) there's a special 30th anniversary special event for Maze War. Brude Damer's digibarn site has a great article about it here."

5 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. sniping by Hollins · · Score: 4, Insightful

    from the article:

    Dan tells us that this was a "heart pounding game" when compared to the otherwise dull environment of the Xerox document/desktop metaphor. He noted that you could "shoot" your opponent if they did not see you (their eyeball character was facing away from you). He also notes that you could "hide" in parts of the maze and wait in ambush.

    Wow, so sniping in FPS can be traced all the way back to the 70s. I wonder if other players complained about it back then, also.

  2. Re:Duke University by Monkelectric · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Because frequently "nostalgia" is remembered through the rose colored glasses of youth?

    The other day I was downloading some episodes of a TV show I love, "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" (release DVD's damnit!). In the same category was some season 1 tv rips of a show called "doug." I thought to myself, "what a waste of bandwidth, the show was ok ... but who would want the entire freaking thing?!" Then I realized, "doug" came along about ~5 years after pete and pete, and for surely someone 5 years younger then myself shared the same enthusiasm for Doug as I have for Pete and Pete.

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

  3. Re:Duke University by JabberWokky · · Score: 2, Insightful
    They are played today. The graphics and sound have been upgraded, and they have been ported to more modern systems.

    You might have heard of the latest incarnation of this game: Doom 3.

    --
    Evan

    --
    "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  4. Re:Wait... there are other games? by Jason1729 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You haven't been missing much. The eye candy's been increasing as the playability dropped.

    Download the wired CD: wiredcd.itallconnects.com

  5. Re:Duke University by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Buncha newbs.