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What Is the Golden Age of Video Games and When Was It?

Written by Ankit Gaba

Video games are the kryptonite of almost every child. But, do you know that it has a huge history? Since its commercial launch in the 1950s, gaming has flourished in the world’s one of the highly lucrative entertainment industries. 

 

And this industry reached an extended level with the advancement of mobile technology. It opened the doors to the next generation of players. Let’s discover the golden age of video games and related facts.

 

What’s the Golden Age of Arcade Games?

 

The Golden Age of Arcade Games started with the emergence of Space Invaders in 1978 through The Great Video Game Crash of 1983. This was the high time of arcade game popularity and revolution. 

 

Coin-operated Video Arcades have been found in almost every shopping mall after the emergence of 8-bit Arcade Video Games. After that, so many games appeared by capitalizing on arcade ports.

 

Business

 

The tech and design advancements in arcade games resulted in immense popularity. Several games have been developed in multiple genres. Arcade games have transformed a lot in the past couple of decades, and you can play them on almost any digital device without experiencing any tech issues. 

 

However, if you feel that the fan is loud, consider deleting unnecessary apps to streamline your computer gaming performance for smoother gameplay. Or, if there are other technical issues, find solutions to those if you want to enjoy gaming to the fullest.

 

Home Gaming

 

The start of personal computers and mass-producing gaming consoles in the early 1970s became a reality. Home gaming started gaining popularity with technological advancements, such as Intel’s invention of the first microprocessor in the world. 

 

Arcade gaming and home gaming lead to the development of the gaming community. In 1977, Atari introduced the Atari VCS but experienced low sales as people like having color TV at home.

 

Technology

 

Games in the late 1970s led to the growth of Arcades. The CPU supports more complexity than previous discrete circuitry games. The establishment of interactive entertainment techniques allows the arcade to boom. Color monitors had been used for racing video games. 

 

RGB color graphics became popular with Galaxian in 1979. Developers experimented with pseudo-3D and stereoscopic 3D, digital audio technology, laserdisc players, and more.

 

Most Famous Arcade Games

 

Even though so many arcade games were released during the golden age, not all of them became users’ choices. Space Invaders, Asteroids, Missile Command, Ms.Pac-Man, Mario Bros, Final Fight, and Street Fighter II are influential games of that era. 

 

The success of the arcade game was analyzed by the profit and number of arcade hardware units sold. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, and Space Invaders sold over 100,000 hardware units.  

 

What’s the Actual Golden Era of Video Games?

Shoot Em Ups became the choice as outer space and stylized spacecraft were simpler to render on the day’s unfinished hardware. But, it was the only video game that became a hit at that time. 

 

The late 90s would not be regarded as the golden age of all video games. However, it is regarded to be the Golden Age for home video games like computers and consoles. Some people also consider the 1980s as the golden age for arcade games.

 

The End of the Golden Age

 

The golden age of playing video games relaxed around the mid-1980s when copies of famous games started to soak the arcades. In the US, the profit margin of these games doubled in the late 80s, which was quite a surprising transformation. 

 

The appearance of the Nintendo Entertainment System (1985) started to manage the playing field by offering a better arcade experience at home. The new generation of video game consoles and PCs became the causes of this decline.

 

Gaming’s Big Bang

 

The release of Three Dimensional Polygonal Graphics and the optical media via CD-Roms brought major gaming changes in the early 1990s. The use of the CD-Rom led to the development of a dedicated graphics card. 

 

It also encourages the launch of Sony’s gaming console. By the late 1990s, video games started including online elements. Nintendo opted to emphasize the leading-edge gameplay.

 

Video Gaming Today

 

Digital distribution resulted in the growth of independent game development in the 2000s and 2010s. The advancement in hardware and software technology constantly brings enhancement to video games with HD videos and augmented reality-based games. 

 

The release of Virtual Reality Headsets makes gamers feel as if they are looking through the eyes of the game’s main character. Even people are funding such games.

 

The Conclusion

 

The color arcade games became more widespread in the late 1970s. At that time, video arcades begin going outside of their previous bowling lane and bar locales. Although, some people consider the Golden Age of video games as the whole time arcades were established in common. 

 

In short, they consider its beginning with the 1978 introduction of Space Invaders. And last in the mid-1990s with the launch of home gaming systems.

About the author

Ankit Gaba

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