Here at VintageGameSite, our mission is to provide you with information about vintage gaming and vintage computers from the first ever home computers to the 1990s.
The 1970s saw the introduction of two new markets: the video home entertainment systems market, video games; and the home computer market. These first consoles and computers had no standards to follow. Each company positioned for market share with what they thought were pioneering features and value.
The 1980s began with a culling in the video game industry to cut- throat price wars in the home computer markets. Unlike today, they were a great many different computer platforms.
The 1980s was a dynamic period with thousands of software houses where games and other popular software was coded for as many as 15 different systems. There was no windows compatibility. The business world had their boring single-purpose DOS-based machines that did little for creativity while the consumer market saw such pioneering features like true colour, stereo sound, pre-emptive multitasking as standard features and application like desktop publishing and desktop video creating new side businesses. |
However, with the 1990s, standards and compatibility became important in the purchase of new computers. People wanted to run the same software they ran at the office on their home computers. By 1995, Windows 95 became the defacto standard helping to put a death knell in the Commodore, Apple and Atari home computers.
In the video game industry, the culling went further for different reasons. The cost to develop and produce console was significant to where there are only three consoles in 2007.
For those of us that grew up in this dynamic and evolutionary period, it was an exciting time. We were always looking for the next best console or computer. What new features would they have? Today, that excitement is lost. Consoles and computers are more like appliances now.
This site is a museum and a tribute to those early years of imagination and creation where revolutionary and leading edge computers could be created with millions and no more than a dozen people. For this reason, we have not covered DOS-based or Windows- based systems.
We hope you enjoy this site and welcome you input. With your help, this can become a great site! |
