🎮 Final Exam - History of Video Games [GDE205] 🕹

Mutoscopes were…

basically a flip book using photographic cards

Computers were able to micronize when transistors replaced vacuum tube technology

True

What is the first mass-produced coin-op arcade video game?

Computer Space

Which group ALMOST controlled the patent of Video games?

U.S. Government

What was the first computer game to use computer memory?

Checkers

Why was Nolan Bushnell working at the Lagoon Amusement Arcade?

He lost his college tuition money gambling.

Which game had an astronomically correct star field and real-world physics?

Space War

What was SONY’s original name?

Tokyo Telecommunications Laboratory

Military applications (trainers, code deciphering, etc.) were the primary reason for much computer advancement.

True

What is the shape of an oscilloscope?

Circular

Which was NOT an early computer game?

Backgammon

What was the world’s first commercially available home video game console?

Magnavox Odyssey

Higinbotham’s “Tennis for Two” was played on this device…

Oscilloscope

Which magazine called Space War, “a flawless crystal ball of things to come in computer science”?

Rolling Stone

Why was ENIAC designed?

To help win World War II

What was the first talking pinball machine?

Gorgar

Pinball became a sign of youth rebellion.

True

What U.S. city has been the center of pinball manufacturing?

Chicago

Pinball is still illegal in many municipalties.

False

What pinball innovation changed pinball from a game of luck to a game of skill?

Flippers

Why were most of the pinball companies closed in the early 40’s?

Factories were converted to build machines and ammunition for the war effort.

What French game eventually led to the creation of pinball?

Bagatelle

Which Japanese game helped define the term “pin-ball”?

Pachinko

What was the first solid-state machine?

Spirit of ‘76

Name the player that performed the “Hail-Mary” play that “saved pinball”.

Roger Sharpe

How many flippers were on Humpty Dumpty, the first pin to add them to the play field?

6

Which band created the music for Tommy’s Rock Opera?

The Who

What company was the first pinball machine manufacturer?

Gottlieb

What was the final pinball company to close its door before the revival?

Williams Pinball

Which New York Mayor made pinball prohibition his number one priority?

Fiorello La Guardia

Which U.S. city banned pinball first?

Los Angeles

What was the first coin-operated game?

Baffle Ball

What was the Odyssey system solid?

Only at Magnavox stores.

What type of Game did Nolan Bushnell WANT to be Atari’s first game, but was complex?

Driving

The Brown Box featured a black & white graphics while the Odyssey was in full color.

False

What was the first video game console almost named until changed at the last minute?

Skill-O-Vision

Nolan Bushnell played the Odyssey at a Magnavox demonstration prior to PONG.

True

What was the original name for Atari?

Syzygy

What caused the malfunction in the original PONG unit at Andy Capps Bar?

Coin Jam

Why did co-founder of Atari sell his share of the company to Nolan Bushnell?

Panicked over all the counterfeit games on the market.

Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell is considered “The Father of the Home Video Game”.

False

What game set the 25 cent per play standard?

Periscope

What Atari game featured controls modeled after the female anatomy?

Gotcha

What “fake” company did Nolan Bushnell set up to outsmart the coin-op disitribution system?

Kee Games

What was the first table-top arcade game?

Elimination

What founding gaming company sold Vodka?

Taito

Atari PONG outperformed typical pinball machines more than 3 to 1.

True

In 1969, which company bought SEGA?

Gulf + Western

What was Sega’s name before being abbreviated?

Service Games

Where did Coleco originate?

Connecticut

Which company released Magnavox’s Odyssey in Japan?

Nintendo

Ralph Baer introduced the General Electric (G.E.) multi-game chip to Magnavox.

False

What popular franchise did Coleco license for use on their leather goods?

Mickey Mouse

What was the first coin-op arcade title to allow eight-player simultaneous game play?

Indy 800

The Fairchild’s “Video Carts” were modeled after this popular music format.

8-Track

What was the first hand-held game?

Auto Race

What was the Sears electronic brand name?

Tele-Games

In 1976, Mattel became the fastest growing company in US history.

False (Atari)

Which pinball company had executives declare, “Nothing will ever replace pinball!”

Bally

What was the first full-color arcade game?

Wimbledon

Which game system featured a controller that worked like a plunger?

Fairchild Video Entertainement System (VES)

What game first introduced human-on-human violence?

Western Gun

Who was Atari employee #40?

Steve Jobs

The prototype for the original Atari VCS was named after employee Joe Decuir’s car.

False (His bike)

Which company released the earliest commercial electronic music visualizer?

Atari

Which company dabbled in home pinball machines for children?

Coleco

Which department store chain agree to finance and advertise Atari Home PONG?

Sears

What was the first arcade game to implement a ROM chip?

Gran Track 10

Why was Warner Communications interested in buying Atari?

Record sales were down because kids were spending their record money on video games.

Which game system featured the first ROM game cartridges?

Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES)

Magnavox won every single video game related lawsuit they were involved in.

True

What was the first sit-down cabinet that was patented by Atari?

Hi-Way

Which company almost bought Atari Japan In 1974 before Namco swooped in with a higher bid?

Sega

What was unusual about Epoch’s ElectroTennis stand-alone console?

It did not hook up to the TV directly, but instead the signal was picked up by the TV’s antenna.

What was NAMCO’s first business venture?

Children’s rocking horse ride

Kee Games was a fierce competitor to Atari in the beginning.

False