World's First Sold Game ?

[CaryMG]

I know about the tic-tac-toe game at Cambridge & Higgenbottom's "PONG" at Brookhaven National Laboratory
but what was the first interactive software you could go in a store & buy ?

I'd guess & say "SpaceWar !" made at MIT in 1962.
It's for DEC's "PDP-1" & DEC was so impressed with it, they made the "PDP-1" pack-in.
So if you bought the computer, you got the game which means it was the first one sold.

Since the "APPLE" computer was the first personal computer, the first games to buy in a store were for it ....

What do you guys think?


Later!
:) :) :)

[tom]

The 'first personal computer', the Altair computer from 1975 had some simple games and music programs to 'do yourself' or purchase?

1972 Magnavox Odyssey was the first home console with games sold on cards.

Nolans Computer Space was the first arcade game you could buy (1971?).

Xerox had a maze game shipped with their computers in the early 70s (maybe not to buy, not sure).

[CaryMG]

The 'first personal computer' the Altair computer ...
Thanks for answering, Tom!

lol
kk ....
Yes that is the world's first personal computer but in the strictest sense of the word.
What I mean is a computer is that it has input/throughput/output.
And by "output" I mean something anyone could see & understand -- not flashing lights that have to be interpreted.


... from 1975 had some simple games and music programs ...
That's really really interesting -- I didn't know that.
Is there a pic somewhere of the game package?
And the "Altair" has sound ? lol



1972 Magnavox Odyssey was the first home console with games sold on cards.
Didn't know that either.
I thought PONG/HandBall/Tank Battle were all built-in.
As a quick aside -- did ya know "Odyssey" has no score & no sound ? lol

Anyone else have any idea?


Later!
:) :) :)

[InsaneDavid]

1972 Magnavox Odyssey was the first home console with games sold on cards.
Didn't know that either.

I thought the Odyssey's "cartridges" did nothing but act as jumpers to load built in games. I believe the Fairchild Channel F was the first home console with interchangable cartridges.

[CaryMG]

That's what I thought about "Channel F", too.

I apologize -- I should've been more specific ....

I'd like ta know the world's first computer game that could be bought in a store .

I mistakenly thought stuff for the "APPLE ][" was the first world's first buyable software but the "Channel F" 'd slipped my mind.

Anyone ?

[Ed Oscuro]

As far as I know the first game system with interchangable games in a flat card (non-cartridge) format was the SG-1000.

[rolenta]

I thought the Odyssey's "cartridges" did nothing but act as jumpers to load built in games. I believe the Fairchild Channel F was the first home console with interchangable cartridges.

This is correct on both counts

[Flack]

I mistakenly thought stuff for the "APPLE ][" was the first world's first buyable software but the "Channel F" 'd slipped my mind.

Does the Apple II predate the TRS-80?

[tom]

Yes, the Altair was expandable, with add-on cards, keyboard, screen, Microsoft Basic (source: 'Gates' the book) and so on. So not just 'flashing lights'.

As for knowing about the Odyssey has no sound nor scores,
yes I own the complete Magnavox Odyssey incl:
Percepts game and all six 1972 games:

(Baseball, Handball (card #8), Volleyball (card #7), Wipe Out, Invasion, Fun Zoo)

and all four 1973 games (W.I.N., Brain Wave, Interplanetary Voyage (card #12), Basketball (card #8)),

plus the Rifle and games (Shootout, Dogfight, Prehistoric Safari (card #9), Shooting Gallery (card #10).

Here are a few pictures:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/myodyssey3.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/myodyssey5.jpg

Also, I know the cards only re-programmed the console, irrelevant, they were still different game cards you could purchase in a shop.

[InsaneDavid]

I thought the Odyssey's "cartridges" did nothing but act as jumpers to load built in games. I believe the Fairchild Channel F was the first home console with interchangable cartridges.

This is correct on both counts

For once I didn't totally botch some vintage gaming trivia. LOL

[mezrabad]

Okay, I know there were personal computers, of a sort, prior to the Commodore PET, TRS-80 and Apple ][, but I don't think there was anyone making and selling computer games as early as 1977.

In 1978, around Christmas, Starfleet Orion from Automated Simulations (later Epyx) came out for the Commodore PET. Also in 1978, I don't know when, I think Scott Addams released Pirate Adventure for the TRS-80.

As far as I know those were the first commercially published games for the PCs that had come out in 1977 and I know that the Addams text adventures inspired Mystery House from Sierra according to Roberta Williams in more than one interview I've read. The computer games industry grew from there.

Seperate and unrelated:

Anyone here ever use PLATO?

[CaryMG]

Does the Apple II predate the TRS-80?
mHM.
The "APPLE ]
e "TRS-80", the "PET" & the "ATARI 400" computers.

[quote="tom"]Yes, the Altair was expandable, with add-on cards, keyboard, screen, Microsoft Basic ....
So not just 'flashing lights'.
Incredible .....
I SO didn't know that ....


I know the cards only re-programmed the console, irrelevant, they were still different game cards you could purchase in a shop.
* "WipeOut"
* "Brain Wave"
So ....
The world's first games you could buy in a store were "Odyssey" games.
And they invented cool game names, as well.
Truly, truly fascinating ....


In 1978 "Starfleet Orion" from Automated Simulations came out for the Commodore PET.
Also in 1978 Scott Addams released "Pirate Adventure" for the TRS-80.
Those were the first commercially published games for PCs ....
Coolness!
I wonder if they sell 'em in baggies like "Akalabeth" ?


Later!
:) :) :)

[tom]

There were games for the Apple I, perhaps?

Anyway, the Apple ][ started the computer software revolution in (I guess) 1977, and by 1985 it had a software base of 16000 commercial products (source: Electronic Games magazine May 1985, see link below), in it's lifetime at least 20000, if not more. So the Apple ][ features the biggest software library of any 8-bit computer.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/SWScan00023.jpg

Such a shame the Apple ][ was not a success in Europe.

[blue lander]

As far as I know the first game system with interchangable games in a flat card (non-cartridge) format was the SG-1000.

What about the Beecards for the MSX 1? I know Hudson released a handful of titles on them, such as Jet Set Willy and Bomberman. Electric Software also had a card format on the MSX, but I forget what it's called.




... from 1975 had some simple games and music programs ...
That's really really interesting -- I didn't know that.
Is there a pic somewhere of the game package?
And the "Altair" has sound ? lol



The Altair had sound if you put a radio next to it. There were programs that would cause the Altair to create specific patterns of RF interference that you could hear on the radio, so you could use that to create musical tunes. And I doubt there was a "game package". Most games in the pre-Apple ][ days for home computers were either sold on paper tape or as a booklet with the source code. I have a book somewhere from 1973 or 74 with the source code of Sargon, a chess game, in basic. You just had to type it in if you wanted to play.