FRIEND OF THE BLOG 1 — ETHAN JOHNSON ON THE EARLY HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

Ethan Johnson, a Chicago-based computer and video game historian, recently released the sixth episode in his Play History series, which chronicles the origins of video gaming all the way back to the 1940s.

COMPUTER CHRONICLES REVISITED 103 — PHOTON VIDEO CEL ANIMATOR, MUSIC-X, AND VIDEO TOASTER

In February 1987, Compute! magazine published the first hands-on look at the Amiga 2000.

CHRONICLES REVISITED PODCAST 11 — WHERE DID ALL THE LIGHT GO?

In 1985, Broderbund released Science Toolkit, a unique combination of hardware and software that enabled students to conduct simple experiments using an Apple II computer.

COMPUTER CHRONICLES REVISITED 102 — MACWORLD EXPO/SAN FRANCISCO 1988

The January 1988 Macworld Expo in San Francisco was the second industry trade show to merit its own Computer Chronicles episode after the Las Vegas COMDEX show.

COMPUTER CHRONICLES REVISITED 101 — THE DATACOPY 830, IMAGESTUDIO, TRUEFORM, AND PICTUREPOWER

Computer Chronicles began 1988 with a focus on desktop scanners and digital imaging software, a field still in its earliest stages at the personal computer level.

CHRONICLES REVISITED PODCAST 10 — HE STOPPED BUILDING MODEL TRAINS

In the late 1970s, Will Harvey worked a summer paper route to help pay for his first computer, a Commodore PET.

COMPUTER CHRONICLES REVISITED 100 — STRATEGIC CONQUEST, BEYOND DARK CASTLE, APACHE STRIKE, CHUCK YEAGER'S ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINER, AND MEAN 18

You always have to be cautious when declaring something was a “first” in video game history.

COMPUTER CHRONICLES REVISITED 99 — SHANGHAI, TOWER OF MYRAGLEN, EARL WEAVER BASEBALL, AND FERRARI FORMULA ONE

Even in the late 1980s, two of the biggest names in third-party game development were Electronic Arts and Activision.

CHRONICLES REVISITED PODCAST 9 — THEY'RE STILL A ONE-PRODUCT COMPANY

During the early seasons of Computer Chronicles, Ashton-Tate was one of the Big Three business software companies together with Microsoft and Lotus Development Corporation.

CCR SPECIAL 12 — THE VGHF SURVEY OF THE VIDEO GAME REISSUE MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES

Only about 13 percent of video games published in the United States prior to 2010 remain commercially available today, according to a study published on July 10 by the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF).