Difference between revisions of "Electro-mechanical arcade games"
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| − | [[File:Periscope_machine1.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Periscope]]'', an example of an early Sega electro-mechanical arcade game. | + | {{cleanup}}[[File:Periscope_machine1.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Periscope]]'', an example of an early Sega electro-mechanical arcade game.]] |
| − | ]] | + | For much of the twentieth century, '''electro-mechanical arcade games''' ('''EM''' games), were a staple of amusement arcade venues across the world. As the name suggests, these are commercial products, typically using simple electric circuits to move physical objects in order to simulate a game - an evolution of slot machines and pinball tables (as well as purely mechanical inventions), and which rose to prominence after the end of World War II. |
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| + | Numerous amusement companies designed and manufactured coin-operated EM games between the early 1950s and late 1970s. [[Sega]] began producing games in the early 1960s, with the the 1966 release of ''[[Periscope]]'' emerging as their first successful EM venture. Until the mid-1970s, the company structured itself around this market, however with the advent of more complex and reliable "video games" - those which use a combination of solid state electronics to draw a picture on a television screen, Sega became less focused on its EM operations, ending with the release of ''[[Plinker's Canyon]]'' in 1976. | ||
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| + | By the late 1960s, "video projection" electro-mechanical games were becoming more common, with the likes of Sega's ''[[Duck Hunt]]'' (1969) dropping physical moving targets in favour of projected images, helping to set a tone for the first half of the 1970s. However, due to a reliance on physical moving parts (and by extension, high maintenance costs), all types of electro-mechanical arcade games are difficult to find outside of museums, with most being taken out of service in the early 1980s. | ||
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'''Electro-mechanical arcade games''' (often abbreviated '''EM''' games) are what [[arcade]]s used to have before the introduction of arcade video games (which use solid-state electronics like transistors, integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, and microcontrollers, along with a video display monitor). An electro-mechanical game is any coin-operated game that has neither a microprocessor (nor an approximation of one with logic gates like ''SHARK Jaws'', ''Computer Space'' and others used), or a proper display monitor. An electro-mechanical game is run through switches, relays, motors, and lights. Any electronic circuitry in the machine were usually very simple. Evetually, the late 1960s saw the emergence of video projection EM games, which used projection displays for visuals (like ''[[Duck Hunt]]'', ''[[Jet Rocket]]'' and ''[[Killer Shark]]'') and ocassionally solid-state electronics for sounds (like ''[[Grand Prix]]'', ''[[Missile]]'' and ''[[Night Rider]]''), laying the foundations for arcade video games. | '''Electro-mechanical arcade games''' (often abbreviated '''EM''' games) are what [[arcade]]s used to have before the introduction of arcade video games (which use solid-state electronics like transistors, integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, and microcontrollers, along with a video display monitor). An electro-mechanical game is any coin-operated game that has neither a microprocessor (nor an approximation of one with logic gates like ''SHARK Jaws'', ''Computer Space'' and others used), or a proper display monitor. An electro-mechanical game is run through switches, relays, motors, and lights. Any electronic circuitry in the machine were usually very simple. Evetually, the late 1960s saw the emergence of video projection EM games, which used projection displays for visuals (like ''[[Duck Hunt]]'', ''[[Jet Rocket]]'' and ''[[Killer Shark]]'') and ocassionally solid-state electronics for sounds (like ''[[Grand Prix]]'', ''[[Missile]]'' and ''[[Night Rider]]''), laying the foundations for arcade video games. | ||
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Over the course of the 1970s, following the release of ''[[Pong]]'' in 1972, arcade video games began competing with electro-mechanical games in the arcades.{{ref|Brian Ashcraft (2008) ''Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers'', p. 134, Kodansha International}}{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} The gradual shift was not abrupt, as early arcade video games were largely modelled after earlier video projection games,{{ref|[https://www.academia.edu/12148820/Once_Upon_a_Time_on_the_Screen_Wild_West_in_Computer_and_Video_Games Once Upon a Time on the Screen: Wild West in Computer and Video Games], Academia}} which continued to thrive up until the 1978 video game ''Space Invaders'',{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} which dealt a powerful blow to the popularity of electro-mechanical games.{{ref| | Over the course of the 1970s, following the release of ''[[Pong]]'' in 1972, arcade video games began competing with electro-mechanical games in the arcades.{{ref|Brian Ashcraft (2008) ''Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers'', p. 134, Kodansha International}}{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} The gradual shift was not abrupt, as early arcade video games were largely modelled after earlier video projection games,{{ref|[https://www.academia.edu/12148820/Once_Upon_a_Time_on_the_Screen_Wild_West_in_Computer_and_Video_Games Once Upon a Time on the Screen: Wild West in Computer and Video Games], Academia}} which continued to thrive up until the 1978 video game ''Space Invaders'',{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} which dealt a powerful blow to the popularity of electro-mechanical games.{{ref| | ||
Brian Ashcraft (2008) ''Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers'', p. 136, Kodansha International}} Kasco, one of the biggest electro-mechanical arcade manufacturers at the time, declined due to its reluctance to make the transition to arcade video games. The 1978 release of ''Space Invaders'' marked the end of the electro-mechanical golden age, and the beginning of the golden age of arcade video games.{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} | Brian Ashcraft (2008) ''Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers'', p. 136, Kodansha International}} Kasco, one of the biggest electro-mechanical arcade manufacturers at the time, declined due to its reluctance to make the transition to arcade video games. The 1978 release of ''Space Invaders'' marked the end of the electro-mechanical golden age, and the beginning of the golden age of arcade video games.{{ref|[http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age] (Interview), ''Classic Videogame Station ODYSSEY'', 2001}} | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:Arcade systems]] | [[Category:Arcade systems]] | ||
Revision as of 14:06, 6 April 2017
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Periscope, an example of an early Sega electro-mechanical arcade game.
For much of the twentieth century, electro-mechanical arcade games (EM games), were a staple of amusement arcade venues across the world. As the name suggests, these are commercial products, typically using simple electric circuits to move physical objects in order to simulate a game - an evolution of slot machines and pinball tables (as well as purely mechanical inventions), and which rose to prominence after the end of World War II.
Numerous amusement companies designed and manufactured coin-operated EM games between the early 1950s and late 1970s. Sega began producing games in the early 1960s, with the the 1966 release of Periscope emerging as their first successful EM venture. Until the mid-1970s, the company structured itself around this market, however with the advent of more complex and reliable "video games" - those which use a combination of solid state electronics to draw a picture on a television screen, Sega became less focused on its EM operations, ending with the release of Plinker's Canyon in 1976.
By the late 1960s, "video projection" electro-mechanical games were becoming more common, with the likes of Sega's Duck Hunt (1969) dropping physical moving targets in favour of projected images, helping to set a tone for the first half of the 1970s. However, due to a reliance on physical moving parts (and by extension, high maintenance costs), all types of electro-mechanical arcade games are difficult to find outside of museums, with most being taken out of service in the early 1980s.
Subcategories
This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total.
1
- 1962 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1965 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1966 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1967 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1968 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1969 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1970 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1971 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1972 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1973 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1974 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1975 electro-mechanical arcade games
- 1976 electro-mechanical arcade games
Pages in category "Electro-mechanical arcade games"
The following 71 pages are in this category, out of 71 total.