128bytes Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 This week's The Onion A.V. Club just came out - and its lead story is a long interview with HSW and Will Wright (the guy who wrote SimCity, btw) They are also going to do classic gaming reviews every week! Check it out - highly recommended. Here's the editor's note, btw Editor's note It's been 33 years since Nolan Bushnell debuted Pong, the first commercially successful video game, and in spite of the predictions, society has not collapsed. In fact, video games have become a fact of everyday life. The video-game industry has continued to grow, becoming as viable and pervasive an entertainment habit as music or movies. So with this issue, The Onion A.V. Club expands into the world of video-game coverage: Game reviews will join our weekly film, music, DVD, and book reviews. This inaugural issue also offers interviews with two gaming luminaries: Atari pioneer Howard Scott Warshaw, and Will Wright, creator of SimCity and The Sims. The Onion A.V. Club also extends a hearty welcome to a new contributor who comes to us from Hollywood via the Internet. Each week, actor/author/gaming enthusiast/ icon/renaissance man Wil Wheaton, who maintains an online presence at wilwheaton.net, will take a look back to games past with his Games Of Our Lives column, reaching beyond Pac-Man and Donkey Kong to find the dusty arcade games and worn-out cartridges that paved the way for the games of today. It might not have been obvious from Pong's first flickers and bleeps that games would enter the cultural conversation in any significant way. But with each year, their presence becomes a little stronger. Would The Matrix's vision of virtual reality have had as much impact in a world without Myst? What does it mean when a popular game series like Grand Theft Auto mimics film in a way that allows players to take on bad-guy roles? And where would the world be without cinematic game adaptations like Alone In The Dark? Okay, bad example. But The Onion A.V. Club is now happy to steer readers toward better ones, this week and each week thereafter. —Keith Phipps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128bytes Posted February 2, 2005 Author Share Posted February 2, 2005 Oh yeah, and their first review is of Sears label Gunslinger (aka Atari Outlaw). . They credit AtariAge for the image of the cart in the article, but where's the screenshot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128bytes Posted February 2, 2005 Author Share Posted February 2, 2005 [virtual edit button] Here's a working link to the Gunslinger review [/virtual edit button] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maibock Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Oh yeah, and their first review is of Sears label Gunslinger (aka Atari Outlaw). . They credit AtariAge for the image of the cart in the article, but where's the screenshot? nice review - They show a picture of the cart top right corner. Kids today might like it because: You can get strapped and cap some fools, sucka! Enjoy all the fun of shooting things without the annoying guilt that occasionally accompanies wanton acts of needless violence. And that cactus sort of looks like a sex toy! How about that? Ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Famicoman Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Nice interview! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I'm just curious. What are people's opinion of onceuponatari? Is it an insightful DVD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjewell Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I just bought it, and actually watched Once Upon Atari last night. I personally thought it was awesome. Some awesome stories, and great to see people behind the games. and on topic: I'll have to check that interview out, looks cool. Wil Wheaton, rennaissance man.... Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Player Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Once Upon Atari focuses on the game designers and what it was like to work at Atari back in the early 80's. A wild and crazy place. The focus is on the people, not the hardware or games. Another good documentary on the 2600 is Stella at 20. This is more technical and focuses on the system's design and what software tricks came out of it. It is not currently available and it is eight years old now, but I would love to see it re-released on DVD. Like the 2600, the information never gets old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I got my copy of Once Upon Atari about 2 weeks ago. I really enjoy it. I wish there were more places like that to work. They all seem to realize how lucky they were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Well minus the drug free atmosphere... I'm sure it was nice. People need to be treated like people... Not like they are in a prison or a zoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.