Page 29 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles June 2019
P. 29
ANTIQUES PEEK by Jessica Kosinski
ANTIQUES PEEK
Game On!
T his issue is devoted to the “man cave.” Everyone’s idea of the perfect Video Games for a One-of-a-Kind Man Cave
man cave is a little bit different. Others might want the largest
You could have hours of fun playing any vintage video games on any
television available for watching their favorite sports, but when it comes
consoles you want in your man cave, but what if you want the cream of the
to adding a television to your man cave, you may have another ulterior motive.
Video games are always better played on a big screen. Today’s video games are crop? You will have to be prepared for the expense involved because rare video
games will cost you thousands of
great. I play many of them myself. But adding games to your man cave
dollars. Here are some examples:
hat remind you of your childhood is also a great idea. Obviously, they are The 1990 Nintendo World
nostalgic, and many of them can also be quite valuable. I know from personal Championships Gold Edition for
experience because my dad used to help build the game cartridges for Atari NES used cartridges produces as
console games. We still own many of them. Additionally, many early video prizes for winners and runners up
games spawned collectible merchandise that you can use to decorate your man of the World Championships that
cave. Let’s take a peek at the origins of the video game and some of the best year. As you can imagine, only a
vintage video games to collect today. few were made. As of 2018, they
were valued at approximately
The True Origins of Video Game Consoles $18,000 each. Nintendo Gold
A common reference many people use when talking about the earliest video Birthday Mania was an Atari game produced in 1984 by a programmer
games is Pong. It was a simplistic table tennis (ping pong) game where players named Anthony Tokar. It was a custom-order game that allowed the person
controlled paddles on the screen and had to volley a small dot representing a ordering to request the name of the recipient to be inserted into the game on
ball back and forth. Pong was one of the earliest arcade games ever created. the main loading screen. The game also came with other customized features
It was also the first video game ever produced by the popular video game
like the recipient’s name on the box. As of 2018, there is at least one cartridge
company Atari. However, it was not the first video game ever made, as many still in existence. It was recently valued at $25,000.
people seem to think. E.T.: The Extra-
Atari actually released Pong in 1972 as an arcade game. A few years later, Terrestrial also
in 1975, it was released for the console, but deserves a special
Atari was not the first company mention here, even
Early Odyssey Console to produce video though its monetary
games. In fact, Atari value is only around
took its inspiration $1,500, as of 2018.
for creating Pong Adding it to your
from the home con- E.T. man cave can
sole games of the certainly make for a
Magnavox Odyssey nearly one-of-a-kind experience as you and your friends marvel over how
console released in 1972. horrible it actually is and the intense legend behind it. Based on the Steven
That was the first home Spielberg blockbuster of the same name, this is known as one of the worst
video gaming console.
video games ever produced by any company. It was, in fact, so bad that
Magnavox released 28 games on the Odyssey. Atari Nintendo could not sell most copies and rumors stated the company wound
and Magnavox later got into a legal dispute over
up burying millions of them in the desert. Hundreds of the cartridges have
copyright infringement. Eventually, Magnovox allowed Atari to become an since been recovered, proving the rumor at least partially true.
Odyssey licensee. Soon after, Atari itself began to grow and expand. With the
release of the Atari 2600 console system in 1977, the first color video games Top Vintage Video Games You Can Reasonably Add to Your Man Cave
were available for at-home play. Of course, for many of us, our budgets are
not in the tens of thousands per game cartridge.
The Pioneers Behind the Video Game Movement If you are looking for some more affordable
The origins of video game consoles for home use in the U.S. are important vintage video games to add to your man cave,
to understand when you want to collect and play vintage video games, but it’s some of your best options are the most well-
important to pay homage to the actual people behind the earliest games. Those known vintage video games. Their popularity
people were pioneering scientists who helped create the huge industry we meant many copies of most of them were
know video gaming to be today. For example, British professor A.S. Douglas produced. It also meant they were fun to play,
created a video game version of tic-tac-toe called OXO in 1952. Ten years so you are sure to have fun reliving your
later in my state, Massachusetts, at childhood playing them with friends and family
the Massachusetts Institute of members again now. There are many to pick
Technology, more commonly from, but it’s always great to start with some
known as MIT, another huge iconic classics. For example, you might try
breakthrough was made. Steve Super Mario Kart for SNES. It and its various 1982 Ms. Pac-Man
Russell created a unique game sequels, which are still being produced today, could provide you and your
called Space War! that was playable friends with hours of car racing entertainment.
on multiple computers. Although Also incredibly popular still today is the maze-like, pellet-collecting
those were great breakthroughs, Pac-Man franchise, especially Ms. Pac-Man, which was originally an arcade
Ralph Baer is the one widely called game. A home version was released on Atari 2600 in 1981 and is still widely
the Father of Video Games. He and available today in several different formats. Although, you may have to take
his team created “The Brown Box” some time to find an affordable original Atari cartridge. You could also go
that later became the Odyssey the more expensive route of purchasing the actual arcade game if your man
home gaming system. Space War cave is large enough.
Jessica Kosinski has been a freelance writer specializing in writing short articles for 15 years. She is also an avid collector of both antique books and Star Wars memorabilia. Although she is not in the antiques
industry professionally, she has learned a lot about antiques over the years by periodically helping out at her mom’s antiques shop in Greenville, NH. She currently balances maintaining the antiques shop’s
Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MallofNE, and working on various freelance writing assignments. She can be reached at dementorskiss77@yahoo.com.
July 2019 27
ANTIQUES PEEK
Game On!
T his issue is devoted to the “man cave.” Everyone’s idea of the perfect Video Games for a One-of-a-Kind Man Cave
man cave is a little bit different. Others might want the largest
You could have hours of fun playing any vintage video games on any
television available for watching their favorite sports, but when it comes
consoles you want in your man cave, but what if you want the cream of the
to adding a television to your man cave, you may have another ulterior motive.
Video games are always better played on a big screen. Today’s video games are crop? You will have to be prepared for the expense involved because rare video
games will cost you thousands of
great. I play many of them myself. But adding games to your man cave
dollars. Here are some examples:
hat remind you of your childhood is also a great idea. Obviously, they are The 1990 Nintendo World
nostalgic, and many of them can also be quite valuable. I know from personal Championships Gold Edition for
experience because my dad used to help build the game cartridges for Atari NES used cartridges produces as
console games. We still own many of them. Additionally, many early video prizes for winners and runners up
games spawned collectible merchandise that you can use to decorate your man of the World Championships that
cave. Let’s take a peek at the origins of the video game and some of the best year. As you can imagine, only a
vintage video games to collect today. few were made. As of 2018, they
were valued at approximately
The True Origins of Video Game Consoles $18,000 each. Nintendo Gold
A common reference many people use when talking about the earliest video Birthday Mania was an Atari game produced in 1984 by a programmer
games is Pong. It was a simplistic table tennis (ping pong) game where players named Anthony Tokar. It was a custom-order game that allowed the person
controlled paddles on the screen and had to volley a small dot representing a ordering to request the name of the recipient to be inserted into the game on
ball back and forth. Pong was one of the earliest arcade games ever created. the main loading screen. The game also came with other customized features
It was also the first video game ever produced by the popular video game
like the recipient’s name on the box. As of 2018, there is at least one cartridge
company Atari. However, it was not the first video game ever made, as many still in existence. It was recently valued at $25,000.
people seem to think. E.T.: The Extra-
Atari actually released Pong in 1972 as an arcade game. A few years later, Terrestrial also
in 1975, it was released for the console, but deserves a special
Atari was not the first company mention here, even
Early Odyssey Console to produce video though its monetary
games. In fact, Atari value is only around
took its inspiration $1,500, as of 2018.
for creating Pong Adding it to your
from the home con- E.T. man cave can
sole games of the certainly make for a
Magnavox Odyssey nearly one-of-a-kind experience as you and your friends marvel over how
console released in 1972. horrible it actually is and the intense legend behind it. Based on the Steven
That was the first home Spielberg blockbuster of the same name, this is known as one of the worst
video gaming console.
video games ever produced by any company. It was, in fact, so bad that
Magnavox released 28 games on the Odyssey. Atari Nintendo could not sell most copies and rumors stated the company wound
and Magnavox later got into a legal dispute over
up burying millions of them in the desert. Hundreds of the cartridges have
copyright infringement. Eventually, Magnovox allowed Atari to become an since been recovered, proving the rumor at least partially true.
Odyssey licensee. Soon after, Atari itself began to grow and expand. With the
release of the Atari 2600 console system in 1977, the first color video games Top Vintage Video Games You Can Reasonably Add to Your Man Cave
were available for at-home play. Of course, for many of us, our budgets are
not in the tens of thousands per game cartridge.
The Pioneers Behind the Video Game Movement If you are looking for some more affordable
The origins of video game consoles for home use in the U.S. are important vintage video games to add to your man cave,
to understand when you want to collect and play vintage video games, but it’s some of your best options are the most well-
important to pay homage to the actual people behind the earliest games. Those known vintage video games. Their popularity
people were pioneering scientists who helped create the huge industry we meant many copies of most of them were
know video gaming to be today. For example, British professor A.S. Douglas produced. It also meant they were fun to play,
created a video game version of tic-tac-toe called OXO in 1952. Ten years so you are sure to have fun reliving your
later in my state, Massachusetts, at childhood playing them with friends and family
the Massachusetts Institute of members again now. There are many to pick
Technology, more commonly from, but it’s always great to start with some
known as MIT, another huge iconic classics. For example, you might try
breakthrough was made. Steve Super Mario Kart for SNES. It and its various 1982 Ms. Pac-Man
Russell created a unique game sequels, which are still being produced today, could provide you and your
called Space War! that was playable friends with hours of car racing entertainment.
on multiple computers. Although Also incredibly popular still today is the maze-like, pellet-collecting
those were great breakthroughs, Pac-Man franchise, especially Ms. Pac-Man, which was originally an arcade
Ralph Baer is the one widely called game. A home version was released on Atari 2600 in 1981 and is still widely
the Father of Video Games. He and available today in several different formats. Although, you may have to take
his team created “The Brown Box” some time to find an affordable original Atari cartridge. You could also go
that later became the Odyssey the more expensive route of purchasing the actual arcade game if your man
home gaming system. Space War cave is large enough.
Jessica Kosinski has been a freelance writer specializing in writing short articles for 15 years. She is also an avid collector of both antique books and Star Wars memorabilia. Although she is not in the antiques
industry professionally, she has learned a lot about antiques over the years by periodically helping out at her mom’s antiques shop in Greenville, NH. She currently balances maintaining the antiques shop’s
Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MallofNE, and working on various freelance writing assignments. She can be reached at dementorskiss77@yahoo.com.
July 2019 27
