I, Videogame questions

1. "I, Videogame" in-class survey

Class,

As you watch the documentary, write comments about the film in the boxes provided based on the questions supplied for each. These will be used as the basis for a post-film class discussion.
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1. Videogames emerged from the culture of the "Cold War" - what does Henry Jenkins from MIT compare the period to in terms of a famous board game?
Videogames emerged from the culture of the "Cold War" - what does Henry Jenkins from MIT compare the period to in terms of a famous board game?



2. Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary?

What was the name of the game?
Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary? What was the name of the game?



3. Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the PDP100 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?


Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the PDP100 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?


4. What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?
What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?


5. When the USA was aflame with internal conflict in the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television?

Who was its inventor/developer?
When the USA was aflame with internal conflict in the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television? Who was its inventor/developer?

6. PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting?

Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?
PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting? Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?

7. "Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan.

How did the production team intensify the emotion of the game via the use of the four-note in-game theme?
"Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan. How did the production team intensify the emotion of the game via the use of the four-note in-game theme?

8. Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat and that 'defeatism' in turn reflected the view by the designers that war itself is defeatist. Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)
Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat and that 'defeatism' in turn reflected the view by the designers that war itself is defeatist. Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)

9. Have you ever played any of the games shown in this the first episode of "I, Videogame"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?