@playhistory.bsky.social
Independent games researcher, Ethan Johnson. Preserving gaming history! Patreon: http://tinyurl.com/pdp5pdrj YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@play_history/videos Blog: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Editor of Gaming Alexandria
At the famous 1939 New York World's Fair, Bally set up an exhibit of their bumper-powered pinball games at the penny arcade on the premises.
Of course, a little over two years later, pinball would be officially expelled from New York.
a new contender appears on All the Adventures!
This is by a new-for-us author, Michael Wile, who published for many different companies and formats, including the ultra-obscure JR-200 computer
includes a brief history of the PC-SIG public domain distribution group
bluerenga.blog/2026/03/12/i...
There was never any explanation as to why Astron Belt was delayed in the trades - they just kept saying it was coming. Until it was too late and Bally purchased the Sega Electronics assets, so they brought it out.
I don't know that it would have made a good game, but it is my favorite Hitchhiker's book so I'm curious.
My favorite quote from this podcast:
"Part of the story that I want people to realize is that, in the early history of computing, it's actually insane that people used computers to play games."
I remember! Thank you for inviting me.
It’s #mar10 day, so I’m obligated to plug my video about the true origin of Mario, which is completely different from the way it’s usually told.
youtu.be/gsCWPserdrs
All the Adventures reaches Misadventure 6 for TRS-80, and you think the "TOTALLY NEW CONCEPT" might be sarcastic but it appears to be the first text adventure superhero game
bluerenga.blog/2026/03/09/m...
To say Game Player's was a confusing magazine to sort would be an understatement.
https://youtu.be/Thw5X1AQ4ac
Someone go clean that gravestone!
In an industry absolutely dominated by men, to a degree north of 99%, Babe Kaufman consistently prospered, expanded, and leveraged her personality.
Cap off International Women’s Day with this thread and tribute to an early pinball legend.
Meet Babe Kaufman — America’s Only Woman Jobber!
Just like the @ourlostarcade.bsky.social podcast I'm totally not intending to do...
New blog post! A what-if scenario where we try to see how a home computer designer might've dealt with the field-sequential color television, had the Korean War not stopped that standards' rollout. Enjoy! nicole.express/2026/the-app...
Revel in Nintendo nostalgia as I attempt to track down the first instance of Nintendo crossing over one franchise with another.
Some of this is a little mutable but I think says a good deal about me.
This week on the Video Game History Hour: We're joined by @flori-p.bsky.social, Associate Curator of Science and Technology at the MIT Museum!
Dr. Pierri trained as a natural history curator. So how did they end up working in game preservation? At MIT? The story of their career will surprise you!
They say it's the season for scary games. What better time to play Spook Gun by Bally?
A Dale Gun-style game advertised for its "junior" quality, the novelty of sniping the undead has never really gotten old.
This interview comes from Gamer Handbook which I scanned last year! Be sure to check it out, I was quite chuffed to come across it
archive.org/details/Game...
New story up on what happened to Ocean Software's Lobo fighting game, with a bunch of never-before-seen renders made for the game.
Many of them are webringed to each other, but no I don't think there's a comprehensive list.
I do think there are some which aren't as inciteful as others and therefore don't really serve the purpose of proper context.
Bob Krotts wrote a series of "naughty" games for TRS-80; I had trouble getting number 5 to work, but I have now unveiled the mystery, which involves many deathtraps and a strange application of pants.
bluerenga.blog/2026/03/02/m...
From “Dig Dug” tactics to “Xevious” secrets and “The Tower of Druaga” that helped shape Zelda, Masanobu Endō pioneered concepts that still resonate in games today, from hidden secrets to layering story into gameplay. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmKv... #MasanobuEndo #Xevious #TowerOfDruaga
the monthly update for February. and January. and, uh, December.
hey, at least I got the post up on the last day of the month for once.
savestate.site/stage-clear-...
The @intelligentspeech.bsky.social conference begins imminently!
Thanks to all who have shown support for independent podcasting scene. You can still get a ticket that will allow you to view the VODs at a later date!
Super interesting guy - I've been meaning to write an article about his wild career.
Tomorrow, I'll be giving a talk at Intelligent Speech at 4:20pm about the San Diego arcade rivalry of Sega/Gremlin and Cinematronics!
intelligentspeechonline.com
All based on research for my upcoming book - I hope to see some of y'all there!
It’s our 9th birthday and our 150th episode all at once; let’s party! In our latest VGHH podcast host and VGHF Director Frank Cifaldi is joined by two founding board members Simon Carless and Steve Lin.: https://gamehistory.org/episode-150-vghf-founding-retrospective/
Oh yeah - we're live.
www.twitch.tv/play_history
Our never-ending torment peppered with 70s music trivia continues. Oh yeah and that Star Wars thing happens.
Be not afeared - join us.