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by Hugh
Falk
(3/10/99)
Being first is a good thing.
In fact, being first is a very good thing. You never forget your
first kiss; first-come is always first-served; and, of course, the
first one in is never a rotten egg.
When it comes to games, however, being first is a huge risk. A
game that breaks new ground might not look the best and it might not
be the most popular, and there's certainly no guarantee it will make
the most money; but being first is how many games, for good or bad,
made their biggest impact--even if that impact was sometimes marked
by a smoking crater.
After months of research, interviews, and Web surfing, we're
ready to pay homage to those firsts and acknowledge some of the most
memorable triumphs and tragedies in the history of gaming. We hope
you will join in with a hearty "amen!" after you read about each of
the ten examples we've chosen. We consider triumphs to be successful
titles that defined the medium and shaped the games that followed.
Tragedies, on the other hand, can be classified as games that failed
to leave any lasting impression other than a bad taste in players'
mouths--and huge dents in developers' wallets.
Got something to say? Take it to the CNET
Message Boards.
(Editor's note: This story has changed from the original
version. Please see our corrections
page.)
Hugh Falk is often credited
with producing the world's first video gaming magazine,
PongWorld, which debuted in 1974. Unfortunately, an immature
gaming market, a total lack of interest in Pong-related news, and
the fact that he was six years old doomed the project to failure.
Now he works as just another writer in the industry he founded. Let us
know what you think.
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