Before the age of 4K trailers, algorithm-driven recommendations, and YouTube deep-dives, there was one thing that sold a video game more than anything else:the box. For retro gamers, the artwork on a game box is more than packaging — it’s an emotional time capsule. It’s how many of us discovered our first NES cartridge, our … Read more
In the early 1990s, the video game industry stood on the brink of change.CD-ROM technology was new, mysterious, and full of promise — offering vast storage, full-motion video, and near-limitless potential. Among the many companies racing to harness this new power was Philips, the Dutch electronics giant best known for TVs and audio equipment.Its vision? … Read more
Before smartphones ruled the world, handheld gaming was the wild frontier of innovation — and sometimes, chaos. The early 2000s were a time when every tech company wanted a slice of the portable gaming pie.Nintendo and Sony dominated with the Game Boy Advance and PSP, but a new wave of challengers emerged — armed with … Read more
In the early 1990s, video games entered a bold new frontier — one that shimmered like a mirror.The CD-ROM wasn’t just a new storage medium; it was a revolution that reshaped how games were built, played, and experienced. After years of clunky cartridges with limited memory, the shiny compact disc promised near-limitless space for music, … Read more
Long before 3D polygons and motion-capture suits, game characters were born from grids of light.They ran, jumped, blinked, and smiled — not because of complex rigs or shaders, but because of sprite animation, the craft of making the simplest images feel alive. In an era when hardware limited artists to mere dozens of pixels, they … Read more
In the 1990s, gaming was booming — but global gaming was still in its infancy.Japanese developers were creating masterpieces, yet many of these games had to cross oceans, languages, and cultures before reaching players in the West. This process wasn’t as simple as translating text. It was localization — a complex, creative act that required … Read more
Before Wi-Fi, before matchmaking lobbies, before voice chat filled our headsets — multiplayer was personal. You could hear your opponent breathing next to you. You could feel the tension in the air as you both held controllers tethered by cords, fighting not for online glory, but bragging rights in the living room. In the pre-internet … Read more
Before YouTube reviews, Reddit debates, or Twitch streams, there was paper. In the 1980s and 1990s, gaming magazines were the lifeblood of console fandom — glossy, colorful, and brimming with cheat codes, interviews, and previews that made players feel like insiders. For millions of fans, these magazines were the internet before the internet. They didn’t … Read more
When we think of classic games — Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter II — we picture mascots, not makers. But behind every sprite, every 8-bit melody, and every perfectly timed jump, were visionary developers whose names rarely made it to the box. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the gaming industry was … Read more
Before million-dollar prize pools, Twitch streams, and packed stadiums, competitive gaming was born in a simpler age — an age of glowing arcades, local bragging rights, and handwritten high scores. In the 1970s and 1980s, competition was already at the heart of gaming culture. But it wasn’t called “esports.” It was simply the thrill of … Read more