Retrogaming, also known as classic gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports on compilations. Participants in the hobby are known as retrogamers in the United Kingdom, and classic gamers, or old school gamers in the United States. Similarly, the games are known as retrogames, classic games, or old school games. Retrogaming is often linked to, although not the same as, indie gaming, the hobby of playing games that are not published by any conventional publisher. A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... Tug of war is an easily organized, impromptu game that requires little equipment. ... Hardware is the general term that is used to describe physical artifacts of a technology. ... This article is about emulation in computer science. ... In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed (e. ... Old school, variously spelled old skool, oldschool or oldskool, is a slang term referring to an older school of thinking or acting and to old objects in general, within the context of newer, more modern times. ... Indie gaming refers to playing games, of any sort, that are created independently (hence Indie) of the financial backing of a publishing company. ...

History

The retrogaming hobby appears to have arisen from two sources. The first is that the current middle-aged generation was one of the first to experience computer games during their childhood or young adulthood, and thus those games have become a form of nostalgia for these individuals. It has also - as with indie gaming - been bolstered by a backlash against developments in the modern video game industry, where the rising cost of game development - often as a result of the requirement to meet rising consumer expectations of graphics - has led to extreme reluctance to publish original titles, a focus on design by committee, and a tilting of the primary focus of game design from game play engineering to graphic design. One may feel nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying. ... Backlash has meaning in both socio-political and engineering contexts. ... Graphics are visual presentations on some surface such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. ... Design by committee is a wry, derogatory term referring to the style of design that sometimes results when a group of entities comes together to produce something, particularly in the absence of good leadership - roughly equivalent to the age-old expression, too many cooks spoil the broth. Its defining characteristics...

Only in recent years has the hobby come to more public light, via the inclusion of "retro" (meaning "back") sections in many gaming magazines (such as GamesTM), the production of a retro-specific magazine (Retro Gamer), and regular retrogaming or retrogaming-based events (such as Back in Time, Retrovision, and the Classic Gaming Expo). This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Issue 24 cover story Grand Theft Auto San Andreas GamesTM is a UK-based multi-format video games magazine, covering many video game platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Revolution, GameCube, Xbox, PC Games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Penny Arcade machines. ... Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retrocomputing, with a particular emphasis on games. ... Retrovision Retrovision was a regular retrogaming event in the UK, presented as a social opportunity for retro gamers to meet each others and also to play games on hardware provided by the venue. ...

Games

Most popular retro games are those produced around the 1980s, and include games for the Commodore 64, MSX, ZX81. ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and the Nintendo Entertainment System. Arcade games are also popular, especially early games by Konami, Sega, Atari, and Williams Electronics. Games in this era were frequently attributed to individual programmers, and many retro gamers seek out games by particular developers, such as Eugene Jarvis, Dave Theurer, Jeff Minter, Tony Crowther, and Andrew Braybrook. Some games are played on the original hardware; others are played through emulation, and in some cases entirely new versions of the games are written (so called "retro remakes"). The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... The Sinclair ZX81 home computer, released by Sinclair Research in 1981, was the followup to the companys ZX80. ... The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ... The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. ... NES redirects here. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... Konami Corporation (コナミ) TYO: 9766 (NYSE: KNM) (SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling computer and video games. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Williams is a long-standing electronic gaming and amusement company based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Eugene Jarvis at California Extreme 2006 Eugene Peyton Jarvis (born 1955) is a game designer and programmer, producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. ... David Theurer is a game designer. ... Jeff Yak Minter (born in Reading, April 22, 1962) is a British computer/video game designer and programmer. ... Anthony Crowther, as seen in the title screen of the game, William Wobbler. ... Andrew Braybrook is one of the programmers who helped pioneer computer games. ... This article is about emulation in computer science. ...

As well as playing games, a subculture of retrogaming has grown up around the music in retrogames. Since older hardware did not have the facility to play music CDs or sampled music, the music in many retro games had to be synthesised on the fly by the game hardware; writing music for these platforms therefore became a hybrid of traditional music composition and programming. One of the most popular genres is SID music, music written to be synthesised by the Commodore 64. As with programming, attribution to individual composers is commonplace and more easily assigned; popular composers include Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and Chris Huelsbeck. MOS Technology SIDs: The right image shows a 6581 from MOS Technology, at the time they were known as the Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG) and the left image shows an 8580 from MOS Technology. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... Rob Hubbard (born 1956?, Kingston upon Hull, England) is a music composer best known for his composition of computer game theme music, especially for microcomputers of the 1980s such as the Commodore 64. ... Martin Galway (born January 3, 1966, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is one of the best known composers of music for the Commodore 64 sound chip, the SID soundchip. ... Chris Hülsbeck (born 1968) is a game music composer from Germany. ...

Various compilations of retrogames have been published for modern video game consoles in recent years. Examples include compilations of retrogames by Sega, Taito, Midway, Capcom, and Namco. Retrogame compilations for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox usually feature 10 to 30 games each. In addition, "plug-and-play" units (simple systems that look like a game controller and feature built-in games) released in North America have featured retrogames by Electronic Arts, Sega, Atari, and several other game publishers. Moreover, illegal (unlicensed) "plug-and-play" systems featuring retrogames for the NES have made their way to shops all over the world from China in recent years. [1] (See also: Power Player Super Joy III). The British based company Alten8 has in the recent past licensed nearly 600 retro games (such as the first ever isometric 3D game Ant Attack , and also what are recognised as the first ever commercial games by Scott Adams) , and is now starting to release these on formats such as PC , GBA and Wii , with legally licensed emulators for machines such as the Commodore C64 and Amiga computers. Four different video game consoles from different generations. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... The Taito Corporation (タイトー株式会社, taitou kabushikigaisha) TYO: 9646 is a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware. ... Midway Games (NYSE: MWY) (formerly Midway Manufacturing) is an American video game publisher. ... For the original NASA meaning, see capsule communicator. ... Namco is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. ... The PlayStation 2 , abbreviated PS2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... See also: Xbox 360 The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... The Atari Classic 10-in-1 TV game by Jakks Pacific A TV game is an interactive entertainment device designed for use on a television set that does not require the use of an actual video game console for operation. ... It has been suggested that Gamepad be merged into this article or section. ... EA redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nes is: A municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway, see Nes, Akershus. ... The Power Player Super Joy III consoles (now known as Power Games) are a line of unauthorized handheld Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom clones manufactured by NRTRADE that are sold in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia. ... 3D Ant Attack is a ZX Spectrum computer game by Sandy White. ... Apple Macintoshes like the iMac Core Duo are personal computers. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ...

Controversy

Retrogaming attracts controversy on occasion, typically concerning emulation: many software developers claim that the software used within emulation is frequently illegally copied, and some companies (including Nintendo) have argued that if a person has a legal copy of a particular game, they cannot play it on an emulator because doing so creates a derivative work (ie, effectively a version of the game for another machine) without permission. Some believe that these claims are simply attempts by currently existing game companies to obstruct retro gaming, so that they are not forced to compete against their own back catalogues. Many retro gamers ensure that any emulated games they use have been paid for and often support any efforts to sell retro games legitimately to interested buyers. This article is about emulation in computer science. ... This article is about emulation in computer science. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Other controversies also arise when members of the Retrogaming community criticize modern games as lacking "soul" and being too dependent on graphics. This intiates a confrontation with individuals who enjoy more modern games.

See also

• Abandonware
• Atari Flashback (plug-and-play system)
• C64 Direct-to-TV
• Capcom Classics Collection (compilation)
• Console emulator
• History of video games (8-bit era)
• History of video games (16-bit era)
• MAME (arcade emulation)
• Midway Arcade Treasures (compilation)
• Namco Museum (compilation)
• Gamer

Abandonware is computer software that is no longer current, but is still of historical, utilitarian, or recreational interest. ... The Atari Flashback and Atari Flashback 2 are dedicated video game consoles marketed by Atari in the mid-2000s. ... The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games. ... Capcom Classics Collection is a compilation of arcade games that was released by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on September 27, 2005. ... A console emulator is a program that allows a computer to emulate a video game console. ... In the history of video games, the 8-bit era was the third generation of video game consoles, but the first after the video game crash of 1983 and considered by some to be the first modern era of console gaming. ... In the history of video games, the 16-bit era was the fourth generation of video game consoles. ... MAME is an emulator application designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software, with the intent of preserving gaming history and preventing vintage games from being lost or forgotten. ... Midway Arcade Treasures is a collection of 24 old arcade games that was developed by Digital Eclipse and released by Midway for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. A second collection, Midway Arcade Treasures 2, was released for the same consoles in October 2004 and a third console compilation... Namco Museum refers to the series of compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s. ... Historically, a gamer was usually someone who played role-playing games or war games but more recently the term includes computer and video game players as well. ...

External links

• Vintage Computing and Gaming - Popular Retrogaming "Blogazine"
• RF Generation, Classic and Modern Video Games Database and Collection Tool
• Classic Gaming Expo, the world's largest classic gaming event
• Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard
• Bearded Fist Video Game Nostalgia, Blog devoted to video game nostalgia
• www.rgcd.co.uk A new discmag dedicated to retro gaming and new 8/16-bit releases
• Cool Retro Games A list of the coolest retro games
• The Classic Computing and Gaming Show, Yearly event held at the end of May in Cleveland, Ohio
• Racket Boy A site/blogg, dedicated to different aspect of retrogaming
• GamingTree A blog reviewing retrogames, software, and some of the power players of video game history.
• Discuss Retro Gaming
• Retro Remakes, Remakes community