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First use of video game music in an election campaign

Music from Medal of Honor: European Assault was used in a TV campaign to support Republican John McCain’s bid to become US president in June 2008. The piece of music, called “Casualties of War”, was used without the consent of composer Christopher Lennertz, who also contributed music for 2003’s Medal of Honor: Rising Sun. Guinness World Records Gamers’ Edition 2009.

First use of visual storytelling in a video game

The first example of a complete story, with beginning and end, told within a video game is the original Donkey Kong arcade game. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto in Kyoto, Japan, and released by Nintendo in July 1981. It is also the first example of the use of cutscenes to tell a story in a game: for example, an introductory animation shows Jumpman/Mario’s girlfriend being abducted by Donkey Kong. GWR Video Gamer’s Edition 2008, title: First use of visual storytelling in a video game.

First video arcade game

The earliest video arcade game was Computer Space, designed by Nolan Bushnell of Nutting Associates. The first of 1,500 machines was completed in the autumn of 1971. The game was a simple space battle simulation based on Spacewar! and, although Computer Space itself was not very successful, Bushnell went on to found Atari and produced the first commercially successful video game, Pong.

First vessel

The earliest surviving vessel is a pine logboat or dugout found in Pesse, Netherlands in and dated to between 7510 and 8040 BC. It is almost 3 m (10 ft) long but only 40 cm (16 in) wide. The boat, which is now in the Drents Museum, Assen, Netherlands, was found in 1955 during the construction of a road. It was initially discarded and left to lie on the side of the road until an eagle-eyed farmer recognised it as a dugout and took it Continue reading →

First video game caRPG

Final Lap Twin (1989) for the PC Engine, was the first game to combine racing and roleplaying elements (“caRPG”). Its Quest mode, in which a young boy dreams of becoming a world champion, features random battles and map-based adventuring. GWR Video Gamer’s Edition 2008, title: First “caRPG”.