Index

• Activision, 27

• ActRaiser, 92, 152
• Address buses, 91
• Advanced Computer Modeling (ACM), 135, 136
• Advertising, technology used in, 82–85
• Albert, Leon Batista, 119
• American Video Game ReNESsance, 13–15, 141, 148–153
• Animation, evolution of, 104, 105
• Animetic space, 105, 106
• Anticompetitive practices investigation, 37
• Argonaut Software, 132, 137, 138
• Atari
  • 2600, 26, 27, 48, 146
  • 5200 Supersystem, 48
  • abuse of market power by, 38
  • advertising of, 146, 147, 151
  • business model of, 14, 24–29
  • digital graphics and, 157
  • Jaguar system, 75, 76, 85, 133
  • Stella, 25, 26
  • third-party developers and, 32
• Atari Age, 147
• Atmospheric perspective, 119
• Audio processing unit (APU), 88
• Authorization, criterion of, 70–72
• Axonometric projection, 117, 118

• Backgrounds, 103–109
• Backward compatibility, lack of, 48, 49, 89
• “Bit wars,” 75, 89, 90, 188
• Blackthorne, 152, 153
• Business practices, impact of, 5
• Buzzwords, 79, 80, 83–85

• Cartridge connector, 88
• CD-ROM technology, 16, 133, 153–155, 165–167, 174, 185, 186
• Celluloid sheets (“cels”), 104, 105
• Central processing unit (CPU), 88–92
• Checking Integrated Circuit (CIC), 37
• Clock speed, 89, 90
• Colors, 102, 103
• Commercial continuity/discontinuity, 184, 185
• Complementary competencies, 51
• Complementary goods, 52, 53
• Congressional hearings, 159
• Conker’s Bad Fur Day, 163
• Consoles
  • business model for manufacturers of, 17–19
  • decrease in sales of, 1
  • generations of, 13
  • intrinsic valuation and, 57–60
  • for Super NES (SNES), 93, 94
• Content guidelines, 150–153, 159
• Culture, overview of, 8, 9

• Data bus, 91
• Depth, 105–107
• Digital graphics, 156–158
• Digital signal processor (DSP) chip
• Distribution, 186, 187
• Donkey Kong Country, 135–138, 161, 162
• Doom, 162

• Early adopters, 58, 59
• Electronic Arts, 43
• Electronic Gaming Monthly, 67, 68, 73
• Emulators, 192–194
• Engagement, 33
• Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), 159
• Epitext, 69–71, 81, 82
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, 164
• Ex-centric architecture, 87–98
• Expansion chips, 88, 89, 131–139
• Expansion ports, 93

• Fairchild, Video Entertainment System (VES), 25, 26
• Fairchild Channel F, 26
• Famicom (Family Computer)
  • games for, 33, 34
  • graphics and, 98, 99
  • introduction of, 142–144
  • peripherals for, 167
  • release of, 30–32
  • SNES as upgrade from, 4
• Famicom modem, 42
• Famicom Disk Writer, 191, 192
• Final Fantasy games, 127, 153
• “Firstness,” 194, 195
• Flickers, 102
• Foreshortening, 119
• Framework for the Analysis of Visual Representation (FAVR), 100, 101
• Full-Motion Video (FMV) games, 153–155, 175
• FX Fighter, 138
• F-Zero, 54–57, 92, 122

• Galoob, 64
• Game Boy, 42, 47, 53, 152, 160, 161
• Game Genie, 64
• Games of progression, 62, 63
• Games sales figures, 176–178, 186, 187
• Gaming, demographics of, 145–147
• Genette, Gérard, 69–71
• Genre innovation, 110–114
• Gillette, 24
• Graphical regimes, 100, 101
• Graphics, 98–114

• Hardware, overview of, 7, 8
• “Hold-out” effect, 50
• Homebrew games, 193, 194
• Home computers, 167, 168
• Home video game market, 19–21
• Hudson Soft, 42, 43

• Illusionism, 118, 119
• Illusion of Gaia, 125
• Incremental innovation, 100
• Independent games, 192, 193
• Innovation
  • model of technological, 184
  • overvaluing of, 194, 195
• Intellivision, 98, 150
• Interactive movies, 153, 154
• Interoperability, lack of, 20
• Intrinsic valuation, 57, 58
• “Inventory management

• Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D

• Kanji, 103, 104
• “Killer apps,” 53, 54, 153
• Killer Instinct, 138, 162, 163

• Lane, Philippe, 70–72, 81
• Launch titles, 53, 56, 57
• Launch window, importance of, 50, 51
• Legend of Zelda, The, 62–64
• Licensing agreements, 24, 32
• Light guns, 142
• Linear perspective, 119–121
• Lock-in effect, 21–23
• Lockout chip, 37
• Longevity, 63

• Magazines, 64–66, 71–75, 147
• Magnavox, 142, 172, 173
• Mario Paint, 169, 170
• Marketing
  • multiphase process for, 23–29
  • of NES in America, 35–39
  • of Nintendo, 147, 148, 160–163
  • overview of, 6, 7
  • of Sega, 43, 44
  • Sony and, 152
• Market share
  • capturing, 20, 21
  • data on, 1
• Market success, structure according to, 13
• Mask ROM, 186
• Master clock, 90, 91
• Matrix transformations, 109
• Mattel, 150
• Media Streaming Unit (MSU1), 194
• “Megahertz myth
• Memory, 88–92, 166
• Microsoft, 180, 183
• Mirage effect, 109
• Mobile viewpoints, 127, 128
• Mode 7, 15, 55, 56, 101, 107–110, 115, 121–131, 137
• Mortal Kombat, 141, 158–160
• Mortal Kombat II, 162
• Multi-memory controller (MMC) expansion chips, 88, 89
• Multiphase marketing process, 23–29
• Multiplane camera, 105, 106

• Network effects/network externalities, 22
• Network structure, 182, 183
• Nightmare Busters, 193
• Nintendo
  • business architecture of, 181–183
  • business model of, 13, 14, 29–39
  • cash assets of, 183, 184
  • emergence of, 29–31
  • ethos of, 150
  • history of, 142–144
  • marketing strategy of, 147, 148, 160–163
  • position of, 141
  • secrecy of, 10
  • software orientation of, 31–33
  • third-party firms and, 33, 34
• Nintendo Beam Gun, 142
• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
  • in America, 35, 36
  • graphics and, 98, 99
• Nintendo Generation, maturing of, 15
• Nintendo Magic (Inoue), 1
• Nintendo of America, 144–148
• Nintendo Power, 62–68, 72, 73, 77, 81
• Nintendo Power system, 191, 192
• Nintendo 64, 45, 163, 174, 177, 189
• Nippon Electric Company (NEC)
  • PC-Engine, 38, 41–43, 47, 89, 98, 99, 166
  • PC-Engine CD, 170
  • TurboGrafx-16, 75
• Noninteroperability, 49, 50, 59

• Odyssey home video game console

• Parallax effect, 106, 107
• Paratextuality, 68–72
• Performance trap, 53, 188
• Periodization, 12
• Peritext, 69, 70, 82
• Perpetual innovation markets, 25
• Philips, 170–175
• Photorealism, 157, 158
• Picture processing unit (PPU), 88
• Pit-Fighter, 157
• Playing cards, 142
• Play It Loud! campaign, 160–162
• PlayStation, 152, 170–173, 177–181, 185–188
• Pole Position, 151
• Polygons, 129–137
• Popular Mechanics, 80, 81
• Powerline, 64

• Radical innovation, 100
• Rare, 134–138, 162, 163
• Razor-and-blades analogy, 23–26, 31, 44, 50
• Reciprocity, 33
• Reflection, 107
• Retailers, 35, 36
• Retro Gamer, 1, 3
• Reviews, 71, 72
• Ricoh, 31, 89
• ROM hacking, 193, 194
• Rotation, 107–110, 114
• Rotoscopy, 156

• Satellaview, 192
• Scaling, 107, 108
• Scrolling, 101, 102
• Secret of Mana, 126
• Sega
  • “Blast Processing” and, 85, 107
  • CD-ROM technology and, 174
  • Dreamcast, 5
  • Genesis, 38, 41, 44, 48–50, 75, 84, 85, 97–99, 107, 136, 151, 152
  • genre and, 112
  • increase in market share for, 4
  • marketing strategy of, 43, 44
  • Master System, 118
  • Mega Drive, 43, 47, 89, 92, 107, 175, 176
  • Mortal Kombat and, 158–160
  • speed and, 175
  • Super Scaler Engine, 121, 124
  • Virtua Fighter, 135, 138
• Self-party firms, 18, 33, 38
• Semiconductors, shortages of, 47
• 7th Saga, The, 125, 126
• Shearing, 107–109
• Shoulder buttons, 96
• Sideward compatibility, 48
• Silicon Graphics, 134
• “Silverware” concept of Nintendo’s technology, 7–8
• Sinclair ZX Spectrum, 110, 111
• “Slash system
• Slowdowns, 102
• Software, quality of, 28
• Sonic the Hedgehog, 43, 44
• Sony
  • innovation and, 185–188
  • marketing and, 152
  • SNES CD-ROM and, 170–175
  • Sony Creative Expansion (SCE) model and, 177–183
• SOS, 110
• Special effects, 113, 114
• “Spoony bard” expression, 8, 9
• Sports games, 127
• Sprites, 101, 102, 121–124, 128, 136, 137
• Square, 188
• Standard-based industry model, 19–21, 49
• Standards race, 21–23
• Star Fox 2, 137, 138
• Star Wars games, 128–130, 154
• Stella (Atari), 25, 26
• Stereoscopy, 118, 119, 134
• Storage limitations, 166
• Street Fighter II, 96–98
• Super Castlevania IV, 93, 109, 110, 113, 114, 153
• Super Disc format, 170, 171
• Super Famicom (SFC)
  • announcement of, 41
  • architecture of, 88, 89
  • console for, 93, 94
  • controllers for, 94–96
  • description of, 78
  • development of, 44–47
  • early mentions of, 66–68
  • games sales figures for, 177
  • graphical infrastructure of, 101–104
  • “killer apps” and, 53–57
  • launch of, 14, 47, 53, 54, 57
  • Mode 7 and, 55, 56
  • promotion of, as computer, 168
  • sound for, 92, 93
• Super FX chip, 132–134, 137
• Super Mario All-Stars, 114
• Super Mario Bros., 62, 114
• Super Mario Bros. (movie), 155, 156
• Super Mario Bros. 3, 107
• Super Mario Bros. Super Show! 155, 156
• Super Mario Kart, 132
• Super Mario World, 54, 55, 92, 107
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, 109, 131, 136–139, 162
• Super NES (SNES)
  • assessment of, 3, 4
  • CD-ROM technology and, 165–175
  • closing years of, 184, 185
  • conception of, 41
  • console for, 93, 94
  • context for periodization of, 13
  • controllers for, 94–98
  • development of, 46
  • early mentions of, 66–68
  • end of, 191
  • fall of, 15, 16
  • game library for, 38
  • hardware of, 8
  • impact of, 1
  • lack of backward compatibility for, 48–50
  • launch of, 14, 61, 62
  • Mouse for, 169
  • in Nintendo Power, 73, 77
  • paratextuality and, 70
  • promotion of, 73–75
  • reception of, 14
  • release of, 3, 47
  • sales of, 4
  • technology of, 15, 77–82
• “Super Power” marketing concept, 6–7
• Super Star Wars trilogy, 128, 129
• Switching cost, 49, 50

• Technical specifications, 51, 52
• Technobabble, 77–79, 84, 85
• Techno-fetishists, 58
• Technoliteracy, 80–85
• Technological continuity/discontinuity, 184–185
• Technology
  • advertising and, 82–85
  • discursive stances for discussion of, 75–82
  • marketing and, 76, 77
• Technology adoption problem, 21–23
• Tetris, 152
• Third-party developers
  • business practices and, 5
  • control of, 149
  • documentation for, 175, 176
  • gating mechanisms for, 29
  • Nintendo of America and, 36–39
  • Nintendo Power and, 65
  • role of in console development, 18
  • sales figures for, 176–178
  • self-party firms and, 33
  • Sony and, 177–181
• Third-party licensees, 18
• Third-party publisher royalties, 27, 34, 37
• 3-D
  • shift to, 15
  • techniques and technologies for, 116–121
• 3-D accelerated graphics cards, 129, 130
• Tie ratio, 50
• Title screens, 108
• Trade-in programs, 45–48
• Translation, 107, 108, 114

• Ultra Hand, 142
• Universal Studios lawsuit, 172
• Upgrading costs, 50

• Vertical integration, 181–183
• Video arcades (“game centers”), 142–146
• Video Computer System (VCS), 25
• Video Entertainment System (VES), 25, 26
• Video game history, 9–12
• Videogame Rating Council, 158
• Virtual Boy, 118, 119, 134

• “Walled garden” model, 18, 33
• Wii, 1, 51, 164, 184, 185
• Wild Gunman, 154, 155

• Xbox, 180