Video Game History Quiz
What is the best-selling game of all time?
- Minecraft, the hit game by Notch, has sold nearly 200 million copies in the past 8 years. Over 112 million people play it each month.
Which video game flopped so hard, over half a million copies were carted off and buried in the desert?
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was such a disaster, it's credited with the collapse of the American game market in 1983. That same collapse paved the way for Japanese games to dominate the global market with beloved games like Mario and the Legend of Zelda.
Which series featured the controversial level "No Russian," where players enact a terrorist attack in a Russian Airport?
- The release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 kicked off a massive media frenzy about violence in video games. The No Russian level was removed entirely from the Russian release of the game.
What was the first home video game console?
- The Magnavox Odyssey was made in 1972 as a side project at the New Hampshire-based defense contractor Sanders Associates. It could play several games, including a version of Pong.
This game launched MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games) into the sort-of mainstream, reaching 10 million subscribers and being widely referenced in pop culture.
- WoW was far from the first MMO, but it remains the most popular. It has been referenced repeatedly in media, and maintains a large player base.
This game's over-the-top violence spurred the creation of modern video game ratings.
- The game's notorious "fatalities" feature over-the-top acts like ripping out spines and melting people to the bone. This caused a massive outcry that gave us the current system of age restrictions.
In what year did Nintendo release the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System), which jumpstarted the global game market?
- The Famicom released in 1983, being tested in New York as the NES in 1985. By 1988 it was here to stay.
Where is the world's largest arcade?
- Funspot, an arcade complex in New Hampshire, houses around 500 classic arcade machines. It regularly hosts world-record attempts, and was featured in the the documentary film "King of Kong."
Which famous game designer made the Mario, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda games?
- Shigeru Miyamoto is widely considered to be the single most influential and important game designer in history, and he continues to play a major role in the industry.
What was Mario's original name?
- Mario was originally unnamed, then renamed Jumpman to bring the game in line with other popular game characters like Pac-man. He was later renamed Mario, after the landlord of the Nintendo USA offices.
