The Video Game R-Evolution

Julio Seaman

The first videogame?1947

Cathode Ray Amusement Device

1961 - Spacewars!

1972 - Magnavox Odyssey

1972 - Magnavox Odyssey

1972 - Pong

1972 - Pong

1975 - Sears Pong

1977 - Atari 2600

Atari 2600

• CPU: 6507, 8 bit, 1.19 mhz• RAM: 128 bytes• ROM: 4K• Resolution: 160x192• Colors: 128 max, 2 x scanline

(playfield), 1 x player

Atari 2600

• Arquitecture• 6507• RIOT• Stella/TIA• Cartridge

Atari 2600: Universal Pong Machine

• Playfield• 2 Players• 2 Missiles• 1 ball

Atari 2600: ASM 6502• Read/Write• Register Transfer• Stack Operations• Logical Operations• Arithmetic Operations• Inc/Dec• Bit shifting• Jump!• Branching

Atari 2600 - General

Go to "Random Terrain" to see original article

Atari 2600: Playfield• PF0,PF1,PF2

• COLUPF, COLUBK

• CTRPLF

• D0: Reflect

• D1: Score

• D2: Priority

• D4-5: Ball size (1,2,4,8)

Atari 2600: Playfield

Atari 2600: Playfield“Racing the Beam”

Original Article at "Random Terrain"

Atari 2600: Playfield

How MK would have looked in an Atari 2600

Atari 2600: Playfield

Atari 2600: Playfield

Atari 2600: Playfield

Atari 2600: Players & Missiles

• “Mejor resolución” (1 clock x bit)

• Definición: GRP1, GRP2

• 1 color (COLUP0, COLUP1)

• player.setPosition(x,y); // yeah, right!

• y = scanline #

• x = ?

• RESP1,RESP2,RESMP1,RESMP2

• HMP0,HMP1,HMM1,HMM2; HMOVE

Atari 2600: Players & Missiles Variations• NUSIZ0, NUSIZ1

• Bits 0-2:

• 0 One copy (X.........)

• 1 Two copies - close (X.X.......)

• 2 Two copies - medium (X...X.....)

• 3 Three copies - close (X.X.X.....)

• 4 Two copies - wide (X.......X.)

• 5 Double sized player (XX........)

• 6 Three copies - medium (X...X...X.)

• 7 Quad sized player (XXXX......)

• Bits 4-5: Missile size (0..3 = 1,2,4,8 “pixels” width)

Atari 2600: Glitches

Atari 2600: Variations

Atari 2600: Adventure

Atari 2600: Adventure

Atari 2600: Video Chess

Atari 2600: Video Chess“Venetian Blinds”

Atari 2600: Activision

"You are no more important to that game than the guy on the assembly line who puts it together." - Ray Kassar, Atari CEO

Atari 2600: Activision

Game Crash of 1983

Atari 2600: Game Over!

1983 - NES

NES• CPU: RICOH (basado en 6502), 8

bit, 1.79 mhz• RAM: 2kb, Video RAM: 2kb• ROM: “Kirby’s Adventure” (732kb)• Resolución: 256x224• Colores: 4 paletas de 16 colores, 4

por tile, 25 max

NES

• Arquitectura• 6502• PPU• Cartridge

Atari 2600 vs NES

NES: The Tile Machine

• PPU• Pattern Tables• Name Tables• Sprites

NES: Pattern Tables• 8 kb• 8x8 o 8x16 (bit 5 de PPUCTRL)• 4 colores, 2 bits• Secciones (bit 4 de PPUCTRL)• Background• Sprite

NES: Name Tables

• 32x30 tiles (de 8x8, 256x240 pixels)

• attributes table to indicate palette• addressing for 4 tables (2000h,

2400h, 2800h, 2c00h)• 2kb RAM, oops!

NES: Name TablesMirroring

NES: Name TablesScrolling

• 2 writes into PPUSCROLL• x• y

• Bits 1 y 0 of PPUCTRL

NES: Pattern TablesScrolling

NES: Sprites• 64 at the same time

• 8 per scanline

• write into SPR-RAM

• Y

• Tile #

• Attributes

• Bits 0-1: Color

• Bit 5: Priority

• Bit 6: Horizontal flip

• Bit 7: Vertical flip

• X

PC

PC: CGA• 2 modes (ah, al, int 13h)• text• 16 colors (+ blinking)• 80x25• b800h : text/attributes matrix

• graphic• 4 colors. 4 palettes?• 320x200• a000: pixel matrix

PC: CGA

PC: CGA

PC: CGA

PC: CGA

PC: CGA

PC: CGA

CGA: Composite Output

CGA: Composite Hack

PC: CGA

CGA -> VGA

CGA -> VGA

CGA -> VGA

3D: 80’s

Castle Wolfenstein

3D: Ray Casting

Wolfenstein 3D

Trees

BSP Trees

Doom

Current limitations?

Thanks for coming!