How Video Games Were Saved

Looking at the behemoth that the video game industry is today, as it even surpasses both Hollywood and the music industry, it’s hard to imagine that it almost didn’t become a mainstay medium.

Especially with juggernauts like Grand Theft Auto, Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and Final Fantasy, one would think that video games were always here to stay.

But the truth is, the industry was in a perilous position in its earlier years, which almost shut down video games for good.

The Industry Crash

The video game crash of 1983.

Mainly impacting the American game market, it was the result of companies trying to overreach and bite off more than they could chew. Games and consoles were released at a rapid rate, and in a poorly made state, resulting in market oversaturation and the loss of sales.

Video games at the time were still in a primitive state, and there just wasn’t much incentive to buy new consoles since they were so similar.

Also, word-of-mouth was law, as spreading the word was the main source of information for consumers at the time. Once people began to learn about the poor quality of new games, sales plummeted.

Perhaps the most famous incident was Atari releasing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The game was poorly made - it took less than 6 weeks to program it – in order to rush the game to the market. The game sold so poorly, that Atari had to literally bury the remaining cartridges in a landfill in New Mexico.

Atari's new Pac-Man was impacted as well, as they had more copies left than the amount of consoles they had.

Pac-Man's game over screen (Pac-Man)

All hope seemed lost for the industry...

Until a certain jumpy plumber came into the mix.

It’s-a-Me, Mario!

Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, the plumber was first featured in Donkey Kong (1981) for the arcades.

Shigeru Miyamoto with Mario and Luigi (Miguel Riopa/Getty Images)

Miyamoto prioritized the creative side of gaming before the technical programming aspect, so it’s no wonder why he is behind so many classics.

He led the development of Super Mario Bros. (1985), which was the release that revived the video game industry in America.

The game saw success due to its complexity in its simplicity. Most importantly, the game was made with passion and with the intention for gamers to have fun.

Super Mario Bros. was innovative with its use of side scrolling, which was contrary to many games at the time, as games often had their screen fixed in a limited space.

The game also encouraged the player to explore multiple levels that were challenging and filled with rewards. It also offered a mystical world filled with pipes and unknown enemies.

Gameplay of Super Mario Bros. (infinityretro)

Gamers were enthralled by Mario, as the series provided a unique, fresh experience that many haven’t played before.

Super Mario Bros. was not only a massive hit as a game, but it drastically raised the sales of the NES as well, making it the go-to console in America.

Conclusion

Super Mario Bros. is a classic for a reason, as Mario continues to reinvent the gaming landscape even today. It re-defined the possibilities of what a game could accomplish.

If America never recovered from the crash, gaming could be completely obsolete, impacting the lives of so many people for which gaming is a part of their lives.

Shigeru Miyamoto played a huge role in showing America the potential of games, and I am forever grateful for it.

I also recommend this crash-course video if you want to learn more about the Video Game Crash.