Since I was old enough to hold a controller, I have been a gamer. It all started with the Nintendo Entertainment system and Gameboy and has continued through the decades into my adult life. While my relationship with Nintendo has now transitioned to Sony, I've always enjoyed the stories, narratives, innovations and changes that the gaming industry has continued to constantly develop over the last 20-30 years. For many gamers including myself, it has led to a passion for an industry that has continued to grow and evolve throughout the last few decades
Over the years I've considered myself a passive participant of the industry. While I’ve played many games and spent many hours discussing the most recent games (post 2005), rarely have I looked backwards into gamings history. We as gamers have it extremely good especially with the rise of online gaming, VR and Ultra High definition gaming. Prior to the current status of the industry, the Midlands has had a massive impact on shaping and contributing to the current gaming industries status.
In recent times I've found myself being drawn back to the classics, the old school retro games and revisiting the history of gaming. It started a few months ago when I visited Digbeth Dining Club's Dead Pixels event. Among the typical evening of quirky street food was an opportunity to revisit childhood memories.
There were classic consoles and games available on hand for anyone willing to revisit the golden past of retro gaming. Playing games such as Time Crisis and Mario Kart reminded me of a time when game-play and story was core to everything within a game. Some of my friends reminded me just how competitive a four player game of Mario Kart can become.
Fast forward a few months later and I was reminded of the joy of retro games as I attended a city talk at Birmingham City University on the history of gaming within the Midlands.
Seeing the old school consoles and gaming computers brought back a lot of memories for myself. The original NES, Gameboy (yes, I played a lot of Tetris), the Commodore 64 and the Amiga 500 was where gaming began for me as a player. I have fond memories of games such as Dizzy - The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure and Sid Miers Pirates (a game I still revisit every now and again),
The importance of the Midlands and it's impact both in the past and its continuing presence cannot be underestimated.
During a recent City Talks panel on the history of gaming in the Midlands, Dr Alex Wade highlighted that part of the reason that the recent blockbuster movie Ready Player One was filmed within Birmingham was due to its connection to gaming. The rich history was a contributing factor to Steven Spielberg's decision to shoot some of the scenes in iconic areas of the City.
During the talks we heard a small glimpse into some of the quirky rumours about Rare and some of the quirky developer easter eggs that can be found within a Rare game.
The Midlands is still contributing massively to the gaming industry with a vast number of developers registered and still operating in area. This includes existing platforms such as mobile and online games as well as newer technologies such as virtual reality.
I wanted to find out more about the Midlands historical impact on the gaming industry, so I contacted Robert McLaughlin (Lecturer at Birmingham City University's Design and Media Technologies faculty) who has actively seen some of the major contributions that the Midlands has made historically to the gaming industry over the years.
Why is the Midlands gaming heritage still so popular today?
People still enjoy retro games and consoles to this day. It is a hobby that has continued for 20-30 years already and something they still have an interest in and are passing on to others including the next generations. In the West Midlands, this hobby / interest has never really gone away. Instead it has led to growth of constant retro and computer fairs constantly happening around the region.
Retro Revival is one example of a major retro gaming event, bringing together all those involved in the olden days of Amiga's and Commodores as well as consoles. Its an opportunity for bedroom developers, modern developers and gamers, old school gamers and former press contributors to come together and discuss and relive their passion for the industry while drawing in new audiences.
It is not the only example of things like this in the Midlands. In Nottingham, there is a Retro Arcade gaming museum dedicated to preserving the history of gaming while still remaining accessible to the public. It's keep alive part of social history where mainstream computer use begin in the early 80's and evolved into what it is today.
So what is next for gaming and developers in the Midlands? I asked Robert Mclaunghin for his thoughts of where gaming within the Midlands might head over the next 20-30 years.
The history of gaming is a massive and constantly developing beast. Every year there are new games further the evolution of the industry and in companies like Rare, Codemasters, VooFoo studios and more; the Midlands is continuing to play its part in such a massive industry as it has done since the 1980's.
Think you know your Midlands gaming history? Using this article, test you knowledge and your memory with this short quiz on the history of gaming in the Midlands. Test your might and see if you can get them all correct!
