I think a lot of the attraction of "Space Invaders" was the "thumping" soundtrack. I'm not sure you can classify it as "music," but I'll call it "music" for lack of a better word. I think that the "Space Invaders" phenomenon cannot be understood without examining the role the "music" had in the game.
It was that thumping, deep bass "music" that quickened your pulse as the invaders slowly descended on you that gave the game its "drama." As the pace of the invaders quickened, so did the "thumping," until the whole game goes crazy and you're frantically trying to shoot those last few invaders! The throbbing soundtrack was so ominous and infectious, and I think it really added tremendously to the "breathless" excitement!
A few thoughts and anecdotes on the "Space Invaders" phenomenon, perhaps inspiring something useful for the book:
Space Invaders might have been the first "dramatic" game! (I can't think of anything before it that fits the "drama" motif!) There was actually a "plot" to the game, and you had a dramatic role to play. Rather than ping a few pongs, blast a few objects, or compete with another player, "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" It was a very exciting game, perhaps like no game before it!
Some of the previous comments mentioned the "cabinet" artwork, but I don't think the "cab" had much to do with the appeal. I say this because in Japan (where the "Space Invaders" craze was legendary; the government actually had to mint more coins!), "cabinet-style" upright games were very rare; videogames were almost exclusively played on "cocktail" machines. Arcades in Japan (in the early 80's) were basically just rows and rows of "cocktail" machines, and there was little to differentiate one game from another. You actually had to walk up to a "cocktail" machine to see what game was playing on it. When I came to America, I missed the "cocktails," considering the upright cabinets to be a waste of space!
The pace in "Space Invaders" quickened as the aliens were blasted. If you can recall the boredom and frustration of trying to hit that last "block" in "Breakout," which could go on forever (it seemed), I think the "pacing" of SI was an innovation.
Also, it didn't matter how many "lives" you had left; if the invaders reached the "ground," that's it, GAME OVER! That added to the frantic tension.
I think a lot of the attraction of "Space Invaders" was the "thumping" soundtrack. I'm not sure you can classify it as "music," but I'll call it "music" for lack of a better word. I think that the "Space Invaders" phenomenon cannot be understood without examining the role the "music" had in the game.
It was that thumping, deep bass "music" that quickened your pulse as the invaders slowly descended on you that gave the game its "drama." As the pace of the invaders quickened, so did the "thumping," until the whole game goes crazy and you're frantically trying to shoot those last few invaders! The throbbing soundtrack was so ominous and infectious, and I think it really added tremendously to the "breathless" excitement!
A few thoughts and anecdotes on the "Space Invaders" phenomenon, perhaps inspiring something useful for the book:
Space Invaders might have been the first "dramatic" game! (I can't think of anything before it that fits the "drama" motif!) There was actually a "plot" to the game, and you had a dramatic role to play. Rather than ping a few pongs, blast a few objects, or compete with another player, "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" It was a very exciting game, perhaps like no game before it!
Some of the previous comments mentioned the "cabinet" artwork, but I don't think the "cab" had much to do with the appeal. I say this because in Japan (where the "Space Invaders" craze was legendary; the government actually had to mint more coins!), "cabinet-style" upright games were very rare; videogames were almost exclusively played on "cocktail" machines. Arcades in Japan (in the early 80's) were basically just rows and rows of "cocktail" machines, and there was little to differentiate one game from another. You actually had to walk up to a "cocktail" machine to see what game was playing on it. When I came to America, I missed the "cocktails," considering the upright cabinets to be a waste of space!
The pace in "Space Invaders" quickened as the aliens were blasted. If you can recall the boredom and frustration of trying to hit that last "block" in "Breakout," which could go on forever (it seemed), I think the "pacing" of SI was an innovation.
Also, it didn't matter how many "lives" you had left; if the invaders reached the "ground," that's it, GAME OVER! That added to the frantic tension.
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