14 DAY TRIAL // A report just screaming for me to write about today says that in the "GC Art" section at this year's Games Convention, a unique special exhibition reviews 35 years of telegames. A 200-square-metre area in Hall 5 is occupied by more than 200 consoles, handhelds, home computers, LCD games and educational computers. Leipzig journalist and author Ren? Meyer who with the support of the Leipzig Fair, now shows the collection for the first time to a wider public, has brought them all together.
Back in 1972, as the report informs, Magnavox licenced the invention of German-born Ralph Baer and brought the first home game console into the shops: Odyssey. At about the same time, Nolan Bushnell set up Atari and put his first "Pong" machine in a bar. From then on, every gaming system/platform invented proved to be better than the last. This is not their actual launching order, but some of the most important ones present at the exhibition.
Commodore 64 that started the heyday of the home computer Atari 2600 Amiga 500 NES Super NES (SNES) GameBoy - Nintendo's revolutionary handheld launched back in '89 Telefever from Tchibo, which should be considered a rarity The tabletop games of the '80s with built-in screens. Wonderswan, Neo Geo Pocket and Playdia from Bandai, Game Boy competitors that never made it to Europe The PC, which came to dominate the game market only later, in the mid-'90s, when Sony launched their first PlayStation console as well
Also, one part of the exhibition is dedicated to the computer history of the GDR. Items include the curious Z1013 computer kit, the popular KC series, the office computer PC 1715, the educational computer A5105 personally commissioned by Margot Honecker and the BBS 01, East Germany's only game console. Personally, I've only heard of one, out of the whole lot (the Z1013 computer kit), but what the heck - there's nothing that could bring back the good old days.
And if you're not happy with the monitors, input devices, game modules, discs, handbooks and reference books, you'll surely be stunned to see the much sought-after first editions of game magazines such as Telematch, ASM, Happy Computer and PC Player.
Telegames 1972-2007 at the GC 2007 is held at Hall 5, Stand B20. Here's the exhibition's official website. Check it out!