Released in 1971, Computer Space was the first commercially-sold coin-operated video game. Essentially a variation on the digital computer game Spacewar!, Computer Space was created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney who would go on to found Atari the following year. Two units just sold on eBay: a rare yellow model that went for $3000 and also a two-player (but not entirely functional) green version that sold for $1500. That yellow one would have gone perfectly with my Fender Rhodes Student Model keyboard. (via Technabob)
Computer Space on eBay
Released in 1971, Computer Space was the first commercially-sold coin-operated video game. Essentially a variation on the digital computer game Spacewar!, Computer Space was created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney who would go on to found Atari the following year. Two units just sold on eBay: a rare yellow model that went for $3000 and also a two-player (but not entirely functional) green version that sold for $1500. That yellow one would have gone perfectly with my Fender Rhodes Student Model keyboard. (via Technabob)
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One of these appeared in the movie "Soylent Green," so you'd know it was The Future.
The game cabinets inspire some envy in me. But David, that Rhodes is bee-you-tiful. I hope it's not sitting in a storage unit, as it appears!
I remember when these things appeared in my local arcade (aka: pinball gallery) They were just so alien and cool.
Wow! Nice piece of history there.
Jay-sus, that's an ugly-looking thing!
I have very strong memories of playing one of the original Spacewar cabs at the theater at Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo. My young mind was boggled at what I saw- and it was sooo configurable! Gravity, sun, wallbounce or wrap, inertia... I remember *begging* my USAF pilot father to battle me. I figured since he'd flown an F-16 I would have the dogfight of a lifetime; alas, he was strangely not interested.
I also missed out on something special once thanks to another historic game at a different local theater. My aunt took me with her to see the premiere of 'Empire Strikes Back'. I snuck out of the movie to play the Death Race in the lobby, a demo derby in a graveyard was too cool to pass up! Ten minutes later, I'm still playing when she grabs me by the ear and drags me away, telling me she had arranged a surprise trip to Disneyland but there was no way she would take me because she was afraid I'd sneak off to play games and get lost.
All I could think about was the fact I'd juuuust started the game and still had three lives...
If your itching to play Funspot NH has one. It's occasionally working. One token will last hours...
$3000 seems quite reasonable, surely if kept in good functioning order these things will dramatically increase in value.
Certainly seems better value than $17,500 for a nes cartridge.
They have one of these in working condition-- and available for playing-- as part of the Videotopia traveling exhibit. It's currently at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY until November.
Oh and ESQ, they have Space Wars, too :)
More information on the exhibit and a list of the extensive collection of games available for play at
http://www.videotopia.com/ .
I have to say, it felt weird telling my 14-year-old to be gentle with Robotron 2084 because it's an antique...
I'm sick with envy over the Rhodes.
i know someone who has one of these, and i covet it more than i can express.
I don't know how anyone could say this machine is anything other than "beautiful." It's one of the earliest and best examples of what Bruce Sterling would call a "blobject."
The Rhodes in the photo isn't mine, but it looks identical to mine and, sadly, so does the storage unit.
Anyone recall a game of this vintage where the game play was very frogger like? perhaps in a similar cabinet. Pure black and white pre pong pre atari. There was a rocket and you had to time its passage thru a metror fleild (dots coming from either direction) There was only one button needed for movement, the ship would 'fall back down' if the button was release, and rise when pressed' Once you reached the top, another ship appeared at the bottom.