Play History
@playhistory.bsky.social
Independent games researcher, Ethan Johnson. Preserving gaming history! Patreon: http://tinyurl.com/pdp5pdrj YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@play_history/videos Blog: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Editor of Gaming Alexandria
A very important Patreon update for all who've supported me! Future of payment plans, content, and owning up to my tardiness. www.patreon.com/PlayHistory/...
Episode #8 Update (2026-08-04) | Play History
An overdue update, I know. First off: I’m sure many of you know about the forthcoming changes to Patreon. Per creation billing (as in, only
patreon.com
Howell Ivy is really someone people in video game history should know more about. Wonderful man I had the pleasure to speak with on one occasion and a pioneer who needs to be known for more than Death Race.
They Create Worlds@theycreateworlds.bsky.social · yesterdayHowell Ivy turned familiar arcade ideas into something fresh, from his early work at Ramtek and Exidy to his later impact at SEGA. #ArcadeHistory #Ramtek #SEGA #Exidy #RetroGaming youtu.be/fHoRfn1uh3o
Gaming Alexandria contingent from Save the Games: @crespiguillermo.bsky.social, me, @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social, Shinobu, and @atariarchive.org
Here’s my best shot at answering this quoted mystery. Many years ago @earlthird.bsky.social showed me two unusual carts. One, hand-labeled with 鐵板陣 (Xevious), is pictured in this post). I think these two carts could be similar to / the same as those seen in @ianoid.bsky.social’s AA thread. 🧵 1/7
Anders Carlsson@anderszapac.bsky.social · 3d agoI wonder if one day, you or someone else will be able to solve this riddle: three unknown cartridges with 2x25 pins. Resembles Chinese bootleg games for the 2600 but wildly different connector. Every possible and impossible format has been brought up. forums.atariage.com/topic/259350...
Highly recommended for anyone who cares about the history of early Japanese personal computing.
F_T_B@ftb1979.bsky.social · 3d agoNew video is up! It's a massively expanded and revised version of the first video i ever did, talking about the rival clubs of University of Tokyo Microcomputer Club and The Theoretical Science Group and how that informed games like Heiankyo Alien and the AX series. youtu.be/ZlHZoXpp0k0
New video is up! It's a massively expanded and revised version of the first video i ever did, talking about the rival clubs of University of Tokyo Microcomputer Club and The Theoretical Science Group and how that informed games like Heiankyo Alien and the AX series. youtu.be/ZlHZoXpp0k0
Rival Clubs: How University Computer Groups influenced early 80s Japanese Arcade & Computer Gaming
YouTube video by F_T_B
youtu.be
If you missed it… hey, I’m alive! I’ve got a new site going so that I can put things somewhere that isn’t social media. The first truly new post is about a heretofore undocumented 2600 clone console manufactured in a state-owned factory in China. Much more to come! theatari.spot/blog/2026-07...
Shanghai's Dazzling 2600 Clone: Apollo-8 TV GAME
The 新建 (Xinjian) XJ 8811 -- a beautiful Atari clone console from a Chinese state-owned factory.
theatari.spot
AtariSpot // rob@atarispot.bsky.social · 4d ago*blows 14 months of dust off Bluesky* Hi to friends old & new, and to so many followers amassed for no good reason! 😸 I’ve started a website with help from a good friend. Only a few things are there so far, but more will come now that I have a non-social-media place to put things! theAtari.spot
In which I play the earliest adventure game explicitly based on Sherlock Holmes, giving the history of both who wrote the game and how it got written. It was coded based on an unusual system where you can edit from within the game. bluerenga.blog/2026/08/01/s...
Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Elementary Rescue (1983)
People are going to buy these things and then after six weeks or so they’re going to put them up on a shelf in their closet and ignore them … we saw that there was a need for something …
bluerenga.blog
*blows 14 months of dust off Bluesky* Hi to friends old & new, and to so many followers amassed for no good reason! 😸 I’ve started a website with help from a good friend. Only a few things are there so far, but more will come now that I have a non-social-media place to put things! theAtari.spot
theAtari.spot
Highlighting the unusual side of Atari 2600 collecting.
theatari.spot
But that's not all! In Part Two I talk about the considerations that went into designing the packaging, including the 12-page instruction booklet, and the faux magazine ad. katewillaert.com/xcavator-202...
KateWillaert.com - XCavator 2025 Packaging
XCavator 2025 is a previously unreleased NES game newly published for the original hardware, and I was commissioned to design its logo and packaging.
katewillaert.com
What goes into designing a video game logo? To get the story behind the creation of the logo for XCavator 2025 — including never before seen early sketches and variations — I went straight to the source: Myself. katewillaert.com/xcavator-2025
KateWillaert.com - XCavator 2025
XCavator 2025 is a previously unreleased NES game newly published for the original hardware, for which I was commissioned to design its logo and packaging. Below I detail my design process.
katewillaert.com
I was going through notes and found an email from KOEI-TECMO that sheds some light on the 1981 arcade game "PLEIADS". The idea for the game came from TECMO founder Akihito Kakihara but the programming was outsourced. They claim it has no connection to "Phoenix" but it could have the same programmer.
Having recently purchased a tripod I've started a playlist on YouTube of video recordings of arcade machines, primarily those that are rare, quite old, and/or unemulated. Feel free to pull from these as you see fit! They're all creative commons. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Video recordings of arcade machines - YouTube
Video footage of various arcade machines of interest that I've come across, typically ones that are pretty uncommon, old, or unemulated. Since these are gene...
youtube.com
Hi, we're a new video game oral histories site. Want to read the story of Shadow of the Colossus, as told by 11 people who worked on it? Or hear what Will Wright has to say about Spore in retrospect? Or see previously unreleased footage of Nintendo's Sound Fantasy? Check us out at designroom.site
Had the privilege this week to present at the Save the Games symposium at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY! I met so many wonderful people, reconnected with many others, and saw some brilliant presentations. (Photos courtesy of @playhistory.bsky.social and @ftb1979.bsky.social )
StG presenters, plz share! @borman.bsky.social @gamedocs.bsky.social @vilmibm.bsky.social @evermorehistory.bsky.social @chrisarneil.bsky.social @jdvgmcatlib.bsky.social @hitsave.org @designroom.site @playhistory.bsky.social @theycreateworlds.bsky.social @bagelpriest.bsky.social @kazoodac.bsky.social
It's that time again: another month, another recap. A new addition to the site, some new gear, and a promise of a new video soon. savestate.site/stage-clear-ju...
Stage Clear: July 2026
Welcome to the dog days of summer! Dogs all over the place. (Running total of unpleasant heatwaves: 3.) There's a…
savestate.site
One piece on display at The Strong I have a personal connection to: I helped pass along this custom Altair by Atari programmer David Shepperd. Awesome to see all the cool things on the floor! The museum really is incredible.
Day 2 of Save the Games was incredible! Thanks so much to @borman.bsky.social and everyone else involved who helped this go off without a hitch! Met so many amazing colleagues in this field and had a blast.
Had a nice time attending Save the Games. Nice to meet @crespiguillermo.bsky.social, @philsalv.bsky.social, @gamedocs.bsky.social, @borman.bsky.social, @lindseykurano.bsky.social & others, & see @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social , @playhistory.bsky.social, and @atariarchive.org IRL. Work&train tomm
That’s not just a good title slide for a presentation, this absolute legend just delivered an entire presentation rhymed exactly like a Dr Seuss book. Anyone know any illustrators who can draw in the Seuss style? This deserves to be illustrated and printed. Well done, Ethan!
Play History@playhistory.bsky.social · 6d agoTime For the talk!!
Been an amazing time at The Strong! My phone isn't allowing me to post pictures but I'll have some for you when I can.
Save the Games 2.0 launches tomorrow! We're ready! Looking forward to seeing everyone.
Slightly grotesque but nonetheless fascinating, this Mills lung tester called Hats Off from the early penny arcade era is a wonderful example of creative theming for the era. Also, the game's free if your lungs are hardy!
I'll be giving one of the final talks at Save the Games this coming Thursday! Gonna be an exciting time and can't wait to meet so many peers and interesting people there!
Andrew Borman@borman.bsky.social · last wk.There is still time to join us here in Rochester!
Rounding up everything I need to do on the book before heading to Save the Games - it's an exciting but difficult time! I'm hoping to come back and return to regular routine with articles, videos, streams, and interviews - then building up to the book's release towards year's end.
