Interaction Audit
Overview:
For the Interaction Audit assignment, we were tasked with visiting the Media Archeology Lab at the University of Colorado at Boulder to conduct an interaction audit of one of the technologies in the lab. The technology we had to interact with was the Atari 2600.
Brief History:
Although not the first video game console and astonishingly primitive by today's standards, the Atari 2600 Video Computer System (VCS) became a fundamental part of Eighties culture and remains one of the most revered 8-bit gaming platforms ever designed. However, the explosive growth triggered by the 2600 led to The Great Videogame Crash of 1984, which toppled the industry and threatened the future of electronic gaming in America.
Experience:
We were very excited to get our hands on the the Atari 2600 last Thursday. With a high anticipation of games and raving review throughout the years as well as a present cult following, if you had an Atari 2600 in the 80's you were the coolest kid in town.
When we got to the media archeology lab, the Atari 2600 was already set up for us. What was neat about the actual hardware, console was the fact that it was designed for any screen - we found this out with the the TV or Computer adaptor.
The Atari 2600 was know for its wide variety of games that were available, 526 to be exact. Although the MAL did not have all, it did have a good amount with a vide variety - from classic arcade games (Pac Man, Space Invaders) to more story board games (Adventures of Super Man). We decided to start with Pali's Soccer Game. Fairly basic with shapes, the game play was not complex until it was... we had to read up on several guides. We could see how it was fun to work together to get the game figure out back in the late 70's and all of 80's.
As for the console, it was a fairly simple design. Four switches on the front, with a large cartridge insert in the center while the back had the inputs for controllers and to the TV. Learning how to restart and change the mode of the games was pretty simple. As for the controllers, there were many different types and the Atari 2600 was raved about because of its such diverse compatibility with third part creators as a whole it seemed like a really inclusive experience. We pretty much stuck with the standard Atari Joystick - it was pretty simple design with the earlier ideas of the mouse with that pen and block kind of structure. However, you were able to move the joystick around having complete 360 mobility. The controller also housed a button on the left hand side for specific controls to a game usually a button to shoot, or get more power in something like a surge.
Overall the experience was pleasant, for standards back in the day of Atari 2600 it seemed like a piece of technology that kids could be addicted to for hours. Our lasting impressions were satisfied with the game play but did not feel the need to figure it out again - the game design was not intuitive for the most part and took a lot of reading and research to figure out the game and how to win.