History OlderThanTheyThink / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Ball FighterZ}}'' was hailed as the first "serious" ''Franchise/DragonBall'' game, and the first one aimed at the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity instead of a more casual audience. In reality, a serious ''DBZ'' game aimed at fighting game fans was attempted over a decade earlier with ''Super Dragon Ball Z''. It was even headed by Noritaka Funamizu, a former Capcom employee who'd worked on numerous fighting games like the ''Street Fighter'' and ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'' series.

* As far as {{fighting game}}s go, [[ExcusePlot while the plot is usually an afterthought]] [[CompetitiveBalance to the gameplay]], many gaming publications and websites will state that story wasn't given a strong focus until titles like ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger'' (2009), ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|9}}'' (2011), ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' (2012), and ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' (2013) came along. This is largely untrue. Among others, ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'', the ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}'' series, ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'', and ''VideoGame/RivalSchools''[[labelnote:*]]all of which date back to [[TheNineties the mid-to-late 90s]][[/labelnote]] have narratives that are both elaborate and apparent within the confines of the actual game, though some [[ContinuityCreep were not like this initially]] and a few went off the rails with certain installments. It was also extremely common for titles based on licensed properties like the ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai'' series (2002–2008), ''VideoGame/XMenNextDimension'' (2002), and Capcom's ''[[VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' game (1998[[labelnote:*]]1999 for ''[[UpdatedRerelease Heritage for the Future]]''[[/labelnote]]) to have strong story elements in the single player modes. Similarly, ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' (2002) was a story-heavy "anime fighter" that spun off from the equally dense visual novel ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'', itself belonging to [[Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} a setting]] known for its sprawling continuity. ''VideoGame/{{Weaponlord}}'' (1995) also made an attempt at immersive storytelling in spite of mostly catering to hardcore players, and the original ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' (1992) also had a fairly heavy emphasis on story for the era it was created in. Even the poorly-regarded ''VideoGame/JusticeLeagueTaskForce'' (1995) made an effort, with the Story Mode featuring cutscenes between each battle to explain what was going on and why the characters were actually fighting. In fact, features such as branching story routes and multiple endings that earned ''Franchise/BlazBlue'' laudation were taken from previous Creator/ArcSystemWorks title ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' (particularly the console version of ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearXX XX]]'', which predates [[CreatorDrivenSuccessor its successor's]] home release by about six and a half years), and the Tales of Souls in ''Soulcalibur III'' (2005) operated similarly. Likewise, the widely praised idea of a single narrative with constantly alternating characters/perspectives seen in the [[Creator/NetherrealmStudios NRS]] fighters began with the installment before the 2011 reboot of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' (2008)... and even ''that'' concept didn't originate there; Creator/{{Koei|Tecmo}}'s ''VideoGame/DeStrega'' had a similar setup with its story and cast '''ten''' years earlier. Several of these titles lack the same kind of mainstream appeal that the largely bare-bones ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series has and [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity many fans of the genre]] are known to [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory ignore the story elements anyway]], which likely accounts for the misconception.

* A lot of common gamer behaviors and discussions have been around since the late 80s, even longer if you count word of mouth and magazines. Early internet and Usenet posts show the same kind of console wars and MisaimedFandom that still plagues the community. It has been joked Creator/{{Nintendo}} has been "doomed" for over thirty years, and some internet posts from the late 1980s to mid 1990s do show some [[UsefulNotes/PCVsConsole PC users complaining]] about the [=NES=] or people in general saying the [[Platform/{{Nintendo 64}} Ultra 64]] will be the end of them.

* UsefulNotes/HighDefinition video games such ''[[VideoGame/GranTurismo GranTurismo 4]]'' did not start in 2004 but in 1993 with ''[[VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} Hi-Ten Bomberman]]''.

* When it was first released, ''LEGO Battles'' was advertised as LEGO's first real-time strategy game, apparently forgetting about ''[[Franchise/RockRaiders LEGO Rock Raiders]]'', which came out ten years earlier.
** Similarly, when ''VideoGame/LegoBatman 2: DC Super Heroes'' was released, it boasted itself as LEGO's first video game to feature voice acting instead of SpeakingSimlish and pantomime, and many younger LEGO fans thought this was true. Apparently, the fact that [[VideoGame/{{LEGOLAND}} many]] [[Franchise/RockRaiders LEGO]] [[Toys/LEGOAlphaTeam games]] featured voice acting, ''[[VideoGame/LEGOIsland including the very first LEGO game ever released]]'', never crossed their minds.

* Downloadable games are older than most people think. In 1983, a service called [=GameLine=] allowed you to download full games via dialup modem to a special cartridge for the Atari 2600. The service [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 didn't last long]], but its parent company (Control Video Corporation) became Quantum Computer Services, which eventually became America Online. In TheNineties, Sega had the Sega Channel for the Genesis, which was preceded in Japan by the above Sega Meganet (the latter being the first service to feature download-only games). Nintendo followed with the BS Platform/{{Satellaview}} for the Super Famicom in Japan. Sega also had an online store just for the Dreamcast, too, called Dreamcast Direct (later Sega Direct). ''VideoGame/{{Segagaga}}'' was in fact released initially as an exclusive to that store.

* Widescreen 16:9 gaming, often associated with [=HDTV=]s and [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the first consoles to make use of them]], actually predates the HD era, with ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' and ''VideoGame/PacManWorld'' using a 16:9 screen in 1999 and ''VideoGame/VirtuaRacing'' using the same in 1992.

* A relative newcomer then, given that Creator/{{Sega}} was founded in 1940 in Honolulu, Hawaii by three Americans to make coin operated amusements for visiting American [=GIs=]. The company didn't move to Japan until over a decade later by another American named David Rosen who was associated with the company from the early '50s to the mid '90s. Even then, it wasn't a fully Japanese company until UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, before which it had the same parent company as Paramount Television. Sega's name isn't of Japanese origin either. It's an abbreviation for '''Se'''rvice '''Ga'''mes, the original name of the company.

** To be fair, [=PCs=] were still seen as the gold standard for multiplayer gaming until UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames. This is because, until then, [=PCs=] were the only mainstream gaming platforms capable of online play. Console gamers, meanwhile, couldn't play a multiplayer game unless they were able to gather 1-3 friends together in the same room. And even that was nothing compared to the 8-16 player fragfests happening in games like ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' and ''VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena''. It wasn't until online gaming became a mainstay in consoles during the sixth generation, and particularly the release of ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' in late-2004, that consoles really began to rival [=PCs=] in terms of multiplayer FPS goodness.

** The Platform/Atari2600 was one of the first consoles, if not ''the'' first, to have a network adapter developed for it: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameLine GameLine]] allowed subscribers to download games. It didn't do very well, though: at $60 per unit and a $15 per month subscription, even the enticing offer of games for only a buck apiece wasn't enticing enough to keep [=GameLine=] afloat, particularly after UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 (and you could only keep one game at a time).

* Most people who grew up in the 1980s or have an interest in the history of video games know of UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 and how Creator/{{Nintendo}} and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' helped restore the industry in 1985, but this was not the first or only time the video game market has crashed. There was also a crash in 1977, caused by the market becoming dominated by rip-offs of Creator/{{Atari}}'s 1972 game ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}''. ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'', released by Creator/{{Taito}} in 1978, did for the 1977 crash what ''Super Mario Bros.'' did for the 1983 one.

** The ''Vs.'' series, particularly the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' titles, is also known for the implementation of Aerial Raves, air combos that involve [[LauncherMove launching the opponent into the air]] and juggling them while midair. However, 1995's ''Suiko Enbu'' (also known as ''[[Literature/WaterMargin Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty]]'' or ''Dark Legend'') predates them with a similar juggling system that additionally involves spinning knockdowns, groundbounces, and wallbounces, all [[VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom over a]] [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 decade]] before these became commonplace in the ''Vs.'' series. Ironically, ''Suiko Enbu'' was developed by Creator/DataEast, the company infamous for being sued by Capcom over the blatant parallelism between ''VideoGame/FightersHistory'' and ''Street Fighter II''.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' did not debut in 1998 or 1999, as many American fans assumed, but in 1996 in Japan. ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' were released as ''Pokémon Red and Green'' in 1996.

** Also, many gamers believe Amy debuted in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' or later, while her real first appearance was in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' [[note]]and before that, a prototype Amy appeared in an obscure Sonic manga[[/note]]. One cause of this confusion might have been that Sega of America decided to call her "Princess Sally" (the name of a different character from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', whose ''actual'' in-game counterpart is Ricky the squirrel) in the American manual of her debut game as a marketing ploy to promote the American Sonic spinoff media at the time. Likewise, her Piko Piko Hammer, associated with Amy's ''Adventure'' redesign, actually dates back to ''VideoGame/SonicTheFighters'', implemented as a gag to fit in with the slapstick nature of the game.

** Also, many gamers believe Amy debuted in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' or later, while her real first appearance was in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' [[note]]and before that, a prototype Amy appeared in an obscure Sonic manga[[/note]]. One cause of this confusion might have been that Sega of America decided to call her "Princess Sally" (the name of a different character from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', whose ''actual'' in-game counterpart is Ricky the squirrel) in the American manual of her debut game as a marketing ploy to promote the American Sonic spinoff media at the time. Likewise, her [[DropTheHammer Piko Piko Hammer]], associated with Amy's ''Adventure'' redesign, actually dates back to ''VideoGame/SonicTheFighters'', implemented as a gag to fit in with the slapstick nature of the game.

** Creator/{{Nintendo}} themselves are a ''much'' older company than most people realize, and aren't even technically a video game company: they're a ''toy'' company whose most profitable division for the past few decades has been video games. The company was actually founded in 1889, and started off making playing cards (which they still do to this day).

* Think ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' is the first video game ever? Well, our friends at [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_video_game think otherwise.]] Depending on how you define "video game", the answer is different; the first on a digital computer was ''VideoGame/{{Spacewar}}'' in 1961, but a missile simulator using analog circuitry and a cathode ray tube existed in ''1947''. (Yes, even the practice of using electronic games as military simulators is not only Older Than They Think, [[UnbuiltTrope it was how they got started in the first place]]!)

* Think ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' is the first video game ever? Well, our friends at Website/{{Wikipedia}} [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_video_game think otherwise.]] Depending on how you define "video game", the answer is different; the first on a digital computer was ''VideoGame/{{Spacewar}}'' in 1961, but a missile simulator using analog circuitry and a cathode ray tube existed in ''1947''. (Yes, even the practice of using electronic games as military simulators is not only Older Than They Think, [[UnbuiltTrope it was how they got started in the first place]]!)

* Believe it or not, there were Creator/{{Sega}} titles for [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], before ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' came to being, and ''long'' before the company left the [[Platform/SegaDreamcast hardware business]]. These were licensed ports made by other companies and included (but are not limited to) ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'', ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast1988'', ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' and ''VideoGame/AfterBurner''. These were also released for the [[Platform/TurboGrafx16 PC Engine]].

* The Platform/PlayStation wasn't the first [[MediaNotes/HowVideoGameSpecsWork 32 bit console]]. Neither was the Platform/SegaSaturn, or the [[Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer 3DO]], or even the Platform/AmigaCD32, despite their own claims. That honor actually goes to the Platform/FMTowns Marty, which [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]] and didn't sell that well even there.
** In fact, a case could be made for the ''[[Platform/SegaGenesis]]'' being the first 32-bit console, as it used simultaneously two 16-bit buses, making it functionally 32-bit. Old Apple computers marketed as 32-bit did the same.

* Website/{{Wikipedia}} [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_time_event proves]] that the [[PressXToNotDie Quick Time Event]] didn't originate with ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' like many gamers think -- its director merely coined that term for it. The first game to do it was actually make use of it was ''VideoGame/DragonsLair''.