Japan Home Video
The Video Games Of The Past
Of all the things that the 1970’s produced, there are few that made as big of a cultural impact as video games. There’s no question about it: video games have been a significant force in society and one of the most popular leisure pursuits. Chances are if you’re under the age of 40, you played them, some of us a lot. There was Atari, Intellivision and Colecovision. Don’t forget Sega and Nintendo. Today there are web sites that allow you to download free online games.
And if you remember those days of the late ’70’s and early 80’s, you recall that the games relied on graphic improvements and better ways of shooting the enemy. It was more or less a solitary pursuit. With the rise of the Internet and online games however, lots of things changed, including the ability to download games and playing online games, making games a more social activity, with lots of players, or opponents playing each other from different countries. This may be the biggest change – and the latest benefit that games have offered the world.
But what about the early days? How did it all start and what were the video games that defined the era?
The Innovators
Many people think that Pong was the home game that started it all, but really it was Magnavox and their “Odyssey” system in 1972. Although it was very simple, it was still the first. It had twelve simple games with graphic overlays. However, there was lots of room for improvement, and that’s where Pong came into play.
Nolan Bushnell created Pong, along with Al Alcorn, the founder of Atari. Rumor has it that when the prototype was tested at a California bar, the machine broke down after two days, because it was so popular. The next logical step was to create a home version. So, one year later, Atari released Pong, complete with built in paddles, and a speaker. Of course, Pong was a huge success and represented a new stage in the evolution of gaming. Over sixty Pong knock-offs would be produced, but Atari dominated the market.
Next was the implementation of the microprocessor, which the entire industry adopted. As a result of this, more complicated systems could be developed. These systems produced groundbreaking and innovative graphical and auditory effects that had never been seen before. Consumers were eating it up. The industry was on fire. In 1981 alone, five billion dollars were spent on video arcade machines and another billion dollars was spent on home video game systems. Atari’s VCS/2600 system remained the dominant player through 1982, when the gaming market experienced a crash.
What were some of the great games? How about Pac Man? Pac Man, the yellow blob that ate up dots and avoided squid-like ghosts, was a worldwide sensation and probably the biggest game of all time.
Space Invaders was another incredibly popular game. In fact, it really marked a turning point for arcade games, bringing them out of bars and into family friendly places like shops and restaurants. The premise of Space Invaders was to stop an alien invasion. This simple formula went on to become the most successful arcade game of all time.
Then there was Super Mario, which was huge as well. It involved an Italian anti-hero who was deliberately designed as a character that everyone could relate to. Soon thereafter came Zelda, Metroid, and other classics.
Rise and Fall of Atari
Atari was the hottest thing in the gaming world in the early ’80’s. Today, they are a relic of past glory. So what happened? Atari made some bad decisions, and although it’s a little complicated, it’s helpful to understand the situation. At that time in the computing world, magnetic mediums were implemented in the data storage used in Arcade machines. These mediums allowed for a higher memory capacity than ROM cartridges.
In 1982, Atari had the option to include a disk drive in their systems. The price difference would have been nominal, and the memory capacity would have been significant. Atari, however, thought that magnetic media was too “fragile” for the consumer to adequately handle. Atari’s “concern” for the customer backfired on them. In the previous years, there had been a very fine line separating arcade game quality from home game quality. With arcades utilizing storage capacities ten to forty-five times larger than home systems that fine line became a chasm. Arcade games seemed to be evolving exponentially, while home systems seemed “stuck in a time warp.”
The public quickly became uninterested in video game specific consoles, and sales plummeted.
This would mark the end of Atari’s reign of the video game market.
The Rise of the New
In 1984, everything changed. The reason? Two innovations: The reduction in cost of Dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips which allowed more memory, and the production of higher power 8-bit processors, which lowered the prices of the previous chips. Sega, a new player in home gaming systems, entered the console market with their Master System 2. The Sega Master system would sell very well, but its success would be limited.
The other key player was Nintendo of Japan. The genius of Nintendo was their marketing prowess, as they poured millions into advertisements. These advertisements hit consumers at the perfect time, as evidenced in their sales. In fact, Nintendo couldn’t manufacture enough systems to keep up with demand. After all was said and done, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) would become the highest selling system in history. They would also become the most notorious, as they were involved in the intimidation of retailers, competing companies, and other suppliers and partners.
Over the next five years Sega and Nintendo would battle for dominance, going back and forth. The consumer definitely benefited from this rivalry.
Today, it’s between PlayStation 2, the Xbox and the GameCube. Xbox has taken the step to merge the past and present, where Xbox “Live Arcade” is a console system that has a “download-like” characteristic where you can buy games via the console itself. One thing in the video game industry will always remain: the classic games of yesterday were great games, helped define an era, and will always be fun.
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JAPAN EARTHQUAKE 8.9 HOME VIDEO 3-11-2011
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A Majority of One [VHS] $19.98 A Jewish matron falls in love with a Japanese widower…. |
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Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb $99.95 Well-intentioned history lesson; the decision to drop the atom bomb, the secrecy surrounding the mission, and the men who flew it. Summary written by Bruce Bozarth… |
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Silk Stockings [VHS] $6.32 Fred Astaire took one of his final musical turns in this delightful 1957 comedy, a cold war update of the classic Ninotchka. Cyd Charisse, having previously wrapped her endless legs around Fred in The Band Wagon, plays the Greta Garbo role: a humorless Soviet functionary who sternly refuses the allure of Paris… for a while, anyway. Like some of the first widescreen musicals, Silk Stockings fe… |
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Departures $11.76 Departures is surely the gentlest, sweetest movie about death that you will ever see. A cellist named Diago (Masahiro Motoki) comes to the rueful conclusion that he’s not talented enough to make a career as a musician; having just returned to his hometown with his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue, Wasabi), he answers a job ad for what he thinks must be a travel agency… only to discover that compan… |
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Master of Puppets $11.48 One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica’s best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about a hundred miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the mo… |
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Breakfast in America $8.45 After a shaky start followed by several critically acclaimed releases, the English group Supertramp hit the commercial jackpot in 1979 with Breakfast in America. The album combined the band’s FM radio, AOR-rock style with an almost carnival-like nature. Breakfast gave the band major hits with “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” and “Take the Long Way Home.” The plinking piano and dramatic clar… |
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Hachi: A Dog’s Tale $12.04 HACHI:DOG’S TALE (BASED ON A TRUE STO – DVD Movie… |
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Joe: Live from Japan $9.32 This musical release from R&B singer Joe captures a concert by the vocalist recorded at Billboard Live in Japan. Some of the tracks featured in the performance include “Where You At”, “Let’s Stay Home Tonight”, “Worst Case Scenario”, and more. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi |
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At Home in Japan $16.46 At Home in Japan tells the true story of a foreign woman who has been, for 30 years, the housewife, custodian and chatelaine of a 350-year-old farmhouse in rural Japan. This astonishing book traces a circular path, from the basic physical details of life |
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Japan Japan $16.96 Sex, culture and late-teenage dread intersect in unexpected ways in this experimental feature from Israel. 19-year-old Imri (Imri Kahn) has just left the Israeli army and his future is up in the air. Imri, who is gay, is fascinated by Japanese culture and wants to move to Tokyo, but he doesn’t yet have the money. In the meantime, Imri works a boring, low-paying retail job, occasionally turns tricks, has periodic liaisons with men he meets in his spare time, hangs out with his best friend Neema (Neema Yuria) and surfs for porn on the internet. The aimless reality of Imri’s day to day life stands in sharp contrast to the bizarre sexual netherworlds he discovers on line, and the film plays heavily on the stylistic and textural dissimilarities between them. Japan, Japan was the first feature film from writer, director and editor Lior Shamriz, who shot the picture on digital video using a production budget that has been reported to be as little as $200. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi |
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Japan $21.21 Description not provided. |
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Japan Home $18.71 Filled with light and simplicity and existing in close harmony with the natural world, Japanese interior design has long been renowned for its spare beauty, utility and grace. More and more people outside of Japan have come to appreciate its tranquil allu |
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John Denver: Rocky Mountain High – Live in Japan $10.16 This musical release from singer songwriter John Denver captures a live performance, recorded in Japan in 1981 and features such favorites as Starwood in Aspen, Take Me Home, Country Road, I’d Rather Be a Cowboy, and more. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi |
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Revelation, God’s Home Video $26.39 Revelation, God’s Home Video |
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Home [Japan] $33.59 The group’s hardest-rocking classic album is, beyond some superb vocalizing by Gary Brooker, principally a showcase for Robin Trower’s high-powered guitar and a rock-hard rhythm section, with B.J. Wilson only a little less animated than Ginger Baker on some of the music. Procol Harum had a split personality by this time, the band juxtaposing straight-ahead rock & roll numbers like “Still There’ll Be More” and the Elvis Presley-influenced “Whisky Train” with darker, more dramatic pieces like “Nothing That I Didn’t Know” and “Barnyard Story.” Chris Copping doubles on organ, replacing Matthew Fisher, but the overall sound is that of a leaner Procol Harum, all except for the ambitious “Whaling Stories” — even it was a compromise that nearly worked, showcasing Trower’s larger-than-life guitar sound (coming off here like King Crimson’s Robert Fripp in one of his heavier moments) within a somewhat pretentious art rock concept. It shows the strains within their lineup that the producers chose the lighter, more obviously accessible “Your Own Choice” — on which Gary Brooker’s piano is the lead instrument — to end the album after “Whaling Stories”‘ pyrotechnic finish. [Home has appeared several times on CD, in a poor-sounding edition from A&M ages ago, on a rather better-sounding Mobile Fidelity edition in the late '80s, and at the opening of the new century in a remastered edition from Europe's Westside label that not only features significantly increased clarity on all of the instruments, but also detailed annotation and the presence of nine bonus tracks from the same sessions, mostly rock & roll warm-ups and early takes of the finished material.] ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi |
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Classic 80s Home Video Games $22.45 Classic 80s Home Video Games |
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A [Japan] $38.16 A [Japan] |
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In Japan $9.92 In Japan |
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Abba in Japan $17.84 NTSC/Region 0. This special show by the Swedish Pop quartet was filmed for Japanese television back in 1978 and features 14 hit songs performed by ABBA (playback and live). Extras include two exclusive behind the scenes documentaries with TV performances, interviews with press and radio and much more. The content of the bonus material is based on their 10 day visits to Japan in 1978 and 1980. All in all, this excellent DVD features over two hours of content! Universal. |
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America’s Sickest Home Video 1 $11.03 You’ve seen those other home video shows. Now get ready for some bizarre, sick and twisted home videos – the kind of stuff you’d never see on prime time TV. What these folks do in front of the camera will shock your socks off! You’ll laugh … You’ll cry… you’ll puke! So sit back and relax and enjoy America’s Sickest Home Videos! |
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America’s Sickest Home Video 2 $11.03 You’ve seen those other home video shows. Now get ready for some bizarre, sick and twisted home videos – the kind of stuff you’d never see on prime time TV. What these folks do in front of the camera will shock your socks off! Volume 2 is even more repugnant then volume 1! You’ll laugh … You’ll cry… you’ll puke! So sit back and relax and enjoy America’s Sickest Home Videos! |
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Live in Japan $19.19 NTSC/Region 0. Import live archive release from this supergroup featuring Keith Emerson, Joe Walsh, John Entwistle, Simon Phillips and Jeff Baxter. Each of these amazing musical personalities could dominate a concert on his own. So the stops are really pulled out when they get together in an over-the-top display of unmitigated greatness. The stars bring to this 1990 Japan concert an extraordinary catalogue of songs, from their multiple Classic Rock endeavors, and they showcase their mind-blowing chops – yet also remain always tight and cooperative, a true Rock band formed of great soloists. An overwhelming night of Rock intensity from some of the greatest players in the world: literally The Best. |
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Flotsam and Jetsam: Live in Japan $15.26 The concert video Flotsam and Jetsam: Live in Japan captures the U.S. metal band (which hails from Phoenix, Arizona) as they performed over the course of three successive nights in Kawasaki, Tokyo at Club Citta. The setlist includes renditions of “No Place for Disgrace,” “Doomsday for the Deceiver,” “Hammerhead,” “Nothing to Say,” and “Hard on You.” ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi |
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Drinking Japan: $16.96 Japan is the home to some of the most delightful and taste provoking liquors in the world, from the iconic sake to the increasingly popular shoshu to some of the best whiskies distilled. In Drinking Japan, author Chris Bunting gives a brief history of the most popular liquors of Japan, how they are made and which brands to imbibe and which to avoid. Also included are the locations of Japan’s best bars and what they have to offer in the way of liquor, food and ambiance. |
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Japan Home: Inspirational Design Ideas $20.98 Filled with light and simplicity and existing in close harmony with the natural world, Japanese interior design has long been renowned for its spare beauty, utility and grace. More and more people outside of Japan have come to appreciate its tranquil allure, and are incorporating uniquely Japanese features into their homes. Whether you’re remodeling your house, redesigning your apartment, or just looking for a book of design ideas, Japan Home is a beautiful and indispensable resource full of practical information, shopping resources and of course, inspiration. |
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Japan Relief 02 skin for iPod Nano (5G) Video $14.99 Japan Relief 02 skin by Skinit.com. Fits iPod Nano (5G) Video. View this and other covers, skins & case accessories at Skinit. |
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Japan Relief 01 skin for iPod Nano (5G) Video $14.99 Japan Relief 01 skin by Skinit.com. Fits iPod Nano (5G) Video. View this and other covers, skins & case accessories at Skinit. |
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4br – WOW SEE OUR BRAND NEW VIDEO TOUR – FANTASTIC HOME $131 *** SPECIAL OFFER – now only $699 for seven nights – 21 August 2010 until 25 September 2010 and also 9- 16 October 2010!! The reduction is in the PRICE not the high quality of our home – you see before you book – take a look at our Video Tour with… |
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HOME VIDEO: AUTOMATIC PROCESS $26.67 Vinyl LP pressing. Inspired early on by music from the likes of Massive Attack, Boards of Canada, Depeche Mode, and Phillip Glass, Home Video intertwine the classically-trained sensibilities of Gross with the confessional and at times existential lyrics o |
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Japan’s Killer Quake $12.74 In its worst crisis since World War II, Japan faces disaster on an epic scale: a rising death toll in the tens of thousands, massive destruction of homes and businesses, shortages of water and power, and the specter of nuclear reactor meltdowns. The facts and figures are astonishing. The March 11th earthquake was the world’s fourth largest earthquake since record keeping began in 1900 and the worst ever to shake Japan. The seismic shock wave released over 4,000 times the energy of the largest nuclear test ever conducted; it shifted the earth’s axis by 6 inches and shortened the day by a few millionths of a second. The tsunami slammed Japan’s coast with 30 feet-high waves that traveled 6 miles inland, obliterating entire towns in a matter of minutes. Japan’s Killer Quake combines authoritative on-the-spot reporting, personal stories of tragedy and survival, compelling eyewitness videos, explanatory graphics and exclusive helicopter footage for a unique look at the science behind the catastrophe. |
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ABBA: Live in Japan $16.93 This musical release from Swedish disco band Abba captures a live performance, recorded in Japan in 1978, and features songs like Take a Chance on Me, Summer Night City, Waterloo, SOS, and more. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi |
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The Little Travelers: Japan $16.96 Join the Little Travelers as they travel to Japan and spend three months discovering the culture, food and customs, while making many new friends along the way.From trips to the market to a day in preschool, squat toilets to eating snails, their days are full of adventure.They meet monkeys and ninjas, dress up in kimono, and even take a Taiko drum class.Come discover Japan through the eyes of two young girls and be inspired to become a Little Traveler yourself. |
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Japan’s War in Colour $8.46 An interesting documentary on the war from the Japanese side of the front lines is depicted from very rare color footage. Originally thought to be nonexistent in 1930s Japan, this color film provides vibrant scenes of Japan complete with Japanese troops in Manchuria, excerpts from a Japanese soldier’s diary and the devastation from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 2003/color/151 min/NR. |
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BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO / WILD (BR) / 786936724813 $31.47 BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO – WILD (BR) – 786936724813 |
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BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO / IRON WILL (DVD) / 786936169737 $15.54 BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO – IRON WILL (DVD) – 786936169737 |
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BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO / CASANOVA (DVD) / 786936288858 $11.56 BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO – CASANOVA (DVD) – 786936288858 |
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June 2, 2011 9:20 am
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