The Medium of the Video Game
edited by Mark J. P. Wolf
review (part 1) by Zube (zube@stat.colostate.edu)
Created:  Jun 21, 2003
Updated:  Jan 6, 2008
http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~zube/movg1.txt

This is not a review of The Medium of the Video Game.  Rather, it is
a bit of commentary on the foreword, written by Ralph Baer.  Please see part 
2 for a proper review of the book.

Here is my summary of Mr. Baer's foreword.  The bits in quotes are directly
from the text.

***

There are two types of inventions:  amazingly, breathtakingly innovative
ones (like the ones I did) and incremental improvements, which people 
of lesser genius and intellect tend to discover.

The video in video games must be a "raster scan system."  It can't be
on a CRT because that would mean Steve Russell might have created a
video game before I did (which isn't possible), not to mention that
people were doing similar things for the military earlier than that.
It can't be on an oscilloscope either.

Steve Russell and company may have invented Spacewar!, but they failed 
to patent any of their ideas.  Instead the fools "gave their code away and
with that any chance of material rewards for their creativity ...."

Willy Higinbotham may have invented an oscilloscope game in 1958, but
who cares?  If people knew their place and let me patent my incredible
inventions, everything would be fine.  Trust me on this one.  Any home
video game inventions before mine aren't relevant and any nasty lawyer
who goes digging around trying to find prior art should just stop.  Oh,
and if you think Higinbotham's game was a type of ping-pong game, you
are a revisionist.  More importantly, stop thinking about anyone other
than me.  

"But even if it [Higinbotham's oscilloscope game] was a 'video game,' what 
became of it?  The answer is:  Nothing!"

Nolan Bushnell was clever in that he combined Spacewar! with pay-for-play
in the arcades.

Who me?  "I came up with the concept of playing games on a home TV set."

Sanders Associates "supported me with funding and saw to it that
patent applications were taken care of early in the game" and "years later, 
... the millions came in via the patent licensing and the infringement 
litigation route ...."

Some time later, Magnavox licensed our technology.

"A lot of money for licenses and infringement changed hands over those years."

Have I mentioned the patents I received?  In 1976, Judge John Grady 
"singled out my 480 patent as the pioneering patent in this art, the 
field of home video games."

"... I am the official inventor of home TV games, signed, sealed and 
delivered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office." 

Oh yes and by the way, here is a picture of the first page of my patent,
#3,728,480. 

***

There is no doubt that video games are a business, a rather large one
at that.  There is also no doubt that Mr. Baer played a part in its
existence.  However, I think it is very clear that video games are
nothing more than a means to an end for Mr. Baer and that end is
money.  There is no love of the game here.  Had Mr. Baer invented the
fly swatter or gargling, the foreword would have been much the same.
There would be very little interest in the concept, its benefits 
to society or the amount of happiness or utility it has brought to the 
world; instead, it would again feature patents and money wrapped in a
pretty pink-and-white love letter to himself.

Rest assured, I do believe in the goodness of such things as patents
and capitalism.  To my mind, Mr. Baer had every right to pursue the
path he took.  But our "father of the home video game industry" is an 
embarrassment to those who love the game.

Mr. Baer should have his contributions noted but he does not deserve
praise, thanks or reverence.  He got what he came for, the material
rewards for his creativity.  Let him swim in his money, patents and ego
instead of asking him to write drivel about it.  Our "father" is a
uncaring and selfish one at best.

PS -- At worst, Mr. Baer seems to exhibit all of the maturity of a 
nursery school recess:

"Nolan stuck his head in front of the cameras and said he was the father
of videogames.  If he's such a great inventor, why does he only hold
five patents?  I have 150."  -- Polygon magazine, Sept 2003, p. 009.