I was never one of those kids who got everything they wanted. When it comes to toys, my parents were quite firm in their policy of “toys only for christmas” and never the expensive ones at that. That is why I grew up not really getting the cool toys that most of my classmates or playmates had. This meant never owning a gaming console of my own.
The first console to capture the imagination of children was the Atari. The US-made gaming machine was THE toy to have in the early 80’s. Unfortunately, I only got to play it when I would stay over at my friend’s house.
The next console that really captured the imagination of children the world over was the Nintendo Entertainment System. The 8-bit gaming monster in the ubiquitous creamy white and red combo was such a great departure from the flat, vector graphics of the Atari. This was also the first time that I and the rest of the world started taking notice of Japan’s entry into the video gaming industry.
And what an entry it was. From then on Japan wrested the video gaming crown from the United States and continued its dominance in the industry up to the present.
What makes Japan such a ? It’s the double threat of making powerful gaming consoles as well as the creativity in making video games that are challenging and yet a lot of fun. Video gaming clearly shows the kind of forward-thinking ingenuity that has made Japan what it is today – one of the most admired countries in the world.