swordquest

This is definitely the coolest video game history vid I've seen in some time. Watch it first then I'll give you my take on it.

I'd never heard of the game Swordquest for the Atari 2600 until I saw this video. Would I have liked it as a kid? No way. It required way too much effort to play it and I hated comic books. But I do respect it because it was a time when video game contests really meant something.

The thing that really gets me about the above vid is that it is one of the very few game contests that gave you seriously awesome prizes, as in the kind you'd be proud to display in your home. Not some dopey-ass store discounts, not some stupid coupon book.. none o' that. We're talking about the real true-blue stuff here.

I really like it when companies offer prizes that you really want. And unfortunately it will never happen again.

Why never? Because where there's gamers on the internet there are cheaters. Companies have tried to run gaming contests before using internet. All failed. This is why prizes today are nothing but dopey discounts and coupons, because it's something a company can afford to lose even if someone cheated to get them.

It's too bad that's the way it is these days, but it was awesome someone put a vid together showing how it used to be.