Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COMPUTER GAME PROGRAMS

Date Range From

1981

Date Range To

1983

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.3

Length

25.3

Width

18.7

Description

FRONT COVER HAS A PICTURE OF A RED TRUCK WITH A MAN ON THE ROOF SHOOTING A RIFLE AT A HELICOPTER IN THE BACKGROUND. THERE IS MONEY FLYING OUT OF BACK OF TRUCK AND IN BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IS A PICTURE OF A SHIP WITHIN CROSSHAIRS. ALSO ON FRONT COVER READS "GETTING AHEAD" "VIC 20" "FANTASTIC GAMES" "HAYES". BOOK HAS 46 PAGES. CONTAINS PROGRAMMING LINES FOR GAMES WRITTEN IN BASIC.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

PRODUCED BY COMMODORE, THE VIC-20 COMPUTER WAS INTRODUCED IN 1981. THE PREDECESSOR TO THE COMMODORE 64, IT WAS THE FIRST COLOR COMPUTER TO SELL FOR UNDER $300 (USD), MAKING IT AFFORDABLE. ALTHOUGH IT OFTEN RAN OUT OF MEMORY BEFORE USERS FINISHED WRITING THEIR PROGRAMS, IT WAS STILL AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS. IT WAS THE FIRST COMPUTER TO SELL 1 MILLION UNITS, AND SALES IN 1982 REACHED $305 MILLION. THE VIC 20'S PRODUCTION RATES HIT PHENOMENAL PROPORTIONS FOR THAT TIME AT 9000 UNITS PER DAY. THE COMPETITION FOR THE VIC 20 WAS ATARI, RADIO SHACK T199, AND THE APPLE II. THE VIC 20'S POPULARITY WAS DUE TO COMMODORE CONSISTENTLY PUSHING THEIR PRICE DOWN; ALSO ATARI AND APPLE WERE USING THE MICROPROCESSING CHIP THAT COMMODORE HAD PRODUCED FOR THE VIC 20. JUST AS ITS POPULARITY WAS INCREASING, RUMORS STARTED CIRCULATING ABOUT THE RELEASE OF A VASTLY MORE POWERFUL VERSION OF THE VIC 20 (WHICH WOULD BE THE COMMODORE 64). AS A RESULT, VIC 20 VALUES BEGAN TO PLUMMET RAPIDLY. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH THE PHENOMENON OF UPGRADING - A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO HAD PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE VIC 20. DONOR PURCHASED COMPUTER AND GAMES IN THE EARLY 1980S FOR HER CHILDREN AT THE BAY IN BROOKS, ALBERTA. THE COMPUTER ITSELF WAS AROUND $500, AND THE GAMES ARE ESTIMATED AT $20 EACH. THE FAMILY WAS LIVING IN BASSANO, ALBERTA AT THE TIME. DONOR PURCHASED THE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO EXPOSE HER CHILDREN TO THE RELATIVELY NEW CONCEPT OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS. THE GAMES HELPED BUILD HAND-EYE COORDINATION AND THE SET-UP PROMOTED LEARNING BASIC COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. THE VIC-20 WAS A NICE STARTER COMPUTER AT THE TIME. THE GAMES HAD MORE ADVANCED GRAPHICS. THE FAMILY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1989, BY WHICH TIME THEY ALREADY HAD A NEW COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE VIC-20 WAS STILL USED FOR GAMING. ELEANOR SAYS SHE WAS NEVER VERY GOOD AT THE GAMES, PARTLY BECAUSE HER KIDS MONOPOLIZED THE COMPUTER. THE SYSTEM HASN'T BEEN USED SINCE ABOUT 1990. ELEANOR TRIED TO SELL IT AT A GARAGE SALE, BUT SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT IT BE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM INSTEAD.

Catalogue Number

P20000050010

Acquisition Date

2004-03

Collection

Museum

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