Electronic Games

The history of Electronic Games originates in the consumer electronics magazine, Video. Initially video games were covered sporadically in Deeny Kaplan's regular "VideoTest Reports" column. In the summer of 1979, Video decided to launch a new column to focus on video games. Arcade Alley became a regular column and would represent a journalistic first. Written by Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz (initially pseudonymously writing as Frank T. Laney II), and Joyce Worley, the three writers became close friends and in 1981 they founded Electronic Games magazine.^[3] The magazine was active from Winter 1981, during the golden age of arcade video games and the second generation of consoles, up until 1985, following the video game crash of 1983. The magazine was briefly revived during the 16-bit era in the early 1990s, but ended in 1995 and was renamed to Fusion.^[4]

Initially, the release of the first issue was scheduled for October 15, 1981.^[5] However, the release was postponed to October 29, 1981^[6] and featured a slightly different cover than initially advertised.

 

Electronic Games is notable for hosting the Arcade Awards, or Arkie Awards, the first "Game of the Year" award ceremony^[7] simultaneously running in Video's "Arcade Alley" column. The following games are the winners of the magazine's annual Arcade Awards. The awards for each year took place in the January of the following year. No single game was allowed to win more than one award in the same year.

According to the Winter 1981 issue of Electronic Games, the 1980 Arcade Awards (i.e., the first set of "Arkies") were announced in February 1980 and covered all hardware and software produced prior to January 1, 1980.^[8][9]

The 1981 edition of the awards reflects accomplishments during the 12 months of the preceding year.^[10]

The third annual Arcade Awards were sponsored jointly by Video and Electronic Games and honored outstanding achievements in the field of video games of the year 1981. The 1982 Arcade Awards were published in the March 1982 issue of Electronic Games.^[11]

The 4th "Arkies" cover games published between October 1, 1981, and October 1, 1982, and were published in the January 1983 issue of Electronic Games.^[12]

The 5th "Arkies" were published in the January 1984 issue of Electronic Games.^[13]

The 6th "Arkies" were printed in the January 1985 issue of Electronic Games.^[14]

Following the magazine's revival in 1992, it published the Electronic Gaming Awards in March 1993, where editors nominated several games for each category and the readers would vote which games win. The following were the winners and nominees for 1992.^[15][16]

The following games were the winners and nominees for the EG Awards of 1993, with nominees chosen by editors and winners voted by readers.^[17][18]

From May 1982 onwards, the magazine carried out a reader poll in each issue to see which are the most popular games of the month among its readers, up until the January 1985 issue. The top-ranking games in these polls are listed below.

May

• Console: Asteroids (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Space Invaders)
• Arcade: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Asteroids)

August

• Console: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Jawbreaker)
• Arcade: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Tempest)

September

• Console: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Arcade: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)

October & November

• Console: Defender (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Arcade: Tempest (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)

The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1982 polls were:

• Console: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Defender)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Missile Command)
• Arcade: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Tempest)

January

• Console: Pitfall! (Runner-Up: Berzerk)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: Dig Dug)

May

• Console: Pitfall! (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Donkey Kong

June

• Console: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: Zaxxon)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: Tron)

July

• Console: Pitfall! (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong Jr.)

August

• Console: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: Pitfall!)
• Computer: Pac-Man (Runner-Up: Star Raiders)
• Arcade: Zaxxon (Runner-Up: Joust)

September

• Console: Donkey Kong Jr. (Runner-Up: Lady Bug)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Centipede)
• Arcade: Pole Position (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong Jr.)

October

• Console: Donkey Kong (Runner-Up: River Raid)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Pole Position (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)

November

• Console: Donkey Kong Jr. (Runner-Up: Zaxxon)
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Pole Position (Runner-Up: Q*bert)

December

• Console: Donkey Kong Jr. (Runner-Up: Centipede)
• Computer: Miner 2049er (Runner-Up: Star Raiders)
• Arcade: Pole Position (Runner-Up: Q*bert)

The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1983 polls were:

• Console: Donkey Kong / Donkey Kong Jr.
• Computer: Star Raiders (Runner-Up: Pac-Man)
• Arcade: Pole Position (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)

January

• Console: Donkey Kong Jr. (Runner-Up: River Raid)
• Computer: Miner 2049er (Runner-Up: Star Raiders)
• Arcade: Dragon's Lair (Runner-Up: Star Wars)

November

• Console: Pitfall II (Runner-Up: Miner 2049er)
• Computer: Zork I (Runner-Up: Buck Rogers)
• Arcade: Dragon's Lair (Runner-Up: Star Wars)

December

• Computer: Zork I
• Arcade: Spy Hunter (Runner-Up: Track & Field)

The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1984 polls were:

• Console: Donkey Kong Jr. / Pitfall II
• Computer: Zork I (Runner-Up: Miner 2049er)
• Arcade: Dragon's Lair (Runner-Up: Spy Hunter)

January

• Console: Pitfall II (Runner-Up: Q*bert)
• Computer: Miner 2049er (Runner-Up: Donkey Kong)
• Arcade: Star Wars (Runner-Up: Dragon's Lair)

There was no reader poll held for the March 1985 issue.

The twelve games voted by readers as part of the magazine's Hall of Fame up until January 1985.^[19]

• Pong (1972)
• Space Invaders (1978)
• Asteroids (1979)
• Star Raiders (1980)
• Defender (1980)
• Major League Baseball (1980)
• Pac-Man (1980)
• Donkey Kong (1981)
• Quest for the Rings (1981)
• Miner 2049er (1982)
• Zaxxon (1982)
• Dragon's Lair (1983)

• Article on the first issue of Electronic Games
• PDF magazine repository at archive.org
• PDF magazine repository at digitpress.com