1000 Game Heroes
Excerpt from the book '1000 Game Heroes' by David Choquet
Throughout history, humanity has elected heroes. From the demi-gods of mythology to the giants of cinema, they have attained the status of legends. Not least among them are the real-life heroes of war, politics or sport. Another breed of heroes was created by cartoon strips. And since the late 70s, a further category has emerged. These newcomers, born of the new technologies, have not merely come to rival the heroes of the past; they have elbowed their way to the front.
These new heroes can rightly claim to be closer to their admirers, for their fame hangs on a playful but intimate relationship with fans who, for hours, days, and even weeks at a time, assume their roles and destinies. The universe that they share is one of pixels and polygons: video-games.
Only an elite found anything to admire in the rudimentary graphics and simple concepts of the earliest games. Indeed, in those days gamers seemed pretty eccentric. Today, video-games are superb microcosms, complex and rich in detail, and gamers of all ages take intense pleasure in immersing themselves in these cornucopian virtual worlds. The computer or television screen, no longer a barrier to the imagination, has become a window onto new continents; virtual continents, in which everyone can live out their dreams. And like all coherent worlds, those of the video-game have their own landmarks and models: their heroes. Every one of them, large or small, human or animal, good or evil, peaceful or bellicose, reflects some facet of human dreams and aspirations. And so they, too, have attained to legendary status.
John Lennon once reflected that the Beatles were as popular as Christ. Given their increasing renown, you can bet that Mario, Lara Croft, Pac-Man and the others will soon be as celebrated as the Beatles. These and many other figures from digital culture foregather here. Charming, violent, sexy or mechanical, newcomers or imports from other fields, the majority of the icons of video-gaming are for the first time brought together in this volume.
Another breed of heroes deserves a mention here. Less famous they may be, but to them the virtual characters owe their very existence. They are, of course, the game creators and developers. Let us salute their extraordinary talents, offering special thanks to those who share their vision and passion in these pages. Nor should we forget those who, over the years, have made it possible to enter the gates of dream in the comfort of one's own home: the manufacturers of the Nintendo, Sony, Sega and Microsoft consoles, and the engineers who bestowed such immense technical resources on computerised gaming. Above all, we should not forget the builders of 3D graphics cards, such as Nvidia; they have endlessly expanded the visual possibilities of a device not originally designed for entertainment: the computer.
Throughout history, humanity has elected heroes. From the demi-gods of mythology to the giants of cinema, they have attained the status of legends. Not least among them are the real-life heroes of war, politics or sport. Another breed of heroes was created by cartoon strips. And since the late 70s, a further category has emerged. These newcomers, born of the new technologies, have not merely come to rival the heroes of the past; they have elbowed their way to the front.
These new heroes can rightly claim to be closer to their admirers, for their fame hangs on a playful but intimate relationship with fans who, for hours, days, and even weeks at a time, assume their roles and destinies. The universe that they share is one of pixels and polygons: video-games.
Only an elite found anything to admire in the rudimentary graphics and simple concepts of the earliest games. Indeed, in those days gamers seemed pretty eccentric. Today, video-games are superb microcosms, complex and rich in detail, and gamers of all ages take intense pleasure in immersing themselves in these cornucopian virtual worlds. The computer or television screen, no longer a barrier to the imagination, has become a window onto new continents; virtual continents, in which everyone can live out their dreams. And like all coherent worlds, those of the video-game have their own landmarks and models: their heroes. Every one of them, large or small, human or animal, good or evil, peaceful or bellicose, reflects some facet of human dreams and aspirations. And so they, too, have attained to legendary status.
John Lennon once reflected that the Beatles were as popular as Christ. Given their increasing renown, you can bet that Mario, Lara Croft, Pac-Man and the others will soon be as celebrated as the Beatles. These and many other figures from digital culture foregather here. Charming, violent, sexy or mechanical, newcomers or imports from other fields, the majority of the icons of video-gaming are for the first time brought together in this volume.
Another breed of heroes deserves a mention here. Less famous they may be, but to them the virtual characters owe their very existence. They are, of course, the game creators and developers. Let us salute their extraordinary talents, offering special thanks to those who share their vision and passion in these pages. Nor should we forget those who, over the years, have made it possible to enter the gates of dream in the comfort of one's own home: the manufacturers of the Nintendo, Sony, Sega and Microsoft consoles, and the engineers who bestowed such immense technical resources on computerised gaming. Above all, we should not forget the builders of 3D graphics cards, such as Nvidia; they have endlessly expanded the visual possibilities of a device not originally designed for entertainment: the computer.
