Electronic Games
Electronic Games was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981 to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz, and is not to be confused with Electronic Gaming Monthly.
History
The history of Electronic Games originates in the consumer electronics magazine, Video. Initially video games were covered sporadic 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, and Joyce Worley, the three writers became close friends and in 1981 they founded Electronic Games magazine. 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 North American video game industry crash. The magazine was briefly revived during the 16-bit era in the early 1990s, but ended in 1995 and was renamed to Fusion.Initially, the release of the first issue was scheduled for October 15, 1981. However, the release was postponed to October 29, 1981 and featured a slightly different cover than initially advertised.
1st Run
2nd Run
Arcade Awards
Electronic Games is notable for hosting the Arcade Awards, or Arkie Awards, the first "Game of the Year" award ceremony simultaneously running in Videos "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.1980 Arcade Awards (1979)
According to the Winter 1981 issue of Electronic Games, the 1980 Arcade Awards were announced in February 1980 and covered all hardware and software produced prior to January 1, 1980.Award | Winner | Platform |
Game of the Year | Space Invaders | Arcade |
Best Pong Variant | Video Olympics | Atari VCS |
Best Sports Game | Football | Bally Professional Arcade |
Best Target Game | Air-Sea Battle | Atari VCS |
Best S.F. Game | Cosmic Conflict | Odyssey² |
Best Solitaire Game | Golf | Odyssey² |
Most Innovative Game | Basketball | Atari VCS |
Best Audio and Visual Effects | Bally | Arcade/Bally |
1981 Arcade Awards (1980)
The 1981 edition of the awards reflects accomplishments during the 12 months of the preceding year.1982 Arcade Awards (1981)
The third annual Arcade Awards were sponsored jointly by Video and Electronic Games and honored outstanding achievements in the field ofvideo games of the year 1981. The 1982 Arcade Awards were published in the March 1982 issue of Electronic Games.
1983 Arcade Awards (1982)
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.1984 Arcade Awards (1983)
The 5th "Arkies" were published in the January 1984 issue of Electronic Games.1985 Arkie Awards (1984)
The 6th "Arkies" were printed in the January 1985 issue of Electronic Games.1992 (7th)
Following the magazine's revival in 1992, it published the Electronic Gaming Awards in January 1993, where editors nominated several games for each category and the readers would vote which games win. The following games were nominated for 1992.Award | Nominees | Platform |
Video Game of the Year |
| |
Computer Games of the Year | ||
Multimedia Games of the Year |
1993 (8th)
The following games were nominated by editors for the EG Awards of 1993.Award | Nominees | Platforms |
Video Game of the Year |
| |
Portable Game of the Year | ||
Computer Game of the Year | ||
Console Multimedia Game of the Year | ||
Computer Multimedia Game of the Year' |
Reader polls
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.1982
;May- Console: Asteroids
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pac-Man
- Console: Pac-Man
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pac-Man
- Console: Pac-Man
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pac-Man
- Console: Defender
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Tempest
- Console: Pac-Man
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pac-Man
1983
- Console: Pitfall!
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Donkey Kong
- Console: Pitfall!
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Donkey Kong
- Console: Donkey Kong
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Donkey Kong
- Console: Pitfall!
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Donkey Kong
- Console: Donkey Kong
- Computer: Pac-Man
- Arcade: Zaxxon
- Console: Donkey Kong Jr.
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pole Position
- Console: Donkey Kong
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pole Position
- Console: Donkey Kong Jr.
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pole Position
- Console: Donkey Kong Jr.
- Computer: Miner 2049er
- Arcade: Pole Position
- Console: Donkey Kong / Donkey Kong Jr.
- Computer: Star Raiders
- Arcade: Pole Position
1984
- Console: Donkey Kong Jr.
- Computer: Miner 2049er
- Arcade: Dragon's Lair
- Console: '
- Computer: Zork I
- Arcade: Dragon's Lair
- Computer: Zork I
- Arcade: Spy Hunter
- Console: Donkey Kong Jr. / '
- Computer: Zork I
- Arcade: Dragon's Lair
1985
- Console:
- Computer: Miner 2049er
- Arcade: Star Wars
Hall of Fame
The twelve games voted by readers as part of the magazine's Hall of Fame up until January 1985.- Pong
- Space Invaders
- Asteroids
- Star Raiders
- Defender
- Major League Baseball
- Pac-Man
- Donkey Kong
- Quest for the Rings
- Miner 2049er
- Zaxxon
- Dragon's Lair