September 6, 2023, is an important date in the history of video games. It marks the launch of Starfield, the first-ever video game to have SSD as a minimum requirement (250 GB, to be on the safer side). While a video gamer’s eulogy to the HDD may seemingly be in order, it is hard to ignore the grand journey that has led us to this point. The journey of video games that was heralded for the longest time by a storage device that most gamers today might be too young to know, let alone recognize — the video game cartridge.
Decades before the SSDs or even the concept of flash memory came into existence, ROM cartridges were the mode of storage for all things virtual in existence, including video games. The video game cartridge was a sturdy, rugged chip with features similar to RAM. But, between the little integrated circuits, these cartridges housed memories that would bring countless hours of joy for several generations of gamers.
An Odyssey fails and another begins
Long before Pong, there was the Magnavox Odyssey and its Table Tennis game. The Odyssey was the first personal game console, and much like its ARP and Apollo counterparts at the time, was a game-changing innovation. While its table tennis game was all the rage back in the early 70s, the console itself was quite expensive to begin with and featured just this single game that could not be switched. The storage device was also a cause for concern as it relied on a bulky chip that was quite expensive as well.
It was during this time that Gerald Lawson from Fairchild Camera and Instrument Inc. decided to step in and develop his idea of a dedicated gaming console system that would accommodate multiple games that could be switched.
Lawson rounded up a posse of Magnavox Odyssey fanboys and began creating the first-ever dedicated video game console. The result was the short-lived Fairchild Channel-F console and the creation of the 8-bit video game cartridge.
This was a time when each kilobyte of storage cost almost a cent by conventional ROM storage devices. If you adjust that for inflation, today 10KB of data would cost you about 7 dollars. So, not only did the video game cartridge disrupt the gaming industry, but it also provided an affordable way of storing game data.
The 8-bit cartridge was an instant hit, not necessarily among gamers of the time, but developers. Everyone wanted to get their hands on this new way of playing video games and the new storage device that seemed to solve all the economic and ergonomic problems that game consoles faced at the time. The winner of this race, much to the dismay of Lawson and Fairchild, was Atari.
The 8-bit way of life
By the mid-70s, Atari was enjoying quite a run of success with their Pong game. The new 8-bit video game cartridges were just what the company needed to launch a wide range of video games they had been developing for years. The combination of the 8-bit cartridge and the Atari 2600 took the world by storm, and these terms became synonymous with gaming. The cartridge cases and box cases along with the cover artwork gave video games lives of their own.
Before the video game cartridge, giant ATM-sized arcade cases and radio-like consoles and their single entries defined the games. With the introduction of the swappable cartridges, games became recognized individually. Kids began trading their cartridges with friends once they were done, and games started inciting major topics of discussion. Video game cartridges became a way of life with many social interactions surrounding the games contained within.
Adults were also in on the 8-bit fever. Many relatives would come bearing game cartridges as gifts. Some would even gift them to kids who didn’t own a console, which was not a concern at all, given how common the consoles were in each neighborhood. Establishments also had console and cartridge rental services much like the VHS.
The joys of waiting in line for the latest game release would be unrelatable in an age of Steam releases and early access. But the beginning of this trend back in the 80s is what gave video gaming the cult popularity that it still enjoys today. In essence, video game cartridges by the 80s had catapulted the industry to mainstream heights.
Super Mario Bros. ‘crash’ the party
Atari had dominated the late 70s and early 80s, but consoles were now under a new threat that would go on to become a perpetual one – the PC. The console market crash of 1983 meant consoles now had to cope with the capabilities of the more powerful PCs. While the consoles were facing a sudden decline, arcade gaming as a whole had been all but wiped out. It was at this juncture that Nintendo decided to step into the console battle following the success of their arcade title Mario Bros.
The Nintendo Entertainment System or NES gave console gaming a new meaning and it was here that the video game cartridge found a new home and new life. In 1985, Super Mario Bros. hit the stands as the first NES game, and it was an instant success that signaled a new wave of console games and game cartridges.
The Missing Link
With the NES, the resurgence of gaming consoles was immediate, and the new cartridge was a highlight of the system. The NES cartridge, dubbed ‘Game Pak’, was a step up from the previous generations. This new video game cartridge, while still using the 8-bit architecture, improved upon several aspects, especially storing in-game data and offering more storage size. With the NES cartridge, people could now save their progress. Both the NES and Nintendo’s Famicom computer benefited from the advancements in these new cartridges.
The improved memory capacity allowed Nintendo to work on games with more depth and gameplay value to compete with the advanced and graphically superior PC games. The Legend of Zelda was a landmark game for consoles. Apart from impressive gameplay elements including some that would define the RPG genre, the game’s production introduced several aspects that game developers still use today.
Around the time Zelda was launched, Nintendo was working on lockout chips and Memory Management Controller chips to secure their devices and enhance their capabilities. The new cartridges worked well with these new features and created a system in games and console copyright and protection that still gets followed to this day albeit with several technological and legal advancements.
The Legend of Zelda and its protagonist Link created a new following for video games, giving consoles a much-needed boost. The game was sold in a special gold Game Pak, a feature the game shared only with its sequel.
With the launch of the first Zelda title, gaming found a following like never before. Over 2 million copies of the game were sold in the first two years alone. And through its lifecycle and that of the NES, Nintendo offered several add-on and useful benefits to its fans, such as a subscription to their newsletter and access to a Fun Club that offered tips and guides for such games.
Nintendon’t mess with the big dog
As the 90s approached, the video game cartridge had gone from its humble beginnings at a semiconductor factory to becoming one of the most sought-after pieces of computer hardware at the time. As part of the Nintendo universe, the video game cartridge became more advanced with an upgraded 16-bit architecture and a brand-new console called the Super Nintendo. This advanced console came with a new controller as well which would define the hardware for consoles.
While new releases on the Super NES were few and far between, the console was host to a new form of video game cartridge, the Super Gameboy. This new cartridge allowed games on the handheld Gameboy console to be ported onto the Super Nintendo along with a few upgrades.
Despite some stiff competition from the likes of Sega, Nintendo still managed to dominate the market until the entry of the Japanese giant Sony. Their American gaming division, Sony Interactive Entertainment, was responsible for the launch of the PlayStation, which not only heralded the 32-bit gaming architecture but also the beginning of the end for gaming cartridges.
Till the mid-90s, what the video game cartridge, especially the Nintendo Game Pak, was quite adequate to match the PC standards and even outshine them at times. But with the PlayStation came the use of Compact Disks, which Nintendo refused to adhere to at the time. Ironically enough, it was Nintendo’s original idea to use a CD-ROM peripheral device for the Super Nintendo which Sony was tasked with developing that led to the development of the PlayStation. The scrapped Sony-Nintendo CD peripheral was even called the PlayStation.
Despite Sony’s migration into a new medium of storage and its obvious benefits, Nintendo would go on to stick with their trusty cartridge for the PlayStation rival Nintendo 64. In what would be the cartridge’s final act in the history of gaming, Nintendo risked their legacy, their resources, and their market to hold on to their cherished medium of storage.
Switch-ing to a new chapter
Nintendo 64 is the only reason Sony vs. Xbox vs. Nintendo never became a serious debate despite the possibilities. Yet Nintendo does not have too many regrets about it or standing by the video game cartridge which made it so successful in the first place. Furthermore, some might say the reliability of the cartridge and speed of execution was worth risking an entire console. Nonetheless, losing the larger console war before it actually started didn’t affect Nintendo much.
Nintendo continues to cherish its cartridge legacy through the handheld consoles. The latest Switch may be way behind in terms of the performance of the larger consoles, but the porting options and the portability still make it quite desirable. Switch continues to use a ‘cartridge’ which, despite Nintendo’s label, is a modern flash memory stick similar to SD cards. In an age where games are mostly sold online, the physical cartridge and its case are still something that provides a more individual touch which Nintendo constantly looks to preserve.
While Nintendo’s move to continue using the cartridge may be seen as stubborn, clearly the gaming company had a better appreciation for its prospects than most others did. After all, the video game cartridge to most gamers was more than just a storage device — it was a part of their childhood that they can embrace with fond memories and even relive on older consoles that have survived the test of time.
