Video Games have been with us for longer than you might think. The earlist video games were written in the fifties, using classics like Chess and Tic Tac Toe to test the computational power of new computers, and to commence exploring the new world of Artificial Intelligence.

The 1980s were the real golden age of computer games. With the rise of cheap personal computers, and the appearance of video game consoles, suddenly more and more homes were able to afford a computer or games console of their own. The market for video games exploded, making the fortunes of companies like Nintendo, Sega, Atari, and Sinclair, who would soon become household names.

Talented teenagers programming in their bedrooms soon became the foundation of the emerging video games industry. Due to the hardware of the machines of the time, it was possible for a single person to write an entire game on their own - something that is impossible these days. Talented programmers like David Braben and Ian Bell (who wrote the classic Elite) or Steve Cargill (who wrote the Garfield series of games, as well as Sir Lancelot) won awards and industry recognition for their talents.