By the mid-’80s the whole board games industry was in peril not just in Britain but across the world, under attack from an army of alien invaders: Computer games! ibid.
Role-playing games: the most famous of all was Dungeons & Dragons. It was one of the biggest revolutions to hit Games Britannia in the twentieth-century. ibid.
Board and card games have shown themselves to be amazingly resilient. ibid.
War on Terror is another radical British board game … This then is where Games Britannia has ended up: where it belongs, in a world of cheeky, slightly tasteless, nothing taken too seriously, satire. ibid.
135,481. Behind their curtains things weren’t as they seemed: this world of domestic bliss it turned out wasn’t quite real. In the ’70s the illusion began to disintegrate: social conventions were challenged, technology invaded the home, teenagers became surly, the divorce rate surged, the nuclear family exploded and all hell let lose. This is the story of a group of Britons who over the past three decades reshaped Games Britannia. It’s about pioneers who opened up a different world and invited us. Benjamin Woolley, Games Britannia III: Joystick Generation
‘The thing that changed computer games for ever in Britain was the arrival of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum: which was this affordable home computer which immediately became most famous and most loved for its ability to play games.’ ibid. Margaret Robertson, video games journalist
When people first started to talk about the addictive quality of computer games, Manic Miner was Exhibit A. ibid.
Black & White gives us the chance to explore a world with our own moral compass, to discover for ourselves what happens when we choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing. The genesis of Virtual World was now complete. British game-makers had found a rich source of satire, emotion and politics to play with. ibid.
Tomb Raider showed the potential of home computers and consoles to simulate in life-like detail the extraordinary natural marvels, the most extraordinary of all was Lara herself. ibid.
‘You shoot a lot of endangered species in the face.’ ibid. Charlie Brooker
This is what fantasy games such as Heavenly Sword struggle to do: to mix the right quantities of story and character together, whilst leaving a place for us in the narrative. ibid.
‘Wipeout is just an object lesson in 3D gaming … Wipeout’s coolness helped establish racing games as one of the most popular genres. And British developers have responded with enthusiasm.’ ibid. Dr James Newman
‘If nothing is real, is everything allowed?’ ibid. Robertson
This one is a monster … More than 80 million copies … It’s had a huge impact … Grand Theft Auto … Beneath the surface layer of shock and awe lies a deep sense of irony. ibid.
Parlour games, my arse. Christmas with the Royle Family, Jim, BBC 1999
You saw Lalo? Kim, you have to stay away from people like Lalo. You don’t see Lalo. I see Lalo, OK? I’m in the game. You’re not in the game. But he’s not your client. He’s my client. So please, just keep away. Better Call Saul s5e9: Bad Choice Road, AMC 2020