< PreviousDesired objects commercialinteriordesign.com July 2022 50 T here was once a time when you could only play video games on sturdy 'cabinet' machines in neon- lit arcades. Writing for Creative Boom's website, founding editor Katy Cowman explores how these cabinet machines are the result of industrial design, graphic design, mechanical engineering, and interaction design. Among the fi rst of these was the later iconic Donkey Kong, an arcade platform game released by Nintendo, which sees the fi rst introduction of the character that would become Mario, the Italian plumber. Developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released in July 1981, the original Donkey Kong arcade game was created when now legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto was assigned by Nintendo to convert Radar Scope, a game that had been released to test audiences with poor results, into a game that would appeal more to Americans. The result was Donkey Kong, which, according to gaming blogger Travis Fahs, created the legacy of not only Super Mario Brothers, but Nintendo itself. Like a lot of cabinet art from the era, Donkey Kong's design has since become one that's highly collectable. Fans of arcade cabinets chase down specifi cally the red version of Donkey Kong, as only the fi rst two runs of these well-known cabinets left the factory with a red laminate and not the classic baby blue, notes fan blog Vintage Arcade Girl. Some were made specifi cally for Donkey Kong and others were repurposed for the Donkey Kong In July 1981, Nintendo released an arcade game that featured the debut of Mario, possibly one of the most famous characters in video-game history Image credit: Shutterstock earlier, less successful, cabinet for Radar Scope. The latter's "clunky gameplay and annoying side effects" made it a fl op with the American market, the gaming blogger adds, before running through the technical spec sheet that helps avid fans differentiate between the two machines. Despite its rich pop culture heritage, author Raiford Guins postulates that a review of design in the role of gaming and its cabinets, is overdue, albeit via the rival Atari brand. In his 2020 book, 'Atari Design: Impressions on Coin-Operated Video Game Machines,' he concludes: "The subject of game design doesn't often consider the history of design. The history of games doesn't consider the history of design. And, the fi eld of design history doesn't consider games."THE MARKET LEADING PLATFORM FOR THE INTERIOR DESIGN AND FIT-OUT INDUSTRY COMMERCIALINTERIORDESIGN.COMAvailable at BAGNODESIGN • SANIPEX GALLERY • AQUAZONE www.sanipexgroup.com Showrooms RIYADH • DUBAI • ABU DHABI • DOHA • MUSCAT • SHARJAH • RAS AL KHAIMAH • AL AIN ITPFAPMEFP215mmX275mmindd76/30/2212:51PMNext >