1982
Golden Age Peak
Arcades generated $8.9B, over twice Hollywood's box office. Pac-Man was a national obsession.
1983
The Great Crash
Oversaturation and poor quality (E.T.) crashed the console market by 97%. Atari buried cartridges in a landfill.
1985
NES Launches (US)
Nintendo's quality seal restored trust. Super Mario Bros. proved games could be art and commerce.
1989
Game Boy Arrives
Tetris + portability made gaming universal. You didn't need an arcade or a TV anymore.