The oldest video game I’ve found at this year’s New York Comic-Con is from 1977. That’s the same years that Star Wars — whose merchandise dominates the show — made its theatrical debut. In contrast, I’ve seen comics and artwork dating back to the ’40s, maybe even earlier. There are movie goods based on The Wizard of Oz, which memory tells me dates from the ’30s.
Video games are newcomers on the stage of nerd culture, and shows like this are stark reminders of that fact. Games have a respectable showing here to be sure, but compared to the breadth and depth of comic- and film-related material, you can’t help but realize the curators of game history need to step it up.
