''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated
video game magazine published in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by
Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz.
History
The history of ''Electronic Games'' originates in the consumer electronics magazine, ''
Video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
''. Initially video games were covered sporadically in Deeny Kaplan's regular "VideoTest Reports" column. In the summer of 1979, ''Video'' decided to launch a new column to focus on video games. ''
Arcade Alley'' became a regular column and would represent a journalistic first. Written by Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz (initially pseudonymously writing as Frank T. Laney II), and Joyce Worley, the three writers became close friends and in 1981 they founded ''Electronic Games'' magazine.
The magazine was active from Winter 1981, during the
golden age of arcade video games and the
second generation of consoles, up until 1985, following the
video game crash of 1983. The magazine was briefly revived during the
16-bit era
In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in Nort ...
in the early 1990s, but ended in 1995 and was renamed to ''Fusion''.
Initially, the release of the first issue was scheduled for October 15, 1981. However, the release was postponed to October 29, 1981 and featured a slightly different cover than initially advertised.
1st Run
2nd Run
Arcade Awards

Electronic Games is notable for hosting the Arcade Awards, or Arkie Awards, the first "
Game of the Year"
award ceremony simultaneously running in ''
Video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
''s "
Arcade Alley" column. The following games are the winners of the magazine's annual Arcade Awards. The awards for each year took place in the January of the following year. No single game was allowed to win more than one award in the same year.
1980 Arcade Awards (1979)
According to the Winter 1981 issue of ''Electronic Games'', the 1980 Arcade Awards (i.e., the first set of "Arkies") were announced in February 1980 and covered all hardware and software produced prior to January 1, 1980.
1981 Arcade Awards (1980)
The 1981 edition of the awards reflects accomplishments during the 12 months of the preceding year.
1982 Arcade Awards (1981)
The third annual Arcade Awards were sponsored jointly by ''
Video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
'' and ''Electronic Games'' and honored outstanding achievements in the field of
video games of the year 1981. The 1982 Arcade Awards were published in the March 1982 issue of ''Electronic Games''.
1983 Arcade Awards (1982)
The 4th "Arkies" cover games published between October 1, 1981, and October 1, 1982, and were published in the January 1983 issue of ''Electronic Games''.
1984 Arcade Awards (1983)
The 5th "Arkies" were published in the January 1984 issue of ''Electronic Games''.
1985 Arkie Awards (1984)
The 6th "Arkies" were printed in the January 1985 issue of ''Electronic Games''.
1992 (7th)
Following the magazine's revival in 1992, it published the Electronic Gaming Awards in March 1993, where editors nominated several games for each category and the readers would vote which games win. The following were the winners and nominees for 1992.
1993 (8th)
The following games were the winners and nominees for the EG Awards of 1993, with nominees chosen by editors and winners voted by readers.
Reader polls
From May 1982 onwards, the magazine carried out a reader poll in each issue to see which are the most popular games of the month among its readers, up until the January 1985 issue. The top-ranking games in these polls are listed below.
1982
;May
* Console: ''
Asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. It was released in Japan in April 1978, with the game being released by Midway Manufacturing overseas. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed s ...
'')
* Arcade: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
'')
;August
* Console: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Jawbreaker'')
* Arcade: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Tempest'')
;September
* Console: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Arcade: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
;October & November
* Console: ''
Defender'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Arcade: ''
Tempest'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1982 polls were:
* Console: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Defender'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Missile Command'')
* Arcade: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Tempest'')
1983
;January
* Console: ''
Pitfall!'' (Runner-Up: ''
Berzerk'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
Dig Dug'')
;May
* Console: ''
Pitfall!'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Donkey Kong''
;June
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
Zaxxon'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
Tron'')
;July
* Console: ''
Pitfall!'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'')
;August
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pitfall!'')
* Computer: ''
Pac-Man'' (Runner-Up: ''
Star Raiders'')
* Arcade: ''
Zaxxon'' (Runner-Up: ''
Joust'')
;September
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'' (Runner-Up: ''
Lady Bug'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Centipede'')
* Arcade: ''
Pole Position'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'')
;October
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong'' (Runner-Up: ''
River Raid'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Pole Position'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
;November
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'' (Runner-Up: ''
Zaxxon'')
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Pole Position'' (Runner-Up: ''
Q*bert'')
;December
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'' (Runner-Up: ''
Centipede'')
* Computer: ''
Miner 2049er'' (Runner-Up: ''
Star Raiders'')
* Arcade: ''
Pole Position'' (Runner-Up: ''
Q*bert'')
The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1983 polls were:
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong'' / ''
Donkey Kong Jr.''
* Computer: ''
Star Raiders'' (Runner-Up: ''
Pac-Man'')
* Arcade: ''
Pole Position'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
1984
;January
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'' (Runner-Up: ''
River Raid'')
* Computer: ''
Miner 2049er'' (Runner-Up: ''
Star Raiders'')
* Arcade: ''
Dragon's Lair'' (Runner-Up: ''
Star Wars'')
;November
* Console: ''
Pitfall II'' (Runner-Up: ''
Miner 2049er'')
* Computer: ''
Zork I'' (Runner-Up: ''
Buck Rogers'')
* Arcade: ''
Dragon's Lair'' (Runner-Up: ''
Star Wars'')
;December
* Computer: ''
Zork I''
* Arcade: ''
Spy Hunter
''Spy Hunter'' is a vehicular combat game developed by Bally Midway and released for arcades in 1983. The game draws inspiration from the James Bond films and was originally supposed to carry the James Bond brand. The object of the game is t ...
'' (Runner-Up: ''
Track & Field'')
The games that were top-ranked the most in these 1984 polls were:
* Console: ''
Donkey Kong Jr.'' / ''
Pitfall II''
* Computer: ''
Zork I'' (Runner-Up: ''
Miner 2049er'')
* Arcade: ''
Dragon's Lair'' (Runner-Up: ''
Spy Hunter
''Spy Hunter'' is a vehicular combat game developed by Bally Midway and released for arcades in 1983. The game draws inspiration from the James Bond films and was originally supposed to carry the James Bond brand. The object of the game is t ...
'')
1985
;January
* Console: ''
Pitfall II'' (Runner-Up: ''
Q*bert'')
* Computer: ''
Miner 2049er'' (Runner-Up: ''
Donkey Kong'')
* Arcade: ''
Star Wars'' (Runner-Up: ''
Dragon's Lair'')
There was no reader poll held for the March 1985 issue.
Hall of Fame
The twelve games voted by readers as part of the magazine's Hall of Fame up until January 1985.
* ''
Pong'' (1972)
* ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. It was released in Japan in April 1978, with the game being released by Midway Manufacturing overseas. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed s ...
'' (1978)
* ''
Asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
'' (1979)
* ''
Star Raiders'' (1980)
* ''
Defender'' (1980)
* ''
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
'' (1980)
* ''
Pac-Man'' (1980)
* ''
Donkey Kong'' (1981)
* ''
Quest for the Rings'' (1981)
* ''
Miner 2049er'' (1982)
* ''
Zaxxon'' (1982)
* ''
Dragon's Lair'' (1983)
References
{{reflist
External links
Article on the first issue of ''Electronic Games''* PDF magazine repository a
archive.org* PDF magazine repository a
Archived issuesat
Video Game History Foundation
Magazines established in 1981
Magazines disestablished in 1994
Defunct video game magazines published in the United States
Defunct magazines published in New York City