Crosstown Rivals: San Diego’s Game Makers that Shaped the Arcade
Ethan Johnson, Play History
Far from the tech center of Silicon Valley and further from the arcade center of Chicago, San Diego played host to two extraordinary game companies: Sega/Gremlin and Cinematronics. Together responsible for memorable games in the U.S. like Frogger and Dragon’s Lair, these two companies often butted heads in a battle to be the top of the arcade market. One shall stand, and one shall fall!
About Ethan
Ethan Johnson knows a lot about games. Independent historian of digital and pre-digital games, he created the YouTube channel Play History about early video games and the blog The History of How We Play, both about the intersection of invention and interaction. He loves to cook, write, and indulge in all forms of media – so long as it’s fantasy.
Play History
Play History explores the technological and cultural roots of video games across the world. Biographies of important creators, examinations of the user experience, and the legacy of the fast moving tech industry are all wrapped up in some way or another in the experience of video games.