Join independent journalists and industry decision-makers at GamesBeat NEXT, returning to San Francisco November 2–3. The event brings together 500 executives, founders, investors and tech leaders shaping the $200 billion interactive economy for candid discussions on gaming, entertainment, technology and AI, plus executive networking and opportunities to build partnerships and close major deals.
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was originally released to the United States on October 18, 1985, as part of a test launch in the New York market. It was a Western version of the successful Japanese console the Famicom, releasing into a much less certain market in the U.S., still recovering from the ravages of the ’80s-era Video Game Crash. 40 years later, we in the modern games industry are still feeling the effects of that day’s launch.
To mark the occasion, I got the chance to speak with Frank Cifaldi, the founder and director of the Video Game History Foundation, a video game historian who has made it his mission to preserve all of the corners of the industry across the decades. As one might imagine, the NES launch was a topic with great depth and history behind it, and I suspect it would take several interviews before we covered it fully.
Keep Reading with GB MAX
Get the full story — and the intelligence behind it.
GB MAX members get complete articles, full transcripts, in-depth analysis, and exclusive reporting and conversations — plus access to private editorial conversations and exclusive events. Join today and receive a complimentary VIP ticket to GamesBeat Next, November 2–3 in San Francisco.
