A strange little side quest
Before the next round of Scary Neighbor, here is a piece of the bigger picture. Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. The timeline takes another interesting turn: Pong was field-tested in California bars in 1972 and helped launch the modern arcade-game era. The details change, but the appeal of learning a system and trying again is remarkably persistent.
