Gotcha (arcade game)
Encyclopedia
Gotcha is a 1973 arcade game
manufactured by Atari Inc.
. It was Atari's fourth game after Pong
, Space Race
, and Pong Doubles. This was the first maze arcade game, as well as the very first video game to cause a considerable amount of controversy
, predating other early examples such as Death Race
by several years. The object of the game is for two players to find their way through an on-screen maze, attempting to catch each other. The controversy stemmed from the perception that the game's controls, rather than joystick
s, were pink rubber
bulges meant to represent breast
s. The bulges were squeezed in order to control the action. This was done because some members of Atari jokingly mentioned that joysticks curiously resembled a phallus
. As a result, it was decided to create a "female game" and this game was henceforth referred to as "the boob game" by company staff. Later versions of the cabinet replaced the controls with standard joysticks. The game was not well received by the public.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
manufactured by Atari Inc.
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
. It was Atari's fourth game after Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
, Space Race
Space Race (arcade game)
Space Race is the second arcade game created by Atari . It was released in July, 1973. The two players each control a rocket ship; the object of the game is to make it from the bottom of the screen to the top, while avoiding obstacles such as asteroids. Score is kept electronically and the...
, and Pong Doubles. This was the first maze arcade game, as well as the very first video game to cause a considerable amount of controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
, predating other early examples such as Death Race
Death Race (1976 game)
Death Race is a controversial arcade game, released by Exidy in 1976. While not the first violent video game to appear, it was the first video game to inspire a great deal of protest and controversy in the United States.-Overview:...
by several years. The object of the game is for two players to find their way through an on-screen maze, attempting to catch each other. The controversy stemmed from the perception that the game's controls, rather than joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
s, were pink rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
bulges meant to represent breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s. The bulges were squeezed in order to control the action. This was done because some members of Atari jokingly mentioned that joysticks curiously resembled a phallus
Phallus
A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
. As a result, it was decided to create a "female game" and this game was henceforth referred to as "the boob game" by company staff. Later versions of the cabinet replaced the controls with standard joysticks. The game was not well received by the public.