Today is something somewhat special in that two video game consoles, themselves separated by over a decade, celebrate signfiicant milestones. First up is Intellivision...which turns 40 today! Thanks to my dad, who worked many years for Mattel, I had access to more video games than most kids my age...our Intellivision game library easily contained more than 50 games. We owned the original Master Component, the limited run Keyboard Component, Intellivoice, Intellivision II, Intellivision ECS with Keyboard and Synthesizer controller. The Intellivision II and related peripherals in my bedroom, hooked up to a small color TV I picked up for dirt cheap when Mattel Electronics was being liquidated after the big video game market crash. Due to their affordability, the bulk of our collection were games developed by Mattel Electronics. I participated in the employee testing program and filled out questionairres about what I liked and disliked about games I would sometimes get before they were available in stores. My dad also picked up some newer titles that were developed and sold by INTV after the crash.

I did own a few third party titles, but the games that took advantage of the Intellivision ECS were among the few I continued to play into my high school years...perhaps the most significant was World Series Major League Baseball which seemed years ahead. It didn't hurt that the Dodgers won the 1988 World Series.

It's somewhat fitting that the other console celebrating a major milestone is Sony's PlayStation...now 25! I probably owned as many games for the original PlayStation as the Intellivision. Of course, only titles released in its first year came in large cases like the ones in this picture. I believe I picked up ESPN Extreme Games and Battle Arena Toshinden on launch (I'm not sure why the box for Extreme Games is not in this picture)

Of course, the orginal PlayStaton's success soon became my own...when I joined Naughty Dog to develop the first sequel to Crash Bandicoot...a title that became something of a mascot for the brand. I worked on three of the highest selling games on the first generation PlayStation...and then helped launch two successful franchises on the console's successors.

My friend Pete gave me these special shoes a year ago, but this seemed to be the perfect occasion for me to break them out

(quickly Googling "Paul George" before I put these on)

I have worn my PlayStation shoes to work...they definitely got game (the logos on the tongue even light up)

Ah that sound...so many memories...