Dungeons and Dragons (1st Edition) – 1974
Yes, really.
If you need me to explain D&D to you, I really think you’re on the wrong website. The release of Dungeons and Dragons turned the roleplaying world upside down by introducing a fantasy setting to a normally wargaming based medium, and changed the face of gaming forever. Pretty much every RPG you’ll come across has some kind of basis in the game, and it’s left its mark all over popular culture.
We knew D&D was here to stay when in the 80’s, it was decried as dangerous and a risk to children’s fragile minds. You KNOW you’ve made it when people are protesting against you.
Pong - 1975
While Pong wasn’t the first computer game ever (that accolade goes to Computer Space), it was the game that basically fathered the entire video games market. Released as a home version exclusively through Sears in 1975, it was incredibly popular and the rest is history.
There isn’t much I can say about Pong that hasn’t already been said, but consider this: pretty much every household has some kind of gaming console, from the mightiest gaming PC to the iPhone. That wouldn’t have happened without this Christmas fad.
Star Wars – 1977
Well, of COURSE they sold well. Of COURSE.
Again, do I have to explain Star Wars? Really? Star Wars – A New Hope (although yes, I know, the subtitle wasn’t added till later) was released in May 1977, and by Christmas the stores must have been full of kids whining ‘But Muuuuuum, I waaaaaant it!’ every time they saw a Han Solo figure.
This was only the beginning, what with the two sequels, the prequel trilogy, the books, the video games, the animated work, and oh God my head, it asploded.
Rubik’s Cube - 1980
Hard to believe such a simple little toy could explode in the way it did. Designed by Erno Rubik in 1974 and licensed to Ideal Toy Corp in 1980, the cube practically is visual shorthand for the entire decade.
Let’s not forget the impact the cube has made, either. Still in production today, it is believed to be the best selling toy ever made. Competitions are held worldwide in order to find the fastest solver of the puzzle, and they show up all the time in TV and film as shorthand for a character’s intelligence. It even showed up in a Spice Girls video, apparently, but let’s not hold that against it.
Game Boy – 1991
Who doesn’t have fond memories of the original Game Boy? Released in Japan and the USA in 1989, and in Europe in 1990, the console was the first handheld to really grab gamers and persuade them that portable gaming was the future (something Nintendo is good at). I had one back in the day, and even when I look back and remember what a brick it was, and how tiny the screen was (not to mention it’s monochrome display), I still loved it.
The Game Boy went through several versions until it culminated in the creation of...
DS/DSi – 2004/2007
Can anyone imagine a time without the DS? From the original, bulky design to the newest 3D iteration, it really has been an innovation in gaming, handheld or otherwise. It was the first time a touchscreen had been used for gaming, and the idea has taken off like a rocket. I would hazard a guess that nearly every household contains at least one, as it appeals to such a wide market. I mean, I found out one of my grandparents has a 3DS the other day. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.
PS3 – 2006
The PS3 is notable in this list purely for the chaos it created. What with a delay in production of units, plus the PAL version not being ready until Spring 2007, demand was at an all time high. This culminated in people camping out in freezing conditions simply to get their hands on the console, and tensions running high. There were reports of robberies, shootings and full on fist fights in shopping malls. One report even tells of a punter spiking other customers’ coffee with laxative in an attempt to get his hands on the device. Blimey.
The PS3 was pretty much the dark side of Geek Christmas.
2011 - ?
So after all this, what’s up for Best Toy this year? Market research has suggested toys like the V-Tech InnoTab, an iPad like device for kids, will be popular. Apart from that though, there aren’t any really technologically minded toys in the list this year. The absence of the 3DS is especially conspicuous.
But what do I know? I’m an internet writer, not a marketing exec. Maybe that mental Doggie Doo toy will be victorious this year. If it, I’ve lost all hope for humanity. I’ll start digging that bomb shelter now.
Merry Christmas!
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