Downloading games from the internet has become the main business of many companies, but the general idea behind this "electronic distribution" goes back to the early '80s. A company named Control Video Corporation launched the GameLine, a download system for the historic console Atari 2600, which allowed subscribers to access classics like Polaris and Cosmic Ark using a phone line.
Want to play something? Today's internet makes things very easy. From free indie titles to high-budget "triple A" monsters, everything is within reach with a couple of clicks. The most popular method of digital distribution is without a doubt Steam. Valve doesn't publish statistics about its service, but it's estimated that it dominates about 80 percent of the market.
The level of development that the internet has today has been critical to Steam's success, however... imagine what it would be like to offer a similar service without the internet. Even more, let's raise the stakes: imagine that there is no internet, and you find yourself in the early '80s, tied to the telephone modems of the time. Horror? Nightmare? In reality, not so much. A company, Control Video Corporation, achieved what seemed impossible thanks to its GameLine platform, compatible with the Atari 2600.
How GameLine Worked
The hardware looked like a giant cartridge, combining a telephone modem and a programmable module that served as a "download cartridge" for the received games. GameLine users did not have to pay a monthly fee to access the service; instead, the model leaned toward "pay as you play", and for a fee close to a dollar, it was possible to download a game of choice, enabling ten plays before requiring a new payment (in other words, GameLine turned the Atari 2600 into a semi-arcade).
An additional benefit was that users could play for free on their birthdays, and competitions were also organized with the help of the platform, giving regional prizes to the most skilled players. As if that weren't enough, GameLine users received a copy of the GameLiner magazine at home, with information on strategies and new available games.
What happened to GameLine? The plan was to extend the platform to provide additional information, such as stock reports, sports results, and email (on an Atari 2600!). However, GameLine ended its commercial activity before those extensions saw the light, and the crash of the early '80s consumed Control Video Corporation.
But there's more: CVC's leaders created the company Quantum Computer Services and Quantum Link, a very similar service for Commodore computers, and when that ended, Quantum Computer Services became... America Online.
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