The Binatone TV Master was the first computer game experience witnessed by many Cream era households, nestling as it did in the Argos catalogue alongside the portable b/w TVs (with which it shared a parasitic relationship). Aeons before kids sat hypnotised in front of the latest Grand Theft Auto clone, sacrificing great chunks of their lives to completing the next level, this slab of circuit-based entertainment dragged us in off the streets to watch a box-shaped pixel zig-zag its way across the screen. What a choking irony, therefore, that this gatekeeper of the soon-to-be-ushered-in console era attempted to mimic a selection of sports games. ... more>>>

Often, the first computer to grace the family home would not be bought as a present for the kids, but borrowed as another toy for a tinkering dad. Commodore Business Machines had already dangled their PET, one of the top “take home from work for the weekend” computers, in front of inquisitive parents across the globe, but it was with the introduction of the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 in the very early ‘Eighties that they cornered the younger (i.e. games-obsessed) micro market. ... more>>>

Never forget there are entire generations for whom giant stores like Hamleys and Toys ‘R’ Us were unimaginable fantasies on a par with space cars, food pills, and robot butlers. The rear sections of the catalogues were a 2D approximation of some incredible future where thousands of toys might be gathered in one place. As we grew up, though, we started to explore some of the other pages (and yes, thanks, the adolescent jokes about the underwear section have already been done - in 1996, by Frank Skinner, so let’s leave it there, eh?). Girls tended to graduate to jewellery and, for the poor are always with us, occasionally the clothes. As far as boys were concerned, however, it was usually the digital watches that were first to attract attention, followed shortly by the posh “scientific” calculators ... more>>>