This LIFE Magazine spread — “Video Game VIPs” — celebrates leet arcade gamers at the height of their early ’80s glory. Someone should do a “where are they now?” piece!
The group included Ned Troide, best known for having played DEFENDER for 62 1/2 consecutive hours on a single quarter. The games have their critics, of course. Physicians claim that maneuvering a joystick too many hours can lead to “video elbow” and “arcade arthritis.” The mental side effects can be equally serious, according to U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. “There’s nothing constructive in the games,” says Koop. “Everything is kill, destroy, zap the enemy.” Retorts TEMPEST virtuoso Leo Daniels, “I think Koop is a quack.”
Update: BB reader Andy Thomas says, “I Googled Leo Daniels and this is what i found. Watch out, the lion really roars! God bless him.”