We love a bit of history here at Nintendo Life, particularly when it's something to do with our favourite hobby: knitting. No, we're kidding, video games of course!
Many of us may not have been around when the NES first came out (this writer was born three years after its western release), so it's always cool when bits of information regarding the console's manufacturing process make their way online.
In a video posted on Twitter by video game historian John Andersen, we've been given a rare, unique glimpse at the testing process for new NES consoles before they're wrapped, boxed up, and shipped off in big, honking trucks. The video itself is from 1989, so by this point, the process was no doubt running like a well-oiled machine, but it's also lovely to see such care being put into the testing process well into the NES's lifespan.
It's definitely an interesting peek at what workers needed to check to ensure the NES was ready to be chucked into the hands of eager gamers. Given the sheer simplicity of the system compared to modern consoles, we can't imagine the same kind of testing being carried out on consoles like the Switch, particularly when you consider the mandatory requirement to set up player accounts.
We have to say, though, how boring does that job look? Granted, there's a certain charm to getting your hands on so many consoles, but having to perform the same handful of actions over and over seems incredibly monotonous, and we tip our hats to those who perform such jobs to this day. You're the real GOAT.
What you make of this glimpse into the manufacturing process for the NES? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 26
5 minutes of ASMR from year 1989.
Looked interesting to see how was the video games being made, tested, packed and distributed.
Lived the dream
@Anti-Matter Is that the name of the assembly manufacturing company? The process hasn't changed much, even down to the mechanisation and computerisation.
Looks kinda tedious lol
It's incredibly distasteful the author of this blurb chose to refer to assembly labourers as 'goats.' Mechanised labour is incredibly repetitious, yes, but it is crucial work. Assembly workers operate pridefully knowing their collective labour will put smiles on millions of faces. Strict protocols are in place because the highly mechanised process incurs the dangers of repetition-motion errors. If workers don't follow protocols to the letter all the time, every time, with every single unit, it would be disastrous for safety and output. So, please, no matter how tedious it may appear, assembly workers and factory workers don't appreciate being described as mindless.
Imagine doing the same thing over and over eight hours a day 5 days a week for 60 years.
@SuperToadie ASMR isn't the name of the manufacturer, and you don't want to know what ASMR actually means.
@SuperToadie the author wasn’t calling them goats like the animal lol. G.O.A.T stands for Greatest Of All Time.
@SuperToadie Hey, just to clarify as @derickw69 mentioned, GOAT in this context is referring to the greatest of all time
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@SuperToadie while I do find the authors take on a repetitive job to be in poor taste, he wasn’t actually calling anyone a goat. I love that this article is the first time you ever heard of ASMR and GOAT haha.
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Oh, geez...
What was happened just now ? 😯
Interesting. Shots out to NL for the Journey to Silius thumbnail
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SuperToadie just give it a rest lol. You really had to make an alt account
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Btw, GOAT in this article was not a merely goat animal, but Greatest Of All Time.
It was a compliment.
Assembly line work is maddening. I'd have to listen to music while doing it. Major props to the workers.
@SuperToadie I... er-
Please be trolling us.
I was like, "Five minutes? I'm not watching that entire video."
And then I watched the entire video.
Repetitive but interesting video. 33 year's ago, wow 😬
Do one for Nintendo Switch.
That Silius thumbnail can really grab my attention, there goes 5 minutes of goodness I just watched!
Poor Chinese workers doing this same thing every day. One of the worst jobs in the world with close to no pay.
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