Back to Basics: Interfaces of the Past and Present

Video games have come a long way since their initial release in 1981 [a crude tennis game made on a variety of large computers - http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp ] (debatable). However their influence can be seen in culture from various incarnations to the UI (User Interfaces).
The first real game I played was probably Pitfall for Atari. This crude game had you play a jungle explorer whose objective was to cross various pits, crocodiles, quicksand and water-holes using mainly large vines. Due to the crude barbaric pixels of your character one could only deduce he was some form of an explorer. Back then video game covers and pamphlets were really your only form of reference with which to apply your concepts to the pixels; Pitfall merely had a silhouette of a man swinging on a vine (at least we can tell its not Tarzan). The User Interface in this game was broken down into two primary functions: score and time elapsed. This was not the first user interface I'm sure but it certainly helped set the precedent for future interfaces which were to be placed on the top or bottom of screens (like a sports broadcast).
As games have progressed further and further games like Pitfall have become archaic. The processing time required to even reproduce a game such as Pitfall is exponentially smaller than its new cousins who utilize millions of polygons and colors rendered in full 3D simulation. It is amazing (if not fundamentally crucial) for games to utilize a good User Interface to allow proper control and awareness within these further enveloping hyper-realms. The UI of many modern games, namely Grand Theft Auto has not changed much since the days of Pitfall. This game still uses a simple score and time function (with the exception of your arsenal displayed with the current weapon of choice). Many games use further complex interfaces but it should be noted that GTA was a smash hit and goes to show that simplicity is a staple of video game success history. Grand Theft Auto uses a simple interface to allow the user more concentration in rampaging, destroying, looting and killing. However far these interfaces takes us cannot deny the fact that some things are best left untouched when it comes to blowing things up or jumping over a croc's head.