Editing R.O.B.

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==Origin==
==Origin==
===As a video game peripheral===
===As a video game peripheral===
R.O.B is a battery powered mechanical apparatus outfitted with photosensing optical electronics just like its companion peripheral, the Zapper. The peripheral is compatible with two games, ''Gyromite'' and ''Stack-Up''. When the game requires R.O.B. to complete a task, the screen will flash in a specific way, which R.O.B. will detect and then perform the according action. ''Gyromite'' requires the use of spinning gyros that are placed on pressure sensitive trays which manipulate the game when activated. ''Stack-Up'' requires the use of several blocks, which R.O.B will stack in various ways. An unlicensed game that uses R.O.B was created in 2014 titled ''8-Bit X-Mas 2014'', which manipulates R.O.B. into dancing to christmas music.<ref>[https://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=132]</ref>
Due to the {{s|wikipedia|video game crash of 1983}}, [[Nintendo]] sought to enter the North American market by portraying the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as an advanced toy instead of a video game console. Nintendo of America's then-sole marketing staff Gail Tilden was tasked with promoting the system as such in preparation for its North American test launch. To this end, Tilden suggested that the Family Computer Robot, a niche peripheral for the Famicom, be packaged alongside the NES in order to promote the console as a futuristic toy.


The peripheral started life in Japan as the Family Computer Robot in 1985, and was met with very little fanfare. The peripheral would have been considered a failure and a footnote in Nintendo history if not for its significance outside of Japan. Due to the {{s|wikipedia|video game crash of 1983}}, [[Nintendo]] sought to enter the North American market by portraying the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as an advanced toy instead of a video game console. Nintendo of America's then-sole marketing staff Gail Tilden was tasked with promoting the system as such in preparation for its North American test launch. To this end, Tilden suggested that the Family Computer Robot and the Zapper be packaged alongside the NES in order to promote the console as a futuristic toy. According to Tilden, the Famicom Robot's North American name was "originally going to be OTTO, which was a play on the word 'auto'", but she instead settled on rechristening the Robot as the Robotic Operating Buddy, or R.O.B. for short.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VuA7DQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Kohler|first=Chris|title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life|date=2004|publisher=Brady Games|location=Indianapolis, IN|isbn=0-7440-0424-1}}</ref>
According to Tilden, the Famicom Robot's North American name was "originally going to be OTTO, which was a play on the word 'auto'", but she instead settled on rechristening the Robot as the Robotic Operating Buddy, or R.O.B. for short.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VuA7DQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Kohler|first=Chris|title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life|date=2004|publisher=Brady Games|location=Indianapolis, IN|isbn=0-7440-0424-1}}</ref> To further promote the NES as a futuristic toy, R.O.B. was bundled with his own compatible game, ''{{s|wikipedia|Gyromite}}'', alongside the NES Zapper and ''Duck Hunt''.
 
Along with Gyromite, R.O.B. was compatible with ''{{s|wikipedia|Stack-Up}}'', complete with additional peripheral pieces to further promote the toy aspect of the NES. Although the player did not necessarily need R.O.B. to play ''Gyromite'' and ''Stack-Up'', he still remained a key figure in Nintendo's attempt to keep the video game industry alive.


Although R.O.B.'s time in the spotlight was brief, he nevertheless established a legacy. He was ranked fifth in GameSpy's "25 Smartest Moments in Gaming" because of his impact in reviving the video game industry and helping Nintendo establish a major presence in the North American video game market.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index22.shtml|title=25 Smartest Moments in Gaming|publisher=GameSpy.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612194348/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index22.shtml|archivedate=June 12, 2007}}</ref>
Although R.O.B.'s time in the spotlight was brief, he nevertheless established a legacy. He was ranked fifth in GameSpy's "25 Smartest Moments in Gaming" because of his impact in reviving the video game industry and helping Nintendo establish a major presence in the North American video game market.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index22.shtml|title=25 Smartest Moments in Gaming|publisher=GameSpy.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612194348/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index22.shtml|archivedate=June 12, 2007}}</ref>

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