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| What is Boss Key and why has games supported it in the past |
Technology has evolved greatly in recent years. But in the 80s the situation was completely different. Because the hardware is limited in terms of specifications and performance. It only supports one application, and it also applies to games.
At that time, personal computers were mainly acquired by Apple and IBM. These devices can run simple games. There may be a large number of users who like to gamble at inappropriate times, for example b. At work or while studying.
The simple reason is the secret behind the appearance of the Boss Key button, this recognizable button is only used to hide the content on the screen so that the user can hide the game if his manager or guardian happens to him. .
Quite simply because these devices support an app as described above. At this point, the user did not have the option to press Alt and Tab to quickly switch to another window.
There is no doubt that the whole story is interesting, but this beautiful innovation led to a proliferation of keyboard shortcuts that we are so used to today. This innovation also solves the problem that the device only supports one running app or program.
Boss key in the game world
Boss Key was invented in 1981 by software developer Roger Wagner and was first used in a game called Bezare, which was released for Apple II in 1982. It is a very simple shooter game.
Press Ctrl + W during gameplay to display a virtual table document that replaces the full screen content of the game. The player can then return to the game by pressing any key on the keyboard.
That same year, the same feature appeared in a game called Asylum on the IBM PC. Over time, this cool feature appeared in more and more games, such as "command buttons" or "emergency buttons".
This function is suitable for the popular game Tetris on IBM PC. When I press the Esc key and a blank DOS command window pops up, it starts working. According to Moby Games, more than 70 games were released between 1982 and 2006 that support this feature.
Well-known games that support this feature are Spitfire Ace (1984) and Wolfenstein 3D (1992). Some games have handled this feature cleverly because Space Quest III (1989) has Boss Key Ctrl + B. However, if you click on it, you will see a message that the game is not involved in deceiving administrators or parents!