10 Video Game Products That Insulted Their Key Audience

The introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the mid-80's brought the video game medium back from the edge of extinction following the crash of 1983. Mario, Link, Kirby and Mega Man are all pivotal to the revival of virtual entertainment, and over 60 million units sold meant that the company's first console made a home in households across the world.

Weekends were surely engulfed by Link's adventure in Hyrule and Mario's quest to save the princess, and disgruntled parents were undoubtedly itching to regain control of their TV set.

So much so, that SafeCare made a custom combination lock called 'Homework First' that could be bolted to the front of the NES to prevent prolonged use of the system. The device was no nonsense, and included zero aesthetic quirks to make the lock seem reasonable, instead its ugly design almost gave the impression that it was a serious attempt to crack down on excessive video game use and prevent Mario and Mega Man from rotting our brains.

Though lengthy sessions of intense gaming are surely damaging for the eyes, I'm not sure the 'Homework First' lock did anything but insult its key audience.