The Earliest Video Gamesthe History Of Video Games



Castle Wolfenstein began the long-running series with a top-down stealth game. 1981 can also be considered to mark the true beginnings of video game journalism, when the first magazines dedicated. Attention-grabbing Video games to Play in 2018. Want to Make A Cellular Sport Application? Check Out These Progress Applications.

Chronology of the History of Video Games

  1. For instance: When you speak approximately “the first online game”, do you mean the first video game that was commercially-made, or the first console sport, or maybe the primary digitally programmed game? Because of this, I made a listing of 4-5 video games that during one way or some other have been the beginners of the video gaming industry.
  2. (Note: The 2600 was not technically the first video game console; it was the first to make a serious splash.) Video games now include everything from virtual toys to hyper-cinematic blockbuster action experiences to slow-paced walking simulators. Oftentimes, you play with a handheld controller, with button presses translating to onscreen actions.

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Pin-pointing the beginning of any new technology can be determined by establishing parameters to quantify and qualify it. However, it would be irresponsible to ignore initial contributions that were steps toward said technology just because they may not meet all critera of the fully evolved form. In the case of the history of video games, these early years hold the initial insights, ideas, and curious experiments that demonstrated human interest in interacting with machines for amusement.

1952

A.S. Douglas writes a version of Tic-Tac-Toe (aka Noughts and Crosses) for the EDSAC as part of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Cambridge. He was interested in exploring the interaction between humans and computers.

To try Noughts and Crosses for yourself, you can download an EDSAC emulator from the Department of Computer Science website at the University of Warwick by clicking here.

1958

William Higinbotham creates a rudimentary form of electronic tennis that utilized an oscilloscope as a display. This device is solely intended for an open house at the U.S. Government's Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he is employed. (Though many refer to this as the original Pong, it is an invention in isolation. Higinbotham never patented this game and no one beyond those who saw the device at the open house ever heard of it. His invention serves as a clever use of technology, but without recognition of its potential, Higinbotham's 'Tennis For Two' had no direct impact on the evolution of video games.)

1962

The Earliest Video Games The History Of Video Games Play

Steve Russell creates Spacewar! on a DEC PDP-1 while working on his graduate degree in engineering at MIT. The game is subsequently modified by a number of other students who add features including a star field, hyperspace capability, and gravity effects. Unlike Higinbotham's contribution to gaming, Spacewar! makes a significant impact and is seen by thousands of students over the next few years. Nolan Bushnell, who was attending the University of Utah, was one of those students.

1966

Ralph Baer begins exploring with ways to use the television as a display device for interactive entertainment. While working at Sanders Associates, he begins development of a prototype of a video game system.

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1969

Ralph Baer files one of his many video game patents on August 21st, 1969. This one is specifically for creating a 'Television Gaming Apparatus and Method.' This is just one of many pieces that would later would evolve into the Magnavox Odyssey. While working for Sanders Associates, they tried to market the device to a number of commercial television manufacturers. Many were interested, but feared that it would damage the picture tubes of the televisions. RCA seemed willing to invest, but wanted to buy out Sanders Associates and own the patent outright. When Sanders Associates were unwilling to be bought out, RCA lost interest.
Video

1970

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Magnavox signs a deal with Ralph Baer to develop the Odyssey.

Nolan Bushnell begins to develop Computer Space, a free-standing version of Spacewar! that people would pay to play.

The Earliest Video Games The History Of Video Games To Play

Last Updated on 14 February, 2005For suggestions please mail the editors

The Earliest Video Games The History Of Video Games On

Footnotes & References

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1Image of William Higinbotham courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory