Video Game History Introduction
Computer scientists developed the first recognized video game, Tennis for 2 (1958), as part of a research study. Their objective was never to produce video games commercially – it was simply an experiment to see what they could do.
Since, video games have become one of the most popular forms of home entertainment. Countless individuals all across the globe play different kinds of computer games on all types of mediums.
While the first industrial video game, Pong, was launched in 1972 by Atari, a few of the most famous modern-day games consist of Fortnite, Minecraft, and Grand Theft Auto. These have each had hundreds of millions of sales because of their release.
In this article, we’ll look at the history of video games. We’ll cover their development, starting with the first video game ever invented.
These classic, iconic games have inspired the most popular video games we know today. Let’s explore what each of these games is and how they came to be.
What is the History of Video Games?
To look at the history of the computer game, we need to return to the 1940s and 1950s, when computers were so extensive and costly that only large companies and universities might afford them. The general public did not utilize computers, though folks were highly interested.
You might not know, but video games come from university and industrial computer laboratories for boring research purposes. Fun, for example, in 1952, British professor Douglass created Oxo, or better known today as Norson Crosses or Tic-Tac-Toe, as part of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Cambridge.
When home television sets became commonplace in most American households during the 1960s, engineer Ralph Baer wondered if similar technology could be used to play games.
Now considered the “Father of Video Games,” he created the first home console in the late 1960s and early 1970s initially named the Brown Box (later Magnavox). He created and developed various games that could be played on the device, though they were not a commercial success.
Instead, the first successful game, Pong, based on Baer’s Table Tennis, was released in 1972 by Atari, Inc. However, its success was somewhat limited, as the price was high and the advertising confused potential customers.
Over the next two decades— and with the rise of video game arcades— gaming only grew in popularity, hitting its peak in the 1980s. Arcades and the availability of home consoles led the charge at this time. However, video gaming was still a niche hobby, and as a result, the industry crashed not too long after.
Video gaming continued to suffer until the Japanese company Nintendo released its Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. The popularity and commercial success of this grew more prominent than any other game console before it, leading us to today.
Video games found a foothold in mainstream American life, and the industry grew from there to what we know now.
Who Invented the First Video Game?
The inventor of the first video game is debatable. Some believe that Josef Kates made the first video game in 1950. It was called Bertie the Brain — a four-meter-tall artificial intelligence Tic-Tac-Toe machine.
Displayed at the Canadian National Exhibition, visitors marveled at this new technology as it had never been seen before. Despite this, Bertie the Brain was sadly disassembled afterward.
Although this early machine is a crucial part of the history of video games, Bertie the Brain did not meet the exact definition of a video game. That is, “a game played by electronic manipulating of computer-generated images on a monitor or other display.”
On the other hand, William Higinbotham, a physicist, is seen by many as the inventor of the first video game. In October 1958, Tennis for Two was revealed. Higinbotham’s creation was the star of the show at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s open house.
Tennis for two isn’t like the tennis games you are thinking of. This was instead made on a large arcade computer. For those who were born after the year 2000, arcades may not mean much to you, but to the oldies, like me, this is where the best video games of today were born.
The gameplay consisted of players moving two knobs and pushing a button on a small analog computer, which simulated a tennis game on an oscilloscope. Even though the game was a success at the exhibit, Higinbotham didn’t focus on developing any more games, and Tennis for Two was eventually dismantled.
Tennis for Two was essentially the first version of Pong, created 14 years later.
What was the First Commercially Successful Video Game?
The first ever arcade game was made in 1971 called Computer Space. The Game itself didn’t do very well. Rights creator Nolan bk, made via Atari Corporation in 1972, developed new arcade games.
Pong, released in 1972 by Atari, is considered one of the first computer games ever created— and the first commercially successful game.
Founded by Nolan Bushnell in 1972, Pong was a training exercise for one of the employees at Atari, Allan Alcor,( though it took heavy influence from Ralph Baer’s Table Tennis).
The first Pong machine was installed in a local bar in California. Funnily enough, the bar owner complained that it was malfunctioning after only a couple of weeks. However, when they opened it up they discovered it was overflowing with quarters due to its popularity!
Pong was so successful in its first year of release that Atari decided to keep it for themselves instead of licensing it to other companies, which was the company’s initial intention.
Production began in 1973, and by year’s end, Pong arcade machines were widely available throughout America and abroad!
Pong was a huge success creating a whole new industry.
The arcade industry exploded in 1978 with the introduction of Space Invaders. The game was so popular in Japan that it caused a shortage of coins. A series of other popular games like Asteroids, Centipede, and Donkey Kong.
Following these successes was the most successful game of all time: Pacman, which was released in 1980. It sold a massive 100,000 consoles in the United States alone.
The creation of these games grew the gaming industry and took the world by storm.
The Video Game Crash and Nintendo and Sega
Arcards were so popular that other companies started to make their own video game consoles, like the Atari 2600.
This competition, though, meant that there were a lot of poor consoles and video games, which led to the video game industry crashing in the 1980s.
This was until two Japanese manufacturers revived the home video game industry, Nintendo and Sega. In 1989, Nintendo made its first handheld game system, The Game Boy.
Ah, just writing that name makes me think about classic Pokemon Red.
Nintendo and Sega would continue to duke it out in the video games market for years. The Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis are considered by many to be golden age video games.
The Next Generation of Gaming
The next generation of video game consoles included Sony’s PlayStation, Nintendo’s Game Cube, and Microsoft’s Xbox.
As technology improved, consoles started having wireless remotes and motion-sensing controllers. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you’ve never played Wii Sports.
What about mobile games? Technological advances in mobile phone computing power led to new opportunities for video games that could be played anywhere.
Angry Birds was so popular that it made $200 million in 2012 alone. We’ve all had our parents say at least once, stop playing those games. They will rot your brain.
Studies show that action games help us make the right decision faster. In fact, a lot of research indicates that video games in moderation are very good for brain development.
And what about simulators? You can learn how to fly a plane or drive a car. Even the US military use video games for combat training. Hmm, I wonder if they play Call of Duty too. And did you know that psychologists even use games to treat children and adults?
What are Some of the Most Popular Video Games?
The 1990s saw the release of The Legend of Zelda (1991), Super Mario World (1990), and Mortal Kombat (1992). These went on to gain cult followings and inspire modern-day video games.
As of today, the best-selling video game of all time is Minecraft, a Microsoft sandbox game with two modes: Survival or creative. Its blocky 3D world has led to critical acclaim and multiple lines of spin-off merchandise. The majority of its players are aged between 15–21.
Released in 2011, it sold over 238,000,000 units on PCs, mobile devices, and consoles. As of 2021, there were nearly 140,000,000 monthly active players!
Grand Theft Auto (GTA), created by Rockstar Games, is another popular video game series. A sandbox RPG game, gameplay consists of stealing and driving cars around major world cities and completing various crime-themed quests.
First released in 1997, the franchise is still going strong. The most recent release was Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition, released at the end of 2021, and the GTA V Next Gen update, released in March 2022.
Grand Theft Auto V, first released in 2013, is the second best-selling video game of all time. It has sold over 170,000,000 units across multiple platforms.
Lastly, this section wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Fortnite! This shooter-survival game exploded onto the scene in 2017, generating more than 125,000,000 players in less than a year.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a cultural phenomenon and one of the recent most popular video games.
In Conclusion
It’s incredible to see how video games have changed over the years.
From the first games, such as Tennis for Two, to more recent gaming experiences like Fortnite, video games have now been a source of entertainment in our homes and beyond for over fifty years.
As technology continues to develop, so do our gaming options and capabilities. The future will, no doubt, see many advances in the gaming industry.
While we can’t predict what changes we’ll see, we can be sure of one thing — it will always be entertaining!
