Gaming History

[Chihiro]

Since I did this report in school... Its more like a timeline when you read it but all well it gives some valid information. I only could do three pages so it kind of had less detail then I wanted but all well. Here is some history if you are interested and share some thoughts on how things changed over the years!

Video games been around a lot longer then most people could imagine. William A. Higinbotham created the first known true video game in October of 1958 called “Tennis for Two” on an oscilloscope. His idea was to entertain people as they learned. His idea was to use a small analog computer to graph and display trajectory of a moving ball, which users can interact with. This was the first known computer video game of the decade.
In 1961 Steve Russell and a group known as Tech Model Railroad club created “Spacewar!” This became the first true interactive videogame. This game only cost 120,000 dollars and Russell never copyright it so it became the most copied concepts in video game history. Basically the idea of the game was to put two star ships on low fuel battling each other. It was highly successful.
In 1966 and 1967 Ralph Baer created the first interactive game for the television. His company to explore the idea supported him and in 1967 Baer and his time created two interactive television games. They were a chase game and a tennis game. They also manipulated a toy gun that was able to detect a blinking light on the television screen. Eventually in 1970 Magnavox licenses Baer’s T.V. games.
Also in 1970 Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney began to create an arcade version of Spacewar calling it Computer Space. In 1971 it became the first known video arcade game ever released.
In 1972 on May 24th Magnavox’s Odyssey was the first home video game system. It was showcased in Burlingame, CA and was released to the public latter that year. During this time Bushnell and Dabney founded Atari. The name in Japanese means, “Go”. Al Alcorn is hired by Atari to program video games. The first game on Atari was Pong.
In 1975 Pong was released with the help of Sears. It became the hottest Christmas present of the year. Also at that time the first computer game is released called Gunfight. It was the first game to use a microprocessor instead of hardwired solid-state circuits.
In 1976 Coleco releases its first video-game console called Telstar. As well during this time Fairfield Camera and Instrument debuts its Video Entertainment System, which is known later as Channel F. It was the first programmable home console game. It allowed users to change fames in switching cartridges.
Then in 1977 Atari introduces its first cartridge-based home video system called Video Computer System, which became known as Atari 2600. It was retailed for 249.95 dollars. In 1978 Atari created a new arcade game called Football. They also worked with Apple computers to created games but it was not taken seriously and was taken out of the market. Also around that time Midway introduces Space Invaders into arcades. It was the first arcade game to track and display scores.
Atari releases the first handheld game called Cosmo in 1979. It displayed holograms. At the same time Asteroids was the first game to allow high scorers to enter three character initials to be stored in the machine.
In 1980 Mattel’s Intelivision debuts and was the first real competitor to Atari 2600 with better graphics and a higher retail price. At the same time Activision became the third-party video game vendor. Atari programmers who wanted to receive individual credit for creating Atari’s video games created it.

Also around that time the first 3-D game Battlezone was created. It was a virtual battlefield and was latter enhanced by the U.S. Government for training exercises. As well as the game Pac-Man was released world wide at 300,000 units. Defender was the first game incorporating a “virtual world” is introduced. It uses “radar” scope at the top of the screen to inform users of the surroundings since the screen is too small to display all of the action.
In 1981 Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel created the first known video game magazine called Electronic Games. Atari releases Atari 5200 to compete with Coleco’s Colecovision in 1982.
As the years go on in 1983 Cinematronics debuts Rick Dyer’s Dragon Lair, which was the first video game to feature laser-disc technology. At the same time Commodore 64 is introduced and was the most powerful video-game console to date and the least expensive. As well as the most popular Nintendo was created in Japan however it was not seen in America until 1985. In 1985 Tetris game was developed for the PC.
Finally in 1986 NES aka Nintendo was released after being tested and to compete with NES Sega introduced the Sega Master System (SMS). Atari also released Atari 7800, which stayed competitive in the market. In 1989 Nintendo released the handheld game boy for 109 dollars. NEC releases the first 16-bit console in the U.S. It was called TurboGrafx- 16 and sold for 189 dollars. It was the first example of a video game stored on a compact disc. Sega debuts Genesis, which is its first 16-, bit home console game. Atari digs into the handheld game world with Lynx, a color handheld game that sold for 149 dollars.
In 1991 NES releases Super Nintendo to the world. In 1993 Atari releases the Jaguar attempting to be the first 64-bit console on the market. The product actually runs two 32-bit processors. In 1994 Japan releases Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation. In 1995 Sony brings PlayStation to the U.S. selling it for 299 dollars. Nintendo releases Nintendo 64 in Japan and eventually in the U.S. in 1996.
In 1996 Arcades focused on bringing more “ride-and-video” games. In 1997 PlayStation became the most popular console with 20 million sold. Tiger introduces s multipurpose handheld console to compete with game boy. In 1998 Sega introduces the Dream Cast system in Japan. In 2000 PlayStation 2 launches in the U.S. and in 2001 Xbox created by Microsoft and Nintendo Game Cube was released.
Video Games have evolved for many years since the 50s. It first was only used to the limited few eventually becoming available to all people. After reading the history of video games you realize the impact they had in government and in modern society.

(It kind of got bunch together but all well its ok... Just a quik history refrence...)

[Johnny Nighttrain]

sorry to say i didn't read that, but it got me thinking, Neozeedeater, did you ever do anything like this for school? i'd love to read it.

er, okay, i just skimmed through it, and the NES was released in 84 (well, in new york atleast), and nationwide in 85 just so you know.

[Hot Like Wasabi]

I think a more in depth perspective would have been cool but it's all good ( you said you only had three pages). With what you wrote you did a bang up job.

I never got around to writing a report on video games in high school, all my writing went toward Jackie Chan (reading Chan's autobiography will make respect the man even more).

[Chihiro]

Oh no it was for college! Sorry I didn't specify what it was for... On 86 probably refers to world wide or the full United States... From the information was given to me anyway. I have to recheck the dates again.

Thanks... I know these reports are short for college but it really only a class to study history of animation and other varies relations. It is pretty cool class!

[NeoZeedeater]

Lucas, I never did any gaming history stuff for any school projects but I did do a report for a marketing class in college in 1994. It was on the Genesis and its advertising. I don't have it anymore. I also wrote a paper for an art history class arguing the legitimacy of video games as an art form.

The NES was test-marketed in New York in '85 and was released nation-wide in '86.

Cool timeline Chihiro.

A couple nitpicks: Atari never released the Cosmos and Dragon's Lair wasn't the first laser disc game since Sega's Astron Belt is slightly older.

[Johnny Nighttrain]

The NES was test-marketed in New York in '85 and was released nation-wide in '86.

no way man. i have about a bajillion sources saying that im right.

[Chihiro]

Well all well I gues we will never know.

I should have researched more but I never had the chance too. I just picked off a good site and went from there. Oh I know Atari never did it was just how it got squished together when I pasted it. Sorry for the confussion there.

[Johnny Nighttrain]

Well all well I gues we will never know.

sure we do. once again, NES was released in 84 (well, in new york atleast), and nationwide in 85. and that's final. ::flexes muscles::

infact, im going to go ahead and email NoA about this. i'll post their reply when i get it.

[Shin Johnpv]

wheres Johnny Undaunted hell clear this up

[NeoZeedeater]

What sources? I have never heard of a 1984 U.S. release ever and I have read a lot of stuff.