A Gamer's Historical Timeline by Julian Payne

Spacewar! — the first interactive computer game

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 00:53:47 UTC

In 1961, an MIT student by the name of Steve Russell led a team to create the first interactive computer game — Spacewar!. It was developed for the PDP-1 which was an early predecessor to the computers we use today. The PDP-1 had a cathode-ray tube display and utilized keyboard input. Spacewar! is a two-player game in which you are attempting to destroy the other player's ship while avoiding the gravitational pull of the Sun. This would be one of the first entries of interactive computer games and eventually culminate into what we now know of as a video game.

Pong opens up the video game market

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:08:05 UTC

Developed by Allan Alcorn and distributed by Atari corporations, Pong was the first successful coin-operated arcade game. A one or two-player game, the objective was to pass a ball between two paddles until a player missed the ball — gaining the other player a point. Once a player reached ten points the game was over! Though the premise was simple, this was the first video game to be produced in machines that would be shipped all over the world. It proved that there was a market for video games and profits could be gained from it.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:08:34 UTC

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:21:29 UTC

Pac-Man revolutionizes the video game industry

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:36:19 UTC

Released in 1980, Pac-Man took the world by storm and proved that not every video game had to have violent themes to be successful. This was perhaps one of the first video game characters that would become popularized in the mainstream. Designed by Toru Iwatani and distributed by Namco, Pac-Man ate pills and power pellets that lined a maze all while being chased by a posse of colorful ghosts. Pac-Man would proliferate the popularity of coin-operated arcade machines and eventually become the most popular arcade game of all time.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:36:39 UTC

Donkey-Kong and Nintendo's emergence

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:50:19 UTC

The first iteration in the hugely successful Mario Bros. IP, Donkey-Kong would become a hit in both the American and Japanese video game markets. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and distributed by Nintendo, Donkey-Kong was one of the earliest entries into the platformer genre and was the first platformer to introduce jumping as a gameplay mechanic. It was also one of the first video games to use graphics as a means to progress the story. This video game would launch Nintendo into the spotlight and become the foundation in which characters such as Mario and Donkey-Kong would eventually build upon.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:50:47 UTC

Atari and the launch of the home game console industry

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 01:53:06 UTC

In 1977, Atari corporations would release the Atari VCS (later renamed to Atari 2600) which would kickstart the popularity of home gaming consoles. Although not the first home gaming console to be released, the Atari 2600 would be the first to popularize the idea with its inexpensive design and cartridge-based system. In 1980, Atari would port over a home version of Space Invaders which would be hugely successful and begin to shift the market from arcade-based systems to home-based consoles.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 02:10:34 UTC

The NES and recovering from a slump

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 02:12:42 UTC

In the early 1980s, the US video game market would enter a slump period in which public favor and profits would decline. However in 1985, Nintendo would save the US market by releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System. This new console brought with it a plethora of titles all exhibiting superior graphics and interesting characters. Some of these included The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Punch-Out!! The release of the NES would solidify home consoles as a an American household staple and revitalize the US market.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 02:26:40 UTC

Sonic the Hedgehog and the beginnings of the console wars

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 02:57:48 UTC

In 1991, Sega would introduce Sonic The Hedgehog to the world with a game of the same title for the Sega Genesis. This blue hedgehog would quickly become the face of Sega moving forward. In fact, the character was so popular with audiences that it would allow Sega to takeover 55% of the video game market. With Sonic at the helm for Sega and Mario paving the way for Nintendo, the characters these companies were producing would become almost inseparable from their respective brands. This trend would continue into the future as video game companies would retain exclusive rights to intellectual properties. The restriction of IPs to their respective company's consoles would increase competition and drive the "console wars" forward.

Apple II and the rise of personal computing

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 04:33:32 UTC

In 1977, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs released an improved version of their Apple I system, the Apple II. This would jumpstart a competitor to both arcade and home console systems — the personal computer. The Apple II supported graphics, a color monitor, and was highly modular. The system also included a BASIC interpreter from which Wozniak created "Game BASIC", a language that consumers could use to develop their own games for the Apple II. Many other systems arose to compete with Apple and the personal computing market would only grow from here. With the introduction of home consoles and personal computers, the market began leaning more into business-to-consumer sales and away from business-to-business which was introduced with arcade systems.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 04:34:01 UTC

PLATO and what would become online multiplayer gaming

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 04:56:29 UTC

In 1961, the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations, or PLATO, system emerged from the University of Illinois. Intended to be an educational aid for students, users and developers began to create their own games for the system. Multiplayer game networks were soon created that supported up to 32 players on games such as Empire. An early chat room application was created for the system called Talk-O-Matic. Students from across the country could chat with others in channels within the app. These early developments sparked what would eventually lead to online multiplayer on consoles and personal computers.

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 04:57:04 UTC

Mattel's Handhelds and the idea of mobile gaming

paynejulian1998 — 2024-02-07 05:07:54 UTC

Not only were the home console and personal computer markets beginning to emerge, but mobile gaming systems were also entering the fray in 1977. A company named Mattel Electronics would release a series of handhelds each loaded with a specific game. These included a slew of traditional sports games like Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, Football, etc. This was a crucial stepping stone that would lead to Nintendo releasing the Game Boy in 1989 and open up yet another video game market audience.