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History of Video Games

By Chasekitty

  • First Computer Game

    First Computer Game
    Spacewar, the world's first interactive computer game, is created for the Digital PDP-1 mainframe computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

  • First Video Game

    First Video Game
    Spacewar, the world's first interactive computer game, is created for the Digital PDP-1 mainframe computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

  • Brown Box

    Brown Box
    Ralph Baer designs the "Brown Box" which can play simple video games on a standard television set

  • Video Game Arcade

    Video Game Arcade
    Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, releases the first video arcade game, Computer Space

  • Pong

    Pong
    Atari engineer Al Alcorn creates the simple tennis-style arcade game Pong, the first commercially successful video game.

  • Pong Console

    Pong Console
    Sears releases an Atari-built home Pong console

  • The First Cartridge Based System

    The First Cartridge Based System
    n 1977 Atari introduced its first cartridge based home video system called Video Computer System which later became know as the Atari 2600

  • Nintendo

    Nintendo
    Nintendo created their first console called the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). • Within the same year Cinematronics debuts Rick Dyer’s Dragon Lair, the first video game to feature laser-disc tech. • It was released in 1983 in Japan and 1986 in the U.S

  • Tetris

    Tetris
    Playable on PC, Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov creates the popular game Tetris.

  • Nintendo Game Boy

    Nintendo Game Boy
    Nintendo releases the handheld Game Boy.

  • Super NES

    Super NES
    Released in the U.S by Nintendo for $249.95.

  • Age Ratings

    Age Ratings
    It was made mandatory to display an age rating on the video game packaging to limit the use of violent content being shown to children

  • Sony and Nintendo

    Sony and Nintendo
    Sony brings the PlayStation to the U.S and sells for $299. It becomes the most popular game console in 1997 with 20 million units sold. • Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 in Japan

  • Events

    Events
    Billy Mitchell attains a score of 3,333,360 in Pac-Man which is the highest possible score someone can get. • Due to the Columbine Highschool shootings light gun games were not released by SEGA. It also caused the banning of imported guns with American consoles.

  • Sony and The Sims

    Sony and The Sims
    Sony’s PlayStation 2 launches and sells out by early morning. • The Sims is released and quickly becomes a hit and by 2002 it becomes the best selling PC game ever.

  • Microsoft and Nintendo

    Microsoft and Nintendo
    Microsoft and Nintendo introduce their next-generation systems within days of each other. Microsoft claims its Xbox offers "the most powerful game experiences ever.

  • Nintendo

    Nintendo
    Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, a portable system with two screens, one of which can be used as a touch screen

  • Nintendo and Sony

    Nintendo and Sony
    Nintendo releases the Wii, a gaming system that lets gamers use the controller in revolutionary ways, such as swinging it like a tennis racket, holding and tilting it like a steering wheel, and more. • Sony also debuts the PlayStation 3, a very sophisticated and expensive game system.

  • GTA 4 and Social Games

    GTA 4 and Social Games
    Grand Theft Auto 4 breaks sales records its first week after gamers bought more than 6 million copies

  • Microsoft and Sony

    Microsoft and Sony
    Sony and Microsoft takes the motion control system idea from Nintendo and apply them to their own consoles