-
First Videogame
The first Video game is considered to be Spacewar! It was created back in 1962 -
Period: to
Mainframe Computer Games
Due to low processing power of computers, developers had to focus on mainly puzzle games in this era. -
Period: to
Arcade Games Developing
Starting in 1972, Arcade games are rapidly growing, one of the more notable titles from this timespan is Pong. -
First Console
Magnavox's 1975 Odyssey was the first console used for gaming. -
Period: to
Early Home Computer Games
At this point in videogaming, games were put on floppy disks, cassette tapes, and ROM cartridges. -
Period: to
Second Generation Consoles
From 1976-1982, more consoles that are said to be the 'second generation' of consoles were released, the main one being Intellivision. -
Period: to
Arcade Game "Golden Age"
This era was the most successful of all up to this point. Notable titles from this timespan are Space Invaders, Galaxian, Pac-man, etc. -
Handheld Gaming
In 1979, Milton Bradley Company released the first handheld system using interchangeable cartridges, Microvision. While the handheld received modest success in the first year of production, the lack of games, screen size and video game crash of 1983 brought about the system's quick demise.[ -
Period: to
Gaming Computers
Following the success of the Apple II and Commodore PET in the late 1970s, a series of cheaper and incompatible rivals emerged in the early 1980s. -
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 was released to the public in August 1982. It had a BASIC programming environment, and advanced graphic and sound abilities for its time, similar to the ColecoVision console. -
Online Gaming
Dial-up bulletin board systems were popular in the 1980s, and sometimes used for online game playing. SuperSet Software created Snipes, a text-mode networked computer game in 1983 to test a new IBM Personal Computer–based computer network and demonstrate its abilities. -
Video Game Crash
At the end of 1983, a market flooded with poor-quality games, the commercial failure of several important Atari 2600 titles, and home computers emerging as a new and more advanced gaming platform, caused the industry to experience a severe downturn. -
Period: to
Third Generation Consoles (8 bit)
Popular consoles that were released during this age: NES, Sega Mark III, Famicom, Sega SG-1000
Popular games that were released during this age: Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy. -
Period: to
Fourth Generation Consoles (16 bit)
Popular consoles released during this age: Sega Genesis, Super Famicom, Game Boy.
Popular games released during this age: Star Fox, Virtua Racing, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokemon Red and Blue. -
Period: to
1990s
Very influential era of gaming, this marks when gaming switched to 3D -
Transition to 3D
Due to increased processing power of consoles like the Playstation, it allowed for games to be made in 32 bit and 64 bit to allow more detail and 3D modelling to take place. -
Period: to
Fifth Generation Consoles (32 and 64 bit)
Popular Consoles: Playstation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Virtual Boy, PC-FX
Popular Games: Resident Evil, Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda; Ocarina of Time. -
Mobile Phone Gaming
Mobile phones began becoming video gaming platforms when Nokia installed Snake onto its line of mobile phones in 1997 (Nokia 6110). Mobile phone games early on were limited by the modest size of the phone screens and the very limited amount of memory and processing power on phones. -
Period: to
Sixth Generation Consoles
Popular Consoles: Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox.
Popular Games: Grand Theft Auto III, Halo, Guitar Hero. -
Period: to
Seventh Generation Consoles
*Videogames were now being made on Blu-ray Discs
Popular Consoles: Nintendo DS, Playstation Portable, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii.
Popular Games: Nintendogs, Wii Sports, Call of Duty. -
Period: to
Eighth Generation Consoles
Popular Consoles: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Vita
Popular Games: Fortnite, Minecraft, Call of Duty
