Media Arts Evolution of Video Games

  • Fist 'Video Game" was created

    Fist 'Video Game" was created
    A tic-tak-toe video game was built in Toronto by Joseph Kates a Canadian engineer for the Canadian National Exhibition.
  • 'SpaceWar!' is created

    'SpaceWar!' is created
    The first widespread video game. Was developed for the PDP-1 minicomputer at M.I.T by Steve Russell and spread throughout the university's computers. Because of this it is the first video game to be played on multiple installations.
  • First Arcade Game is Made

    First Arcade Game is Made
    A arcade space combat game was developed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney with the help of Nutting Associates. This arcade game was a derived from the earlier video game SpaceWar! but differing from SpaceWar! Computer Space required a coin to operate and was the first commercially available video game.
  • The First Video Game Console is Created

    The First Video Game Console is Created
    The worlds first video game console called the Magnavox Odyssey is created by Ralph Baer and Sanders Associates. It was able to be plugged in to your TV at home and play games such as ski, Simon says, tennis, hockey, football and more.
  • First Widespread Popular Video Game

    First Widespread Popular Video Game
    Pong was developed by an employee at Atari as a practice project but was so fun it was released as a standalone game. Pong eventually went on to sell 30,000 units.
  • Video Game Crash

    Video Game Crash
    The entire video game and console industry crashed in 1983. This was believed to be caused by an overpopulation of video games and video game consoles in the market, lack of confidence from consumers, and compitition from home computer.
  • John Madden Football Released

    John Madden Football Released
    This game was developed by Bethesda and published by EA. It was the first of its kind to feature gameplay that ties into the real world, and started the popular game series of Madden.
  • Sega Dreamcast (Dawn of Online Gaming)

    Sega Dreamcast (Dawn of Online Gaming)
    The dreamcast was made by SEGA. Although it was considered generally to be a failure, only selling 9.13 million units worldwide, it was the first console ever to feature online gameplay.
  • First Widespread Mobile Gaming Console

    First Widespread Mobile Gaming Console
    The Gameboy introduced console-like gameplay but mobile. It was developed and released by Nintendo and released on April 21 1989 at a price of 90 USD, which was very cheap compared to a traditional gaming console.
  • The Playstation is Released

    The Playstation is Released
    The PlayStation one paved the way for future generations of console gaming. It was able to play games from a disk, which could store a much larger amount of data than a cartredge. This allowed game developers to make more complex and longer games. It was developed and released by Sony.
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    Mobile Games Become Popular

    Mobile games star to become popular in 2003, influenced by the Japanese. As phones become more advanced game developers are able to implement games onto smartphones. This eventually leads to the release of popular mobile games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja. Smartphone games continue to increase in popularity and expand to the present day.
  • Microsoft Releases the xbox

    Microsoft Releases the xbox
    Microsoft launches the xbox which brings more competition to the console market. It also starts a very popular gaming franchise: Halo.
  • Steam is Released

    Steam is Released
    Steam is a digital online store to buy video games and helped Valve automatically update its games. Its release helped modernize pc gaming. It was developed by Valve corporation.
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    Online Games like MMORPG's Gain Popularity

    Since more people are getting access to broadband internet connections more are able to play online, thus increasing the popularity of games like World of Warcraft which is a MMORP (massive multiplayer online role playing game). This game allowed thousands of players to play together and interact in a virtual world.
  • Xbox 360 Released

    Xbox 360 Released
    The Xbox 360 is released by Microsoft. This console becomes Microsoft's best selling console of all time gaining around 84 million sales to date.
  • The Wii Is Released

    The Wii Is Released
    The Wii console is released. It was developed by Nintendo and Manufactured b Foxconn. This console helped expand the audience of video games to people who would not regularly play video games. This console was meant to be played by the whole family and bring them together. It also introduced the concept of using motion to control games.
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    Esports Becomes Increasingly Popular

    In Esports professional players compete in tournaments for prizes. These players are payed large salaries like a regular sports player would be. While Esports began gaining popularity in 2010 it has only recently become mainstream and televised, before then it had to be watched online. Esports is still relatively new, but continues to gain an audience.
  • Twitch is Created

    Twitch is Created
    Twitch is a streaming service where gamers can broadcast their gameplay and commentary over the internet for others to watch. It was founded in 2011 and has grown ever since, up to 140 million users in 2020