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1952 - The computer era begins - Tic-tac-toe
Computer scientist Alexander Shafto Douglas created "OXO," the name for "tic-tac-toe" while studying integration between humans and computers. The human always played against the computer. This is considered the first computer video game and started the development of computer games that are still developing to this day. In my opinion, the investment of this computer game was monumental in breaking the surface of the potential of solo video games on the computer. -
1958 - Multiplayer computer game (Tennis for Two)
The first multiplayer computer game was released in 1958. The game was called "tennis for two". It was the first game in which two players could play against each other in real-time. The game was developed by William Higinbotham who was an American physicist. The game was played with an early form of a joystick to hit the ball back and forth. This game is considered the start of Esports gaming. The idea of having people play against each other through a computer is innovative. -
1962 - Spacewar!
The game Sapcewar was released in 1962 and is considered the world's first digital computer game. The game has two players that pilot a spacecraft with limited fuel and ammo and have to navigate through gravity fields of planets. The game was created by computer scientist Steve Russel from MIT. In 2007, the times rated Spacewar one of the top 10 most important video games of all time. This game was very innovative because it was extremely popular and captivated people for more than a decade. -
1972 - First Esports Tournament
On October 19, 1972, the first-ever Esports Tournament took place. The tournament was put on by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford University and was called the Intergalactic Spacewar! Olympics. The tournament consisted of 24 players who competed against each other for the grand prize of a subscription to the Rolling Stones Magazine. The event was innovative because it was the first time multiple players met up to play against each other for the goal of winning a tournament. -
1972 - Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey was the first at home gaming console brought to the market. This allowed for the spread of video games to take off. People were able to improve at video games in their homes and play with friends. This was a building block for Esports. -
1976 - Arcade Games
Arcade games and arcade businesses became very popular in the early 1970s. Arcade games allowed for players to come together in a shared space and bond over video games. This innovation developed a regularity of people going to the arcade and playing games together. -
1979 - Scoreboards
Beginning in 1979, high scores for individual grades became all the rage. The innovation of implementing high scores into arcade games further increased the rage around video games and introduced competition to video games. Players now became ultracompetitive and tournaments were beginning to form. -
1980 - First Major Esports Tournament
The first major esports tournament was called the 1980 Space Invaders Championships which took place in New York. The tournament consisted of over 10,000 participants playing Atari. This event was innovative because it was a massive event that hosted numerous gamers who were all competing to win. -
1988 - Netrek
Netrek was the first multiplayer computer game that hit the market. The game allowed for up to 16 players to play in real-time through different computer systems. This gaming innovation increased the amount of players that could play at home and compete against each other. -
1990 - Nintendo
Nintendo became the most popular console in the mid-90s. Nintendo originated in Japan and spread all over the world. Nintendo held the Nintendo National Championships in 1990 in the United States. There were three age categories that were eligible for the grand prize of a golden Nintendo gaming module. The games played included Super Mario Bros, Tetris, and Rad Racer. This was a massive turning point in Esports as an Esports tournament was on a global scale. -
2007 - Champion Gaming Series
The Campion Gaming Series was a league that consisted of 18 teams from 12 different countries. The teams played numerous games such as FIFA, Dead or Alive, and Counterstrike as well as some others. The league had 2 season one in 2007 and one in 2008. This league was innovative in technology because it showed the possibilities to having professionals gaming league similar to professional sports.