The Evolution of Video Games

By davisle1986

  • Computer Simulated Tic-Tac-Toe

    A computer simulation of tic-tac-toe called OXO was developed for the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), one of the first stored-information computers (Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 2010, The Evolution of Electronic Games).

  • Tennis for Two

    Tennis for Two was developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 2010, The Evolution of Electronic Games).

  • Spacewar!

    "Steve Russell at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invented Spacewar!, a computer-based space combat video game for the PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1), then a cutting-edge computer mostly found at universities. It was the first video game that could be played on multiple computer installations" (Video game history, 2022).

  • Pong

    Pong was created by Atari as an arcade game and initially placed in bars with pinball machines (Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 2010, The Evolution of Electronic Games).

  • Atari 2600

    "Atari released the Atari 2600 (also known as the Video Computer System), a home console that featured joysticks and interchangeable game cartridges that played multi-colored games" (Video game history, 2022). While they were not the first, they were the most successful home console, with cartridges making it possible to play multiple games on one console/system.

  • Video Game Crash of 1983

    Atari over manufactured Pac-Man and E.T. video game cartridges, the games did not sell well, and retail stores became wary of keeping video games on shelves. Many small game manufacturers went out of business, and Atari never fully recovered it's popularity.

  • Sega Master System

    Sega releases Sega Master System, which could not compete with the Nintendo NES

  • Nintendo Released NES Game Consol and Super Mario Brothers Video Game in the US

    "The video game home industry began to recover in 1985 when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), called Famicom in Japan, came to the United States. The NES had improved 8-bit graphics, colors, sound and gameplay over previous consoles" (Video game history, 2022). The console was first released in test markets in NYC and then LA, and ultimately its nationwide release was in September 1986.

  • Nintendo Gameboy

    Nintendo popularized handheld gaming with the release of its 8-bit Game Boy video game device and the often-bundled game Tetris (Video game history, 2022).

  • Sega Genesis

    Sega released its 16-bit Genesis console in North America as a successor to its Sega Master System (Video game history, 2022).

  • Sonic the Hedgehog

    Sega releases the first Sonic the Hedgehog game on Sega Genesis. The character would become extremely popular, garnering its own television show in the early nineties, as well as merchandise from bed sheets to t-shirts and toys in the nineties.

  • Super Nintendo

    Nintendo releases its Super NES gaming console. Parents were displeased as the console was required to play the new Mario Bros game, and the console required new game cartridges be purchased (Kohler, 2016). Until this point, there had not been such an evolution in video games, consumers had seemed to assume that new games would continue to be made for the original console and there would be no need for new consoles to be produced to improve graphics/gameplay.

  • Video Games on the Big Screen

    First live action Super Mario Brothers movie releases, followed shortly thereafter by Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat; many video games become movies and TV shows in the years that follow. This is a milestone for video games becoming in integrated part of American Culture.

  • Sega Saturn

    Sega releases the Sega Saturn 32-bit game console the first console that utilized discs instead of cartridges, just ahead of Sony's PlayStation

  • Sony Playstation

    Sony releases the original PlayStation in America, a game console that utilizes discs instead of cartridges

  • Resident Evil Video Game

    CapCom releases the first Resident Evil game for PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, and PC. This survival-horror video game is the first in a series of games played on various platforms/consoles, that developed into a movie franchise.

  • Nintendo 64

    Nintendo releases its 64 bit gaming console, Nintendo 64, which still utilized cartridges.

  • Sega Dreamcast

    Sega's final attempt at a game console, Sega Dreamcast, was released. It was capable of online gaming, however, it was a "flop".

  • Sony PlayStation 2

    Sony releases PlayStation 2 which is first backwards compatible game console, meaning you could play PlayStation 1 games on the PlayStation 2. The console could also play DVDs, which made it even more desirable and a common device found in many homes after that.

  • Sega Becomes a Third-Party Software Company

    Following the commercial failure of Dreamcast, Sega stops creating consoles and starts only making software/games.

  • Xbox

    Microsoft's first game console, it was designed with both a hard drive and ethernet port making it capable of playing online through its service Xbox Live which launched later in 2002

  • Nintendo Gamecube

    Nintendo's attempt at competing with Sony's PlayStation 2, it did not play DVDs but focused more on gaming functions, including online gaming capabilities. Instead of using standard sized discs or cartridges, games were on 8cm mini sized discs. The console was also capable of interfacing with their handheld gaming device, Game Boy Advance.

  • Resident Evil Movie

    The first Resident Evil movie debuts. The movie is based on the Resident Evil video game and is the first of 7 released to date, with the latest, Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, being released in 2021.

  • Xbox Live

    Microsoft launches its service Xbox Live, which allowed gamers to compete with one another over the internet. It is considered by many to be one of Xbox's greatest successes.

  • Xbox 360

    Microsoft releases its second console which featured media capabilities and access to its online gaming service Xbox Live as online gaming via consoles was continuing to gain popularity.

  • Sony PlayStation 3

    Sony releases its third gaming console, featuring enhanced online access and the ability to play Blu-ray discs which offered HD video and had come out just month prior.

  • Nintendo Wii

    Nintendo release Wii, a game console unlike anything we had seen before. It was a console that completely integrated motion controls. The controllers were wand-like and easy to use. In the US, Wii came with Wii Sports, a game that was easy to understand and really capitalized on the motion controls. It was marketed as fun for all ages.

  • Xbox 360 Slim

    Microsoft releases its Xbox 360 Slim, a sleeker version of the Xbox 360 that offered a larger hard drive and built-in WiFi connectivity.

  • Nintendo Wii U

    Nintendo launches its first HD console, Wii U. It allowed users to play certain games from previous Nintendo consoles. It's primary controller was a GamePad which had a touchscreen in it. It did not garner as much popularity as the original Wii.

  • Xbox 360 Elite

    Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 E which offered more storage and ran quieter but didn't offer much more than the Xbox 360 Slim. It was announced and released on the same day at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) 2013.

  • Sony PlayStation 4

    Sony released the PlayStation 4 which allowed gamers to stream and share gameplay online and offered 1080P HD graphics.

  • Xbox One

    Microsoft releases Xbox One which features a new app style home screen and was backwards compatible with most Xbox 360 games. It also offered the ability to purchase and download games online instead of having to purchase discs. By this timed, online gaming was a large part of video games. Many games on this console required connection to the internet and revolved around online play.

  • Nintendo Switch

    Nintendo launches Switch, a game console that features a touchscreen tablet with removable controllers and a dock that connects the console to user's TVs. The system can be played on the TV or without a TV, and multiple players could play even when the console was functioning as a tablet.

  • Covid-19 Pandemic

    The Covid-19 pandemic reached the US, and in most states "lock down" began in mid-March. Most citizens were confined to their homes and turned to forms of entertainment they could participate in while at home, including video games and online gaming. "There were 2.69 billion gamers in the world by the end of 2020" (Gilbert, 2023).

  • Xbox Series X

    Microsoft launches its latest Xbox, which three years later is still difficult to find in stock due to its high demand and the global computer chip shortage caused by the pandemic. The console offers better graphics and more storage than its predecessors.

  • Sony PlayStation 5

    Sony releases PlayStation 5 which offers the latest technology in graphics. The console is also backwards compatible and allows users to purchase and download games online.

  • The Super Mario Bros Movie

    A new Mario Bros movie is released by Universal Studios and grossed over $1 billion at the box-office worldwide, making it the second biggest animated film in history (Rubin, 2023).