First Generation of Video Games

  • Period: to

    Wargames

    American and Russian scientists simulate what would happen if war broke out between the countries. These would inspire scientists to create the first generations of video games.
  • Tennis

    Using code from the wargame simulations, Physicist William Higinbotham created a simple game of tennis. This simple game would be the grandfather of all modern video games.
  • Spacewar

    Steve Russel creates a simple game based on the current events of the Space Race between Russia and the U.S.
  • Atari Creates Pong

    Atari founder Nolan Bushnell decides to create Pong as an arcade game made for 2 players
  • Space Invaders

    Tomohiro Nishikado releases Space Invaders and it becomes a hit in both Japan and the U.S.
  • Activision is Founded

    The founder of Atari splits from the company and founds Activision
  • Pac Man

    Namco creates a character meant to appeal to not just boys and young men but also women, increasing sales compared to other games at the time
  • Us Gaming Industry Crashes

    Over saturation of the industry leads to a crash that was the worst since 1929