Video Game History

  • Magnavox Odyssey was created

    Magnavox Odyssey was created
    The Magnavox Odyssey is the first commercial home video game console. It was developed by a small team led by Ralph H. Baer at Sanders Associates and released by Magnavox in the United States in September 1972 and overseas the following year. The Odyssey consists of a white, black, and brown box which connects to a television set and two rectangular controllers attached by wires. It is capable of displaying three square dots on the screen in monochrome black and white.
  • Dogfight is Released for Magnavox Odyssey

    Dogfight is Released for Magnavox Odyssey
    Dogfight: One player moves their dot along a flight path on the overlay, while the other player attempts to shoot it with the light gun Sold with light gun
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    First Generation Consoles

    The first generation of video game consoles began in 1972 with the Magnavox Odyssey (which began development in 1968 by Ralph Baer under the code name "The Brown Box"), until 1977, when "pong"-style console manufacturers left the market en masse due to the video game crash of 1977 and when microprocessor-based consoles were introduced. In Japan, the generation continued until 1980 with the Color TV-Game series.
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    Telstar Consoles are released

    The Coleco Telstar is a series of video game consoles produced by Coleco. There were 14 consoles released from 1976 to 1978, starting with a Telstar 'Pong' clone based on General Instrument's AY-3-8500 chip. Telstar, Telstar Classic, Deluxe, Ranger, Alpha, Colormatic, Regent, Sportsman, Combat!, Colortron, Marksman, Galaxy, Gemini and the Arcade.
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    Second Generation Consoles

    The second generation of computer and video games began in 1976 with the release of the Fairchild Channel F and Radofin Electronics' 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System. It coincided with and was partly fuelled by the golden age of arcade video games, a peak era of popularity and innovation for the medium.
  • Atari 2600 is Released

    Atari 2600 is Released
    The Atari 2600 (or Atari Video Computer System) is a home video game console by Atari, Inc. Released on September 11, 1977, it is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and ROM cartridges containing game code, a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F video game console in 1976. This format contrasts with the older model of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware, which could only play the games that were physically built into the unit.
  • VC 4000 is released

    VC 4000 is released
    The VC 4000 is an early 8-bit cartridge-based home video game console released in Germany in 1978 by Interton. The console is quite obscure outside Germany, but a myriad of software-compatible systems can be found in numerous European countries. It's unknown if Interton designed and produced the VC 4000 within their own rights, or if they were sold the rights to design and produce it. This is because many other foreign brands have produced "Clones" of this system in the preceding years.
  • Intellivision is Released

    Intellivision is Released
    The Intellivision is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. The name Intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television". Development of the console began in 1977, the same year as the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. In 1984 Mattel sold the Intellivision business to a former Mattel Electronics executive and investors that would become INTV Corporation.
  • Missile Command is Released for the Atari 2600

    Missile Command is Released for the Atari 2600
    Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game developed and published by Atari, Inc. and licensed to Sega for European release. It was designed by Dave Theurer, who also designed Atari's vector graphics game Tempest from the same year. The 1981 Atari 2600 port of Missile Command by Rob Fulop sold over 2.5 million copies and became the third most popular cartridge for the system.
  • Pitfall is Released for Atari 2600

    Pitfall is Released for Atari 2600
    Pitfall! is a video game designed by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and released by Activision in 1982. The player controls Pitfall Harry and is tasked with collecting all the treasures in a jungle within 20 minutes while avoiding obstacles and hazards. Pitfall! received positive reviews upon release, and is one of the best-selling games on the Atari 2600, with over four million copies sold. It was the top video game on the Billboard charts for more than a year.
  • NES is released

    NES is released
    The Nintendo Entertainment System was developed and manufactured by Nintendo. it was Released in New York city in 1985, and throughout the U.S as well as in Europe during 1986 and 1987. The best-selling gaming console of its time, the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983. With the NES, Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers, authorizing them to produce and distribute titles for Nintendo's platform.
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    Third Generation Consoles

    In the history of computer and video games, the third generation (sometimes referred to as the 8-bit era) began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Family Computer and SG-1000. This generation marked the end of the North American video game crash, a shift in the dominance of home video games from the United States to Japan, and the transition from block-based graphics to smooth hardware scrolling tile and sprite based graphics, which was a pivotal leap in game design.
  • SEGA Master System is Released

    SEGA Master System is Released
    The Master System is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured by Sega. After being redesigned prior to its North American launch, the console was renamed Master System and released in 1986 in North America. The Master System was also released in Japan in 1987 with additional features over the overseas models. Both the Mark III and the original Master System models could play with credit card-sized Sega Cards. the Master System II and later models did not have the card slot.
  • Atari 7800 is Released

    Atari 7800 is Released
    The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a home video game console officially released by Atari Corporation in 1986. It is almost fully backward-compatible with the Atari 2600, the first console to have backward compatibility without the use of additional modules. It was considered affordable at a price of US$140.
  • Super Mario Bros 3 is Released for NES

    Super Mario Bros 3 is Released for NES
    Super Mario Bros. 3 is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America on February 12, 1990. The game was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Enhanced remakes were later released on the Super NES in 1993 and the Game Boy Advance in 2003. The game has been re-released as a Virtual Console title for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U consoles
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    Handhelds are Introduced

    A handheld game console is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls, and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in one unit, allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place. In 1976, Mattel introduced the first handheld electronic game with the release of Auto Race.
  • SEGA Mega Drive is Released

    SEGA Mega Drive is Released
    The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive[b] in regions outside of North America, is a 16-bit home video game console developed and sold by Sega. The Genesis was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released the console as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988, followed by North America as the Genesis in 1989. In 1990, the console was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, Ozisoft in Australasia, and Tectoy in Brazil.
  • Nintendo Game Boy is Released

    Nintendo Game Boy is Released
    The Game Boy is an 8-bit handheld game console which was developed and manufactured by Nintendo and first released in the 100th anniversary of Nintendo in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America on July 31, 1989 and in Europe on September 28, 1990. It is the first handheld console in the Game Boy line and was created and published by Satoru Okada and Nintendo Research & Development 1. This same team, led by Gunpei Yokoi at the time, is credited with designing the Game & Watch series.
  • Atari Lynx is Released

    Atari Lynx is Released
    The Atari Lynx is a 16-bit handheld game console that was released by Atari Corporation in September 1989 in North America, and in Europe and Japan in 1990. It was the world's first handheld electronic game with a color LCD. It was also notable for its advanced graphics and ambidextrous layout. The Lynx competed with the Game Boy (released two months earlier), as well as the Game Gear and TurboExpress, both released the following year. It was discontinued in 1995.
  • NeoGeo AES is Released

    NeoGeo AES is Released
    The Neo Geo stylized as NEO・GEO, also written as NEOGEO, is a cartridge-based arcade system board and fourth-generation home video game console released on April 26, 1990, by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. It was the first system in SNK's Neo Geo family. The Neo Geo was marketed as 24-bit; its CPU is technically a parallel processing 16/32-bit 68000-based system with an 8/16-bit Z80 coprocessor much like the Sega Genesis, while its GPU chipset has a 24-bit graphics data bus.
  • SEGA Game Gear is Released

    SEGA Game Gear is Released
    The Game Gear is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the Atari Lynx and NEC's TurboExpress. The handheld shares much of its hardware with the Master System and is able to play its own titles as well as those of the Master System, the latter being made possible by the use of an adapter.
  • SNES is Released

    SNES is Released
    The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (officially abbreviated the Super NES or SNES, and colloquially shortened to Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Australasia (Oceania), and 1993 in South America. Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout prevent the different versions from being compatible with one another.
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    Fourth Generation Consoles

    In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation of games consoles began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine. Although NEC released the first fourth generation console, and was second to the Super Famicom in Japan, this era's sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Nintendo and Sega's consoles in North America: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis.
  • Streets of Rage II is Released for SEGA Mega Drive

    Streets of Rage II is Released for SEGA Mega Drive
    Streets of Rage 2, released in Japan as Bare Knuckle II: The Requiem of the Deadly Battle, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game published by Sega in 1992 for the Mega Drive/Genesis and developed by an ad hoc team of several companies: Sega, Ancient, Shout! Designworks, MNM Software and H.I.C. It is the second game in the Streets of Rage series, a sequel to Streets of Rage and followed by Streets of Rage 3.
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    Fifth Generation Consoles

    The fifth-generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles and video game handhelds from approximately 1993 to 2001. For home consoles, the best-selling console was the PlayStation by a wide margin, followed by the Nintendo 64 and then the Sega Saturn. For handhelds, this era was characterized by significant fragmentation, because the first handheld of the generation, the Genesis Nomad, had a lifespan of just two years, and the Virtual Boy had a lifespan of less than one.
  • SEGA Saturn is Released

    SEGA Saturn is Released
    The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit fifth-generation home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe. The successor to the successful Sega Genesis, the Saturn has a dual-CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, and its game library contains several arcade ports as well as original games.
  • PlayStation is Released

    PlayStation is Released
    The PlayStation (officially abbreviated to PS, and commonly known as the PS1 or PSX) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The console was released on 9 September 1995 in North America, 29 September 1995 in Europe, and for 15 November 1995 in Australia. The console was the first of the PlayStation lineup of home video game consoles. It primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn as part of the fifth generation of video game consoles.
  • Pokemon Red/Blue is released for Nintendo GameBoy

    Pokemon Red/Blue is released for Nintendo GameBoy
    Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version are role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments of the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green. "Blue" was released later in the year as a special edition. They were later released as Red and Blue in North America, Europe, and Australia over the following three years. Pokémon Yellow, a special edition version, was released roughly a year later.
  • Nintendo 64 is Released

    Nintendo 64 is Released
    The Nintendo 64 is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit central processing unit, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America and Brazil, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France. It was the last major home console to use the cartridge as its primary storage format until Nintendo's seventh console, the Nintendo Switch. It was though succeeded by Nintendo's MiniDVD-based GameCube.
  • Castlevania Symphony of the Night is Released for PlayStation

    Castlevania Symphony of the Night is Released for PlayStation
    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a platform-adventure action role-playing game developed and published by Konami in 1997 for the PlayStation. It was directed and produced by Toru Hagihara, with Koji Igarashi acting as assistant director. It is the direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood taking place four years later. It features Dracula's son Alucard as the protagonist rising from his slumber to explore the Dracula's castle which has re-appeared after Richter Belmont has vanished.
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    Sixth Generation Consoles

    In the history of video games, the sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century which was from 1998 to 2005. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox. This era began on November 27, '98 with the Japanese release of the Dreamcast, and it was joined by the PlayStation 2 in March 2000 and the GameCube and Xbox in 2001.
  • SEGA DreamCast is Released

    SEGA DreamCast is Released
    The Dreamcast is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998 in Japan, September 9, 1999 in North America, and October 14, 1999 in Europe. It was the first in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. The Dreamcast was Sega's final home console, marking the end of the company's 18 years in the console market.
  • PlayStation 2 is released

    PlayStation 2 is released
    The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console that was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation, and is the second installment in the PlayStation lineup of consoles. It was released on March 4, 2000 in Japan, October 26, 2000 in North America, November 24, 2000 in Europe, and November 17, 2000 in Australia. It competed with Sega's Dreamcast, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube in the sixth generation of video game consoles.
  • GameCube is Released

    GameCube is Released
    The GameCube is a home video game console released by Nintendo in Japan and North America in 2001 and Europe and Australia in 2002. The sixth-generation console is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and competed with Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox.
  • Halo 2 is Released for Xbox

    Halo 2 is Released for Xbox
    Halo 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved. A Microsoft Windows version of the game was released on May 31, 2007, developed by an internal team at Microsoft Game Studios known as Hired Gun.
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    Seventh Generation Consoles

    In the history of video games, the seventh generation includes consoles released since late 2005 by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment. The eighth generation began in November 2012. For home consoles, the seventh generation began on November 22, 2005 with the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and continued with the release of Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006, and Nintendo's Wii on November 19, 2006.
  • Xbox 360 Is released

    Xbox 360 Is released
    The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information announced later that month at the 2005 E3 expo.
  • PlayStation 3 is Released

    PlayStation 3 is Released
    The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to PlayStation 2, and is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan,[8] November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australia.[9][10][11] The PlayStation 3 mainly competes against consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
  • Nintendo Wii is Released

    Nintendo Wii is Released
    The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii competed with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others. As of the first quarter of 2012, the Wii leads its generation over PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in worldwide sales, with more than 101 million units sold; the console broke the record for a single month in the United States.
  • Mass Effect 2 is Released for Xbox 360

    Mass Effect 2 is Released for Xbox 360
    Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010, and for PlayStation 3 in 2011. Mass Effect 2 is the second installment of the Mass Effect series and a sequel to the original Mass Effect. The game takes place within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where humanity is threatened by an insectoid species known as the Collectors.
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    Eighth Generation Consoles

    In the history of video games, the eighth generation includes consoles released since 2012 by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. For home consoles, the eighth generation began on November 18, 2012 with the release of the Wii U, and continued with the release of the PlayStation 4 on November 15, 2013, and Xbox One on November 22, 2013. Nintendo released the New Nintendo 3DS XL in North America on February 13, 2015.
  • Wii U is Released

    Wii U is Released
    The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo, and the successor to the Wii. The console was released in November 2012 and was the first eighth-generation video game console, as it competed with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics. The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen, and combines directional buttons, analog sticks, and action buttons.
  • PlayStation 4 is Released

    PlayStation 4 is Released
    PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a line of eighth-generation home video game consoles developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 during a press conference on February 20, 2013, it was launched on November 15 in North America, November 29 in Europe, South America and Australia; and February 22, 2014, in Japan. It competes with Nintendo's Wii U and Switch, and Microsoft's Xbox One.
  • Xbox One is Released

    Xbox One is Released
    Xbox One is a line of eighth generation home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Australia, and Brazil in November 2013, and in Japan, China, and other European countries in September 2014. It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China. Microsoft marketed the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system."
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is Released for Xbox one

    The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is Released for Xbox one
    The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a 2015 action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. Based on The Witcher series of fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, it is the sequel to the 2011 game The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Played in an open world with a third-person perspective, players control protagonist Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter known as a Witcher, who is looking for his missing adopted daughter on the run from the Wild Hunt.