early history video games history video games spans period time invention electronic games today covering long period invention changes video gaming reach mainstream popularity 1970s 1980s arcade video games gaming consoles home computer games introduced general public video gaming popular form entertainment modern culture parts world early history video games covers period time interactive electronic game electronic display true video games early 1950s rise early arcade video games 1970s beginning generation video game consoles odyssey time wide range devices corresponding large advances computing technology actual video game dependent definition video game following invention ray tube amusement device earliest known interactive electronic game use electronic display true video games created early 1950s initially created technology demonstrations computers video games academic research series games generally real world board games created research institutions explore programming human computer interaction computer include program software based games incorporate display chess programs possibly video game created simply entertainment tennis featuring moving graphics computing technology improved time computers smaller faster ability work opened university employees undergraduate students end 1950s new programmers began create games non academic purposes leading release earliest known digital computer games available outside single research institute rest 1960s digital computer games created increasingly numerous programmers sold commercially audience video games expanded dozen research institutions falling cost computers programming languages run multiple types computers created wider variety games began developed video games transitioned new era early 1970s launch commercial video game industry display coin operated arcade game galaxy game release widely available arcade game computer space release immensely successful arcade game home video game console odyssey launched generation video game consoles defining video game term video game evolved decades purely technical definition general concept defining new class interactive entertainment technically product video game video signal transmitted ray tube creates image screen definition early computer games results printer display game rendered scan monitor game played modern high definition display handheld game systems technical standpoint properly called electronic games computer games today term video game completely shed purely technical definition encompasses wider range technology ill defined term video game generally encompasses game played hardware built electronic logic circuits incorporates element results player actions display going broader definition video games appeared early 1950s tied largely research projects universities large corporations little influence primary purpose academic promotional devices entertainment games ancestors games include ray tube amusement device earliest known interactive electronic game incorporate ray tube screen player artillery shell trajectory screen connected set switches device uses purely analog electronics use digital computer memory device execute program patented idea game potentially use television set display sell invention consumers worked television designer patent electronic game device manufactured original prototypes lack electronic logic circuits keeps device considered video game time device invented earliest known written computer game developed chess simulation called actually implemented computer code complicated run machines time tested code game operation code real chess game opponent able run program computer initial games publicly demonstrated electronic game created brain arcade game toe built canadian national exhibition showcase new miniature vacuum tube tube designed specialized computer use built assistance engineers large metal computer meters tall play toe backed display installed august september game success week exhibition attendees lining play adjusted difficulty players exhibition dismantled largely forgotten novelty said working projects time energy spare preserving despite significance nearly year later computer created engineering firm nascent computer developer presented festival britain showcased weeks october berlin industrial dismantled panel lights display designed exclusively play game moves players pressing buttons corresponded lights play traditional reverse form game machine feet wide feet deep feet tall based earlier playing machine designed built display fair constructed weighed ton primarily intended showcase computer design programming skills entertain followed future games despite festival britain interested playing game programming engineering logic time non visual games developed research computer laboratories example developed simulation game unsuccessfully attempted run time july completed known computer game created general purpose computer machine specifically game like program inspired develop game successive developed rudimentary artificial intelligence version shown television wrote limited program chess general purpose mark computer commercially available computers program capable computing mate problems powerful play game video output time early 1950s developed series combat simulation games increasing complexity player enter orders intercept enemy aircraft set forces counter enemy army invasion true video games required human intervention interpret player orders final results computer controlled paths enemies interactive visual games created software program computer game toe stored program computers memory read written filled entire room included dot matrix ray tubes display state computer memory thesis human computer interaction douglas screens portray information user chose displaying current state game player entered input telephone controller selecting squares board wished appear screen computer follow game available general public available played university_of_cambridge special permission moved like early video games serving douglas purpose game discarded time expanded program computer manchester mark culminating version mark display like display static program earliest known games display visuals electronic screen known game incorporating graphics updated real time player pool game programmed specifically demonstration university_of_michigan developed computer university_of_michigan game developed months pair featured pool stick controlled rack balls table seen overhead view computer calculated movements balls collided moved table disappearing reached pocket updated graphics continuously times second real time motion like previous video games pool game intended primarily showcase computing power computer games like chess developed research computers milestone video games came tennis game created solely entertainment technology demonstration research tool program simulated game tennis created american physicist visitors entertaining visitors public day usual static exhibits nuclear power game ran model analog computer displayed view tennis court players controlled angle shots attached controllers game calculated simulated trajectory ball including possibility hitting net game shown october hundreds visitors lined play new game debut game popularity upgraded version shown following year enhancements including larger screen different levels simulated gravity having served purpose game dismantled component parts game innovations game design technological development status entertainment focused game academic project technological led considered real video games generally thought today years computer games continued created context academic computer programming research particularly computer technology improved include smaller based computers programs created run real time operations run programs showcase power computer ran intended entertainment products generally created undergraduate students allowed occasion develop programs experimental computer interactive graphical games created community programmers students affiliated led games included light pen play simple game crosses computer mouse maze mouse maze allowed users use light pen set maze walls monitor spots represented bits cheese glasses virtual mouse released traverse maze find objects additionally early 1950s expanded complicated required little human intervention sparked creation business management simulation games business schools different business simulation games use graphical capabilities decade ended despite video games having developed thing commercial video game industry games developed single machine specific purposes simulation games commercial entertainment spread games mit acquired successor display system system comparatively small size processing speed meant like university allowed undergraduate students employees write programs computer directly academically related use harvard mit employees created game inspired science fiction books series game copied early installations american academic institutions making potentially video game available outside single research institute player game players engaged set backdrop randomly generated background game developed meet use computer resources possible consistently interesting run different entertaining game game multiplayer game computer resources left handle controlling ship game initial development members worked improve game adding accurate body spread couple dozen institutions process continued years computer uncomfortable use extended periods time created detached control device essentially early reportedly smoke test technicians new systems shipping available program exercised aspect hardware game widespread era limited direct reach priced sold monitor prohibited game time reaching narrow academic audience russell quoted saying aspect game pleased number programmers inspired write games market commercial games software general small cost computers limiting spread research institutions large corporations created programmers distributed computer manufacturers number games found april program catalog included board games bbc baseball dimensional toe following spread computer games developed programmers universities developed distributed years included system question answer game designed teach medical students patients game creation general programming languages like basic run different hardware types allowed programs written specific computer turn letting games written spread end players programming community games included baseball simulation game written basic basic game basketball simulation game written basic baseball game world series written basic august written system led development operating system text based focal game written converted basic strategy video games early games written time spread initial computers general purpose languages like basic new industry beginning 1970s video games existed entirely passed programmers technicians access computers primarily research institutions large companies history video games transitioned new era early decade rise commercial video game industry developed coin operated computer game galaxy game stanford_university computer displays pair inspired game remarked playing game coin operated version game successful device cost computers released high commercially viable product games arcades cost time pair felt low build prototype determine interest optimal game prototype units built second prototype adapted run games initial installation stanford september pair met informed game making lower price game developed found computer thought powerful run games computer turned actually powerful project investigating concept replacing computer purpose built hardware pair discovered making system explicitly running game general programs expensive low met prototype version successfully displayed short time august local bar design nearly finished pair founded company called found manufacturer game final game sell distributors felt galaxy game real competitor high price believed despite economic argument game superior felt galaxy game true expansion computer space pale imitation players time believed galaxy game actually version galaxy game prototype installation popular low price game pair developed second version display location able enter production eventually abandon idea spending developing high cost lack business plan months galaxy game installation released coin operated video game commercially sold widely available video game kind initial locations near college campuses performed poorly bars arcades arcade games typically placed commercially successful meet high expectations expected sell units immediately started work game television set design computer space founding company projects initially game driving game planned design employee took prototype game suggestion expanded create game company immediately seized unable find manufacturer evidence success prototype installation decided produce game released year computer space immensely commercially successful selling units inspired games sold america europe japan led medium year saw release odyssey home video game console connected television set inventor initially idea interactive game television set unable technological constraints time began work device attach television set display games brown box prototype seven licensed adapt produce announced console went sale september console games featured numerous innovations video game device home consumers game use scan video display television set directly displayed modification video signal video gaming device displayed television commercial sold shipped games including table tennis seen demo based odyssey sold units end popularity table tennis game turn driven success odyssey kicked new era video gaming numerous competitors starting video game industry grew popularity
Early history of video games