Video games went from being a curiosity to kids’ toys, and are now a multi-billion industry crossing all age groups and continents. From their beginnings in the late 1950s, video games have evolved greatly thanks to contributions from brilliant thinkers who dared imagine a different way to play. There was a lot of trial and error during that time, which led to some products ranging from the truly ground-breaking to downright bizarre, but they all contributed to the history of gaming in their own way. Let’s take a look at six of the most influential inventions in the video game industry.
The First Video Game in History
The first video game ever created was released in 1958 by Dr. Higinbotham. The game was called Tennis for Two and was in many ways similar to Pong, which came years after. It was played on a giant Donner computer and involved two players hitting a ball back and forth with invisible racquets over a net.
What’s interesting about the game, however, is how it came about. Dr. Higinbotham was known as an eccentric but also worked on the infamous Manhattan Project that gave birth to the atomic bomb. Nevertheless, Higinbotham was quite the character and had a playful nature. He even played in a Jazz band known as the Isotope Stomper.
Higginbotham is said to have created the game to let off some steam after the serious project. The game drew crowds and people were waiting in line just to play the game. This proved that there was a genuine interest and market for video games, and this was the start of the industry as we know it.
The First Home Console
The first home console to hit the market wasn’t the ColecoVision or the Atari, but the Magnavox Vision. It was created by Ralph Baer, who was known as one of the biggest visionaries in the video game industry. While the machine was a technological feat, it was poorly marketed. However, it still managed to sell a lot of units and pushed more companies to launch their own consoles.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man is one of the most recognizable franchises in gaming history and served as an introduction to video games for a whole generation of players. Another thing that made Pac-Man so revolutionary is that it was the first game that was created with female players in mind. The maker of the game, Toru Iwatani, stated that he wanted to create a game that appealed to women, which influenced the designs and the colors of the game. The game was leagues ahead of other games in terms of graphics, and its fast-paced action was like nothing else before.
Here Comes Nintendo
Probably the most influential console of all time, the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in October 1985 in North America. This was the first console that had graphics that were somewhat realistic, and it was an instant hit with audiences. The console is said to have single-handedly saved the video game industry after the demise of the Atari 5200.
The First Online Casino
We can’t speak about video game history without speaking about online casinos. Online casinos completely revolutionized the way we gamble and were such a novel concept when it was created that many thought that it would fail.
The first online casino was established in 1996, about two years after the internet hit the mainstream. Since then, the industry has greatly evolved with Playtech’s crazy 7 slots changing the game for online slots and casinos now offering virtual and augmented reality games with immersing graphics, innovating gameplay, and state of the art sound effects.
Here Comes Nintendo Again
Nintendo has been and still is at the forefront of innovation and gave us the console that pretty much became the blueprint for all modern consoles today, the Nintendo 64. The console was released in 1996 in North America and was an instant hit with audiences.
The Nintendo 64 was the first home console to offer realistic 3D environments and open-world games, which are the norm today. Mario 64 is still regarded as the pioneer in this genre and has influenced tons of games since. The console also gave us Goldeneye 64, which is said to be the inspiration for most modern first-person shooter games. In addition, the Nintendo 64 introduced us to four-player multiplayer games and was the first console to come with four controller ports, which is now standard on most consoles today.
The video game industry is constantly evolving, and we can expect it to continue doing so for the next few years. We can’t tell what the future holds, but one thing for sure is that it’s going to be interesting. You already know how difficult it is to come up with an idea and turn it into a reality. Make sure to read InventHelp reviews online to learn how to get help with an invention.