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first video game
Physicist Willy Higinbotham invents the first "video game" at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. His game, a table tennis-like game, was played on an oscilloscope. -
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spacewar
Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), creates Spacewar, the first interactive computer game. It runs on a Digital PDP-1 mainframe computer, and the graphics are made up of ASCII text characters. -
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games using television
Ralph Baer, an engineer at Sanders Associates, receives support from his company (a military electronics consulting firm in NH) to explore his idea of creating interactive games using a television. -
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chase game and tennis game
Baer and team are successful in creating two interactive TV games—a chase game and a tennis game. They are also able to manipulate a toy gun so that it detects spots of light on the TV screen. -
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computer space
Magnavox licenses Baer's TV game from Sanders Associates Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney (future founders of Atari) begin their attempt to create an arcade version of Spacewar, calling it Computer Space -
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computer space is released to public
Computer Space becomes first video arcade game ever released. 1500 games are distributed. Public consensus is that it is too difficult to play -
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television gaming
A U.S. patent is issued to Ralph Baer for "A Television Gaming Apparatus and Method" -
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magnavox's odyssey
Magnavox's Odyssey, the first home video game system, is showcased at a convention in Burlingame, CA, and is released to the public later that year.Bushnell and Dabney found Atari. They name the company after a term from the Japanese game "Go". "Atari" is equivalent to "check" in a chess game. -
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pong
Atari's Pong is released with help from Sears Roebuck, which finances the production of 150,000 units. It becomes the hottest selling Christmas present. Sears sells the product exclusively, with the Sears Tele-Games logo.
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gunfight
Gunfight, the first "computer" game is released. It is the first game to use a microprocessor instead of hardwired solid-state circuits -
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telstar
Coleco releases its first home video-game console called Telstar. Fairfield Camera & Instrument debuts its Video Entertainment System which is known later as Channel F. The first programmable (cartridge-based) home game console, it allowed users to change games by switching cartridges that resembled 8-track audio tapes. -
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video computer systems
Atari introduces its first cartridge-based home video system called the Video Computer System which later becomes known as the Atari 2600. It retails for $249.95 -
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football
The trackball makes its entrance into the video-game industry as the controller in Atari's new arcade game Football. -
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space invaders
Midway introduces Space Invaders into arcades. It is the first arcade game that tracks and displays high scores -
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atari and apple
Atari attempts to enter the computer industry to compete with Apple. The product is not taken seriously, and the Atari 400 and 800 are taken from the market. -
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cosmos
Atari develops a handheld console that displays holograms. Named "Cosmos," this product was never released. -
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asteroids
Asteroids is the first game to allow high scorers to enter three character initials to be stored in the machine -
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intelivision
Mattel's Intelivision debuts and is the first real competitor of the Atari 2600. It has better graphics than Atari's 2600, but a higher retail price ($299) -
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activision and 3rd party vendors
Activision becomes the first third-party video game vendor. The company is created by Atari programmers who want to receive individual credit for creating Atari's video games. -
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battlezone 3D games
Battlezone is first 3-D game ever created. It is set in a virtual battlefield and was later enhanced by the U.S. government for training exercises. -
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pac-man
300,000 units of Pac-Man are released worldwide by Namco. -
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defender
Defender, the first game incorporating a "virtual world" is introduced. The game uses a "radar" scope at the top of the screen to inform users of the surroundings since the screen is too small to display all of the action. -
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gaming magazine
Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found the first video-game magazine, Electronic Games -
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Atari 5200
Atari releases the Atari 5200 to compete with Coleco's Colecovision -
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laser-disc technology
Cinematronics debuts Rick Dyer's Dragon Lair, the first video game to feature laser-disc technology -
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commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is introduced. It is the most powerful video-game console to date and the least expensive. -
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Famicom/NES
Nintendo introduces the Famicom in Japan—later known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the U.S. Since Atari controls such a large percentage of the market, they do not plan to market the product in the U.S. Instead the company offers Atari the rights to distribute the product in the U.S. These plans fall through and Americans do not see Nintendo until 1985 -
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Tetris
The popular game Tetris is developed by Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov -
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NES is released
Nintendo's NES is released in the U.S. after being test-marketed in NY one year earlier. -
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sega master system (SMS)
To compete with the NES, Sega introduces the Sega Master System (SMS). -
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Atari 7800
Atari releases the Atari 7800 to stay competitive in the market. -
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game boy
Nintendo releases the handheld Game Boy for $109. -
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NEC
NEC releases the first 16-bit console in the U.S. It is called the TurboGrafx-16 and sold for $189. It is the first system to run video games stored on compact discs. -
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genesis
The true arcade experience comes into American homes when Sega debuts the Genesis, its first 16-bit home game console, for $249.95. -
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Lynx
Atari tries to enter the handheld market with the Lynx, a color handheld console retailing for $149 -
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Super NES
Super NES is released in the U.S. by Nintendo for $249.95. -
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Jaguar
Atari releases the Jaguar, attempting to be the first 64-bit console on the market. The product actually runs two 32-bit processors. -
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violence in video games
Senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Herbert Kohl of Wisconsin launch a Senate investigation into violence in video games, hoping to initiate a ban on violent games. -
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Game ratings
Resulting from the Senate investigation, the Entertainment Software Rating Board is created. Rating are now given to video games and are marked on the games' packaging to indicate the suggested age of players and violent content. -
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Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation
In Japan, the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation make their debut. -
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Playstation in U.S
Sony brings the PlayStation to the U.S. and sells the console for $299. -
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Nintendo 64 in Japan
Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 in Japan -
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Nintendo 64 in U.S
Nintendo 64 is released in the U.S