The History of Video Games

  • The First Generation of Gaming

    The First Generation of Gaming
    The Magnavox Odyssey was released in September of 1972 to begin the first generation of gaming.
  • Release of Pong Arcade Box

    Release of Pong Arcade Box
    The Pong arcade box was released by Atari which pushed them into the spotlight.
  • Coleco Telstar is Released

    Coleco Telstar is Released
    Coleco develops and releases the Telstar, a game console that featured Pong variants for its games.
  • Color TV Released

    Color TV Released
    Nintendo throws their hat into the ring and tries to make their own game console after spending about 60 years making cards. The Color TV was also the best selling console in the first generation.
  • The Second Generation of Gaming

    The Second Generation of Gaming
    The Atari 2600 was the first console to be released under the second generation in September 11, 1977.
  • Activision Becomes a 3rd Party Developer

    Activision Becomes a 3rd Party Developer
    Activision was created by disgruntled Atari employees and became the first third-party game developer.
  • ET for Atari 2600 is Released

    ET for Atari 2600 is Released
    Although ET for Atari received good reviews when it first came out, people began to realize that its terrible and it slowly started to make the video game industry decline.
  • The Video Game Crash of 1983 Begins

    The Video Game Crash of 1983 Begins
    About a year after the release of ET for the Atari, the gaming industry went through a big depression that lasted until 1985.
  • The Third Generation of Gaming

    The Third Generation of Gaming
    After the game crash of 1983, Nintendo pulled the gaming industry out of the depression with the release of the NES.
  • Super Mario Bros. is Released

    Super Mario Bros. is Released
    Super Mario Bros. is released in North America and becomes one of the main games that helps the gaming industry out of the crash of 1983.
  • Console War between Nintendo and Sega Begins

    Console War between Nintendo and Sega Begins
    Nintendo and Sega become the two biggest rivals in the gaming industry.
  • Sega Master System is Released

    Sega Master System is Released
    Sega releases its first console to North America.
  • Handhelds are Introduced

    Handhelds are Introduced
    Handhelds made it possible to take your favorite games on the road and opened up all new possibilities for game design.
  • Gameboy is Released

    Gameboy is Released
    The gameboy was the first handheld game system to be released and could only display 2 colors, black and green.
  • Super Mario Land is Released

    Super Mario Land is Released
    Being released on the same day as the Gameboy, Super Mario Land was the first handheld video game ever released.
  • The Fourth Generation of Gaming

    The Fourth Generation of Gaming
    The fourth generation of gaming began on November, 21 1990 with the release of the SNES.
  • The Sega Genesis is Released

    The Sega Genesis is Released
    In this generation Sega beats Nintendo to the punch by making the first 16-bit console.
  • Sega Game Gear is Released

    Sega Game Gear is Released
    After seeing Nintendo release the Gameboy, Sega rushed to create a competitor to the Gameboy.
  • SNES is Released

    SNES is Released
    The SNES was one of the first 16-bit game consoles to be released and became the standard for the rest of the 4th generation.
  • The Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i) is Released

    The Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i) is Released
    Developed by Sony, the CD-i's main selling point was that it could be used for multimedia needs. It was a commercial failure, only selling 1 million copies before it was discontinued.
  • The Fifth Generation of Gaming

    The Fifth Generation of Gaming
    The fifth generation of gaming had 3 main consoles the Nintendo 64 (N64), the Sega Saturn and the Playstation.
  • The Playstation is Released

    The Playstation is Released
    After the failure of the CD-i, Sony decides to try to make a console again and creates the Playstation, the best selling console in the 5th generation.
  • The Sega Saturn is Released

    The Sega Saturn is Released
    Once again, Sega releases their console a year before Nintendo. However this system was a 32-bit console, not a 64-bit console.
  • The Nintendo 64 is Released

    The Nintendo 64 is Released
    Nintendo releases their 64-bit consoles and releases some of the most critically acclaimed games of all time.
  • The Sixth Generation of Gaming

    The Sixth Generation of Gaming
    The sixth generation of gaming began with the release of the Sega Dreamcast.
  • The Playstation 2 is Released

    The Playstation 2 is Released
    After the commerical success of the original Playstation, Sony continued the trend with the Playstation 2.
  • The Microsoft X-Box is Released

    The Microsoft X-Box is Released
    Microsoft makes their debut into the gaming industry with the X-Box.
  • The Nintendo Gamecube is Released

    The Nintendo Gamecube is Released
    Nintendo enters the sixth generation with the release of the Gamecube.
  • The Seventh Generation of Gaming

    The Seventh Generation of Gaming
    Much like the sixth generation there are three main consoles in this generation. However, Sega stopped making consoles after the Dreamcast.
  • The Microsoft XBox 360 is Released

    The Microsoft XBox 360 is Released
    Microsoft creates and releases the first console of the seventh generation and sets the bar for their competitors.
  • The Sony Playstation 3 is Released

    The Sony Playstation 3 is Released
    Sony releases their seventh generation console and becomes some sort of rival to Microsoft and the XBox.
  • The Nintendo Wii is Released

    The Nintendo Wii is Released
    Nintendo releases their seventh generation console to major commercial success, becoming the best selling console of this generation.
  • The Eighth Generation of Gaming

    The Eighth Generation of Gaming
    We are currently in this generation and like the sixth and seventh generations there are three main consoles made by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
  • The Nintendo Wii U is Released

    The Nintendo Wii U is Released
    Nintendo is the first company to release their eighth generation console and is set apart because of its unique controller.
  • The Sony Playstation 4 is Released

    The Sony Playstation 4 is Released
    Sony releases their eighth generation console and becomes unique because of its design.
  • The Microsoft XBox One is Released

    The Microsoft XBox One is Released
    Microsoft releases their eight generation console and becomes the console with one of the best library of games of all time.