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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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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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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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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 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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Tthe first home video game system, is showcased at a convention in Burlingame, CA, and is released to the public later that year.
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Al Alcorn is hired by Atari to program video games. The first game created by Atari is Pong. Ping-Pong, the original name, is already copyrighted, so the makers name it Pong after the sound of a ball hitting the paddle.
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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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Coleco releases its first home video-game console called Telstar.
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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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Midway introduces Space Invaders into arcades. It is the first arcade game that tracks and displays high scores.
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Asteroids is the first game to allow high scorers to enter three character initials to be stored in the machine.
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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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Atari releases the Atari 5200 to compete with Coleco's Colecovision.
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The Commodore 64 is introduced. It is the most powerful video-game console to date and the least expensive.
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The popular game Tetris is developed by Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov. It is played on a PC.
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Atari releases the Atari 7800 to stay competitive in the market.
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Nintendo releases the handheld Game Boy for $109.
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Atari tries to enter the handheld market with the Lynx, a color handheld console retailing for $149.
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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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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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Sony releases PlayStation in the United States
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Arcades focus on bringing in more "ride-and-video" games like skiing, snowboarding, and Jet Skiing, as their popularity has surpassed the popularity of shooting and fighting games.
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Tiger introduces a multipurpose handheld console to compete with the Game Boy. Called game.com, it features games, an address book, calculator, and stylus for touchscreen capability. It also connects to a PC modem for access to email.
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Sega introduces the Dreamcast in Japan. This console operates on Microsoft Windows CE which will allow for easier conversions between Dreamcast and PC games
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Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time transport players to the rickly imagined world of Hyrule, full of engaging charters, thought-provoking puzzles, and the most memorable musical instrument to ever appear in a video game.
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The Sims is released, and quickly becomes a hit. It eventually (in 2002) surpasses Myst as the best-selling PC game ever.
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Sony's PlayStation 2 launches in the U.S. for $299.99 and is sold out by early morning.
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Nintendo releases the GameBoy Advance, a portable gaming system.
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Valve energizes PC gaming with its release of Steam. The digital distribution platforms allows players to download, play, and update games.
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Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, a portable system with two screens, one of which can be used as a touch screen.
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Sony releases the PSP, a portable system with a large, high-resolution display
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Microsoft unveils the XBox 360, a console system to be released in November 2005. Sony and Nintendo's competing console systems are planned for release in 2006.
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Nintendo releases the Wii, a gaming system that lets gamers use the controller in revolutionary ways, such as swinging it like a tennis racket, holding and tilting it like a steering wheel, and more.
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Sony also debuts the Playstation 3, a very sophisticated and expensive game system.
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Nintendo releases Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. It continues the adventures of Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as they face their old foe Bowser.
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Social gaming takes shape with Farmville and Angry Birds, enthralling millions of new players. Facebook and cellphones allow easy access to these addictive games.
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New motion control systems--Sony's PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect--let players interact in a more immersive way, doing away with controllers and letting players use their bodies instead.
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Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim showcases the beauty, majesty, and massiveness of video games as players explore a seemingly endless, beautifully rendered fantasy world.
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Both Sony (PlayStation 4) and Microsoft (XBox One) release new gaming platforms this year. Offering social connection through "next generation cooperative and competitive multiplayer play," these systems offer amazing graphics and speed.
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Satoru Iwata, who led video game maker Nintendo through one of the most successful periods in its history, has died at the age of 55.
