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Before video games people who were really into gaming only had board games or sports to turn to for their competitive fun. The first board game, Senet, was thought to have been played by the Egyptians.
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Released in 1950 by creator Josef Kates at the Canadian National Exhibition. It featured a Tic-Tac-Toe like game that was played on a four foot screen using light bulbs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_history_of_video_games#/media/File:Strachey_draughts_ferranti.jpg -
In 1971 developers Bill Pits and Hugh Tuck released the first coin operated arcade game "Galaxy Game" a two player competitive arcade game.
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In 1974 Nintendo secured the rights to develop its own Magnavox Odyssey video game console eventually making them one of the largest video game companies in the world by 2018.
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Mortal Kombat is released and becomes one of the most controversial video games of all time
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In 1993 Congress met with representatives from Sega and Nintendo to discuss the ratings system for violent video games
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_congressional_hearings_on_video_games -
In 1994 the Entertainment Software Rating Board or ESRB is founded to assign age restrictions to any type of video game.
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Becoming the biggest Multiplayer Massive online game in the history of Video Games World of Warcraft released on November 23rd, 2004
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League of Legends is released based on the original Warcraft II mod Defense of the Ancients. The game would go on to become the worlds first major Esport.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Legends -
Loot Boxes which are items that can be purchased for real money that provide items in game at a random chance are deemed as a means for child gambling. They are deemed illegal by the Netherlands in 2018 and shortly after by other European countries. This also sparks the discussion in some states in the United States as to the legality of them.
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The Overwatch League becomes the first Esport in which teams represent some geographical location such as the Philadelphia Fusion or the Seoul Dynasty.
