History of Video Games Timeline - Ryan Smith

  • Bertie the Brain

    Bertie the Brain
    In 1950, Josef Kates created the first publicly displayed electronic game. It stayed in the Canadian National Exhibition where people could play against an A.I. But some people do not consider this the first video game.
  • Tennis for Two

    Tennis for Two
    In 1958, William Higinbotham created the first video game called "Tennis for Two." It was first showcased at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. It only took a few hours to create.
  • Spacewar!

    Spacewar!
    In 1962, Stevel Russel created the first video game that could be played on multiple computers. It was created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It later spread to the west coast.
  • Arcades

    Arcades
    In 1970, the cost to make video games was reduced. This started coin-operated arcade machines. Arcades became very popular.
  • Atari 2600

    Atari 2600
    In 1977, the first Atari home console was released. It came with nine simple games.
  • Video Game Crash

    Video Game Crash
    In 1983, video game sales decreased by about 97%. This was because there were too many video games and consoles. There was also less interest in video games and more interest in personal computers.
  • 3D Video Game Console

    3D Video Game Console
    The Virtual Boy was released in 1995 by Nintendo. It had stereoscopic 3D graphics. Critics said the console was a failure because of health concerns, poor graphics, and high price.
  • The First 64-Bit Console

    The First 64-Bit Console
    Nintendo created the first 64-Bit console in 1996 called the Nintendo 64. This console still used cartridges.
  • First DVD Console

    First DVD Console
    In 2000, Sony released the PlayStation 2. It used discs instead of cartridges.
  • Mobile Gaming

    Mobile Gaming
    In 2008, Apple released the App Store. Mobile gaming became more popular with the release of Angry birds in 2009.