What was the first video game? This issue has sparked heated debates. It is generally believed that it was so pongA simple ping pong game released in 1972but there are those who set history back, towards a space battle program from 1961 called space war! Some go so far as to consider the first computerized chess programs to be video games.
The question is do we consider it? The video game must have an entertainment purpose to be considered as well. The thing is, the ancestors of video games weren’t far from being group entertainment: at most, they were programs developed by students from academic or research institutions as a way to have fun with one another.
The history of Nintendo, from cards to video games
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Entertainment programs
The first programs that we can consider fun are related One of the oldest human hobbies: chess. Since the mid-20th century, algorithms have been developed built into rudimentary computers that execute a series of instructions based on the movements of a human opponent. These programs were invented to train professional players so that they could see the expected results of their plays, but they also had a fun element in them.
On the other hand, in the institutes of technology they also began to develop funny programs, which were partly used to test the technical capabilities of computers but also for entertainment; In this sense this It will be the first video games, although they have no commercial purpose. Examples of such programs space war!It was developed in 1961 by students at MIT which simulates a space battle between two ships on screen.
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Chess history
The first video games
The 1970s saw often the first commercial video games Computer conversions of board gamesLike strategy or role playing. They used a simple graphical interface and some of it is just text: the game features a narrative in which players can choose between different options, and face different events and endings.
he The first video game widely recognized as such is pong. It was developed by Atari Corporation as an electronic game for ping pong entertainment and released in 1972. pong Players control the bars on the screen that represent table tennis paddles, and the goal is to hit a virtual ball back and forth without leaving it behind your bar. the game It was a commercial success and marked the beginning of the video game industry as we know it today.
pong was the first Game In gaining wide attention and popularity. For this reason, it has been cited as a starting point in the history of commercial video games. Its success led to the creation of the first home consolesas Home Pong from Atari or the series Epic From Magnavox.
The 70s would also mean the entry into the video game market The oldest company in this sector: Nintendo, which in 1977 released its first game system, the Color TV-Game. Although it was still a very primitive system, it gave them invaluable experience in developing the successful Game & Watch line, a series of handheld devices that came with a pre-loaded game.
Game and Watch (Orlando 105)
The Game & Watch were small devices preloaded with a single game, popular for their portability and low cost.
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Group entertainment: arcade machines
In parallel with the development of home video games, a phenomenon of great importance to the video game industry has emerged: The golden age of arcade machines. These machines started to be very popular in the early 1970s, but towards the end of the decade and especially during the 1980s, they became a mass phenomenon and game rooms started to gain more variety.
They were two of the first big arcade phenomena Space invaders (1978) and pac man (1980), whose simple and addictive gameplay was the key to its success. In 1981 Nintendo released it Donkey Kongwhich will serve as the basis for the development of its flagship franchise, Super Mario Bros. That was one of the catalysts that arcade games introduced on home consoles They kept the scores of the playersWhich provides them with the possibility to leave their names written in the ranking of the best.
The next step is the games Players can compete head to head against each otherLike sports, racing or wrestling. This has turned arcade games into group entertainment and enhanced the experience by allowing you to enjoy them with friends. Until then, arcade machines had been seen in a similar way to classic slot machines found in pubs, but they began to take up an increasingly important space of their own in gaming rooms.
Arcade Pong Machine (Chris Rand)
An arcade version of Pong, the first commercially successful video game.
Chris Rand
at home or anywhere
The emergence of the video game industry occurred in the eighties with the so-called Third generation consoleswhose most notable representatives were the Nintendo Famicom (known in most parts of the world as NES, or simply Nintendo) and the SEGA Mark III, or Master System.
This generation was marked by the introduction of more advanced technologies, such as improved color graphics and sound, which allowed More immersive gaming experience. Consoles of this generation also began to create distinct franchises that are still popular today, such as Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Legend of Zelda also final fantasy, among others. The competition between the two big companies of the day, SEGA and Nintendo, encouraged them to improve their products; This, along with the growth of other companies focused solely on game development, has provided increasingly diverse and innovative gaming experiences.
Nintendo Game Boy (MKFI)
The Game Boy is one of the most successful consoles in Nintendo history, with four variants (Original, Pocket, Light, and Color) and a plethora of peripherals.
mkfi
However, even then video games were still confined to a fixed location, whether at home or in arcades. The real revolution will come In the 90’s with the advent of handheld consoles, which, as the old Nintendo Game & Watch did, allowed the experience to be taken anywhere. Among these devices, without a doubt, the Game Boy was the most successful, which made it possible to play anytime and anywhere, due to its low battery consumption and small size.
in the following decades The video game industry has continued to innovate and improve, sometimes with long shots like the Nintendo Wii, whose introduction of motion sensors in most games divided audiences. New competitors emerged, such as Sony and Microsoft, while SEGA was finally forced out of the console to focus on game development. However, with the hardships and crises it faces, the video game industry is still active and fitter than ever.
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