History of Video Games Essay - 2103 Words

Did you know that Pong; the first game made by Atari, wasn’t originally meant to be released to the public? A new Atari employee was given the assignment of making it simply as a test of his game design skills. Since Pong became a hit, video games have been a large part of the entertainment business. They have found their way into homes all over the world. â€Å"You can’t say that video games grew out of pinball, but you can assume that video games wouldn’t have happened without it. It’s like bicycles and cars. One industry leads to the other and then they exist side by side. But you had to have bicycles to one day have motor cars† (Steven Baxter). In 1931 David Gottlieb invented the first pinball machine. Gottlieb was a short, stocky†¦show more content†¦It came in the form of a ball on a pedestal; from which came the name â€Å"Stool Pigeon.† If the ball fell off, that was the end of the game. It allowed the cabinet to move only within a reasonable boundary. The pedestal was later replaced by a pendulum. The tilt mechanism has been present in all pinball machines since. In 1933 Williams designed the first electric pinball machine. It was called â€Å"Contact.† It utilized electrified scoring pockets called â€Å"Contact Holes.† They knocked the ball back into play which allowed scoring to continue. One of the most significant innovations in the history of pinball is arguably the flipper bat, invented by Harry Mabs. For a while pinball was considered gambling because it had payouts. The flipper bat redeemed pinball because the flipper made it a game of skill. The invention of the flipper was so significant that in France pinball is simply referred to as â€Å"Le Flipper.† The first video game was created by a man named Steve Rusell. He was short, wore glasses, and had curly hair. He made the game in 1962. It took him six months. His game was called â€Å"Spacewar.† It was a simple duel between spaceships. The controls were toggle switches. It was a two player game because the computers at that time were too slow to have artificial intelligence, which would’ve allowed the computer to act as a second player. In a later version of the game there was a background of stars. There was also a hyperspace button; a button which madeShow MoreRelatedHistory of Video Games740 Words   |  3 PagesVideo games have shaped the world your years. Video games have defined us and made us through technology. Some would say they can’t live without video games while others say they would die if they played them. Video games also start franchises, wars, friendships, relationships, and inspiration for those who might one day become a game designer them self. Aside from the gamers and designers, the video game itself is a whole other story. Video games are now-a-days played on consoles and PCs made fromRead MoreThe History Of Video Games1529 Words   |  7 PagesThe History of Video Games Some people may not know this, but there was a time when video games were not around. Like a lot of things in the world that are distinctly human, video games were made out of a combination of innovation, necessity, and curiosity. The early video game creators would be making something that would seem clunky, and somewhat crude at first. But that would completely change in time by the innovators, and entrepreneurs to something that would some day be consider an art formRead MoreThe History Of Video Games1922 Words   |  8 PagesWallace English 12, 3rd 5 February 2015 The History of Video Games So, I’m going to change things a bit. Instead of just talking about dates and numbers, which can be boring; I’m going to give this a little casual twist. So, in order to start the history let’s get a few facts out of the way. Let’s talk about gamers, mainly because I’ll be using the term a lot; gamers are people who spent a lot of time playing videogames. The Average gamer playing video games has spent twelve years playing them. AdultRead MoreThe History Of Video Games1797 Words   |  8 PagesHistory of video games. Have you ever played a video game and wonder? How does this thing work? Who invented it? Well you in luck because I have all the information that you need to tell you about the history of video games. How video games have advance right along with technology that we use in everyday life. If you ask people. When video games did first came out? Most people would say in the 1970 s and they would be wrong. In 1958, William A. Higinbotham, an engineer working for the United StatesRead MoreHistory of Video Games823 Words   |  4 Pagesargument of whether video games are good or bad for society is a clear example. Opponents believe they are a bad contribution to society while proponents believe they are a necessary and supportive addition to society. William Higinbotham, who in 1958 created a game called Tennis for TwoÂ… (The Beginning), is the one credited for the invention of the video game. At this stage in time, this new innovation did not spark much interest with the public. Computer and video games themselves did notRead More The History of Video Games Essay1046 Words   |  5 PagesThe History of Video Games 1972, the year the first home video game system, named Odyssey, is released by Magnavox. This main games featured on this system were a light gun game and a tennis game. During the same time, a game by the name of Pong is a success in the public. It is because people wanted to play Pong in the comfort of their own homes, that they bought Odyssey. The system only sold around 100,000 units since Magnavox only sold the game system from theirRead MoreEssay The history of video games987 Words   |  4 Pagesbeginning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The first real â€Å"video game† was made in 1958, by a physicist named William Higginbotham. It is a table tennis like game and is played on an oscilloscope, a device used for visual displays. While some big name games, company’s, and events have yet to happen, this is what sparked the video game interest. These paragraphs will guide you through the many years of games. Lets‘a go!! Early years (1961—1972) Things start off when the first interactive computer game---- SpaceWars (made in 1961)Read MoreHistory Of Home Video Game1511 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of Home Video Game Consoles The video game industry has gone through some interesting developments over the past fifty years. Video games are as much of a pass time as watching network television, or going to see a movie. The initial motivation for video game production was to bring interested consumers to the computer market and has evolved into many forms and designs to give the end user an artificial experience of playing table tennis with a friend, or an imaginary friend. This paperRead More History Of Video Games Essay801 Words   |  4 Pagesargument of whether video games are good or bad for society is a clear example. Opponents believe they are a bad contribution to society while proponents believe they are a necessary and supportive addition to society. William Higinbotham, who in 1958 created a game called Tennis for TwoÂ… (The Beginning), is the one credited for the invention of the video game. At this stage in time, this new innovation did not spark much interest with the public. Computer and video games themselves did notRead MoreHistory of Video Games Essay examples1266 Words   |  6 PagesVideo games have progressed immensely in price and technology over the past thirty years making them more popular then ever. Video games were originally for arcades, then came the first home console. The graphics have changed a lot since the first console game. Games colors were originally just black and white now they have more colors then you can think of. Not all businesses made it through competition of other businesses. In the seventies video games were fairly new. Some companies were