{"id":321905,"date":"2024-09-27T11:57:58","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T11:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?p=321905"},"modified":"2024-09-27T12:35:36","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T12:35:36","slug":"who-invented-video-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/who-invented-video-games","title":{"rendered":"Who Invented Video Games? Full History of Video Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Video games have been a part of our daily lives for decades now. Many of us have never known a time when they didn&#8217;t exist and somewhat take that for granted without digging into their history, but who invented video games?<\/p>\n<p>What was the first video game? These are questions too few of us seem to ask. The evolution of gaming is very well documented, letting us easily map out an entire history of video games&#8217; timeline to answer these burning questions.<\/p>\n<p>Join us as we answer your biggest questions about our favorite medium, from who invented the first video game to a complete history of video game consoles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#dddddd;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F7F7F7;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<h2><span id=\"key_takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0The first video game can be traced back to the early 1950s.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Video game consoles began with the Magnavox Odyssey.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0We are currently in the ninth generation in the video game timeline.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Nintendo consoles didn&#8217;t show up until the third generation.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0A.S. Douglas invented the first video game, but Ralph Baer is often credited with being the father of video games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div>\n    <section class=\"toc-sticky w-100 bg-white \">\n        <div class=\"toc-sticky__container container\">\n            <div class=\"toc-sticky__open d-flex align-items-end\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                 aria-controls=\"multiCollapse1\"\n                 data-bs-target=\"#multiCollapse1\">\n                <button\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary collapse-action-btn p-1 rounded-circle\"\n                        type=\"button\"\n                >\n                    <i class=\"icon-chevron-up\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <span id=\"toc-current-title\" class=\"d-flex align-items-center\">\n                    Table of Contents\n                <\/span>\n                <span class=\"toc-main-title-permanent\">Table of Contents<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div\n                    class=\"collapse my-3\"\n                    id=\"multiCollapse1\"\n            >\n                <ol class=\"StepProgress\">\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item current\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"key_takeaways\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"key_takeaways\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Key Takeaways<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"who_invented_the_first_video_game\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"who_invented_the_first_video_game\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Who Invented the First Video Game?<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"the_first_video_game_console\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_first_video_game_console\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">The First Video Game Console<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"history_of_video_game_consoles\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"history_of_video_game_consoles\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">History of Video Game Consoles<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"console_generations\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"console_generations\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Console Generations<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"video_game_console_generations_in_order\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"video_game_console_generations_in_order\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Video Game Console Generations in Order<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"the_bottom_line\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_bottom_line\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">The Bottom Line<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"faqs\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"faqs\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">FAQs<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div class=\"toc-sticky__container__disperse\"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"toc-sticky__btn-top justify-content-center\">\n                    <button class=\"btn btn-link d-flex align-items-center\" onclick={btnTop()}><p>Show Full Guide<\/p><img decoding=\"async\"\n                                src=\"\/wp-content\/plugins\/table-of-contents\/assets\/images\/arrow-up-circle.svg\"\n                                alt=\"arrow-up-circle\">\n                    <\/button>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <div class=\"toc-sticky-list\">\n        <div class=\"toc-sticky__container container\">\n            <div class=\"toc-sticky__open d-flex align-items-end\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-controls=\"multiCollapse2\" data-bs-target=\"#multiCollapse2\">\n                <button class=\"btn btn-primary collapse-action-btn p-1 rounded-circle\"\n                        type=\"button\">\n                    <i class=\"icon-chevron-up up\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <span id=\"toc-current-title\" class=\"d-flex align-items-center\">\n                    Table of Contents\n                <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div  class=\"collapse my-3\" id=\"multiCollapse2\">\n                <ol class=\"StepProgress\">\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item current \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"key_takeaways\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"key_takeaways\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Key Takeaways<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"who_invented_the_first_video_game\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"who_invented_the_first_video_game\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Who Invented the First Video Game?<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"the_first_video_game_console\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_first_video_game_console\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">The First Video Game Console<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <span class=\"show_moretoc\">Show Full Guide<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"history_of_video_game_consoles\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"history_of_video_game_consoles\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">History of Video Game Consoles<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"console_generations\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"console_generations\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Console Generations<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"video_game_console_generations_in_order\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"video_game_console_generations_in_order\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Video Game Console Generations in Order<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"the_bottom_line\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_bottom_line\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">The Bottom Line<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"faqs\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"faqs\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">FAQs<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n            <\/div>\n            <div 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pageLegendCollapse);\n\tjQuery('span.show_moretoc').click(function(){\n\t\tjQuery('span.show_moretoc').hide();\n\t   jQuery('.ms_hidetoc').show();\n\t});\n    });\n\n    \/\/ When the user clicks on the button, scroll to the top of the document\n    function btnTop() {\n        const pageLegend = document.querySelector('#multiCollapse1');\n        document.querySelector('html').classList.remove('overflow-hidden');\n        pageLegend.classList.remove('overflow-auto');\n        pageLegend.style.height = 'auto';\n        window.scrollTo({\n            top: 0,\n            behavior: 'smooth'\n        });\n    }\n\n    const handleScrollToTitle = (id) => {\n        const el = document.getElementById(id);\n        const headerHeightDifference = window.innerWidth < 992 ? -30 : -15;\n        window.scrollTo({\n            top: el.offsetTop - 60 - headerHeightDifference - 10,\n        });\n    }\n<\/script>\n\n<h2><span id=\"who_invented_the_first_video_game\">Who Invented the First Video Game?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 1952, a British professor named A.S. Douglas made a rudimentary game he called OXO. This was a rudimentary recreation of the classic pen-and-paper game tic-tac-toe translated onto the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator computer. This primitive machine was one of the first that allowed users to write their own programs that the computer would read and display on a basic screen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_321912\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-321912\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/OXO.jpg\" alt=\"OXO, aka Naughts and Crosses, is considered the first true video game.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"798\" class=\"wp-image-321912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/OXO.jpg 514w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/OXO-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-321912\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OXO, aka Naughts and Crosses, is considered the first true video game. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OXO was Douglas&#8217; thesis project at Cambridge and was sadly deleted after its demonstration.<\/p>\n<p>The average person will probably point to a game like Pong when asked what the first video game was, but that game is actually a few decades older than the first game we can consider a video game as we understand it.<\/p>\n<p>A more common answer to who invented video games would be William Higinbotham, the creator of Tennis for Two at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. This game was a basic simulation of tennis, much like Pong would be later, that used repurposed oscilloscopes as controllers.<\/p>\n<p>The reason some might consider this the real first video game is the fact that it was made open to the public to play in 1958 and 1959, while OXO was never playable outside of a select few at Cambridge.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"the_first_video_game_console\">The First Video Game Console<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is only when we reach the dawn of consoles does video game history begins to look like something we can recognize as video games.<\/p>\n<p>The first video game console was called the Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972. It was originally prototyped as early as 1967 by Ralph Baer, who wanted to create a system multiple people could use to play a variety of games in their homes. Granted, these different games were simply plastic overlays you placed on your TV screen and different written rules players would follow. At that time, arcades were still niche, and each machine was dedicated to a single game.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_321913\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-321913\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Magnavox-Odyssey.jpg\" alt=\"The Magnavox Odyssey is the first home video game console released in 1972.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"608\" class=\"wp-image-321913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Magnavox-Odyssey.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Magnavox-Odyssey-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Magnavox-Odyssey-1024x519.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Magnavox-Odyssey-768x389.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-321913\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Magnavox Odyssey is the first home video game console released in 1972. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Odyssey&#8217;s controllers were blocky and meant to be placed on a table while in use. They had one reset button on top, as well as three knobs; one on the right and two on the left. These knobs allowed players to move and manipulate individual squares on the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Games were played by placing a plastic overlay on the screen to create scenarios, such as a maze in which one player chased the other&#8217;s block, called Cat and Mouse. Due to the limited span of color TVs at the time, the system&#8217;s graphics were purely black and white, and the package included color overlays you had to physically stick to your television.<\/p>\n<p>The Magnavox Odyssey never caught on, in large part because most people did not understand the concept of controlling an image on their TV screens. This system only had 28 games released for it, including Brain Wave, Dogfight, Invasion, and Shootout. However, a tennis simulation game on the system would go on to inspire the arcade hit Pong in 1972.<\/p>\n<p>It would be another five years before another home console came out, but the Magnavox Odyssey set the standard that other systems would build on and remains one of the most important pieces of video game history.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"history_of_video_game_consoles\">History of Video Game Consoles<\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_321916\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-321916\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ps5-Pro-and-Slim.jpg\" alt=\"We\u2019ve come a long way since the days of the Magnavox Odyssey. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"wp-image-321916 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ps5-Pro-and-Slim.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ps5-Pro-and-Slim-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ps5-Pro-and-Slim-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ps5-Pro-and-Slim-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-321916\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We\u2019ve come a long way since the days of the Magnavox Odyssey. Source: PlayStation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Magnavox Odyssey may have been the first video game console, but it is far from the only historically significant one.<\/p>\n<p>The Odyssey isn&#8217;t a name most people recognize anymore (unless you&#8217;re talking about the latest 3D Mario game) but it paved the way for some of the most iconic and long-running brands in gaming.<\/p>\n<p>But there is one other oft forgotten console that played a pivotal role in the history of game consoles: the Fairchild Channel F released in 1976. This was the first console to utilize programmable ROM cartridges that gave players the ability to change games on a single system.<\/p>\n<p>Following its arcade hits, Atari consoles were the first to achieve mainstream success. It began in 1975 with its stand-alone Pong system (which spawned a litany of Pong consoles), which was successful enough for it to develop the Atari 2600 in 1977.<\/p>\n<p>The Atari 2600 was a revolution for not only having interchangeable cartridges that let players access multiple games on the same hardware at home, just like the Fairchild, but with much greater variety and quality. This is also where the classic joystick and button controller first appeared outside of arcades.<\/p>\n<p>There were a handful of other consoles at the time, but none as important as when the first Nintendo consoles arrived and brought the entire gaming industry back to life after the infamous crash in the &#8217;80s. While Atari did once again try to reclaim its spot as one of the pillars of the gaming industry (despite being the cause of the crash in the first place), it was at this point Sega consoles, and later PlayStation and Xbox, would come in and replace all the consoles from the first two generations.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"console_generations\">Console Generations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We already answered what the first video game console was, but there&#8217;s a lot more to cover if you want a full breakdown of video game consoles from their origins to the present day.<\/p>\n<p>Console generations are an easy way to distinguish between major jumps in video game history. While they don&#8217;t line up perfectly, since older consoles often get supported after new ones come out, and not all systems release in the same timeframe, there are generally agreed-upon official generations we can look to.<\/p>\n<p>Because we could spend thousands of words on each individual console and its impact on the industry, let&#8217;s instead break them down into generations, from the first all the way up to the current ninth generation. We haven&#8217;t included absolutely everything from the early days (due to the sheer abundance of hardware) but only the most notable examples from the time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_321921\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-321921\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/NES.jpg\" alt=\"Nintendo pulled the entire industry back from the brink with the NES) \" width=\"1200\" height=\"652\" class=\"wp-image-321921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/NES.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/NES-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/NES-1024x556.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/NES-768x417.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-321921\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nintendo pulled the entire industry back from the brink with the NES) Source: Nintendo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"video_game_console_generations_in_order\">Video Game Console Generations in Order<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The exact dates of gaming console generations have been debated. However, we&#8217;ve listed the systems based on the times they were released, most popular, and then discontinued. Some machines lived longer than others, and many generations overlapped, such as what we&#8217;re seeing in the present, with the eighth and ninth generations in tandem.<br \/>\n<div class=\"su-accordion su-u-trim\">\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>First Generation Consoles: 1972 - 1980<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Magnavox Odyssey<\/li>\n<li>Ping-O-Tronic<\/li>\n<li>Home Pong Series<\/li>\n<li>Coleco Telstar<\/li>\n<li>Color TV-Game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Second Generation Consoles: 1976 - 1983<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Fairchild Channel F<\/li>\n<li>Atari 2600<\/li>\n<li>Magnavox Odyssey 2<\/li>\n<li>Intellivision<\/li>\n<li>ColecoVision<\/li>\n<li>Atari 5200<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Third Generation Consoles: 1983 - 1990<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Nintendo Entertainment System\/Famicom<\/li>\n<li>Sega Master System<\/li>\n<li>Atari 7800<\/li>\n<li>Atari XEGS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Fourth Generation Consoles: 1987 - 1990<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>TurboGrafx-16<\/li>\n<li>Sega Genesis\/Mega Drive<\/li>\n<li>Neo Geo<\/li>\n<li>Super NES\/Super Famicom<\/li>\n<li>Sega CD<\/li>\n<li>CD-i<\/li>\n<li>Neo Geo CD<\/li>\n<li>Game Boy<\/li>\n<li>Atari Lynx<\/li>\n<li>Game Gear<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Fifth Generation Consoles: 1993 - 1999<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Amiga CD32<\/li>\n<li>Atari Jaguar<\/li>\n<li>3DO<\/li>\n<li>PC-FX<\/li>\n<li>Sega 32X<\/li>\n<li>Sega Saturn<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation<\/li>\n<li>Nintendo 65<\/li>\n<li>Game Boy Color<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Sixth Generation Consoles: 1998 - 2004<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Dreamcast<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation 2<\/li>\n<li>GameCube<\/li>\n<li>Xbox<\/li>\n<li>Game Boy Advance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Seventh Generation Consoles: 2004 - 2013<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Xbox 360<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation 3<\/li>\n<li>Nintendo Wii<\/li>\n<li>Nintendo DS<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation Portable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Eighth Generation Consoles: 2011 - Present<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>Nintendo Wii U<\/li>\n<li>Nintendo Switch<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation 4<\/li>\n<li>Xbox One<\/li>\n<li>Nintendo 3DS<\/li>\n<li>PlayStation Vita<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-fancy su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span><strong>Ninth Generation Consoles: 2020 - Present<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n<ul>\n<li>PlayStation 5<\/li>\n<li>Xbox Series X\/S<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"the_bottom_line\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Video game history is a rich and complex tale we could spend hours discussing. While questions like who invented video games and what the first video game console was have fairly easy answers, many common questions are a bit more complicated.<\/p>\n<p>However, knowing as much about the history of video game consoles and software can make you appreciate just how far the medium has come. Where games were once incredibly basic simulations running on computers the size of entire rooms that only select scientists and professors had access to, we can now enjoy bleeding-edge gameplay and graphics in a neat little box under our TVs.<\/p>\n<p>While we&#8217;re currently in the ninth generation of consoles now, we don&#8217;t see any signs of this medium ending any time soon. From the looks of it, things are only going to continue evolving in new and exciting ways that we can&#8217;t wait to experience first-hand.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"faqs\">FAQs<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"man_faq_sec\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><\/time><section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What was the first video game in history?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">The first video game is OXO, a tic-tac-toe game, made in 1952. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Who invented the video game?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">A.S. Douglass is credited with creating the first video game, but many people consider Ralph Baer the father of video games for creating the first video games for consumers with the Magnavox Odyssey. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">How have games evolved over time?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">Games began as very basic and limited simulations on massive computers, jumped to home consoles and arcades, and revolutionized themselves over the generations with better controls, graphics, and gameplay. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What was the first game console?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">The first video game console was the Magnavox Odyssey. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What came out first, PlayStation or Xbox?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">The PlayStation was first released in 1994 in Japan and 1995 in America, while the Xbox wasn\u2019t released until the next generation, in 2001. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What is the first generation of video game consoles?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">The first generation of game consoles lasted from 1972 until 1983 and included the Magnavox Odyssey, Ping-O-Tronic, Home Pong series, Coleco Telstar, and Color TV-Game. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video games have been a part of our daily lives for decades now. Many of us have never known a time when they didn&#8217;t exist and somewhat take that for granted without digging into their history, but who invented video games? What was the first video game? These are questions too few of us seem [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":287090,"featured_media":321953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[564,3091],"tags":[],"category_partsoff":[],"class_list":["post-321905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming","category-culture-communities"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who Invented Video Games? 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Let\u2019s explore the big questions, like who invented video games.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/who-invented-video-games\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Techopedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techopedia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-27T11:57:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-27T12:35:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Who-Invented-Video-Games-Full-History-of-Video-Games.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"686\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jesse Lennox\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@techopedia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@techopedia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jesse Lennox\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/who-invented-video-games#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/who-invented-video-games\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jesse Lennox\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4b92840cbf9181b2f05dfc088f9d3d2b\"},\"headline\":\"Who Invented Video Games? 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