When someone asks you to nominate key events in the video gaming industry, you immediately start to think Atari, which is partially correct – they did introduce us to the first mass market console, but other critical events occurred years before Atari came on the scene. Here are 15 critical events in the video games industry from 1958 to 1999 that you may have known or not known about:
[1958] The world’s first interactive video game ever invented was Tennis for Two by American physicist William Higinbotham (father of the nuclear bomb!). A simple concept of ‘Pong’ simulated on an oscilloscope created to alleviate boredom for library patrons.
[1972] Ralph Baer releases the world’s first home video games system, the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey marks the birth of the first generation of home video gaming systems.
[1972] Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney found Syzygy, which later becomes Atari. Atari first tastes success with Al Alcorn’s Pong, followed by the commercially successful Atari VCS / 2600 home video gaming console.
[1975] The MOS6502 8bit microprocessor is unleashed to the fledgling home computer market. Its competitive price ensured that it (and it’s variations) would find a home in popular computers and consoles, from the Apple II, Atari, to the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
[1978] Tomohiro Nishikado of Taito introduces the world to Space Invaders – the arcade game that sparked a renaissance for the video gaming industry. This was the game that started the golden age of the arcade.
[1979] Activision is founded by former disgruntled Atari programmers, David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Alan Miller, and Bob Whitehead. Activision becomes the world’s first third-party developer
[1979] Milton Bradley releases the “Microvision” – the first portable video games system. The Microvision was also the first portable console to use interchangeable game cartridges. The designer Jay Smith later went on to create the vector based home console, the Vectrex.
[1981] Nintendo releases the arcade game Donkey Kong, and introduces us to Jumpman, the little Italian plumber who we now know and love as Mario.
[1982] Dawn of the 8-bit home computer gaming system — it started many a schoolyard arguments across Europe and Australia. The Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum were all the rage. The Commodore 64 would reign supreme.
[1983] The North American video games market crash of 1983 brought the industry to its knees. A combination of too many consoles and inferior software products which the market could not sustain, resulted in the capitulation of the nascent industry. Once a leader in the market, Atari becomes a major causality and would never taste success again.
[1989] The world’s first 16-bit colour handheld is unveiled. Drawn on a napkin way back in 1986 by the men that created the Amiga, the Epyx Handy eventually became the Atari Lynx, some 3 years after that fateful napkin doodle.
[1991] Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog. A new mascot to identify Sega and to compete with Nintendo’s own Mario. Sonic was well received by the gaming community. Due to Sonic’s popularity, the franchise is still going till this day. Ironically, Nintendo now have exclusive rights to the Sonic franchise to produce games for the Wii U.
[1992] Mortal Kombat debuted in the video arcades and home consoles shortly after. It was the first video game to spark controversy among mainstream media and authorities, which then pushed the notion for an age classification system for electronic entertainment worldwide.
[1994] After the failed attempt in creating a CD addon for the Super Nintendo, Sony decides to go it alone and create their own console. Once Sony released the PlayStation, their dominance was assured and they went on to surpass the traditional video gaming heavyweights, Sega and Nintendo.
[1998-99] After poor sales of the Sega Saturn in the west, Sega produces their swan song, the Dreamcast. The console sold respectively but was outshone by the success of the PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast was known for great arcade ports and exclusive games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5 and Daytona USA 2001.
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This article was written in collaboration with the ausretrogamer team, Dave Kudrev (Retrospekt) and Daz (Retro Domination) for news.com.au. Image source: Supplied