Video Games: From Science to Entertainment
The first video games were created in the 1950s when computer scientists started creating easy simulations and games for their studies. Video games didn’t, however, become a popular form of entertainment until the 1970s.
“Tennis for Two,” designed by scientist William Higinbotham in 1958, was the first video game ever made. The game comprised two players using knobs to control the movement of a dot on the screen in order to simulate a game of tennis. It was played on an oscilloscope, a gadget used to show electronic signals.
With the release of the first arcade games, such as “Pong,” created by Atari in 1972, the video game business started to take shape in the 1970s. The game was an immediate success, and Atari swiftly released several titles, including “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man.”
With the release of home video game consoles like the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the 1980s, the popularity of video games increased even further. Video games like “Super Mario Bros.” and “The Legend of Zelda” became cultural icons, and the business started to make large profits.
The launch of the Sony PlayStation, which swiftly overtook other gaming consoles as the generation’s main model, coincided with the advent of 3D graphics in the 1990s. Instant classics like “Final Fantasy VII” and “Metal Gear Solid” helped the industry to expand.
Online gaming was developed in the 2000s, and mobile gaming increased with the advent of smartphones and tablets. After “World of Warcraft” and “Angry Birds” became massive hits, the gaming industry started to make even more money.
Technology has influenced the development of the video game industry significantly over the course of its history. Technology has made it possible for game creators to produce more intricate and graphically attractive games, from basic oscilloscopes to potent gaming consoles and mobile devices.
The video game industry has also been influenced by capitalism, with corporations continuously trying to make games that would sell well and make money. This prompted the creation of successful franchises like “Call of Duty” and “Assassin’s Creed,” as well as the focus on in-game currency (microtransactions) and downloadable content (DLC).
