History of Video Games

Recently we watched a documentory on the History of Video games.

We watched a documentary about the History of Video Games which taught me a lot about where video games originated and why they were so popular. Video games originated from the military and the technology they created to predict the outcome of real life events that could not be acted out in real life, such as international attacks and invasions. I found this interesting because a lot of games are now developing the idea and use of multiple outcome endings, firstly seen in Myst games and more recently in Heavy Rain where the players’ decisions throughout the game lead them to different conclusions. In 1958 in the Brookhaven National Laboratory, William Higinbotham developed the game, Tennis for Two on an oscilloscope to cure his boredom. The designed circuit displayed the path of the ball and reversed its path when it hit the ground. The circuit also sensed if the ball hit the net and simulated velocity. Users could interact with the ball using an analog aluminum controller to click a button to hit the ball and use a knob to control the angle. This game is considered the first video game. In a laboratory focused on war and missiles, Higinbotham had created something he could use to escape this reality, even if it was only for a few minutes. The first video game had been created, yet it was in 1972 when the video games were taken to a new level with the release of the very first home console, nicknamed the Brown Box. Ralph Baer created the first working prototype of the Brown Box in 1968 after 2 years.

The Documentary also spoke about the creation of some of the revolutionary games in the video game industry. Released in 1972 by Atari, Pong is one of the first arcade games that hit mainstream popularity and the first commercially successful video game, which led to the start of the video game industry. What was interesting about this was how the creator Allan Alcorn made one small change that changed the game dramatically. Instead of the ball bouncing off the paddle in a horizontal line, Alcorn changed it so the ball would bounce off at a different angle depending on which part of the paddle the ball hit. This small change in the programming made a huge difference to the enjoyment value of the game and probably made it the popular well loved game it is. Space Invaders also experienced a similar event where a small change to the game made a big difference. The creators of Space invaders decided they wanted to add sound to their game, representing a heartbeat. They used 4 notes for this, but raised the tempo of the beat as the aliens came closer towards the player, this automatically built tension to the game and panic to the player resulting in an adrenaline rush making Space Invaders addictive and more thrilling to play.
By the late 70s video games had grown grown greatly in popularity, played mainly by the male population, so in 1980, Toru Iwatani, released a game he had designed for the female population. Pacman. Before seeing this documentory I had no idea Pacman was designed for girls, and with Toru Iwatani's inspiration for making a girls game being "girls like to eat" im not entirely sure if that makes it a "girls" game. However, I understand his logic, making a game aimed at females would double the market which would double his money. Although simple in comparison to todays games, and being created with the inpiration of 5/6s of a pizza, Pacman was the first video game Protagonist.
Although this sudden burst of new technology and video games were seen as great in so many ways, it also divided generations. Children, teenagers and young adults were learning about things the older generations were not. Times were changing and becoming a young persons world. I believe this divide in generations has continued to this day as roles have flipped where the young are teaching the old.