A video game is a type of game played using a video that sends an image signal, such as a computer or game console, and a visual user interface (television, monitor, etc.). So when and how was this game genre invented and how did it evolve?
Although simple games and simulations were developed especially in research laboratories of universities until 1958, these games did not have motion graphics. By 1958, physicist William Higinbotham had developed a video game called Tennis for Two. Tennis for Two is considered the first video game in history, as motion graphics are used in this simple game that can be viewed on the oscilloscope screen and consists of pulling the lever and pressing the button.
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Baer is considered to have been the inventor of video games, specifically of the concept of the home video game console. In 1966, while an employee at Sanders Associates, Baer started to explore the possibility of playing games on television screens.
Spacewar! The first computer-based game was developed. The game also has the distinction of being the first game to be installed on more than one computer.
In 1972, Ralph Baer and his friends invented the first video game console, available for sale as the Magnavox Odyssey. Operated by connecting to the TV, Odyssey included a few simple games. The console has sold over 700,000 copies in three years.
This success of Odyssey led to the emergence of rival companies. Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari in the same year and launched the game Pong, which can be played on coin-operated or coin-operated machines in video arcades, and received great acclaim. Due to the interest in this game, Atari released the Atari 2600 video game console in 1977.
In 1978 and 1980, Space Invaders and Pac-Man games were developed and attracted great interest from users.
In the 1980s, especially with the spread of home consoles, the game market grew a lot. In order to meet the demands, companies started to produce more games. This rapid production and consumption process has increased repetition in games and reduced sales. Another factor affecting the console industry was that computer prices fell too much due to competition. So much so that in 1982, a console was sold for almost the same price as the Commodore 64. Therefore, many companies had to withdraw from the market.
After Nintendo entered the market with its game console in 1985, the video game industry got active again. Reducing console costs, Nintendo also took some measures to prevent the release of poor quality games. He also released the famous games Super Mario Brothers (1985) and Legend of Zelda (1986).
Nintendo released the "Game Boy" handheld video game device in 1989.
In the late 1980s, IBM and Apple Macintosh computers entered the gaming world. In 1991, the strategy game Civilization was released for personal computers (PC). Advances in computer technology have opened the door to three-dimensional games. In 1993, the computer game Doom was developed. Especially with the spread of the internet, many players started to play with each other online.
Sega and Sony also joined the video game console market in the 1990s. Popular games such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter appeared during the same period. The popularity of Sony's games, which launched the PlayStation in 1994, and the price policy made it very difficult for Sega and Nintendo to compete with Sony.
The launch of Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles in 2005 and 2006 started a new era in the gaming industry. The Wii's gesture remote control has made gaming much more fun and active.
By the 2010s, video games had spread to social media platforms like Facebook and mobile devices like the iPhone, reaching a more general audience.
Wii U in 2012, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2013. Sony introduced the PlayStation 4 Pro console, the first console with 4K video support, to users in 2016. Nintendo Switch was released in early 2017. Microsoft, on the other hand, launched its 4K-supported console, the Xbox One X, in late 2017.
Sony and Microsoft, with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X, which they released at the end of 2020, have brought the video game experience of the players to the top by integrating virtual reality into the games.
Today, video games connect millions across consoles, computers and mobile devices. Thanks to the advancement of technology, the video game industry, which provides new experiences to its users, is expected to grow even more in the coming period. So what is your favorite game?