Video Game History Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Second topic in the series on history.
• Focus on video game history from its inception in 1962 to current trends.
• Difficult to definitively name the first video game, but MIT's Spacewar! (1962) is a contender.

Early Development

• MIT Spacewar! (1962): Early video games were inaccessible to the general public.
• Home Consoles:
  • 1968: Magnavox Odyssey introduced home gaming.
  • Led to the Golden Age of arcades (1970s).

The Golden Age of Arcades

• 1972: Introduction of standalone arcade games.
• Pong by Atari: A tennis-like game, representative of early arcade games.
• 1977: Atari 2600 home system; notable for interchangeable cartridges.
• Arcade Classics:
  • Space Invaders (1978): Popular arcade game.
  • Pac-Man (1980): Cultural phenomenon.

Video Game Crash and Recovery

• 1983 Crash: Due to poor quality games flooding the market.
• 1985: Nintendo's NES revitalizes the market with classics like Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda.
• 1989: Game Boy introduced, notable for portable gaming and games like Tetris and Pokémon.

Console Wars and Evolution

• 1990s: Rise of competing home consoles, SNES vs. Sega Genesis.
  • SNES declared the winner.
• Mid-1990s: Introduction of N64, Sega Saturn, and Sony's PlayStation.
• 2000s: Shift to more advanced consoles:
  • PlayStation 2 vs. Xbox vs. GameCube.
  • Sega exits market due to Dreamcast's failure.

Modern Console Developments

• 2005-2013: PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii introduced.
  • Wii noted for motion capture technology.
• 2013-present: PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and new generation with PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

PC Gaming and Blizzard's Influence

• Blizzard Entertainment: Notable games include
  • Warcraft (1994)
  • Diablo series
  • Starcraft (1998)
  • World of Warcraft (2004): Popular MMORPG.
• League of Legends (2009): World's most popular game by Riot Games.

Notable Game Genres and Innovations

• Simulation Games: SimCity, The Sims.
• 4X Games: Civilization.
• First-Person Shooters: Wolfenstein 3D, Doom.
• Puzzle Games: Myst.
• Sandbox Games: Minecraft.

Digital Distribution

• 2003: Introduction of Steam by Valve, revolutionizing game purchase and distribution.

Future of Gaming

• Graphics Improvements anticipated.
• Virtual Reality: Oculus Rift exploring immersive experiences.

Conclusion

• Video game history is vast and complex, evolving rapidly with technology.
• Invitation to explore games and share insights with the lecturer.