Of the many areas of life in which technology has changed how we live, none perhaps strikes so close to home as entertainment. Technology has given us television, computers, phones, and of course, game consoles.Gaming in particular has undergone a remarkable development, from arcade-style games in single-game consoles to sleek consoles today that can do everything from record your favorite television shows to downloading the newest game as soon as it is released.
Here then, is a short history of gaming technology from the 1960s until now:
The 1960s: The Brown Box
The Brown Box was the name for a game console that German-born television engineer Ralph Baer and his colleagues created in 1967, the first video-game console to work on a standard television. Originally, the console started out with just one game known as “Chase”, before Baer and his team added another twelve along with a light gun to make up the Brown Box.The 1970s: Pong
In 1972, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney started Atari Computers, a company that would release the game Pongas a home video game in 1975. This proved to be Atari’s big hit, catapulting it to be a household name and a sought-after console for the masses.The key feature of Pongwas its single chip that produced both a score on-screen and a sound corresponding to the movement of the ball and paddle in the game. Two years later, the Atari VCS was released, featuring multiple games rather than just the one.
The 1980s: Nintendo
Today it’s a household name, but when Nintendo was first released in the U.S., many retailers and consumers were skeptical, especially in the wake of the video-game crash. Nintendo soon proved the skeptics wrong thanks to popular games such as Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda, many of which are still played today and have gained a cult following. |
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By also having a strict licensing policy to encourage high-quality third-party game development, Nintendo right from the start paved the way for games such as Final Fantasy. In addition, the 1980s also saw the introduction of handheld game console, the Game Boy in 1989.
Also Read: 3D Technology in Gaming
The 1990s: PlayStation
While the 1990s also saw the release of the Nintendo 64in 1996, the highlight of the decade was surely the launch of competitor Sony’s PlayStation, which stressed three-dimensional play and also included CD-ROM technology. The PlayStation brought games such as Gran Turismo, Tekken, and various Electronic Arts sport games into the mainstream, an influence that continues to hold today.The 2000s: Xbox & Wii
A year after Sony released their PlayStation2, Microsoft threw itself into the mix with the launch of the Xbox, a console built with PC technology allowing for greater performance when compared with the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo GameCube.Nevertheless, in 2006, Nintendo hit back with the launch of the Wii, a console that became the fastest selling game console in many markets due to its motion-sensing, pointer-based controller design appealing to a wide range of audiences.
The 2010s: Keep watching
This current decade has seen further developments in gaming technology, as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony continue to battle it out to win audiences with their new console designs, games, and innovations. Consoles today are synchronized to the Internet and TV giving their users the ability to access thousands of games at the tap of a button.Moreover, graphics are continuing to improve allowing for an even more immersive gaming experience. With developers continuing to create new products to cater for all ages and tastes, it’s surely an exciting time to be watching the gaming market, whether as an observer or gamer!
Lucy HolmesAbout the Author:
Lucy Holmes is a university student and freelance writer who is interested in technology and using it for work as well as fun! It’s a relief knowing there’s always Flexirent around in case her products ever break down.