Despite what many think about how new video and computer games are, they actually have a history that stretches back to the very end of the 1940′s. Thanks to massive funding from the United States military, vast main frame computers were instructed to perform research and do other experimental tasks and scientists eventually got around to trying to see if they could make games on these big machines. Of course, these were far too expensive for any home use, but they did prove to be essential for the creating of the world’s first games. In the 50′s and 60′s universities would begin to get their own computers and these would allow students the chance to learn about programming and even create their own games. These were simple and very closely tied to the military concept, with games such as Space Wars focusing on the idea of shooting down missiles. These first very simple games would be developed further until the end of the 1960′s when big changes would happen.
As manufacturing of technology needed for video game and computer machines became much easier and cheaper to do, the very first stand up, coin operated video game machines would be provided. These arcade games were not easy for players to learn at first, but they did eventually take hold and soon there would be a rush of games that are now considered true classics. Such games as Asteroids and Space Invaders came out in the 1970′s and so did the Atari home gaming system. Atari, however, was not the first console system – that was the Magnavox Odyssey that proved the commercial viability of games for the home. As technology got better and less expensive to make, consumers began to be able to afford computers for their homes, as well. Radio Shack brought out the Tandy home computer and the Apple system became available. These are just two of the earliest home computers, but they got the foot in the door for the computer game industry, entertaining kids with simple games that were educational.
From here on out, things would heat up rapidly. The 1980′s would blast the arcade industry into the stratosphere and many would spring up all over the world, eating the quarters of adults and children alike. That however, only whet the appetites of the game playing public and spurred the growth of both the computer and video game console industries. The 80′s saw Atari become a mainstay in many homes and it also saw the birth of many new 8 bit gaming systems such as Sega’s and Nintendo’s entrants to the world of video game manufacturing. These cartridge based games would hold out for the decade and really change the way people thought of gaming. Then would come new computers that offered colors and more power than ever before for the home environment.
After the 80′s came to a close, games began to come out on CD Rom which allowed for much higher storage capacity. This CD format also came out for the computer. More data meant better sound and graphics so games really became complex in a fast way. This ended up choking the arcade industry which hit a severe decline and has never managed to recover. Arcade games would not be able to compete with the home gaming industry and so they faded quietly into the distance. The gaming industry, though, along with the computer gaming industry, quickly became the number one sector of entertainment world wide. Today, thanks to the internet and so many mobile devices along with the wide spread popularity of consoles and home computers – gaming is the largest sector of entertainment globally.
