The complete history of gaming: from Pong to GTA 6

The first-ever video game is a bit tricky to define because it depends on what you mean by a “video game.” But many people agree that one of the first true video games was “Tennis for Two,” created by physicist William Higinbotham in 1958. It was as basic as it gets, with a bouncing dot and a horizontal line for a net displayed on an oscilloscope screen (a machine that shows electrical signals on a screen).

To play it two players used controllers with knobs and buttons to hit a small dot (the ball) back and forth over a line (the net). Higinbotham built it just to entertain visitors at a science lab, and it was never designed to leave the lab.  

The first video games (1950s–1970s)

Gaming didn't start with consoles or arcade games like you might think, but in labs by scientists messing around with old-school computers.

Computers back then weren’t the computers we think of today, they were huge machines that filled entire rooms, and only researchers or programmers had access to them. As mentioned, one of the first real video games was Tennis for Two, created by physicist William Higinbotham in 1958. It was super basic: just a bouncing dot and a horizontal line for a net, shown on an oscilloscope screen. Still, it was fun for the scientists at the time – and that’s all that mattered.

Another early game that often gets mentioned is “Spacewar!” from 1962. This one was made by students at MIT. It was more complex than “Tennis for Two” and became popular among computer scientists and students. Many people call “Spacewar!” the first real video game that influenced future game design.

Arcades Take Over (Late 1970s–1980s)

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, video games moved out of labs and into public places. This time is often called the “Golden Age of Arcade Games,” when people all over the world first got to experience video games in arcades, shopping centres, bars and Cafés.

It all began with a little-known company called Atari dropping an arcade game called Pong in 1972. Pong looked like virtual table tennis, with playing using a joncon to control a rectangle paddle and a square pixel ball against a CPU. This might seem quite basic now, but it was revolutionary at the time.

From then, Arcades quickly became the spot for gamers and people crowded into arcades to play for high scores and bragging rights.

One of the first huge arcade hits was Space Invaders, released in 1978 by Japanese company Taito. Players controlled a tiny cannon at the bottom of the screen, shooting up at rows of invading aliens. It was simple, but super addicting. The game was so popular that it caused a coin shortage in Japan!

Then came Pac-Man in 1980, made by Namco. Unlike the usual shooting games at the time, Pac-Man was colourful, fun, and had a cute main character, with players guiding Pac-Man through a maze, eating dots and avoiding ghosts. Pac-Man became a pop culture icon, with the game inspiring toys, cartoons, and even a hit song.

There were, of course, many other hits during this time, including the likes of:

• Asteroids (1979) – a space shooter where you blast rocks into smaller pieces.

• Defender (981) – fly a spaceship to rescue humans while shooting aliens.

• Donkey Kong (1981) – jump over barrels and rescue the girl from a giant ape.

• Galaga (1981) – shoot down alien ships in cool patterns.

• Frogger (1981) – guide a frog across roads and rivers without getting hit.

Home Consoles and the 1983 Crash (1980s)

After the arcade boom, players started wanting to enjoy games without leaving the house. That’s where home consoles came in. These were gaming systems you could connect to your TV to play games using cartridges or discs. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, home consoles became super popular, or at first at least.

The most famous early home console was the Atari 2600, released in 1977. It used game cartridges so you could play different games like Asteroids, Combat, and Adventure on the same machine. That was a big deal.

By the early 1980s, video games were everywhere. Dozens of companies started making their own consoles, and even more companies were making games. The problem was not all these games were actually good.

The most infamous example? E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) for Atari 2600. Atari paid millions for the rights to make the game, but the developer had just five weeks to finish it. The game ended up confusing, glitchy, and just plain bad. Millions of copies were returned or left unsold, and thousands ended up being buried in a New Mexico landfill… seriously!

By 1983, trust in video games started to drop. Stores had shelves full of unsold games and consoles, and some retailers stopped selling them completely, causing industry fell apart almost overnight. This became known as the Video Game Crash of 1983.

The video game industry in North America lost billions of dollars from 1973 to 1985, and many people thought video games were just a short-lived trend that had already come and gone.

Nintendo Saves the Day with the NES (1985)

Enter Nintendo, a Japanese company that used to make toys and arcade games. In 1985, they released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America. It came with Super Mario Bros., and suddenly, gaming was cool again.

NES was a beast. It had better graphics, smoother gameplay, and strong rules for game quality. That meant no more broken or rushed games. Some iconic NES games include:

• Super Mario Bros. – platforming perfection.

• The Legend of Zelda – open-world adventure with dungeons, puzzles, and secrets.

• Metroid – explore alien planets with power-ups and creepy music.

• Mega Man 2 – intense boss fights and catchy tunes.

Nintendo also introduced the idea of "third-party developers" too, meaning other companies like Capcom, Konami, and Square could make games for the NES for the first time. That gave gamers loads the play on the same console, making NES one of the most successful consoles at the time.

Console Wars – Sega vs. Nintendo (1990s)

After Nintendo saved the video game industry in the late '80s with the NES, they had quickly become the top gaming company in the world. But in the next decade, a fierce competitor stepped onto the scene: Sega.

The 1990s brought better graphics, faster gameplay, and the first console wars. Nintendo released the Super Nintendo (SNES) in 1991. Around the same time, Sega had the Genesis, which hit the U.S. in 1989.

In 1989, Sega released the Sega Genesis (called the Mega Drive outside North America). It was faster and more powerful than the NES. Sega's goal was clear: take down Nintendo.

To compete with Nintendo’s mascot, Mario, Sega introduced Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991. Sonic was cool, fast, and had an edgy attitude that appealed to older kids and teens. His first game, Sonic the Hedgehog, was a huge success. With blast processing (a fancy marketing term for the Genesis’s speed), Sonic zoomed through colorful levels and collected golden rings.

Nintendo didn’t just sit back. In 1991, they released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It had improved graphics, better sound, and smoother gameplay than the NES. It came packed with Super Mario World, one of the most beloved platformers of all time.

Both consoles had amazing games:

• SNES: Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy VI, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

• Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Mortal Kombat (with blood!), and NBA Jam.

This era introduced fighting games (like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat) and RPGs (role-playing games) that told deep, emotional stories.

3D Graphics and the PlayStation Era (1994 – 2000)

In the mid-1990s, video games entered a whole new dimension – literally. For the first time, players could move their characters in 3D space, not just left and right, and instead of flat, side-scrolling games, gamers were now exploring full environments. It was a major level-up for the whole industry.

The biggest surprise of the decade? Sony, a company known aty the time for TVs and music players, entered the gaming scene with the PlayStation in 1994 (Japan) and 1995 (North America). Emerging as a failed deal between Sony and Nintendo, the PlayStation turned into one of the most successful consoles of all time.

The PlayStation used CDs instead of cartridges. CDs were cheaper, held more data, and allowed for, longer games, full-motion video (cutscenes), better sound quality, and voice acting and music.

Developers loved it, and soon the PlayStation was packed with iconic games like:

• Final Fantasy VII (1997) – one of the most important RPGs ever

• Metal Gear Solid (1998) – cinematic stealth action

• Resident Evil (1996) – survival horror with jump scares and zombies

• Crash Bandicoot – Sony’s answer to Mario

• Gran Turismo – realistic racing with licensed cars

PlayStation also appealed to older players. The games were edgier, the ads were cooler, and the graphics were way ahead of previous consoles.

Not to be left behind, Nintendo launched the Nintendo 64 (N64) in 1996. It still used cartridges but had more powerful hardware than the PlayStation.

N64 delivered some of the most groundbreaking 3D games ever:

• Super Mario 64 – the first 3D platformer; a true game-changer

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – a massive 3D adventure filled with puzzles and epic boss battles

• GoldenEye 007 – a 4-player shooter that defined couch multiplayer

• Mario Kart 64 – fun, fast, and super competitive

Nintendo stuck with its family-friendly style but still made bold moves in game design. Mario and Link had never looked—or played—this good before.

The HD Gaming Era Begins

The mid-to-late 2000s, brought a massive upgrade in how games looked, sounded, and felt, thanks to powerful new consoles and HD TVs becoming common in homes, video games started to look more realistic than ever before.

This leap forward began with the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005, followed by the PlayStation 3 in 2006, and later the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2013. These systems supported 1080p resolution, advanced lighting effects, better physics, and huge open-world environments that could load in real time. Graphics cards and processors were stronger than anything seen in previous generations, and developers pushed them to their limits.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) raised the bar for online shooters with fast-paced multiplayer, realistic weapons, and jaw-dropping action set-pieces. It helped cement online gaming as the main way people played, especially on consoles. Around the same time, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption, and Uncharted brought Hollywood-style acting, cutscenes, and voice work into the spotlight, making games more immersive and emotional.

The new tech allowed for some legendary games that wouldn’t have been possible before. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) offered a vast fantasy world with hundreds of quests and dynamic weather. Assassin’s Creed (2007) let players climb across historic cities with smooth animations and cinematic storytelling. Bioshock (2007) combined eerie visuals, first-person combat, and deep storytelling in a way that stunned players and critics alike.

By the 2010s, players had come to expect cinematic experiences, online features, and constant content updates. Game development budgets were rising fast, and AAA games began to look more like blockbuster movies, complete with voice actors, orchestral soundtracks, and detailed animations.

Some of the biggest hits of this time include:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – a huge fantasy world with monsters and moral decisions

• Grand Theft Auto V – open-world crime and chaos

• Red Dead Redemption 2 – a cowboy epic with cinematic storytelling

• The Last of Us – emotional survival with deep characters

• Minecraft – build anything you want with blocks; the ultimate sandbox

The HD era didn't just make games look better – it changed what games could be. It blurred the line between games and film, introduced new ways to connect with others, and raised the bar for quality and depth. This laid the foundation for the massive, complex, and immersive games we see today.

The Rise of Mobile Gaming (2007)

In the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s, mobile gaming exploded. With the rise of smartphones, especially after the release of the iPhone in 2007, millions of people suddenly had a powerful gaming device right in their pocket. You no longer needed an expensive console or gaming PC to play. Now, anyone with a phone could download a game and start playing within seconds.

Early mobile hits like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Doodle Jump were easy to learn and fun to replay. They didn’t need fancy graphics or deep stories—they just needed addictive gameplay and quick sessions that fit into everyday life. You could play while waiting in line, riding the bus, or during a lunch break.

As phones became more powerful and app stores grew, mobile games got better, One of the biggest mobile hits ever was Candy Crush Saga. Launched in 2012, it combined colorful graphics with puzzle gameplay and social features like sharing lives and competing with Facebook friends. Another global sensation, Pokémon GO (2016), used augmented reality (AR) to let players find Pokémon in the real world, using GPS and phone cameras. It got millions of people walking around cities and parks, turning real-life locations into game zones.

By the late 2010s, mobile gaming had become the biggest sector of the gaming industry in terms of revenue. Popular franchises like Call of Duty, PUBG, and League of Legends released mobile versions, reaching even more players across the globe. Some mobile games even became part of the esports scene, with professional tournaments and cash prizes.

Streaming, Esports and Cloud gaming (2020s and Beyond)            

In the 2020s, video games have become more than just a way to play, and there’s now a way to watch, compete, connect, and even create with games. Gaming is now massive, multi-billion-pound industry that exrtends to live-streaming, esports, virtual reality, AI, and cloud technology.

These days, millions of people don’t just play games – they also love to watch other people play. Platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Kick, and Facebook Gaming have created a whole new kind of gaming experience. Streamers broadcast their gameplay live, while fans watch, chat, and sometimes even donate money or subscribe to support them.

The way people access games is changing too. With cloud gaming, players can stream full games without needing a powerful console or PC. Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now let you play big titles on your phone, tablet, or browser. Add to that cross-platform play, and you can game with friends no matter what system they use.

We’re heading into a world where you won’t need a console, a disc, or even a download. Thanks to cloud gaming, you’ll be able to stream blockbuster games straight to your phone, tablet, or TV—just like Netflix. Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna are already doing this. Forget loading screens—soon you’ll be able to jump into Halo, GTA, or Elden Ring 2 with just a tap.

Gamers themselves are also becoming creators. Platforms like Roblox, Dreams, and Fortnite Creative are letting players build their own games, share them with others, and even make money doing it. Expect this trend to grow fast. Future games might come with built-in tools that let you design levels, write your own stories, or remix your favorite worlds with your own twist. You won’t just play, but build, share, and maybe even go viral.

And with crossplay, voice chat, and global servers, it won’t matter what system you’re playing with either. You’ll be able to play with friends anytime, anywhere, on your phone, smart TVs, or even wearable tech we don't have yet.

The line between real life and game life is fading fast, and honestly, the next level looks amazing.

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