The History of Video Games

Tennis for Two debuts

Physicist William Higinbotham creates Tennis for Two on an oscilloscope at Brookhaven National Laboratory — one of the earliest video games ever made.

Spacewar! is created at MIT

Steve Russell and colleagues build Spacewar! on a PDP-1, the first widely distributed and influential digital computer game.

Magnavox Odyssey launches

The first commercial home video game console arrives, bringing interactive play to television sets for the first time.

★Milestone: Established the home console as a product category.

Atari releases Pong

Pong becomes the first commercially successful arcade video game and launches Atari as an industry force.

★Milestone: Kick-started the commercial arcade industry.

Atari 2600 released

The cartridge-based Atari 2600 popularizes interchangeable games and dominates the home market.

Space Invaders ignites arcade craze

Taito's Space Invaders sparks a global arcade phenomenon and reportedly causes a coin shortage in Japan.

Pac-Man releases

Namco's Pac-Man becomes a cultural icon and one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time.

Donkey Kong introduces Mario

Shigeru Miyamoto's Donkey Kong debuts 'Jumpman' — later renamed Mario — launching gaming's most famous mascot.

The North American video game crash

Market saturation and low-quality titles trigger a collapse that wipes out much of the U.S. console industry.

★Milestone: Reset the industry and opened the door for Nintendo's revival.

NES launches in North America

Nintendo revives the home console market with the NES and Super Mario Bros.

★Milestone: Rebuilt the console market after the 1983 crash.

Game Boy launches with Tetris

Nintendo's Game Boy popularizes handheld gaming, bundled with the addictive puzzle game Tetris.

Sonic the Hedgehog debuts

Sega launches its speedy mascot to challenge Nintendo, intensifying the 16-bit console war.

DOOM redefines the FPS

id Software's DOOM popularizes the first-person shooter, networked multiplayer, and the shareware distribution model.

★Milestone: Established the FPS genre and PC gaming as a cultural force.

Sony PlayStation launches in Japan

Sony enters the console market with a CD-based system that reshapes the industry.

★Milestone: Brought 3D, CD media, and mature games to the mainstream.

Super Mario 64 defines 3D platforming

The Nintendo 64 launch title sets the template for analog 3D movement and camera control.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Widely regarded as one of the greatest games ever made, pioneering Z-targeting and 3D action-adventure design.

PlayStation 2 released

The PS2 launches and goes on to become the best-selling home console of all time.

Microsoft launches the Xbox

Microsoft enters the console business with Halo: Combat Evolved and a built-in hard drive.

★Milestone: Set the stage for modern online console gaming.

Xbox Live launches

Microsoft's unified online service brings matchmaking, friends lists, and downloads to consoles.

Valve releases Steam

Steam debuts as a digital distribution platform, eventually transforming how PC games are sold and played.

★Milestone: Pioneered mainstream digital game distribution.

World of Warcraft launches

Blizzard's MMORPG becomes a cultural juggernaut with millions of subscribers.

Nintendo Wii brings motion control

The Wii's motion controls broaden gaming's audience and become a worldwide sensation.

The iPhone launches mobile gaming

The App Store era begins shortly after, opening an enormous new market for mobile games.

League of Legends releases

Riot Games' MOBA becomes a cornerstone of competitive esports for the next decade.

Twitch launches

Live game streaming explodes in popularity, creating new careers and viewing habits.

★Milestone: Made game streaming a mainstream entertainment medium.

Minecraft 1.0 releases

Mojang's sandbox game launches officially and becomes the best-selling video game of all time.

PS4 and Xbox One launch

The eighth generation begins with a renewed focus on online services and indie games.

Nintendo Switch launches

Nintendo's hybrid console debuts with Breath of the Wild and becomes a runaway success.

★Milestone: Reinvented Nintendo with a hybrid home/handheld design.

Fortnite Battle Royale releases

Epic Games' free-to-play battle royale becomes a global cultural phenomenon.

Fortnite World Cup awards record prizes

The Fortnite World Cup hands out a $30M prize pool, with solo winner Bugha taking $3M.

PS5 and Xbox Series X|S launch

The ninth generation arrives with ultra-fast SSDs and ray tracing during a global pandemic.

★Milestone: Brought SSD-class streaming and ray tracing to consoles.

Tears of the Kingdom breaks records

The Zelda sequel sells over 10 million copies in three days, a record for the franchise.