Since the Sixties, young people have enjoyed playing computer and video games. Computer gaming pre-dates console gaming by about five years, with the first computer-based video game was Spacewar! created in 1962 by Steve Russell, an MIT student. The first console, the "Brown Box" was developed by Ralph Baer in 1967.
Over the next two decades, arcade, console and computer gaming explodes with popularity. In 1982, Disney even cash in on the trend by making Tron, a movie centred entirely around gaming.
In 1990, Microsoft adds Solitaire to the Windows 3.0 bundle, creating the market for casual gamers - those who don't usually play video games, but will play easy-to-play, casual games like Solitaire, Bejewelled, or Angry Birds. A decade later, and The Sims becomes the best selling computer game to date.
2003 marks the year that Valve releases Steam - an online platform where users can download and play games. This creates an explosion in computer gaming, due to the vast games library offered on Steam, and the ability to both play online with friends, or solo on your own computer.
In 2008, Blizzard's World of Warcraft becomes the most popular Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) with more than 10 million subscribers worldwide. The late 2000s marks the beginning of online gaming becoming popular, which allows games to be played by astronomical numbers of players across the globe. Because of the ability to play and share games online, it becomes easier to have an indie game become popular, as Markus Persson found, in 2010, when he released his indie game, Minecraft.
Some excellent sources for further exploration include http://www.icheg.org/icheg-game-history/timeline/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vROxoEyB9UE.
- Emily
- Emily
