Whether you're a casual player or a hardcore gamer, today is a day to celebrate video games! National Video Games Day has been celebrated annually on September 12th since 2002, and it's the perfect opportunity to reflect on the impact that video games have had on our lives. From early arcade classics like Pac-Man to modern console classics like The Legend of Zelda, video games have come a long way in a short amount of time. And with the rise of mobile gaming and augmented reality, who knows where the industry will go next?
A Brief History of Video Games:
The first ever video game was created in 1958 by William Higinbotham. It was called Tennis for Two, and it was played on an oscilloscope. Just two years later, in 1960, MIT student Steve Russell created Spacewar!, which is widely considered to be the first true video game. Both of these early games were created for academic research purposes, but it wouldn't be long before commercial game development began in earnest.
The commercial gaming industry got its start in 1971 with the release of the arcade game Galaxy Game. This was followed by the release of Computer Space in 1972, which was the first commercially available video game. However, it wasn't until 1974 that the real breakthrough came with the release of Nolan Bushnell's groundbreaking arcade game, Pong. Pong was a simple yet addictive game that took the world by storm, and it would go on to inspire a whole new generation of developers.
Today, video games are more popular than ever before. In 2018, global revenue from video games reached $43 billion dollars, and that number is only expected to grow in the coming years. There are now more than 2 billion gamers around the world, making gaming one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the planet.
Whether you're celebrating with friends or playing solo, today is the perfect day to enjoy your favorite hobby. So fire up your console, dust off your controller, and get ready for some fun! Happy National Video Games Day!