Celebrating National Video Games Day
On September 12th, National Video Games Day honors the enjoyment and challenges presented by video games, drawing participation from enthusiastic gamers all over the United States. Since their inception, video games have been a unique fusion of artistic expression and commercial enterprise.
A Brief History of Video Games
The journey of video gaming began in 1940 with the introduction of ‘Nim’ at the World’s Fair by Edward Condon. This was followed in 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann, who filed a patent for what they called the “Cathode ray tube amusement device,” marking the first interactive electronic device. In 1950, Dr. Josef Kates created Bertie the Brain, a version of tic-tac-toe showcased at the Canadian National Exhibition. The development of Nimrod, a computer designed to play the game Nim, came next in 1951, presented at the Festival of Britain.
In 1952, Alexander S. Douglas developed 0X0, a tic-tac-toe game for the EDSAC computer, while 1958 saw William Higinbotham create Tennis For Two, an early electronic interactive game. The launch of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 marked the arrival of the first home video game console, followed closely by Atari’s iconic Pong, which debuted in arcades that same year and later made its way to home systems by 1975.
Key Milestones in Gaming History
The Atari 2600, introduced in 1977, became a commercial success with titles like “Frogger.” By 1978, ‘Space Invaders’ introduced a new gaming concept involving enemy waves, which was originally an unintended consequence of a hardware issue during gameplay. Walter Day and the establishment of the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard in 1983 marked the formation of the United States National Video Game Team.
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, allowing gamers to take their gaming on the go for the first time. A notable moment in gaming history occurred in 1993 when Tetris was played aboard a Soyuz TM-17 rocket at the MIR Space Station by Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr A. Serebrov, with the game cartridge later fetching $1,220 at auction. The original PlayStation made its North American debut in 1995.
During the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama strategically advertised in 18 games across ten states, aiming at younger voters aged 18 to 34. Although competitive gaming has been around since the 1990s, it gained significant traction in 2010, evolving into a legitimate sport and income source for many players. The longest recorded video game session reached an astounding 138 hours and 34 seconds in 2015.
Current Trends and Statistics in Gaming
By 2020, the global gaming community had expanded to an estimated 2.7 billion players, and projections for 2024 indicate that there are approximately 5 million games available. In 2025, the PlayStation 2 is expected to lead the market with 160 million units sold, closely followed by the Nintendo Switch with over 153.1 million consoles. The Madden NFL franchise, dating back to 1988, has been around longer than many of the players currently in the NFL and has appeared on 33 different platforms.
The first documented video game is widely considered to be Bertie the Brain, an AI designed for tic-tac-toe that was dismantled after its exhibition. The commercial success of Pong spurred numerous imitators and laid the foundation for the burgeoning video game industry. The voice behind the iconic character Master Chief in the Halo series, Steve Downes, is also a seasoned radio DJ with a career dating back to the late 1970s.
In the development of the character Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series, a shift was made from a male protagonist to a female character, with the name “Croft” chosen from a phone book. The game GoldenEye 007 initially planned to include famous actors as playable characters but ultimately dropped that idea, leaving their character models hidden in the game’s code until discovery in 2005.
E-sports, representing the professional segment of gaming competitions, has witnessed the introduction of 960 gaming consoles since the inception of home gaming systems. Minecraft currently holds the title as the best-selling video game, while Antonio Monteiro of Texas boasts the Guinness World Record for the largest video game collection, which includes 24,268 titles.
Interesting Gaming Facts
Studies indicate that gamers are more likely to experience lucid dreaming compared to non-gamers, and playing Tetris has been shown to help reduce cravings for sex, drugs, and food. Additionally, Pac-Man was initially named “Puckman,” inspired by its resemblance to a hockey puck. The infamous Atari ET game is often labeled the worst video game in history, with copies infamously buried in the New Mexico desert to hide the evidence of its failure.
Engagement with action video games has been linked to enhanced decision-making skills and improved multitasking abilities. Notably, surgeons who regularly play video games are reported to make 37% fewer errors and perform tasks 27% faster than their peers.
Recent surveys reveal preferences among gamers regarding consoles and franchises. According to a survey of 1,000 Americans, the PlayStation and Xbox each garnered 38% support as the best gaming console, while Super Mario ranked as the top video game franchise with 47%. A significant number of gamers play daily, with others engaging in gaming during leisure activities such as watching TV or while on breaks at work.
Gaming by the Numbers
– 360,000 arcade cabinets of “Space Invaders” were sold by 1980.
– A Japanese man reportedly spent $80,000 on playing “Space Invaders.”
– “Super Mario Bros” sold 40 million copies by its 25th anniversary in 2008.
– The original “Final Fantasy VII” required three discs on PlayStation.
– “Grand Theft Auto: III” featured 56 drivable vehicles.
– “Grand Theft Auto: V” reached $1 billion in sales within three days.
– The Halo universe has inspired 13 novels.
– In 2012, “World Of Warcraft” had 12 million subscribers.
– Due to hardware limits, the original “Madden Football” restricted teams to seven players.
– Bungie’s “Destiny” has seen 92 production babies join its team since 2010.
