A History of Video Games
Interesting Facts Nintendo – established in 1889 as a playing card company Sony – started in 1947 as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company. Made first pocket-sized battery- powered radio Ralph Baer suggests adding an interactive game to TV. Management ignores the idea – Service Games starts making coin operated games. SErvice GAmes later becomes SEGA.
Interesting Facts physicist Willy Higinbotham invents an interactive table-tennis-like game that is displayed on an oscilloscope Steve Russell creates Spacewar, the first interactive computer game Ralph Baer leads a team that creates an interactive game that can be played on a TV screen.
Pong Arcade 1972 Atari Home Version 1975
Atari 2600 (VCS) Introduced in 1977 Original Retail Price: $249 Number of Games: nearly 1000 Asteroids Centipede
Atari 2600 Donkey Kong Frogger Pac-Man Pitfall!
Intellivision Introduced in 1980 Original Retail Price: $299 Number of Games: about 180 Astrosmash Bump ‘N’ Jump
Intellivision Major League Baseball Pac-Man BurgerTime Snafu
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Introduced in 1985 Original Retail Price: $199 Number of Games: about 850 Bases Loaded Double Dragon
Nintendo Entertainment System Excitebike Legend Of Zelda Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. 3 Tecmo Super Bowl Tetris
Sega Genesis Introduced in 1989 Original Retail Price: $249 Number of Games: about 650 Columns Earthworm Jim
Sega Genesis Micro Machines Mortal Kombat NBA Jam Sonic The Hedgehog
Super Nintendo (SNES) Introduced in 1991 Original Retail Price: $249 Number of Games: about 780 Donkey Kong Country Madden NFL ‘96
Super Nintendo Super Mario Kart Super Mario World Uniracers WWF Royal Rumble
Sony Playstation Introduced in 1994 Original Retail Price: $299 Number of Games: over 1500 Crash Bandicoot Gran Turismo 2
Sony Playstation NFL Blitz 2000 Tekken Tomb Raider Doom
Nintendo 64 Introduced in 1996 Original Retail Price: $199 Number of Games: about 310 Cruisin’ USA Mario Kart 64
Nintendo 64 Super Mario 64 Super Smash Brothers Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time GoldenEye 007
Sega Dreamcast Introduced in 1998 Original Retail Price: $199 Number of Games: about 330 Crazy Taxi Soul Caliber
Sega Dreamcast NFL Quarterback Club 2001 Quake III Arena Sonic Adventure Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) Introduced in 2000 Original Retail Price: $299 Number of Games: over 2000 Grand Theft Auto III ESPN NFL 2K5
Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) Metal Gear Solid Need For Speed: Underground Virtua Fighter 4 Final Fantasy X
Microsoft Xbox Introduced: November 15, 2001 Original Retail Price: $299 Number of Games: over 1000 Ghost Recon 2 Mech Assault
Microsoft Xbox WWF RAW Halo 2 Project Gotham Racing MLB 2K5
Nintendo Gamecube Introduced: November 18, 2001 Original Retail Price: $199 Number of Games: over 600 Metroid Prime Super Smash Bros. Melee
Nintendo Gamecube Super Mario Sunshine Mario Kart: Double Dash Resident Evil Zero Mario Party 7
Microsoft Xbox 360 Introduced: November 22, 2005 Original Retail Price: $299/$399 Number of Games: over 700 Project Gotham Racing 3 Halo 3
Tiger Woods 2006 Gun Gears of War Quake 4 Microsoft Xbox 360
Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) Introduced: November 17, 2006 Retail Price: $499/$599 Number of Games: about 500 Resistance: Fall of Man Grand Theft Auto IV
Call of Duty 3 MLB ’08: The Show Need For Speed Carbon Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Sony Playstation 3 (PS3)
Nintendo Wii Introduced: November 19, 2006 Retail Price: $249 Number of Games: about 800 Mario Party 8 Excite Truck
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Mario Kart Wii Super Paper Mario Wii Sports Nintendo Wii
Mario – Through the Years…
Baseball - Through the Years…
Sources GameSpot – The History of Video Games Business Week – A Brief History of Video Game Warfare