How advances in technology have changed gaming over the years

First Digital Computer

1944

Colossus 1, the first large-scale electronic computer, is created to assist codebreaking in WWII. “Colossus.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed May 5, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/technology/Colossus-computer.

Physicist Invents First Video Game

1958

In October 1958, William Higinbotham created Tennis for Two as an interactive exhibit for visitors day at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Tretkoff, Ernie. 2008. “October 1958: Physicist Invents First Video Game.” Www.aps.org. September 22, 2008. https://www.aps.org/apsnews/2008/09/first-video-game.

First Arcade Game

1971

Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney created Computer Space, the very first arcade game Wintrust Sports Complex. 2023. “The History of Arcades through the Years.” Wintrust Sports Complex. July 7, 2023. https://wintrustsportscomplex.com/the-history-of-arcades-from-classic-to-modern-gaming/.

First home video game console

1972

Ralph Baer invents the Magnavox Odyssey, pioneering the idea of home video gaming. Burke, Myles. 2023. “In History: The First Ever Video Game Console, 50 Years On.” Www.bbc.com. December 18, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20231213-in-history-the-first-ever-video-game-console-50-years-on. ‌

First LCD TV

1982

Seiko Epson creates the first LCD TV, revolutionizing the industry. “History of Liquid Crystal Display: When Who Invented.” n.d. Orient Display. https://www.orientdisplay.com/knowledge-base/lcd-basics/lcd-history/. ‌

Arcade games begin to become less profitable

1983

A news article on how arcades are beginning to become less profitable. KXAS-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [News Clip: Video games], video, January 5, 1983; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1284765/m1/: accessed May 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.

The first game engine appears

1993

John Carmack invents id tech 1, separating the game engine from the game content. ispmanager.com. 2024. “The History of Game Engines — from Assembly Coding to Photorealism and AI.” DEV Community. December 17, 2024. https://dev.to/ispmanager/the-history-of-game-engines-from-assembly-coding-to-photorealism-and-ai-d9h. ‌

A guide from the USDE about the internet

1996

This tutorial details many things the average consumer would not know about the internet during the period but much of which is considered common knowledge today. “Using the Internet : World Wide Web Pages Featuring Education.” 2023. HathiTrust. 2023. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d01236308t&seq=1.

First Multi-platform engine

1998

Epic Games creates Unreal Engine and releases it under a license. ispmanager.com. 2024. “The History of Game Engines — from Assembly Coding to Photorealism and AI.” DEV Community. December 17, 2024. https://dev.to/ispmanager/the-history-of-game-engines-from-assembly-coding-to-photorealism-and-ai-d9h. ‌

EverQuest is released

1999

Everquest was a revolutionary game, paving the way for many MMORPGs all the way until the present day. “25 Years of EverQuest : When EQ Broke the Internet.” 2024. The EverQuest Show. January 17, 2024. https://everquestshow.com/2024/01/17/25-years-of-everquest-when-eq-broke-the-internet/.

Creation of Steam

2003

Steam is created by Valve corporation to distribute and update digital content. Valve Corporation. 2018. “About Us - Valve Corporation.” Valvesoftware.com. 2018. https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/about.

Ray tracing becomes possible

2018

Nvidia releases the first graphic cards capable of real-time ray tracing, greatly enhancing the realism of games. “10 Years in the Making: NVIDIA Brings Real-Time Ray Tracing to Gamers with GeForce RTX.” n.d. NVIDIA Newsroom. https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/10-years-in-the-making-nvidia-brings-real-time-ray-tracing-to-gamers-with-geforce-rtx. ‌