Chronology of
Video Game Systems

1951

• In London, England, Ferranti shows the Nimrod computer at an exhibition. The computer is based on the Mark 1, and is dedicated to playing the game Nim. This makes it the world's first games computer. [959.47]
• Ralph Baer, making television sets at Loral, suggests creating a game to play on the television. The idea is rejected as being meritless. [298.52] [399]

1958

• American physicist Willy Higinbotham creates the Tennis for Two game on an oscilloscope. [430.44]

1961

• At Harvard university's Littauer Statistical Laboratory, a group of students and assistants begin writing a Spacewar game on the newly installed PDP-1 computer. (While this is not a video game system, Spacewar becomes the first computer video game, and later emerges as the first commercial standalone video game machine, Computer Space.) [89.3] [103.31] [190.1-2]

1962

April

• The Spacewar game is completed on the PDP-1, written by Steve Russell, Peter Samson, Dan Edwards, and J. Graetz. The game consists of two small spaceships flying around a screen, shooting at each other, and avoiding the gravitational pull of the central star. The vector-graphics screen it uses costs about US$50,000. Two players use joysticks and buttons to control their movements. [89.4] [101.66] [102.140] [124.134] [1147.117]

May

• The Massachussettes Institute of Technology holds its annual Science Open House. The Spacewar game is shown to the public for the first time. [18.64] [89.4] [960.109]

1966

September 1

• Ralph Baer begins developing an idea for game playing using a standard home television monitor, writing a four-page description of his idea. Within days, he has produced schematic drawings of a two-player block chase game. [89.5] [298.52] [399] [1316.30] [1298.49]

December

• Ralph Baer completes the basic circuitry to make spots on a television screen chase each other. He takes idea to his employer, Sanders Associates, and shows corporate R&D director Herb Campman. Campman agrees to commence an official secret project. [89.5]

1967

May 7

• Ralph Baer first tests his circuit for a simple block chase game on a standard television set. [399]

(month unknown)

• At Sanders Associates, employees continue development of Ralph Baer's video game system. Bob Tremblay builds a prototype system; Bill Harrison creates the first light gun; and Bill Rusch modifies the chase game to become a paddle and ball game. [89.5] [298.52] [399]

September

• Sanders Associates completes a hockey video game, with dynamics of a real puck. [89.6]

November

• Ralph Baer and Bill Harrison at Sanders Associates have a ping-pong video game working. [1298.49]
• Sanders Associates starts looking for a buyer of its ball-and-paddle television games concept. Teleprompter cable TV company is interested, but no deal is reached. [89.98]

1968

January 15

• Ralph Baer applies for a patent on his invention of the television video game system. [399]

1969

• Over nine months, Sanders Associates demonstrates its home television video games system to many television makers, with no success in finding a buyer. [89.98] [399]
• Nolan Bushnell begins adapting the Spacewar video game to regular arcade hardware, for a standalone video game machine. [89.6] [94.103] [124.134]

1970

March

• Sanders Associates makes its first licensing agreement for the TV video game, with RCA. (The deal is later cancelled.) [399]

(month unknown)

• Bill Enders leaves RCA to work as senior product vice-president at Magnavox. Enders arranges for a demonstration of the video game system of Sanders Associates. [89.8]

July 17

• Ralph Baer demonstrates his television video game system to Magnavox. Despite a lack of interest from most Magnavox engineers, Bill Enders negotiates an exclusive license to manufacture and distribute the system, and sublicense Sanders Associates' patents on the technology. [83.VI.102] [89.98] [298.52] [399] [818.38]

(month unknown)

• Nolan Bushnell completes his Computer Space video game machine. One player competes in a space ship against the machine controlling flying saucers. Despite the name, the machine does not incorporate a computer. Nutting Associates, a small arcade games manufacturer, agrees to build and market it. [89.6] [94.103]
• Nutting Associates releases the Computer Space coin-operated (25-cents) arcade video game, making this the first commercial video game. (1500 machines are made, but the game is not popular with players. Nolan Bushnell makes about US$500 in royalties.) [89.6,80] [124.135] (1971 [371.67] [746.48]) (2000 machines made [94.103])

1971

March 3

• Magnavox signs an exclusive licensing agreement with Sanders Associates for the television video game technology. [399]

(month unknown)

• Sanders Associates completes about a dozen prototype television video game systems, which Magnavox shows to its distributors. [89.98]

August

• Nutting Associates releases the Computer Space arcade game. (2300 are manufactured.) [1298.96]

1972

January 27

• Magnavox begins production of the Odyssey video game system. [399]

February

• Magnavox invites the press and New York area video game distributors to a March launch date for its television video game system. [89.97]

March

• In Tavern-on-the-Green in Central Park, New York, Magnavox officially unveils the Odyssey 100 video game system, for use on television sets. The name "Odyssey" comes from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Price is about US$100. The system can play hockey, tennis, and maze games. [76.144] [83.VI.94,103] [85.33] [86.17] [89.8,100]

(month unknown)

• Nolan Bushnell founds the Syzygy company, to develop video game machines. He hires Al Alcorn, to create a car driving video game. The two each invest US$250 in the new company. [1] [2] [32.178] [50.7] [89.8,10,83] [91.D2] [94.103] [124.135]

May 24

• Magnavox and Sanders Associates hold an open house at the Airport Marina in Burlingame, California, to introduce the Odyssey game console. Nolan Bushnell attends. [1298.96]

(month unknown)

• At Syzygy (Atari), as an initial learning project for Al Alcorn, Nolan Bushnell describes a ping-pong video game, and Alcorn designs and builds it. The game was supposed to be a throw-away learning experience, but it is considered good enough that Bushnell decides to market it. The name Pong comes from the sonar-like "pongs" that sound when the ball contacts the paddle. [89.10,83] [124.135]

June 28

• Atari Inc. is formed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. (The new name replaced the original name Syzygy Game Corporation.) [1298.94]

(month unknown)

• Nolan Bushnell forms the Atari Japan subsidiary company in Japan. [124.238]
• Nolan Bushnell offers the Pong video game to Nutting Associates for distribution, but a deal cannot be reached. [89.12]

September

• Magnavox begins shipping Odyssey home video game systems to distributors. The system is test-marketed in 25 cities, with 9000 units selling in southern California alone during the first month. Price is US$99.95, with twelve games including Simon Says, football, table tennis, tennis, hockey, and roulette. An optional light gun can be used for a target shooting game. Users insert cards to select games, and attach plastic overlay sheets to the television screen, 18-inch size or larger. (100,000 units are sold over its lifetime.) [89.8] [124.141] [266.75] [267.54] [439.178] (May [298.52] [399])

November

• Nolan Bushnell applies for a patent on controlling counters dynamically by logic circuits. [1298.96]

November 29

• Atari ships the Pong stand-alone coin-operated video game. The Pong game debuts in Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, California. (About 10,000 units are sold, making this the first commercially-successful video game.) [1] [2] [32.178] [76.144] [89.8] [94.106] [124.135] [371.67]

(month unknown)

• Nolan Bushnell sells Atari Japan to Nakamura Manufacturing Company for US$500,050. [124.239]

1973

Year

• Shipments of Magnavox Odyssey video game systems during the year: 100,000. [399]
• For the year, Atari earns US$3 million from sales of 6000 Pong machines. [89.13,101] [124] [371.67]

1974

February 19

• Nolan Bushnell is granted a patent on controlling counters dynamically by logic circuits. [1298.96]

June 14

• Paramount Pictures releases the film The Parallax View in the USA. The arcade game Pong appears. [1290]

(month unknown)

• Exidy is founded by Pete Kaufman, former partner at Ramtek. [89.16]
• Atari releases the Gran Trak arcade video game, the first video car-racing game controlled by a steering wheel attached to the cabinet. [124.138]
• Atari hires its 40th employee, Steve Jobs. [124.137]
• Atari introduces the Got'cha maze video game. The system has two rounded rubber moulds on the console, squeezed to control game play. [89.42] [124.139]

September

• To date, there are about 100,000 coin-operated video game machines in the USA. [83.VI.94]

November

• The annual Amusement and Music Operators Association convention is held. Atari delivers the Tank arcade game. Tank is the first game to use ROM chips to store graphics data. [89.14] [124.139]

(month unknown)

• Magnavox discontinues production of the original Odyssey video game system. About 200,000 units were produced over its lifetime. [399]

1975

• At Atari, an in-house vesion of the Tank video game is modified so that when a player's tank is hit and explodes, that player receives an electric shock. The legal department does not allow the version to be released. [124.139]
• Sears, Roebuck & Company begins selling the Tele-Game Pong video game system, for use on television sets. The system was made by Atari, under contract to produce 150,000 units. Price is US$98.50. [84.S3.17] [89.101] [371.67]
• Magnavox develops the Odyssey 4000 home video game system, using large-scale integration (LSI) semiconductor chips. The system includes the games basketball, hockey, tennis, soccer, gridball, and smash. [89.101] [190.1-4]

Year

• Sales of video game systems for the year: US$250 million. [268.88] ($22 million [86.17])