The History Of Games, start to current.

1958

Willy Higinbotham invents the first video game. His game was a game that was similar to table top tennis; it was played on an oscilloscope.

1961

Steve Russell created Spacewar, the first interactive computer game. The graphics are made up of ASCII text characters.

1970

Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney begin their attempt to create an arcade version of Spacewar, calling it Computer Space. Computer Space becomes first video arcade game ever released. 1500 games are distributed.

1972

Bushnell and Dabney founded Atari. They name the company after a term from the Japanese game "Go”. The first game created by Atari is Pong. Ping-Pong, the original name, is already copyrighted, so the makers name it Pong after the sound of a ball hitting the paddle.

1976

Coleco releases its first home video-game console called Telstar.

1977

Atari introduces its first cartridge-based home video system called the Video Computer System. Now known as the Atari 2600.

1978

Midway introduces Space Invaders into arcades. It is the first arcade game that tracks and displays high scores.

1980

Battlezone was the first 3D game created and it took place in a virtual battlefield

1982

Atari releases the Atari 5200 to compete with Coleco's Colecovision.

1983

The Commodore 64 is introduced. It is the most powerful video-game console to date and the least expensive.

1985

The popular game Tetris is developed by Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov. It is played on a PC.

1986

Nintendo's NES is released in the U.S. after being test-marketed in NY one year earlier. To compete with the NES, Sega introduces the Sega Master System (SMS). Then Atari releases the Atari 7800 to stay competitive in the market.

1989

NEC releases the first 16-bit console in the U.S. It is called the TurboGrafx-16 and it is the first system to run video games stored on compact discs.

1993

Atari releases the Jaguar, attempting to be the first 64-bit console on the market. The product actually runs two 32-bit processors.

Senators Joseph Lieberman and Herbert Kohl launch a Senate investigation into violence in video games, hoping to make a ban on violent games.

1995

Sony brings the PlayStation to the U.S.

1996

The Tamagotchi virtual pet becomes an instant sensation in Japan. It is released in the U.S. in May of that year selling all of its 30,000-unit supply in 3 days.

1997

PlayStation is considered by many in the industry as most popular game console as the 20 millionth unit is sold.

Arizona attempts to restrict the distribution of violent video games by making it illegal to display or distribute violent material to minors. The proposed bill is not approved.

1999

Billy Mitchell attains a score of 3,333,360 in the game Pac-Man. This is the highest possible score a player can get.

In result of the shootings that occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Sega announces that it will not release a light gun with the Dreamcast in the U.S. Also; it prevents use of imported guns with American consoles and which forces the Americans to use standard controllers to play House of the Dead 2.

2000

Sony's PlayStation 2 launches in the U.S. and is sold out by early morning. Since the demand is so high and only 500,000 units are available, it is very difficult to buy a unit during this first shipment.

The Sims is released, and quickly becomes a hit. It eventually (in 2002) surpasses Myst as the best-selling PC game ever.

2001

Microsoft and Nintendo introduce their next-generation systems within days of each other. Microsoft claims its Xbox offers "the most powerful game experiences ever." It comes with a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port. Nintendo's delivers new forms of interactive gaming for players and an easier development environment for game creators.

Sega announces that it will no longer manufacture hardware.

Nintendo releases the GameBoy Advance, a portable gaming system.

2004

Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, a portable system with two screens, one of which can be used as a touch screen.

2005

 
Microsoft unveils the XBox 360, a console system to be released in November 2005. Sony and Nintendo's competing console systems are planned for release in 2006.

2006

Nintendo releases the Wii, a gaming system that lets gamers use the controller in revolutionary ways, such as swinging it like a tennis racket, holding and tilting it like a steering wheel, and more.

Sony also releases the Playstation 3

2007

In console gaming, Microsoft stepped forward first in November 2005 with the Xbox 360, and Sony followed in 2006 with the PlayStation 3, released in Europe in March 2007. Setting the technology standard for the generation, both featured high-definition graphics over HDMI connections, large hard disk-based secondary storage for save games and downloaded content and on-line gameplay

2013

In January 2013, Sony announced that the PlayStation 2 had been discontinued worldwide, ending the sixth generation.

GTA V was released being the biggest gaming success so far selling 1.57 million copies and generating £65 million in the first day. By the start of the third week that it was released it sold 2.6 million copies.