How are Old and New Video Games Different? 

Introduction

     True or False: Pong was the first video game ever created?

     A lot of people would say, "True!" But actually, it is false! 

     Keep reading to find out the first ever video game, and how modern video games are much different than older games.

Not the First

     Pong was not the first video game, and neither was Tennis for Two. The first ever video game was Bertie the Brain, a tic-tac-toe game where you are playing against a robot named Bertie. The game was built only to show off technology advancements at a fair in Canada, and the game was taken down as soon as the fair was over.

     The second video game was Tennis for Two. It was designed to be played on an oscilloscope, which is a measuring instrument for electricity. 

     The first video game to be popular was Pong, which was an arcade game created by Atari in the early 1970s.

The First Gaming Consoles

     The first gaming console was the Magnavox Odyssey, which brought video games into some homes. The Atari 2600 brought millions and millions more into homes, too. 

     Many people had experiences playing Atari in the 1970's and 1980's which created a life long passion for playing video games.

Atari

     Atari wasn't the first video game console but it was the one that really brought video games into homes. Atari popularized video games starting with the success of Pong.

     The Atari 2600 sold more than 30 million of units, making it the first truly successful home video game console.

     Atari introduced many highly popular video games into the home, such as Pac-Man,  Space Invaders, Adventure, and Pitfall! 

    Atari had simple gameplay and a joystick that was easy to use and control. This made Atari become very popular.

The Rise of Video Games

     Businesses like Activistion and Sega started making gaming consoles because they realized they could make a lot of money by selling lots of games. Console game makers took risks by making new titles and making more variety of games to be sold.

     The invention of the personal computer also changed the world of video games. The Commodore 64 personal computer was invented in 1982 and became hugely popular.

     More than 17 million Commodore 64s were sold, and more than 10,000 games were developed for the Commodore 64. 

Arcade GAMES and Game Boy

     In the early 1980s, arcade games like Space Invaders and Pac-Man became popular. Later the Game Boy, made by Nintendo, made portable gaming fun. 

     Portable gaming means games that you can hold in your hands and carry from place to place. Before this, video games were played only through devices that were connected to a television or through a personal computer.

     Nintendo also introduced Pokemon, which became incredibly popular.

The Middle Age of Video Games

     Play Station, XBox, and Nintendo Wii became very popular because of their multiplayer options and improved graphics.

     Games like Minecraft and Roblox made online gaming more common and let people explore and build with each other instead of just playing alone. This made gaming a more social and interactive experience.

Virtual Reality

     Virtual Reality was the new technology that made games feel more like real life. It gave people a new way to play video games.

     Game designers make virtual reality games more realistic and immersive by adding many complex technological details to the game experience so it feels like real life.

     For example, VR headsets are used to give the game player more realistic control to move the characters in the game. However, VR can’t be too realistic or you may be in danger of not telling the difference between real life and the game.

Game Creators

     Game creators have an important job in making video games. They have to write computer code to make the characters, the story, the game levels, and game play mechanics.

     Games like Legend of Zelda and Pokemon were made by teams that were dedicated to making an immersive imaginary world, with a good game that could keep entertaining people hour after hour.

     Video games are constantly improving because technology keeps evolving. Games are becoming more interactive, more realistic, and more immersive. Immersive means you feel like you are right inside the game.

Old Games vs New Games

     Old games have some things that are much different than current video games, but they also have some similar things.

    One big reason they are different is because old video games don’t have as good graphics as current video games. Advancements in technology and computer graphics help modern video games have pictures and video that are way more detailed and realistic.

     A reason they are similar is that both old and new video games have a way to control the game play. For example, even way back in the 1970s, Atari had a joystick to control the video game characters.

     Finally, the most important part to a good video game has not changed. If the game has an interesting challenge or story line, it can be a fun game to play.

Author’s Note

     I was inspired to make this website because I like to play video games! 

     A lot of kids like me already know about video games like Virtual Reality (VR), Roblox, and Minecraft. A lot of teachers like Mr. Beekman know about old-fashioned stuff, like Pong and Atari, but they don't know about the latest modern technology. 

     The reason old and new games are different is that the graphics have definitely improved a lot because of better technology. Improved technology helps game creators build games with more challenges and more immersive story lines.

     So I hope everybody was able to learn something new about the history of video games.