1947
- January 25
- Thomas T. Goldsmith Junior and Estle Ray Mann file for patent on first electronic video game, the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device. Players adjust knobs to direct light beam missiles to hit targets printed on clear overlays. [1357.84]
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 in New York, suggests to his supervisor creating a game to play on the television. The idea is rejected as being meritless. [298.52] [399] [1447.52]
1958
-
- American physicist Willy Higinbotham creates the Tennis for Two video game on an oscilloscope. [430.44] [1460.xi]
1961
-
- At Harvard university's Littauer Statistical Laboratory, a group of students and assistants begin writing a Spacewar video 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] [1460.xi,18]
1962
- April
- The Spacewar video 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] [1460.19]
- May
- The Massachussettes Institute of Technology holds its annual Science Open House. The Spacewar video game is shown to the public for the first time. [18.64] [89.4] [960.109]
1966
-
- Sega of Japan releases the Periscope electromechanical arcade game, the first amusement game export from Japan. Due to shipping cost, US arcade owners charge 25-cents per play, which becomes standard for arcade games. [1460.xii]
- 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] [1447.53] (August [1460.22])
- December 22
- Ralph Baer at Sanders Associates completes the basic circuitry dubbed TV Game Unit 1 to make spots on a television screen chase each other. He shows corporate R&D director Herb Campman. Campman agrees to commence an official secret project, with $2000 for labor and $500 for materials. [89.5] [1447.54]
1967
- February 12
- Ralph Baer and Bill Harrison begin work on TV Game Unit 2, to continue developing ideas for a video game system. [1447.54]
- (month unknown)
- At Sanders Associates, Bill Rusch suggests a game with hard-wired logic circuit projecting a flying spot for players to try to catch. [1460.24]
- 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] [1460.23]
- (Summer) Ralph Baer and his team demonstrate seven TV games for Sanders Associates president Roydon Sanders and the board of directors. The reception is not encouraging. [1447.55]
- September
- Sanders Associates completes a hockey video game, with dynamics of a real puck. [89.6]
- November
- Bill Rusch and Bill Harrison design and implement a machine-controlled spot that could be used as a "ball" for user-controlled spots to interact with. [1447.55]
- 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] [1460.xii]
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]
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- 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 [1460.xii])
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. [83.VI.102] [89.98] [298.52] [399] [818.38]
- (month unknown)
- Nolan Bushnell and Ted Daubney complete the 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. (Bushnell and Daubney make total $500 profit.) [89.6] [94.103] [1444.223]
1971
- March 3
- Magnavox signs an exclusive licensing agreement with Sanders Associates for the television video game technology. [399] [1460.24] (1970 [1460.xii])
- (month unknown)
- Sanders Associates completes about a dozen prototype television video game systems, which Magnavox shows to its distributors. [89.98]
- At Stanford University in California, the Galaxy Game machine, an updated version of Spacewar, is installed. Cost to play this first arcade game is 10 cents. [1428.98]
- At the Music Operators Association convention in Chicago, Illinois, Nolan Bushnell shows the Computer Space arcade game. [1460.33]
- August
- 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, due to complexity of controls. Nolan Bushnell and Ted Daubney make about US$500 total in royalties.) [89.7,80] [124.135] [371.67] [746.48] [1444.223] [1460.xii,33] (1970 [89.6]) (2000 machines [94.103]) (2300 machines [1298.96])
1972
- January 27
- Magnavox begins production of the Odyssey video game system. [399] (Fall 1971 [1460.24])
- 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 and Ted Dabney found the Syzygy company with $250 each, to develop video game machines. [1] [2] [32.178] [50.7] [89.8,10,83] [91.D2] [94.103] [124.135] [1444.223] [1460.xii,35]
- May 3
- Magnavox first shows the Odyssey video game console at a trade show in Phoenix, Arizona. [1460.46]
- May 24
- Magnavox and Sanders Associates hold an open house at the Airport Marina in Burlingame, California, to introduce the Odyssey video game console. Nolan Bushnell attends and plays the game. [1298.96] [1447.56] [1460.xii,46]
- (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] [1460.xii]
- June 28
- Atari Inc. is formed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. (The new name replaced the original name Syzygy Game Corporation.) [1298.94] (June 27 [1460.38])
- (month unknown)
- Nolan Bushnell offers the Pong video game to Nutting Associates for distribution, but a deal cannot be reached. [89.12]
- September
- Atari ships the Pong stand-alone coin-operated video game. The Pong video game debuts in Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, California. (About 8,000-10,000 units are sold, for profit of $3.2 million, making this the first commercially-successful video game.) [1] [2] [32.178] [76.144] [89.8] [94.106] [124.135] [371.67] [1444.224] [1460.43]
- 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. (350,000 units are sold over its lifetime.) [89.8] [124.141] [266.75] [267.54] [439.178] [1447.56] [1460.xii] (May [298.52] [399])
- November
- Nolan Bushnell applies for a patent on controlling counters dynamically by logic circuits. [1298.96]
- (month unknown)
- Magnavox sues Atari for copyright infringement of Pong over Magnavox. [1460.46]
- Nolan Bushnell sells Atari Japan to Nakamura Manufacturing Company for US$500,050. [124.239]
1973
- May 9
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer generally releases the film Soylent Green to theaters in the USA. The arcade video game Computer Space appears. [1378]
- (month unknown)
- In Japan, Kagemasa Kozuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, Hiro Matsuda, and Shokichi Ishihara found Konami Industry Company Limited. [1343.193]
- Nolan Bushnell forms the Atari Japan subsidiary company in Japan. [124.238] [1460.74]
- In Japan, brothers Yuji and Hiroshi Kudo found Hudson Soft. [1343.207]
- 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] (2500 [1460.54])
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 closes Atari Japan, selling it to Namco. [1460.74]
- Nolan Bushnell creates Kee Games, headed by his neighbor Joe Keenan, with Bushnell and Al Alcorn on board of directors. Atari employees Gil Williams and Steve Bristow transfer to Kee Games. Bushnell uses this company as "controlled competition". [1460.66]
- Konami releases the Maze arcade game in Japan. [1343.193]
- Atari releases the Gran Trak arcade video game, the first video car-racing game controlled by a steering wheel attached to the cabinet. The units cost $1095 to produce, and are unintentionally sold for $995. [124.138] [1460.67]
- 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] (released by Kee Games [1460.67])
- (month unknown)
- Magnavox discontinues production of the original Odyssey video game system. About 200,000 units were produced over its lifetime. [399]
- Year
- During the year, Atari ships 8000 Pong arcade units. [1460.54]
1975
- January
- At the Toy Show in New York City, Atari runs a booth to show Home Pong, hoping to find distributor. No success. [1460.82]
- (month unknown)
- Atari demonstrates Home Pong to Sears Sporting Goods department head in Chicago, Illinois, making a deal for Sears to distribute 150,000 units. [1460.82]
- 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] [1377.5] [1444.224]
- Midway Games of the US imports and releases the Gunfight arcade game from Taito of Japan, first game to use microprocessor. [1460.xii]
- Project Support Engineers releases the Maneater shark-hunting arcade game, in a cabinet shaped like a shark head. [1460.63]
- 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])
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