Embark on a journey through time, tracing the evolution of gaming from its humble beginnings with Computer Space to the immersive, high-tech experiences of today. Celebrating half a century of innovation, creativity, and entertainment, we delve into the milestones that have defined this dynamic industry.
What is now a multi-billion pound industry started out as a humble arcade machine created by college students in 1971
Before then, playing video games had been a geeky pastime for small groups on university tech campuses
- Nolan Bushnell, a student at the University of Utah, joined up with Jim Stein, a Stanford University researcher, to make a game.
- Their game, Computer Space, was released for the first time in August 1971.
1970s: The birth of gaming
Many more games were produced over the decade including Pong, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong
- Atari released a version of Pong that could be played at home in 1975
- Space Invaders landed in Japan in 1978
- Mattel made a home games console in 1979
- Donkey Kong made his debut in 1981
2010s: Loot boxes and indie darlings
Minecraft: The 2011 indie game has sold more than 200 million units and without needing flashy graphics or a storyline. It uses a revolutionary, randomised 3D world, with a style that wouldn’t go amiss in a Lego collection.
- The link between gambling and gaming has been a big theme of the decade. Many websites allow users to trade and gamble on them.
1980s: The heyday of the arcades
The 1980s is synonymous with the imagery of packed, neon-lit amusement arcades, bringing us Tetris, Pacman, and Ms Pac-man.
- Nintendo also capitalized on the growth of arcades by creating iconic mascots like Mario and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The Pandemic Effect
The pandemic has kept many of us indoors since March 2020, providing the perfect conditions for increased video game play – so much so that by the end of 2020, 36 million Britons were turning to consoles and PCs for entertainment
- Party titles like Among Us gained huge mainstream attention and were the perfect games to play with friends at home
1990s: Combat, consoles and controversy
Graphics and consoles improved, games now looked better
- Graphic violence in games such as Mortal Kombat and Doom shocked families and led to the introduction of video game age ratings
- The decade also saw the release of many well-known franchises including Sonic the Hedgehog, Doom, and Superman
The Noughties: An online revolution
The early 2000s were the decade of online gaming made its name
- Microsoft released the Xbox and Halo consoles
- World Of Warcraft launched in 2004 and had 12m active subscribers at its peak
- Nintendo Wii became accessible to a wider audience with motion controls
