| Video games are one of the increasing selling | | | | Cambridge. |
| products if entertainment industry of the 21st | | | | A similar type of game was also developed by |
| century. In some markets, it even competed with | | | | William Higinbotham at Brookhaven National |
| the sales of conventional music. Video games are | | | | Laboratory in 1958. It also used an oscilloscope for |
| described roughly as electronic game with basic | | | | displaying the game consisting of a horizontal line, |
| form of interaction in terms of player's control on | | | | a small vertical line in its middle and a dot that |
| some aspect of the game. | | | | few from one side to the other simulating a |
| Video games were invented after the invention of | | | | tennis game. The dials could be operated by two |
| computers because a processor is required to | | | | players for hitting the ball and returning it to the |
| make graphics on the screen, tracking player | | | | opposite side. |
| interaction, keeping score and assuming the role | | | | Spacewar was the first game that could be |
| of game referee or another player. Computer | | | | played on more than one machine. It was written |
| video games can be very easily run on home PCs. | | | | by Martin Graetz, Wayne Wiitanen and Steve |
| The difference between video games and | | | | Russell in 1961 for DEC PDP-1 platform. The |
| electronic games is the addition of screen as | | | | source code of the game was openly shared |
| compared to electronic board games that may | | | | among the academic society and was played on |
| produce sounds only. | | | | several machines and qualified as the first video |
| The first computer video games used | | | | game. |
| oscilloscopes for plotting the movement of dot on | | | | The first video game capable of being played on a |
| a screen or simply displaying a character in a | | | | TV was called Chase and it was written in 1967 |
| given position. The early games sometimes | | | | by Ralph Baer for a new console being developed |
| contained a piece of a clear film positioned over | | | | by Sanders Associates. It was then licensed to |
| the screen for providing extra information. The | | | | Magnavox and had a sale of more than 100,000 |
| very first video game was written at Cambridge | | | | units. It was shipped with other games that were |
| on EDSAC computer by Alexander Douglas in | | | | developed by the firm. The patents of Ralph Baer |
| 1952. It was a very effective and simple version | | | | were also licensed to Atari who developed the |
| of tic-tac-toe. According to many historians, this | | | | biggest and successful arcade console of the |
| was the first video games but it was not | | | | 1970s. |
| influential as it could not be played at the | | | | |