If we take a step back into the history of video games, we’re reminded that they weren’t always the technical marvels we enjoy today. In fact, when gaming got its start back in the 1970s with consoles like the Atari 2600, they had rudimentary graphics that required a lot of imagination for players to immerse themselves in the titles they were playing. Saying video games have come a long way over the past 50 years would be an understatement.
Unlike in the past, today, we can take our games with us wherever we go, playing them on our smartphones and other mobile devices. This shift is thanks to significant advancements in technology and innovation that have made the gaming industry an entertainment juggernaut, surpassing the movie and music industry in revenue. However, it wasn’t always that way. In this article, we take a look at the different milestones in gaming platform development and what it means for gamers.
The Early Days of Gaming
The Magnavox Odyssey was the very first home gaming console. It was released in 1972 and was pretty limited in what it could do, with only one or two games built into its hardware. However, it wouldn’t be long until a new console came onto the scene — the Atari 2600 in 1977 — and it would change the world of gaming forever. Atari’s cartridge-based system made it possible for gamers to play a wide variety of different titles and was a huge step forward from the initial consoles that were limited to a single game or two. Atari did more than just give video game lovers a way to play their favorite games at home; it became the foundation for the home gaming culture we enjoy today, turning gaming into a popular hobby.
