Video games

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🎮 GK: Video Games

🕹️ Origins & Early History

  • First Video Game: Often credited to “Tennis for Two” (1958) by William Higinbotham, or “Spacewar!” (1962).

  • First Commercial Game: Pong (1972), created by Atari, founded by Nolan Bushnell.

  • First Home Console: Magnavox Odyssey (1972).



📼 Golden Age of Arcade Games (Late 1970s–1980s)

  • Classics like:

    • Space Invaders (1978)

    • Pac-Man (1980)

    • Donkey Kong (1981) — introduced Mario

  • Arcades became cultural hotspots.

🏠 Home Console Revolution

  • Atari 2600 (1977): Popularized home gaming.

  • Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (1983–1985): Revived the game industry after the 1983 crash.

  • Introduced iconic franchises: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid.

🕹️ 1990s: 3D Graphics & Console Wars

  • Sony PlayStation (1994) vs Nintendo 64 (1996) vs Sega Saturn (1994)

  • Start of 3D gaming (Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy VII, GoldenEye 007)

  • Rise of PC gaming (e.g., Doom, Quake, Warcraft)

🌐 2000s: Online & HD Gaming

  • Xbox (2001) brought Xbox Live, enhancing multiplayer gaming.

  • PlayStation 2 (2000): Best-selling console ever.

  • Popular franchises: Halo, GTA, Call of Duty, The Sims.

📱 2010s–Now: Mobile, eSports & Streaming

  • Mobile gaming exploded: Angry Birds, Clash of Clans, PUBG Mobile.

  • Rise of eSports: League of Legends, Dota 2, CS:GO, Fortnite.

  • Game streaming and content creation via Twitch, YouTube Gaming.

  • Modern consoles: PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch.

  • Cloud gaming: Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming.

🧠 Quick GK Facts

  • 🎮 First gaming character: Mario (originally “Jumpman” in Donkey Kong)

  • 💰 Highest-grossing game: Minecraft (most sold), GTA V (revenue)

  • 🏆 First eSports event: Space Invaders Championship (1980)

  • 🌍 Gaming industry worth (2024): Over $200 billion