The First Video Game

In 1952 A.S Douglas created a version of Tic-Tac-Toe using a vacuum-tube computer, and in 1962 Steve Russell created the first ever computer game called SpaceWar! using a PDP-1 computer the size of a small car, however the first ever video game was made in 1958 by Willy Higinbotham. The game was called 'Tennis for Two' and consisted of a basic side on view of a tennis court where two players could hit a ball to each other using controllers.




Willy Higinbotham worked at a nuclear research facility where tours were conducted in order to give the public an idea of what went on in the facility. Each division within the facility was asked to set up a display for the public and Willy decided that it would be more interesting for the public if they had a display that they could interact with, so he and his colleague set about making the game, and after just three weeks it was done. The game was displayed on an oscilloscope which was connected to a basic analog computer, and the controllers consisted of two wooden blocks with a dial mounted on each which the players would used to control the angle of the ball as they hit it.

The game was brought out only twice during every visitors day, and after a year it was dismantled so that the equipment could be used for other projects. It's clear to see that this may have been where the concept of using computers for entertainment - as well as work - originated. The popularity of Higinbotham's display - especially with school children, gave an early indication of how popular the use of computers for fun would be, and possibly inspired the first popular home console game 'PONG', 14 years later.