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Video games have been around for decades. From arcade systems, to home consoles, to handheld and mobile devices, they’re often at the forefront of computer technology. Nearly two thirds of all Americans have household members who game regularly, making video game console history relevant weeknight trivia. Though the first of their kind was introduced in the 1950’s, video games had not made a mainstream splash until the late 70’s/early 80’s. Today, we’re going through the most notable trends in the history of video games from the 1980’s to today. The Birth of Publishing Houses | 1980’sFor the most part, 1980s games were simple clones of existing arcade titles. The history of video games changed with the introduction of third party publishers. The relatively low publishing costs for personal computer games allowed for bold, unique games. In 1983, the video game industry experienced a market crash like no other. The transition of arcade gaming to consoles that were home-friendly was in full effect: marking the beginning of video game console history. What was the first video game console? | 1980The Odyssey was manufactured by Magnavox and released in North America in September of 1972. It’s considered the very first home video game console. Ralph Baer, a German-American engineer, created a ping-pong style game. Baer’s creation inspired gaming pioneer Nolan Bushnell of Atari to create his own version: the much more popular and world-renowned Pong, programmed by Al Alcorn. Video Game Console History | 1980’sSega SG-1000 (~2 million sold) | (1983) NES Family Computer (~62 million sold) | (1983) “The NES featured a number of groundbreaking games, such as the platform game Super Mario Bros. and the action-adventure games The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. As one of the bestselling consoles of its time, the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983.” A huge part of the NES’s success was its innovative business model. NES licensed third party publishers to create & distribute the NES’s games. Sega Master (~13 million sold) | (1985) Nintendo Family Computer Disc System (~4 million sold) | (1985) Atari 7800 (~2 million sold) | (1986) PC Engine TurboGrafx (~10 million sold) | (1987) Sega Genesis (~35 million sold) | (1987) Not Just a Fad | 1990’sThree decades in as an industry, the 1990’s was a decade of innovation for video game console history. Not only were the 90’s the highest grossing period for the history of video games timeline so far – but a rise in technology made the potential vision for video games more clear. It was a decade of transition from sprite-based graphics to full-fledged 3D graphics. The 90’s gave rise to several genres of video games including the first person shooter, real-time strategy, survival horror, and MMO. And though arcades had still been popular during the 90’s, they would be soon on the decline with the popularity of household consoles. Video Game Console History | 1990’sSuper NES (~49 million sold) | (1990) Philips CD-i (~1 million sold) | (1991) Sega CD (~2 million sold) | (1991) 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (~2 million sold) | (1993) Sega Saturn (~9 million sold) | (1994) Sony Playstation (~102 million sold) | (1994) Nintendo 64 (~34 million sold) | (1996) Dreamcast (~9 million sold) | (1998) Are video games a sport? | 2000’sAn era of rapid technological development, the 2000s delivered a wide array of changes in animation, gaming, and website design. After all, this was the start of the Internet Age – paramount in the evolution of smartphones, computers, and social media. Video Game Console History | 2000’sPlaystation 2 (~155 million sold) | (2000) Nintendo Gamecube (~22 million sold) | (2001) Xbox (~25 million sold) | (2001) Xbox 360 (~86 million sold) | (2005) Playstation 3 (~87 million sold) | (2006) Nintendo Wii (~102 million sold) | (2006) Wii U (~14 million sold) | (2012) Playstation 4 (~106 million sold) | (2013) Xbox One (~41 million sold) | (2013) Nintendo Switch (~68 million sold) | (2017) History of Video Games Today | 20’sAs video game consoles are constantly evolving, so do the accessories that help ensure its reliability. At Hosa, we carry the most efficient USB Cables & Adapters in the market. Here’s a full list of Hosa products that may help with your gaming setup:
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