It’s National Video Games Day – Or Is It?
Computer Space & Pong
Today is National Video Games Day. Or is it? According to Video Game History Foundation, Video Games Day first appeared in 1991’s Chase’s Calendar of Events, which stated that David Earle, president of Kid Vid Warriors, declared July 8th “a day for kids of all ages who enjoy video games to celebrate the fun they have while playing them.”
For the next four years it remained on that date. In 1996, it changed to September 10th, before settling on September 12th the following year, for no reason we can suss out anywhere on the internet. Likewise, we don’t know when “national” was added to the holiday.
We swear that, to the best of our knowledge, the rest of this is true.
In November 1971, a company named Nutting Associates released Computer Space, the first commercial arcade video game.
Although it wasn’t a huge financial success, it marked the beginning of a fruitful partnership between creators Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, who later left to open their own outfit, Atari. They introduced Pong the following year.
In May 1972, Magnavox launched the world’s first home video game system. Initially dubbed the Brown Box by designer Ralph Baer, the unit later became known as the Odyssey and Baer, “the father of home video games.”
The Odyssey was sold exclusively in Magnavox stores; customers were told it only worked with the brand’s television sets, a convenient lie. By the end of the year, the company reported it had sold 100,000 units for approximately $100 each.
The box contained no microprocessor, only a board of transistors and diodes. The display consisted of white squares on a black background and was accompanied by a user manual and six cards that contained pinouts to change game settings. Custom plastic overlays had to be taped over the television screen to create color and very simple graphics.
In 1975, Atari introduced a home version of its popular arcade game, Pong, which quickly surpassed Magnavox’s sales. In 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the first cartridge-based system. RCA released the cartridge-based Studio II in January 1977, but it focused mainly on educational titles.
In October 1977, Atari released the Atari VCS with an initial offering of nine games, including Air-Sea Battle, Basic Math, Blackjack, Combat, Indy 500, Star Ship, Street Racer, Surround, and Video Olympics. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, would go on to dominate the industry for many years.
Celebrate National Video Games Day on your home console or enjoy the latest massively multiplayer online game. Throw a party with game-themed decorations and food. Pick up some old Atari 2600 joysticks on eBay, spray paint them, and give them as trophies for the best costumes.
No matter how it started, have a happy National Video Games Day — every day of the year, if you like!