Video Games - (1970-1979)
1971: The first coin-operated video games make their way onto the entertainment scene.
1972: Ralph Baer sells his home video game product to Magnavox, it is the first home video game ever created. Magnavox manufacturers and distributes it to the public. The game system is called "The Odyssey" and it included 12 different plug in games that came on printed circuit cards.
1973: "Pong," an updated version of Baer's simple tennis game, becomes an arcade craze that sweeps across the world. The game was made for two players, each one having a knob that would control a stick on the monitor.
1974: Atari becomes the leading arcade game manufacturer. A subsidiary of Atari, Kee Games, releases the top game of the year called "Tank." This helped keep Atari atop the video game industry. Atari also develops a home version of "Pong," but due to "The Odyssey's" poor sales, no one is willing to carry it.
1975: Sears Roebuck agrees to carry "Pong" and it is stamped with the Sears Tele-Game logo. "Pong" soon becomes Sears best selling catalog item.
1976: Coleco releases a home video game console, similar to "Pong," and Fairchild Camera & Instrument release the first programmable home game console called "Fairchild Channel F." These competitors helped drive Nolan Bushnell to sell Atari to Warner Communications.
1977: Atari releases a video computer system, which we now know as Atari 2600. During this time, Atari opens the first Chuck E. Cheese. Chuck E. Cheese is an arcade restaurant that would provide for fun for kids of all ages. The first microprocessor based game is created by Midway Games. The game is called "Gunfight" and it is the first imported video arcade game.
1978: In Japan, Nintendo creates a cocktail table arcade game which is called "Computer Othello." "Space Invaders" is an arcade game that involved a person controlling a ship that shot at aliens. Also at this time Atari puts out the first football game, "Atari Football," which becomes the best selling game along with "Space Invaders."
1979: "Asteroids" is made available by Atari, this would be their best-seller of all-time. Sega releases a sit down driving game called "Monaco GP."