Episode 7
Episode 7: The Evolution of Video Games: From Turing's Chess to Modern Epics
In this episode of 'It Started Somewhere,' host Shaimond explores the fascinating history of video games. The journey begins in the 1940s with Alan Turing's AI-informed chess game, moves through the groundbreaking creation of 'Spacewar!' at MIT, and heads into the explosive era of arcade games in the 1970s with hits like Pong. It delves into the home gaming market's rise, the crash of 1983, and discusses Nintendo's NES in 1985. The episode also covers the 1990s console wars, the impact of 3D graphics, and the advent of online gaming with Microsoft's Xbox. Finally, it highlights the enduring influence of video games and the resurgence of retro gaming, emphasizing the medium's incredible evolution from simple diversions to complex art forms.
Contact me at itstartedsomewhere@gmail.com
Transcript
If you were born in the last 50 years, then you
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:probably grew up playing them.
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:And even if you don't play them
yourselves, you've heard about all
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:the popular titles and franchises
that were spawned from them.
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:You guessed it, video games.
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:The video game industry generates more
than the music and film industry combined
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:as much as two to three times more.
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:So in this episode, let's discuss
the origins and evolution of
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:this entertainment behemoth.
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:Welcome to It Started Somewhere,
a podcast about popular products,
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:places and things we know about, but
may not know the story behind them.
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:I'm Shaimond, and today we're getting
into the history of video games.
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:So grab your controllers, and let's
press start on this exciting journey.
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:Our story begins in the 1940s long
before the first home consoles hit
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:the market, believe it or not, the
seeds of video gaming were planted
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:by none other than Alan Turing,
the father of modern computing.
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:Turing and his colleague,
David Champernowne.
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:created an AI informed chess game that was
too complex for the computers of the time.
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:instead, Touring had to run the
game manually moving pieces based
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:on the algorithm's decisions.
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:Fast forward to the 1960s and we
find ourselves at MIT where a group
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:of students were about to change
the course of entertainment history.
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:Steve Russell and his friends were
given access to the university's new
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:PDP 1 computer with one condition.
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:They had to create a demonstration program
that pushed the machine to its limits.
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:Inspired by the science fiction
novels they loved, these young hackers
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:created a game called Spacewar!
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:It featured two spaceships
dueling in the stars.
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:And it quickly became
a sensation on campus.
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:While space war was groundbreaking,
it wasn't destined for the masses.
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:Computers were still massive, expensive
machines confined to research facilities.
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:The 1970s ushered in the era of
the arcade games, bringing video
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:games to the public in a big way.
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:In 1971, Nolan Bushnell and Ted
Dabney created Computer Space,
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:the first commercial arcade game.
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:They founded a little company
you might have heard of, Atari.
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:But it was Atari's next game that would
truly ignite the arcade revolution.
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:In 1972, they created They
released Pong, a simple yet
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:addictive table tennis simulation.
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:Pong became a smash hit and
suddenly everyone wanted a
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:piece of the arcade action.
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:As Pong clones flooded the market,
game developers had to get creative.
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:This led to a golden age of arcade
games from:
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:like Space Invaders, Asteroids,
and Pac-Man taking center stage.
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:These games weren't just popular,
they were cultural phenomena.
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:Pac Man with its lovable yellow hero
and ghostly enemies became an icon
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:that transcended the world of gaming.
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:while arcades were booming, innovators
were working on ways to bring video
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:games into living rooms across America.
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:In 1972, the same year Pong hit arcades,
Ralph Baer released the Magnavox Odyssey,
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:the first home video game console.
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:The Odyssey didn't exactly fly off
shelves selling fewer than 200,000 units.
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:Poor marketing was partly to blame.
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:Some consumers only thought
it worked with Magnavox TVs.
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:But the biggest issue was that
Magnavox saw the Odyssey as a
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:gimmick to sell more televisions,
not as the birth of a new industry.
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:Atari, however, saw the potential.
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:In 1975, they partnered with Sears
to release a home version of Pong.
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:It was a hit.
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:And the home console market was born.
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:As the 1970s gave way to the
80s, a new player entered
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:the game, personal computers.
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:Machines like Apple II, Radio
Shack's TRS 80, and the Commodore
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:64 offered gaming capabilities
alongside other useful functions.
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:For many consumers, these versatile
devices seemed like a better investment
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:than a dedicated gaming console.
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:This shift, combined with a flood
of low quality games, led to the
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:great video game crash of 1983.
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:The market was oversaturated.
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:And consumers lost confidence.
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:Many companies abandoned their
video game lines and it seemed
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:like the home gaming craze might
be over before it really began.
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:Just when things looked bleakest.
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:A Japanese company stepped
in to save the day.
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:In 1985, Nintendo released the
Nintendo Entertainment System,
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:or NES, in North America.
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:With its innovative controller
design and roster of instant
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:classics like Super Mario Bros.
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:and The Legend of Zelda.
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:The NES revolutionized the industry
and ushered in a new era of gaming.
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:Nintendo didn't stop there.
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:In 1989, they released the Game Boy,
the first major handheld gaming system.
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:Suddenly, gamers could take
their favorite titles on the go.
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:Nintendo's success didn't go unnoticed.
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:Soon other companies
wanted a piece of the pie.
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:Sega entered the fray with its
Genesis console, setting the stage
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:for the great console wars of the 90s.
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:The battle between Sega and Nintendo
pushed both companies to innovate,
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:resulting in better graphics,
more complex games and iconic
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:characters like Sonic the Hedgehog.
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:As the 90s progressed, a new
challenger appeared, Sony.
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:The PlayStation released in 1994 brought
CD-ROM technology to consoles, allowing
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:for more immersive gaming experiences with
full motion video and CD quality sound.
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:The mid 90s saw another major shift
in gaming, the move to 3D graphics.
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:Games like Doom on a PC, and Super
Mario 64 on Nintendo 64 showed gamers
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:worlds they had never seen before.
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:These titles were just
technological marvels.
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:They fundamentally changed how
games were designed and played.
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:As we enter the new millennium,
gaming continued to evolve.
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:Sony's PlayStation 2, released
in:
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:home console of all time.
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:Microsoft joined the console
race with the Xbox in:
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:Introducing online gaming to
consoles in a big way with Xbox Live.
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:Games were getting bigger,
more complex, and more mature.
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:Titles like Grand Theft Auto 3 and Halo
Combat Evolved pushed the boundaries of
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:what games could be, offering expansive
worlds and cinematic storytelling.
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:Today, video games are a multi billion
dollar industry that rivals Hollywood
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:in terms of cultural impact and revenue.
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:From mobile games that millions play
on their phones to massive multiplayer
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:online worlds, gaming has become more
diverse and accessible than ever before.
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:But even as we look into the future
with technologies like virtual and
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:augmented reality, the industry
continues to celebrate its roots.
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:Retro gaming has seen a resurgence
with classic consoles being
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:rereleased and old school games
finding new life on modern platforms.
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:As we wrap up our journey through video
game history, it's clear this medium
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:has come a long way from Turing's
chess algorithm in MIT's Spacewar!
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:Video games have evolved from simple
diversions to complex art forms that
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:can make us laugh, cry, and think.
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:They've changed how we play,
how we tell stories and even
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:how we connect with others.
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:From the beeps and pongs of Pong to
the orchestra scores of modern epics.
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:From two dimensional sprites
to photorealistic 3D worlds.
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:Video games have constantly pushed the
boundaries of technology and imagination.
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:So the next time you pick up your
controller or tap on your phone
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:screen to play a game, remember,
you're not just having fun, you're
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:participating in a rich history that
spans decades, a history of innovation,
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:creativity, and the simple joy of play.
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:I'm Shaimond and this has
been It Started Somewhere.
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:Keep wondering about the origins
of things we know and love.
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:And I'll catch you on the next episode.
