The First Video Game

The First Video Game: Tracing the Origins of Digital Play

Abstract

In this short article, I explore the origins of some of the first video games, examining key nominees such as Spacewar!, Tennis for Two, and Pong. While Tennis for Two is often overlooked, it holds a strong claim as the first actual video game. With historical accounts and technical analysis, this article features how early progress laid the groundwork for the contemporary gaming industry.

Introduction

Historians and gaming aficionados have long debated what constitutes the "first video game.” Unlike other technology innovations, the video game’s origin comprises numerous candidates. Each could, with a claim based on different criteria, such as graphical display, interactivity, or public availability, be considered the first video game. This article assesses initial examples of video games and ascertains which one can rightfully be regarded as the first.

Most definitions of a video game include interactive digital gameplay, graphical output on a display, and user control.

Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device (1947)

This device is often cited as the earliest interactive electronic game developed by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann. It used analog circuitry and a cathode ray tube to simulate missile trajectories. However, it lacked a computer processor and was not digital (Kent, 2001).

OXO for EDSAC (1952)

Alexander Douglas was a Cambridge University PhD candidate when he designed one of the earliest computer games, a version of Tic-Tac-Toe (known in Britain as 'Naughts and Crosses’) called OXO. Played on Cambridge's EDSAC computer, OXO allowed a player to start or enable the machine to make the first move. The EDSAC would display the game board on a 35 x 15 dot cathode ray tube, and players entered their moves using a rotary telephone dial. There were only a few who played OXO.

Tennis for Two (1958)

Tennis for Two was created by Physicist William Higinbotham at Brookhaven National Laboratory. It was designed as an amusement exhibit for visitors. Displaying a side view of a tennis court on an oscilloscope, Tennis for Two allowed two players to control paddles using custom-built controllers (Brookhaven National Laboratory, n.d.). Many consider Tennis for Two to be the first graphical video game.

Spacewar! (1962)

Spacewar! was created by Steve Russell and colleagues at MIT. It was the first game intended to be played on a general-purpose digital computer, the PDP-1. Two player-controlled spaceships engage in combat, influenced by a gravitational pull from a central star (Brand, 1972). Spacewar! spread to other campuses and became popular with early programmers.

Pong (1972)

Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell developed Pong as the first commercially successful video game. In gameplay, it closely resembled Tennis for Two, but with updated visuals and a more intuitive control system. Though not the first video game, Pong is often credited with launching the video game industry (Kent, 2001).

Tennis for Two Recognition

Reviewing these early examples, Tennis for Two predates Spacewar! and Pong. The technology in Tennis for Two utilized an analog computer and oscilloscope for display. Players could interact with the game environment in real-time. Although it was never marketed, Tennis for Two introduced essential elements necessary for video games and the definition of a video game: user input, real-time interaction, and visual feedback (Brookhaven National Laboratory, n.d.).

Conclusion

While Spacewar! and Pong played significant roles in popularizing video games, Tennis for Two is the earliest digital game to offer graphical interactivity. Recognizing its importance illuminates how the industry progressed and focuses on the possible credit to one of the field’s forgotten pioneers.

References

Brand, S. (1972). SPACEWAR: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums. Rolling Stone.

Brookhaven National Laboratory. (n.d.). Tennis for Two: The First Video Game. Retrieved from https://www.bnl.gov/about/history/firstvideo.php

Kent, S. L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond. Three Rivers Press.