Video games have evolved a great deal in the last 60 years. On today’s date there are many a game, lots of categories to choose from and the gaming industry itself is getting bigger and better every day. It was during this thought process that led us to look back and acknowledge the root of all gaming and the first video game.
It would be pretty exciting (as well as surprising) to know that it was a Physicist (William Higinbotham) who created what is thought to be the first video game in October 1958. It is a tennis game similar to the 1970s PONG
1951-1968 was the time when William Higinbotham was heading the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s instrumentation group. During that time, in October Brookhaven held annual visitors’ days, during which thousands of people would come tour the lab. Higinbotham was responsible for creating an exhibit to show off the instrumentation division’s work. The existing exhibits were boring so to say and Higinbotham thought about creating excitement among the visitors through a game that they could play. This was primarily to convey that the scientific research has relevance for the society. This thought is what that gave birth to (what is supposed to be) the first video game.
Gaming – billion dollar Industry
Gaming as an industry has evolved since then and is now a billion dollar industry. While entertainment is what it appears to be on the face of it, the games are something that inspires us to do more in life. Any game, any genre has been developed with a purpose and intent to improve a core skill in each of us who intend to play games.
It is not surprising to know that there are research teams working towards understanding how brain works when people play games. Also how gaming helps in curing not only boredom but is a significant help in curing depression, anxiety issues.
A recent research by a group of scientists who have collected and summarized studies looking at how video games can shape our brains and behavior. Research to date suggests that playing video games can change the brain regions responsible for attention and visuospatial skills and make them more efficient.
Overall, gaming as industry has done more good than harm. Games while they entertain each of us, educate us, train us and prepare for the world. Gaming is a one of the wonderful things happened to this world.
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