1947, Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann patent a 'Cathode-ray amusement device' this simulated a missile being fired at a target, probably inspired by radar displays used during World War II. Several knobs controlled the trajectory and speed of the missile toward a preset target, because onscreen graphics were not possible at the time targets were literally drawn on the screen by the technicians. The patent states under the first claim 'The game is of such a character that it requires care and skill in operating the device...skill can be increased with practice and the exercise of care contributes to sucess' these two factors, practice and skill are still relevant to games today.
Its hardly surprising war was used as an inspiration for the game, World War 2 had only just ended and the games similarities in both presentation and style, the oval screen bore a close resembalance to a radars screen and the fact the player tracked a missile to its target would be thrilling to the post-war world.
The second widely agreed game was OXO a digital game of noughts and crosses, this was written by A.S Douglas as an example of his thesis on human-computer interaction while studying at Cambridge University. Written for the archaic EDSAC one of the very first computers in 1952 the player could select where to place his/her nought/cross using a mechanical telephone dialer the computer would then play a game of noughts and crosses with the player. OXO is considered to be the very first graphical computer game, the device designed in 1947 relying on targets being physically drawn on to the display while EDSAC was equipped with a ridicuously high resolution cathode ray display of 35 x 16 pixels for displaying the game ( my word sarcasm on the internets...)
OXO was created in a environment of learning and education as an example of computer-human interaction, its interesting to note that one of the first computer games was simply a remake of one of the more recognizable games in the world with the same rules and restrictions of its real world counterpart. Douglas was exploring the different ways in which humans could interact with computers believing digital representations of traditional games to be one of the more interesting aspects.
This trend of using high end university mainframes for producing games continued to 1961 where a group of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created Spacewar! on the then new DEC PDP-1. The game is notable for being the first two player title with both players piloting a space ship capable of firing missiles. A black hole in the center created an obstacle for both players to avoid while they blasted at each other. Instead of OXO which was limited to Cambridge due to the low availability of the ESAC system, Spacewar! was packaged with every new DEC computer and is regarded as the first widely circulated computer game. Like the cathode-ray amusement device of 1947 clearly inspired by the new radar technology spacewar! was written during the height of the spacerace when rocketships and astronauts where very much in the public eye, games were fast becoming another means for people to imagine the impossible much the same with books or films.
As computers became increasingly smaller and cheaper mainframes became less and less necessary, this miniaturization was central to computers becoming introduced into homes with games also making the transition. Specialist games machines known as consoles where also developed allowing the game to be displayed on a regualr TV display - this split between computer and console games still exists today
Until 1969 games were limited to large corporations or Universities as curious little asides, now anyone could play these games at home using the Magnavox Odyssey plugged into a standard television set this was developed from a prototype from 1968 the magnavox was capable of playing a number of games through a removable circuit similar to a cartridge slot seen in later consoles. Colour overlays which stuck onto TV screens emulated colour graphics hearkening back to the original cathode-ray amusement device of 1947 when targets where physically drawn on the screen.
Although commercially it was a failure the magnavox had created a pathway for future consoles and companies to follow, 3 years later Atari released pong and sold 19,000 machines this 'console arms race' of ever increasingly powerful consoles continues up to today with next gen consoles all battling for a slice of the multi-billion dollar games industry pie.
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