Computer Space and beyond: 50 years of gaming

Playing video games had previously been a geeky activity for small groups on university tech campuses, but in 1971, Nolan Bushnell, a University of Utah student, collaborated with Jim Stein, a Stanford University researcher, to create a game.

They were both participating in a game called “Spacewar” that was taking place in a university lab. The couple recognised possibilities in creating an arcade version of a video game based on Nolan’s expertise working at amusement parks.

They teamed up with Nutting Associates, an arcade firm, after working on it for several years. In August 1971, their game, Computer Space, was issued for the first time for a physical test run.

Started from 1970 there were many resolutions in the field of gaming. 1970 is considered as the birth year of gaming. The 1980s are synonymous with crowded, neon-lit amusement arcades, and with good reason: it was the decade that gave us Tetris, Pacman, and MS Pac-man, the best-selling arcade games of all time. As graphics and consoles improved, games now looked better. This development was captured best in 1992’s Mortal Kombat.

The Noughties: An online resolution. The early years of the twenty-first century. This was the decade that gave us The Sims and mobile gaming – the torment of many a parent – but it was also the decade that gave us online gaming.

The impact of the pandemic:

Since March 2020, the pandemic has kept many of us indoors, creating ideal conditions for increased video game play. By the end of 2020, 36 million Britons had turned to consoles and PCs for entertainment.