Video games are still one of the most popular forms of entertainment, with Xbox and PlayStation leading the market. The gaming industry annually generates over $17 billion in revenue from just the video games. If you look today, you’ll see how far these games have come.
But can you guess who might be the first person to invent a video game? You might be thinking about a developer or someone who’s always been playing arcade games.
If you’re thinking this, then you’re so wrong. To your surprise, the first video game was invented by a physicist, William Higinbotham.
All this happened in 1958 when William Higinbotham created a very simple Tennis game that was very similar to the classic 1970s video game called Pong. This game also became a hit during the Brookhaven National Laboratory open-house event.
Okay, so let’s talk a bit about William Higinbotham, and then we’ll head towards the exciting world of video games.
Who was William Higinbotham?
This famous physicist was born in Bridgeport on October 25, 1910, but grew up in New York. He graduated from college in 1932 and went to join the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s instrumentation group in 1948 after a long and hard struggle.
During his time, there were annual visitor’s days, and he was responsible for showing the instrumentation to them. He felt that these events were rather dull, so he decided to do something about it, and that’s how the Tennis game became a brilliant attraction.
How Did He Invent the Game?
Now, the main question that arises here is how did he invent such a game. Of course, those graphics were nothing like today’s, but they still were brilliant enough to attract many people.
So one day, William was working on his analog computer when an idea hit him. He thought to himself, what if he could create something with this module that visitors would enjoy doing? He then started making images and blueprints for the game.
When he was done, he called up a Technician, Robert Dvorak, who took around two weeks to build the game to perfection. Once completed, William named it “Tennis for Two”. It became an attraction point for many visitors, increasing the number of visitors to the lab.
William Higinbotham didn’t think much about the game, but it became popular years later, after which the long line of video games started. Higinbotham only became well known as the video game inventor after an article appeared in Creative Computing magazine in 1982.
Evolution of Video Games
Video games started with Arcade games. Then the Xbox and PlayStation consoles took over as they made video games more accessible than ever.
But when smartphones were introduced, the game changed as most of the games available on the console also became available on the Play Store thus sharing or dividing the demand of consoles and arcade games.
To counter the increasing demand, 3D gaming was introduced by Sega for PCs. It garnered a lot of traction and till now those games are being played in its modern forms such as GTA. Currently, in the modern era, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo are the leading video game consoles with a lot of demand.
Video Games and Cryptocurrency
With the growing interest in the video game industry, cryptocurrencies will inevitably become a significant part of it. There are already tons of games that integrate cryptocurrencies for in-game purchases.
These games are called “Play-to-Earn” or P2E. These games award players with a certain amount of cryptocurrencies upon successfully completing specific goals. This concept makes the video game industry a way for professional and part-time gamers to earn. And who wouldn’t love to earn some money while enjoying playing games?
That’s why this concept is gaining a lot of attention.
But for games to incorporate crypto payments, they need a module to do so. For that, CoinGate is one of the most popular payment gateways, incorporating more than 70+ cryptocurrencies in just one click. Any developer can integrate this module into their games, allowing gamers to make in-game purchases via their favorite cryptocurrencies.
Benefits of Using Cryptocurrencies in Video Games
One of the biggest benefits of using crypto inside video games is security. The users can securely make payments with complete transparency without giving up much information about their location and other metrics.
But apart from this, there are other monetary benefits as well. These include a reduced transaction fee as there’s no moderator charging extra service charges and also provide the right to the ownership of digital assets and can also sell them inside the game to other players whenever they want.
The Blockchain technology also provides fair gameplay, which allows users to enjoy the game to the fullest without worrying about being cheated inside the game or outcomes in favour of the game.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the journey of video games from the humble beginnings of William Higinbotham's "Tennis for Two" in 1958 to the modern era of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles has been nothing short of remarkable. As technology advanced, integrating cryptocurrencies into video games ushered in a new era with P2E games, allowing players to earn cryptocurrencies through in-game achievements.
