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Timeline

Scroll to explore select highlights of the last 50 years of gaming history

1971
Oregon Trail is released

The Oregon Trail is a beloved educational game that was created by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, Paul Dillenberger.

1972
Magnavox releases Odyssey
White and black Magnavox Odyssey console and controller

The Magnavox Odyssey was the first commercially available home video game system. It was based on designs by Ralph Baer.

Pong is released

Pong is a table tennis-themed video game. It was the first widely successful video game and helped establish the industry.

1974
The original Dungeons & Dragons is published

Designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, D&D has become incredibly influential to all types of games.

1976
The Fairchild Channel F is released
A black Fairchild Channel F System II console with 2 controllers

Created by Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, the Channel F was the first home console to use cartridges.

1977
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition is published

This updated version of Dungeons & Dragons broke the game into Basic and Advanced versions meant for players with different experience levels.

1980
A simple white joystick icon
Space Invaders is released in the US
Gameplay of Space Invaders showing a green icon firing at white aliens.

Space Invaders  is one of the most influential video games ever, as it was many people’s first video game.

1981
Donkey Kong is released

Donkey Kong introduced the character “Jumpman,” who was later renamed Mario.

1987
Mafia (Werewolf) is created in the Soviet Union

By the mid 1990s, Mafia, which was created by Dimitry Davidoff, was played globally as a party game.

The Legend of Zelda is released in North America

The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was very influential, particularly on 3D games

1988
Pool of Radiance is released
Pool of Radiance video game cover. Art by Clyde Caldwell.

Pool of Radiance was the first officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons video game.

1989
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition is published

AD&D 2nd Edition changed some aspects of character creation, and targeted teen players more heavily.

1991
Vampire: the Masquerade is released

Vampire: the Masquerade was White Wolf Publishing’s first tabletop roleplaying game in the World of Darkness setting.

1992
A simple white joystick icon
Mortal Kombat is released
A close up of a Mortal Kombat arcade game. By Rhys Moult - https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhysmoult/16783315151, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39373589

Originally an arcade game, Mortal Kombat eventually became a robust media franchise.

1993
Magic: the Gathering is released
A close up of a Magic: the Gathering game on a wood table. Tourtefouille, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Magic: the Gathering is widely considered the first modern trading card game. It dominated the gaming space throughout the 1990s.

1995
The Sony PlayStation is released in North America
A grey Playstation console with one controller plugged into it.

The PlayStation was incredibly popular. Its successor, the PlayStation 2, went on to become the best-selling console to date.

The Settlers of Catan is released

This board game published by German studio Kosmos foreshadowed how common resource management games would become.

2000
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition is published

This edition brought together the Basic and Advanced editions into one rule set.

2001
The Xbox is released
A black Xbox console with one black Duke-style controller plugged into it.

Microsoft entered the gaming world with the Xbox and its exclusive game, Halo.

2003
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 is released

The revised version of 3rd edition was known as 3.5. It helped form the basis of the d20 System.

2008
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition is published

This edition of D&D was the first version that had multiple volumes of the core books.

2009
Minecraft is released
The cover of Minecraft, which shows blocky people and animals over a landscape.

Minecraft revolutionized online play as a “sandbox” game.

Pathfinder is released

Pathfinder was originally a clone of D&D 3.5, and was published through the Open Game License.

2012
Candy Crush Saga is Released on Mobile
Screenshot of Candy Crush Saga

Candy Crush Saga eventually gained more than 500 million players worldwide – making it the most downloaded mobile game globally.

2014
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is Published

While the rules for 5th edition pull heavily from previous editions, it is also meant to be streamlined.

The Game Awards are Founded

The Game Awards were founded by Geoff Keighley, who previously worked on the Spike Video Game Awards.

2016
The Oculus Rift CV1 is Released to the Public
A black Oculus Rift CV1 headset

This was the first realistic VR headset to become more widely available

Pokémon GO is released

A mobile game that encourages physical movement and socialization, Pokémon GO was a global phenomenon

2021
Hades wins the Hugo Award

Hades is the first and only video game to win a Hugo Award, a coveted award for science fiction literature

 

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