You can do whatever you want to do in a modern video game. You can command an area navy, build glittering cities, or solve startling mysteries and puzzles. Inspiring, fun and thought-provoking games come out frequently. The only limit is on the creator’s imagination. And now, we can carry games with us everywhere, because we have supercomputers in our pockets.
Ralph Baer: the Father of Video Games
Millions of Americans made investments in television for their homes. By the 1960’s it was clear that this technology could be used for more than just watching television shows. Baer wanted to make the television stand out against the competition by introducing electronic games in television sets. His idea was thought to be too outrageous for his manager to approve it. With the company’s support and help by his fellow engineers William H.Harrison and William T.Rusch, Baer in 1967 completed the first video game system.
With one epitome following another, each new design was capable of playing more complicated games. Baer’s team had several games for the system. In 1971, Magnavox became one of the first companies to license Baer’s “TV game.” The system was a huge success selling more than 700,000 units in three years, despite the misconception of the fact that the console would work only on Magnavox television sets.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum in America was one of the first museums to display Baer’s video game units. Thus, he is widely acknowledged all around as the father of video games for his pioneering works in the field of electronics and television engineering.
