Video gaming has gotten huge; so much so that people are even asking Google if the gaming industry is bigger than the movie one. And the answer seems to be yes, as the industry was forecast to grow bigger than both movies and North American sports combined in 2020. While they stalled, gaming just got bigger and bigger.
But it’s taken some major developments for the industry to hit such a monumental high. This post looks at some of the most memorable moments and milestones in gaming history, plus discusses the world of online casinos and some of the developments that have taken gaming in them to a formidable standard.
The creation of video games and the moment they met television
The first ever video game was created in 1940, although it wasn’t quite a video game, but rather a computer that played against humans. Twenty-seven years later, however, in 1967, the first “Brown Box” materialized, a prototype that allowed video game consoles to connect to TV.
The Atari 2600 and the development of arcade games for home use
Come 1977 and Atari bring out the 2600, a video computer system that serves as a precursor for modern consoles.
The world would go on in 1978 to see a seminal game in video game history: Space Raiders. The classic shooting game would be the first game to introduce the concept of a high score and was also the first to let a player save their score.
The introduction of control pads, and the rise of gaming consoles from the ashes
Fast forward to the 1980s and the gaming market had become saturated. Quality had deteriorated and, in 1983, gaming experienced something of a crash. Enter the Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1985, with a control pad. Video gaming got cool again.
The war of the gaming companies
The late 1980s witnessed the start of what was nothing short of all-out war between games console manufacturers. Sega brought out the Genesis in 1989, perhaps feeling Nintendo had ruled the roost for too long as they enjoyed phenomenal success with the Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo would hit back the same year with another innovation: the Gameboy. They then followed up with a new console in 1992, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
The entry of two new heavy hitters
Sega and Nintendo weren’t to have it all their way. In the mid-1990s, Sony would muscle in on the action with the PlayStation. Later, in 2001, Microsoft would launch their own assault on Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, with the Xbox.
In the mid-noughties, Nintendo would strike back by incorporating movement into gaming with the Wii, and Sony and Microsoft would both follow suit. Moving towards the end of the noughties and gaming goes mobile, with people being able to play online from mobile devices.
The rise of online casinos
Of course, it wasn’t only in the world of video games that gaming was seeing developments. With the emergence of the internet, casino operators began to see the potential the World Wide Web held for their business.
There’s some dispute as to when the first online casino was created, but it’s thought to be in 1994, and the casino software developer Microgaming is believed to have helped launched the first online gambling site. Since then, online casinos have exploded in popularity. The availability of online casino gaming on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones has helped it to really catch on.
Taking casino gaming to the next level
In the modern day, online casinos have really worked hard to move up to the next level. Live casino gaming has helped, with players being able to watch a real-life croupier or dealer operate the roulette wheel after the players have placed their bets from their handheld devices.
Not only this, but casino sites offer the additional social element of chat functions. Players from all across the world can chat to each while they play the game. They can also chat to the casino staff through the live chat or instant messaging, and the messaging can also feature video or emojis, making it all the more enjoyable to play at an online casino.
Technology has played an important part in this progression to a higher quality experience. Video, of course, has been huge, and the general hardware the casinos use has become much more reliable. The cameras and the quality of the pictures have become more affordable and more straightforward to maintain.
But before that…
Online casino gaming was somewhat crude in its quality and certainly didn’t boast the same high standards it does now. In those early days, though, online casinos were advanced for the age, and some people would have been grateful merely to have the option of playing, especially if they lived out in remote or rural areas which made it hard to visit a brick-and-mortar casino.
Additionally, online casinos didn’t undergo the same level of scrutiny from regulators as they do now. Today, there are several third-party auditors and regulators that keep standards in place, making online casinos more accountable than they may have been in their earlier days.
Gaming is getting bigger and bigger, as games console makers and other operators in the industry have innovated more and more throughout the years. What might have seemed impossible several decades ago doesn’t seem so impossible today. It will be interesting to see what the industry serves up next for gaming fans.
