William Higinbotham, a physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, repurposed an oscilloscope to create this game. It is recognized as the first game created purely for entertainment rather than academic research, proving that computers could be used for fun.

Ralph Baer, known as the "Father of Video Games," designed the first-ever home console. Although it lacked sound and used plastic overlays for the TV screen, it was a revolutionary device that proved television could be an interactive medium.

Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn developed this table tennis simulation for Atari. Its massive success in bars and arcades laid the financial foundation for the entire industry and led to a famous legal battle with Magnavox over the original game concept.

This console changed the business model of gaming. Instead of buying a machine with one built-in game, players could now buy individual cartridges. It made Atari the king of the living room and allowed third-party developers to start creating their own software.

Created by Tomohiro Nishikado for Taito, this game introduced the "high score" and increasing difficulty levels. It was so popular in Japan that it reportedly caused a shortage of 100-yen coins, marking the start of the "Golden Age" of arcades.

Designer Toru Iwatani wanted to create a game that appealed to everyone, including women and families, by moving away from violent "war" themes. Pac-Man became the first true gaming mascot and demonstrated that characters were essential for branding.

Due to a surplus of poor-quality games like "E.T.", the industry in the United States collapsed. Companies like Mattel and Magnavox left the market, leaving a vacuum that allowed Japanese companies like Nintendo to take control and set new quality standards.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo released this masterpiece for the NES. It saved the industry by focusing on precise controls, vibrant colors, and deep level design, establishing the "Platformer" as the most popular genre for over a decade.