Gaming computers have come a long way since the early days of computing. What started as simple games to demonstrate a computer’s capabilities have evolved into an entire entertainment industry. Let’s take a fun trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most pivotal milestones in gaming computer evolution.
One of the first gaming computers was the MITS Altair 8800, released in 1975. It had no graphics or sound capabilities, but tech-savvy users figured out how to program and share simple text-based games that could run on it. Can you imagine playing games with no graphics? How far we’ve come!
The release of the Apple II in 1977 was a major milestone, as it came with color graphics and the BASIC code to design your own simple games. Many hobbyists started developing and sharing games, igniting a gaming revolution. The Space Invaders clone called Akalabeth, released in 1980, was one of the first commercially available RPGs for the Apple II. I can just hear those 8-bit sounds and music now!
The 80s saw huge leaps forward with computers like the Commodore 64 (1982) and the original Nintendo Entertainment System (1985). The Commodore 64 had high-powered (for the time) graphics and sound, enabling creative games like Jumpman, Impossible Mission, and Ghostbusters. The NES brought gaming into the mainstream with iconic games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. These were games that entire generations grew up on!
In the 90s and 2000s, rapid technological improvements gave birth to amazing 3D graphics, creative storytelling, and engrossing worlds in games like Doom (1993), Half-Life (1998), The Sims (2000), and World of Warcraft (2004). Modern gaming PCs now boast incredibly life-like graphics, virtual and augmented reality capabilities, massive open worlds, and cinematic experiences that early gaming pioneers could have only dreamed of.
Gaming computers have evolved at an astounding pace over the decades. What an exciting journey it’s been! I, for one, can’t wait to see what the future of gaming computers holds. But no matter how advanced the technology becomes, there will always be something magical about those early classics that filled so many childhoods with delight.