Video game history and facts

• Contrary to popular belief, the first video game was not Pong. It was preceded by Tennis for Two in 1958 and Spacewar! in 1962.

• The video game industry is worth more than the film and music industries combined.

• Engineer Ralph Baer is often held to be the “father of video games.” His “Brown Box” video game system, designed in 1967, paved the way for all future consoles.

• The video game industry consistently brings in more money than Hollywood. In 2018, the global gaming market was valued at $134.9 billion, while the global box office only brought in 41.1 billion.

• Rockstar Games has created some of the most lucrative games of all time. Their 2013 title Grand Theft Auto V earned a staggering $1 billion within the first three days of its release, eventually earning a total of $6 billion.

• The character Mario first appeared in the game Donkey Kong as “Jumpman.” His name was changed to Mario in Donkey Kong Junior.

Nintendo history facts

• Japanese video game giant Nintendo was founded in 1889 as the “Marufuku Company.” They originally made playing cards.

• The word “Nintendo” roughly translates to “leave luck to heaven.”

• Nintendo video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto is responsible for many of gaming’s most beloved franchises. His creations include Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Starfox, F-Zero, and Pikmin.

• Video games can be more than a hobby. A top-tier professional video gamer can pull in over $4 million annually in tournament winnings.