Although the history of computer and video games spans almost five decades, computer and video games themselves did not become part of the popular culture until the late 1970s.
A.S. Douglas developed OXO, a graphical version of noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe), in 1952 at the University of Cambridge in order to demonstrate his thesis on human-computer interaction. It was played on the now archaic EDSAC computer, which used a cathode ray tube for a visual display. In spite of its technological antiquity, the game is still playable on an emulator available on the Internet.
More on [ History of computer and video games ]
Historical :: Hardware
Computer History
History of Games
Classic :: Console Platforms

1980 games - Old online video and arcade games for free - Old video and arcade games online for free. Pacman, Mario Bros Donkey kong, Space Invaders, Frogger and more. Emulators on site.
Meta Description: [ Old video and arcade games online for free, pacman mario bros donkey kong space invaders frogger 1942 battlefield emulateur ]
A Brief History of Home Video Games - The history of home video games with essays concerning the industry and its players. Covers the industry until 1996.
Meta Description: [ A detailed history of home video game systems. ]
Arcade History Database - Arcade History is an arcade video games database where you can find more than 4600 games featuring pictures and information.
Meta Description: [ arcade history: video games, pinballs, slot machines, pachislots, pachinkos, bingos, bowlers, shuffle alleys, jukeboxes, trade stimulators, fortune tellers, strength testers, redemption games, allwins, working models, etc. ]
Armchair Arcade - Classic and modern computer and videogame online publication.
Brookhaven 1958 Video Game - The first video game may have been developed at the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1958. William Higinbotham designed Tennis for Two for a laboratory visitors day.
Meta Description: [ The first video game may have been developed at the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1958. William Higinbotham designed 'Tennis for Two' for a laboratory visitors' day. ]
ButtonBashers - A site dedicated to when video games were simple and addictive. Going back as early as Pong, up to the PSX and SEGA Saturn era.
Meta Description: [ clip deutsch connector andon wave washer manufacturer coax joint button ]
Classic Arcade Gaming - Classic Arcade Gaming chronicles the history of the golden age of coin-op video gaming including the games, players, contests, and scores.
Meta Description: [ Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) chronicles the history of the 'Golden Age' of coin-op video gaming (including the games, players, contests, scores, and more...). ]
Classic BASIC Games - Collection of classic MS BASIC games and a BASIC Interpreter compatible with BASIC circa 1979.
Classic Gaming: The History of Computer Gaming Part 1 - Part one of this multi-part history features William Higinbotham who created the first game: Tennis for 2. With photographs and audio clip.
Meta Description: [ Gaming the Way You Remember It. ]
Classic Home Video Games Museum - Devoted to video games made from 1972 to 1987.
Meta Description: [ Devoted to video games made from 1972
to 1987 ]
Classic Retro Games - Directory of quality full versions of freeware retro remakes and ports.
Meta Description: [ Classic Retro Games: download free remakes ports of vintage arcade, console and homecomputer games. ]
Classic Videogame Station Odyssey - Japanese videogame history including cartoons.
Meta Description: [ 日本の家庭用テレビゲーム(機)の歴史を、イラストを交えて楽しくわかりやすく紹介しています。 ]
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Comcamel.com - The hump of Empire Earth - Comcamel.com provides information, news, images and strategies for Empire Earth (2), the best RTS game around.
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Computer Gaming World Museum - Dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the first 100 issues (1981-1992) of Computer Gaming World magazine, the first magazine devoted exclusively to computer games.
crates and barrels - This is about crates and barrels in videogames.
culturalstudies behind the videogame - The story of the videogames as a cultural media, the analysis of the influence between the videogame, the cinema and the social interaction.
Meta Description: [ Indagine sull'affermarsi dei videogames come contenitori culturali ]
Dangerous Dann's Museum of Video History - A site about various memorabilia around video games.
Meta Description: [ - GameArchive.com is a large collection of data pertaining to the collection and archiving of arcade video game and pinball information. ]
Flat Batteries - Flat Batteries is here to promote video games as an art form worthy of respect as a valuable part of our culture.
Meta Description: [ Flat Batteries is here to promote video games as an art form worthy of our respect as a valuable part of our culture ]
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Flynn's Classic Games - A website that reviews classic PC games and shows where you can buy them.
Game Collectors Finland - Suomen tietokonepelien, videopelien, konsolipelien ja peliautomaattien keräilijöiden mekka.
Meta Description: [ Keskustelua ja artikkeleita pelien, tietokoneiden, konsolien ja peliautomaattien keräilystä. ]
Game Downloads - Huge archive of reviewed abandonware, freeware and shareware games.
Meta Description: [ Game downloads - huge archive of abandonware, freeware, shareware and demoversion games. ]
Game Grandpas - Covering many systems from the Atari 2600 to the PS2.
GameArchive.net - The Library of past and present computer and video games.
Meta Description: [ Dedicated daily coverage of everything related to video games. ]
Games Implosion - Features a discussion forum area. Information about video game systems, video games, controllers and repair.
Meta Description: [ The GamesImplosion will bring you the greatest in game rankings, and all the video game information you could ever ask for! ]
GameSpot: History of Video Games - A history of personal video games from 1889 to 2001.
Meta Description: [ Video Games - GameSpot is the world's largest source for PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, DS, Wii, GBA, PS2, PS3, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 video game news, cheats, reviews and more! ]
Gaming in the Media World - A review site of game software based around fictional or non-fictional characters in the media world, such as Films, Books, Celebrities, Comics and TV.
Gotcha - Gives out awards to the best golden age computer games. Also includes information, images, reviews, and collectables.
Meta Description: [ Devoted to computer gaming, computer game collecting and computer game history. Home of the Gaming Obsession Throughout Computer History Award.
]
Great Game Database - Arcade video games, technical information and related memorabilia from the classic era through the neoclassic.
Guinness Book Coin-Op High Scores 1986-1997 - Contains the Guinness Book Coin Operated Video Game High Scores and behind the scenes information behind these scores.
Halcyon Days - Halcyon days includes interviews with classic computer and video game programmers
History of Home Video Games - A history of home video games from 1992 to 1996, as chronicled by Greg Chance. Includes links to relevant material.
I.C. When - A chronological history of computing, with a special emphasis on video games.
Meta Description: [ Home & Garden, Video Game History, New Zealand ]
Intellivision Classic Videogame Website - A journey through the classic system Intellivision.
Meta Description: [ Mattel Electronics Intellivsion videogame system emulator ]
Jammajup - Coin-op collection based in the UK. PLUS repairlogs, useful information, author's personal high scores since 1980, videogame polls, jammajup quiz, and links.
Meta Description: [ A collector from Birmingham (UK) with my collection,game scores,quiz,scematic request and a mass of links ]
Lee's PeeknPoke - General arcade and console emulation site.
Link Cable of Time - Linking gaming past to gaming present with reviews and backstories on all of the major developers of the gaming industry.
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Lucasarts Museum - Chronicles all things related to the classic Lucasart's adventure games.
Meta Description: [ Vintage Computer Games Discussion and Lucasarts Collecting Guide ]
Mintfresh's Classic Games Site - Dedicated to the history of classic computer and console games. Includes a timeline charting important events up to the current period.
MobyGames - An online database of the PC entertainment software industry's products from 1982 to present. Includes game descriptions, screenshots, boxcovers, reviews, trivia, links and ratings.
Meta Description: [ An online, historical and archival database of the entertainment software industry's products, with game reviews and ratings for GameBoy, Xbox, GameCube, Playstation, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Jaguar, Super NES a... ]
NintendoLand - Contains history of Nintendo and technical specifications about the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Virtual Boy, and Nintendo 64. Also offers reviews, game secrets, online games and message boards.
Meta Description: [ The most comprehensive site on the internet dedicated to the classic Nintendo consoles and games. Read the complete history of Nintendo and tech specs about NES, SNES, Game Boy, Virtual Boy and the Nintendo 64, learn all about Mario, and enjoy our fan fiction stories. We also have plenty of revie... ]
Oilzine.com - The history of the two pillars, pong and asteroids, of the home gaming market.
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Otsuge - Video Game History - The world's most advanced list of pc and console video games,including the history of every game in every country.
Meta Description: [ Otsuge, the world's most advanced list of pc and console video games, modern and classic, game cheats, history, movies, screenshots, guides, codes, videos, online games, faqs, reviews, and more! ]
Phosphor Dot Fossils - Classic arcade video game history.
Pong to Pacman - Contains information on the creators of such great games like pong and pacman. Covers the history of video games from 1975 through the mid eighties.
Meta Description: [ the history of video games : from pong to pac-man ]
Retro Experience - Play Retro Games, also have a look at the Atari St and Sega Megadrive Games Archives (including screenshots, reviews and box cover art).
Meta Description: [ Sega Megadrive Genesis Atari St Games Review Screenshots Pictures Box Cover Art Release Info Archives Graphics ]
Retro View - Tips, cheats, reviews, high scores and discussion of classic video games.
RetroBase.de - Videogame preservation since Feb. 2002 - Covers Atari 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx, ColecoVision, Vectrex, Intellivision, PC-Engine aka Turbo Grafx 16, Super Nintendo (SNES), Sega Game Gear, Mega Drive aka Genesis, SG-1000, Neo Geo and NG.
Meta Description: [ Videogame preservation is our mission. We do cover Atari 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx, ColecoVision, Vectrex, Intellivision, PC Engine / Turbo Grafx 16, Super Famicom / SNES, Sega 32x, Game Gear, Mark III / Master System, Mega Drive / Genesis, SG-1000, Neo Geo, Neo Geo Pocket, Watara SuperVision and ... ]
Screens Edge - A museum dedicated to preserving pixel artwork from the first 25 years of home computer and video games. Specializes in the 3 main home computer formats of the 1980's: Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.
SPOnG.com - Containing news, screenshots, summaries and details of developers and publishers, plus competitions, charts, trivia, tips, FAQs, and walkthroughs.
Meta Description: [ Daily games news, review, competitions and charts, with a catalogue of over 55,000 games with screen shots, packaging, artwork, summaries, FAQs and details of publishers and developers, trivia, hints, tips and more. ]
Supercade - A book that illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.
Meta Description: [ welcome to SUPERCADE, the first book to illustrate and document the history of the videogame industry... ]
The Dot Eaters: Videogame History 101 - The history of videogames, from arcade, home consoles and computers. Includes pictures and audio files, as well as text covering the history of major machines and games.
Meta Description: [ A comprehensive history of video games; for the home, arcade, computer, and beyond. ]
The Dragon's Lair / Space Ace Computer Games Collection - Complete Dragon's Lair Space Ace games collection, including all items:music, collectibles, video, goodies and books.
Meta Description: [ Complete Dragon\'s Lair & Space Ace games collection, include all items ( music, collectibles, video, goodies, books, ... ) related to the games ! A Must See :-) ]
The Old Computer Dot Com - A site dedicated to all aspects of retro computing and gaming. Museum, emulators, ROMs, retro Shop, magazines, and articles. From Atari 2600, Zenneth, colecovision, amiga, and spectrum.
The Stairway To Hell - Archive of software released for the Acorn range of 8-bit home computers. BBC Micro Games, Acorn Electron games, BBC Micro Emulation and BBC Emulators with reviews, scans, music mp3, mags, instructions and documentation.
Meta Description: [ A website dedicated to: BBC Micro Games, Acorn Electron Games, BBC Micro Emulation and BBC Emulators. There's also Reviews, Scans, Music mp3, Mags, Instructions, Documentation and more. ]
The Video Game Museum - An online video game museum with screenshots, scans, music, ads and reviews.
Meta Description: [ VGmuseum.com, the internet's largest video game museum.
Relive old memories here with everything from screenshots, endings, scans, music, ads and reviews, we have it all. ]
TheCan.Org - Read, enjoy and contribute accounts of computer, video and online games that were cancelled or otherwise lost, precious, before release.
Meta Description: [ thecan.org, a pet cemetary for games that were cancelled or otherwise fell by the wayside on their journey of development. ]
Twin Galaxies - Official scorekeeper for the world of video game and pinball playing since the early 1980s.
Video Game Database - Video game database is a searchable database of all games for all systems that is continually being updated by gamers. Features screenshots, reviews, and ratings.
Meta Description: [ VideoGameDb.com features user generated screenshots, reviews, ratings, and more. ]
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Video Games - A personal story of the early video game history.
Video Games 101 - Video Games - Video game system information with a focus on Tomb Raider.
Meta Description: [ Detailed video game system information with a focus on Tomb Raider. Free wallpapers, icons, and more. ]
Videotopia - Exhibit of the true history of video games. An international traveling museum exhibit chronicling the history of mankind's first interactive media.
Vintage computer games and hardware - Includes photographs of vintage software and hardware.
Visionnet - Retrogaming - Online gaming library of all common consoles, handhelds and homecomputers.
VOGONS - Very Old Games On New Systems - A forum about how to get older games to run on newer computers.
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