30 Fun Facts About Video Games

30 Fun Facts About Video Games

Originally Published by Kennedy in April 2023 and Updated by Nellian in May 2024.

In the current world, video games have become the best interactive means of entertainment for both young and people of advanced ages. Video games have become more popular and an integral part of modern society.

They come in a wide range of genres which entail action shooters to those with role-playing, puzzle-solving adventures as well as simulations. Compared to the earliest video games which were simple, two-dimensional, and required basic controllers, modern video games require technique and some experience because of their advancements.

These games are immersive, they have stunning graphics, brilliant animations, and complex storylines. Video games have some cool storylines which rival popular films and other literature. Modern video games have provided more engagement to the players who play and feel like they are in the games through special features.

Both genders do engage in modern video games rather than in the past when video games were for males and the young. However, they also have their negative side to society. Critics have argued that video games promote violence, addiction, and other negative behaviors.

These video games also have positive effects including improving cognitive function, giving the players good problem-solving skills, and helping in relieving stress. Here are the 30 Fun Facts About Video Games:

1. The 1947 Early Video Games Use Interactive Electronic Devices

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Video games were not started in recent years but they have been there for several years. The earliest video games use interactive electronic devices which have different types of display formats. In 1947, the earliest form of these video games was created.

It was a “cathode-ray tube amusement device” that was filed for a patent on 25^th January 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann. On 14^th December 1948, it was issued as a U.S. Patent 2455992. It was inspired by radar display technology which consists of analog devices that allow users to control the arc of a dot which in return simulates missile firing on the targets.

2. Five Other Top Early Video Games were Created by the End of 1961

After the early video game by Thomas and Ray, more games were released. Six more early video games were created by 1961.

They included the draughts game by Christopher Strachey, 1951’s OXO, the tic-tac-toe computer game by Alexander Douglas in 1952, tennis for two by William Higinbotham in 1958, and Spacewar in 1961. These games have different means of display making them more interesting to play.

3. The First Home Video Game Console was Released in 1972

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After the earliest video games gained momentum in the market, there was an urge for more games. In 1966, Ralph Baer who worked at Sanders Associates devised a new control system that could enable playing table tennis game on a television screen.

The “Brown Box”, a prototype was built by Ralph after the approval by Sanders Associates company. In 1972, the Magnavox Odyssey was released making it the first commercialized home video game console.

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4. The First & Second Arcade Video Game Using Coin-operated Cabinet was Made in 1971 & 1972

More early advancements in video games continued as the years moved by. After Ralph Baer’s first home video game console, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney devised their invention. Inspired by seeing Spacewar, the two made a smaller coin-operated arcade cabinet that could play on a cheaper computer.

In 1971, the creation of Nolan and Ted was released as Computer Space became the first arcade video game. In 1972, the two went ahead and created Atari, Inc., and a hit ping pong-style Pong (their second arcade game) alongside Allan Alcorn. However, this led to legal action from Sanders and Magnavox due to the infringement of the creation of Ralph Baer.

5. The Video Game Industry was Launched by the Success of Odyssey and Pong

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In 1975, Atari developed the home version of Pong which was released on Christmas Day. Odyssey and Pong which are both arcade games and home machines became a success.

Their success helped in the launching of the video game industry in the world. Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Baer became known as the “Fathers of Video Games” for their major contributions to the Video Game Industry.

6. Nolan & Ralph are “Fathers of Video Games”

The video games industry was promoted and established by professional innovators in the 1970s. Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Baer made various contributions to the video games industry.

They were involved in the making of the first video game Home Console, by Ralph Baer, and the second arcade game, by Nolan. The two became known as the “Father of Video Games” for their contributions to the industry.

7. The Term Video Game Appeared First in Print in 1973

The term “video game” first appeared in print in 1973. The Oxford English Dictionary cites a BusinessWeek story from November 10^th, 1973 as the first printed use of the word.

However, Nolan Bushnell believed the term originated with a vending magazine review of Computer Space in 1971. A review of the major vending magazines Vending Times and Cashbox revealed that the term originated much earlier, first appearing in these magazines in mass usage around March 1973, including by arcade game manufacturers.

8. Video Games can be Played Through Several Ways and Means

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Initially, video games were played through computers and their consoles. However, as time went by, video games started being played through several other means.

Video games can be played through a monitor, television, or handheld devices. Different individuals enjoy playing video games through their own choice of devices with many preferring to play through television.

9. Consoles are Created Yearly to Compete with Other Brands

Over the years, more companies started producing their consoles which are appreciated by different gamers. Every year, various companies create consoles that compete against other brands.

These consoles usually have similar functioning features that lead consumers to get the ones they prefer. With these developments, companies have reverted to building consoles that play specific games.

10. Video Games have Features of a Type of Victory & Winning Conditions

Different video games have their difficult levels which are interesting to the people who play them. Each level comes with winning conditions. Most of these video games have these features of some type of victory and winning conditions. Some of these winning conditions include a scoring mechanism and/or a final boss fight.

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11. Gamers of Video Games can Interact and Communicate In-game

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With the advancement of technology, major changes have happened in the video gaming world. Initially, gamers used to play alone or alongside their competitors at the same time and same place.

However, this has changed over time as gamers can now interact and communicate in-game even though they are miles away. Through Internet connection, gamers easily challenge each other live as they play their games.

12. Some Characters in Video Games Got Their Names from Famous People

Initially, characters of video games were given random names which changed over the years. However, developers came up with new methods to make Video games more interesting and fun to play at all times and with any mood.

The developers have been using names of famous people including musicians in some characters of video games. An example is the Super Mario video game that uses the names of famous musicians as their characters.

The patterns of the names in Super Mario include Iggy, Ludwig, and Lemmy’s names. An example is the fire-breathing Triceratops, Reznor, who was given this name after Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails.

13. The Video Game Assassin’s Creed is the Spinoff of The Prince of Persia Film

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In recent years, video games have been developed and inspired by famous action movies and films. A good example is the Assassin’s Creed video game which is a spinoff of the film Prince of Persia.

Before this Ubisoft video game became more popular worldwide, it was referred to as Prince of Persia: Assassins. The first idea was centered on a female assassin, but the developers turned down this offer and wanted the story to concentrate more on a Prince.

14. Minecraft is the Best-selling Video Game in History

Mojang Studios created Minecraft which is a sandbox video game. Markus “Notch” Persson was the one who built the game in the Java programming language. It was first made public in May 2009, after numerous early private testing versions.

The video game was completely released in November 2011, with Notch stepping down and Jens “Jeb” Bergensten taking over the development. Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time. The video game has over 238 million copies sold worldwide, and approximately 140 million monthly active users as of 2021, and it has been ported to a variety of platforms.

15. Obama’s 2008 Campaign was Featured in a Video Game

Several important features have been added to various video games over the years. However, people never expected to see an ad for the campaign of a running presidential candidate featuring in a video game.

In 2008, Burnout Paradise surprised many as it featured a campaign ad for former President Barack Obama. On one of the billboards of the game, there was the “Vote for Change” campaign sign of Barrack Obama.

16. PlayStation 2 is the Best-selling Video Game Console of all time

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PlayStation 2 or PS2 was developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. On 4^th March 2000, the first PS2 was released in Japan, in North America on 26^th October 2000, it went to Europe on 24^th November 2000, and in Australia on 30^th November 2000.

PS2 console competed with Nintendo Sega’s Dreamcast and Microsoft’s Xbox. PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game of all time with over 155 million units sold worldwide.

17. Americans have Spent over $20 Billion on Arcade Games

In the 1980s, video games started being at their peak across the world with thousands of people playing them. Americans became the most obsessed with video games with Time Magazine stating that they spent at least $20 billion on arcade games. These figures have changed over the years with the improvement and technological advancements in video games.

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18. Video Gaming Turned Out to Have Competitions and Tournaments

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As technology advanced, video games also became better and better with millions of people getting interested worldwide. Originally, video games were made to make individuals have fun, but in recent days, this has changed.

Video games have become competition platforms where gamers have competitions and tournaments. The gamers challenge each other from various levels until the winner is found, who in turn can be challenged by someone else who can dethrone them.

19. The Youngest Professional Video Gamer was 11 Years Old

Video gaming does not have any age limit as anyone can play them. Several gamers of different ages have played video games over the years, but do you know who the youngest professional video gamer was? Victor De Leon III is the world’s youngest professional video gamer of all time at the age of 11.

Famously known as Lil Poison, Victor started using a Dreamcast Controller at the age of 2. At the age of 4, he entered his first tournament and later he turned professional at the age of 11 making him the youngest professional video gamer.

20. The Longest Video Game Session is About 138 Hours

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People spend several hours playing video games as a way of having fun as well as having some piece of mind. However, playing video games can be tiresome and people do not spend much time gaming.

The longest recorded video game session was played for over one hundred and thirty-eight hours. From July 11-17 2015, Carrie Swidecki a resident of the US made history for the longest hours of playing video games. He played the video game Just Dance in a session that lasted for 138 hours and 34 seconds.

21. Video Games Help People Make Decisions Quick and Accurately

Initially, video games were not taken positively by society as many saw them as time-wasting and not helpful. However, as technology continually advances, the perception of video games changed drastically as many people started enjoying playing them.

Scientific studies have shown that video games have helped the mind in several ways. Video games train gamers on how to make the right decisions faster and without losing any accuracy. The gamers develop sensitivity to what’s going around and help in multitasking and other things.

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22. GTA San Andreas Video Game holds the Guinness World Record for Largest Voice Cast

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For a video game to be successful, there must be a voice cast that attracts gamers and makes them more interested in the game. Various games have different voice casts, but one major game holds the Guinness World record for the largest voice cast.

In 2009, Gamer’s Edition listed GTA San Andreas as the Guinness World record holder for a video game with the largest voice cast. The game has 861 credited voice actors which include 184 actors and 687 additional performers.

23. SPARX Video Game Helps in Dealing with Depression

SPARX which is an abbreviation of Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor Thoughts, is a free online computer game which is designed to assist young people who are suffering from mild to moderate depression, stress, or anxiety. This e-therapy educates students and gamers on how to fix their concerns on their own through the game.

It uses a spoken psychotherapy approach known as cognitive behavioral therapy. Before participating in this game, a personality test is required to establish whether SPARX will be suitable and beneficial to the future user.

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24. Sony is the World’s Largest Video Game Company with over $24.9 Billion in Income

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The video gaming industry is more competitive with several companies trying to woo more customers to their side. Sony will always be the world’s largest video game company.

In 2020, Sony released the PlayStation 5 which quickly became the world’s most popular video game console. The total earnings over the year it was released totaled $24.9 billion.

25. The Video Game Industry Generated $180 Billion in 2021

The entertainment industry is the most popular across the world with various departments competing to be on the top. Video games have always proved to be bigger than Hollywood as well as the music industry.

Video game customers purchase the consoles, and make online subscriptions and games online which has generated more income for this industry. In 2021, the video game industry generated a revenue of $180 Billion.

26. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Was the First Game to Receive High Scores 

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When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released in 1998, it received positive reception from critics and consumers. The video game was praised for its visuals, sound, gameplay, soundtrack, and writing, earning it several awards.

This action-adventure game was developed by Nintendo. It was meant for the company’s Nintendo 64. It prides itself as the first game in The Legend of Zelda series to include 3D graphics.

The game’s development was led by five directors. Ocarina of Time has received countless rankings by publications as one of the greatest video games of all time.

Furthermore, as of 2024, the game boasts the highest review ratings on the acclaimed film aggregator, Metacritic. Its commercial success saw it sell over 7 million copies worldwide.

Following its success, it spawned The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask sequel released in 2000. The game has also undergone several re-releases. Further, an enhanced version was released in 2011, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. There is also an alternative version of the game that consists of advanced puzzles and increased difficulty.

27. The Famed Video Game Character Mario Began as Jumpman

Mario is a hero carpenter who first appeared unnamed in the Japanese arcade release. He was later named Jumpman and adopted the name Mario in the 1981 platformer game, Donkey Kong.

28. The Adventure Game Invented the “Easter Egg” Technique in Gaming

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The first use of the term “Easter Egg” to capture the sense of secret discovery appeared in the 1980 video game, Adventure. The game was developed by Warren Robinett at the time working for the Atari Video Computer System (later renamed Atari 2600).

Better still, Robinett used the term “Easter Egg” as a coded message to credit him as the game’s creator. Back in the day, developers were denied credit for their creations.

Robinett dared to sneak credit for his work using the phrase Enter the Adventure “Easter egg”. This led players to a secret room of discovery, where the flashing words: “Created by Warren Robinett” appeared.

In the modern video game scene, secrets have become commonplace. But during Robinett’s 1980s era, the “Easter Egg” concept was a new thing.

29. The First Esports Event was Held in 1972

The earliest recorded video game competition was held on 19 October 1972. The game was Spacewar and it was played at Stanford University.

Additionally, the event was dubbed, “Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics”. The grand prize was a one-year subscription to Rolling Stone. Stanford’s student Bruce Baumgart won the tournament while Tovar and Robert E. Maas won the team competition category.

30. The Longest Development Video Game Record Stands Over 15 Years

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Beyond Good and Evil 2 is on record as the longest development for a video game. The game took over 15 years to create. It set this record in 2022. Subsequently, breaking the previous Guinness world record of 14 years and 44 days. by Duke Nukem Forever (2011).

Video games will remain to be the best way to keep yourself busy and utilize time well. With more technological evolution, more improvements and major changes are expected to make Video games more interesting and attractive.