History of video games

High school (ages 12+)
Sports & Games

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-video-games

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the first interactive computer game?'Tennis for Two' created in 1958 by William Higinbotham
2. What is the pioneering mainframe game?'Spacewar!' developed at MIT in 1962
3. What were the first video games and where were they made?The first video games were made in the 1950s and 1960s by scientists and students. William Higinbotham made "Tennis for Two" in 1958 on a special screen, and Steve Russell made "Spacewar!" in 1962 on a big computer at MIT.
4. How did video games become popular in arcades?In 1971, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney created "Computer Space," the first coin‑operated game. The next year, Atari released "Pong," which made many people want to play games in arcades.

Oscilloscope: An electronic instrument used to display and analyze the waveform of electric signals.
Mainframe Computer: A large, powerful computer system used for critical applications, typically by large organizations.
Video Game Crash of 1983: A severe recession in the North American video game industry that lasted for several years.
Esports: Organized, competitive video gaming, often involving professional players and large audiences.