| Welcome to ZB3... games and gaming, past and present. |
The History of Gaming
The very first games were found in amusement parks in the 1920s, and would consist of things such as shooting galleries or machines that could tell fortunes or play music. While these were not true arcade games, they laid the foundation for what would later become true arcade machines.
By the 1930s, pinball machines became popular. However, they were not electronic machines, and would be comprised of wood and mechanical components that would be used to show scores. The first electronic pinball machines were not introduced until the late 1970s. |  |
 | Atari played a crucial role in the history of gaming. The company was formed by Ted Dabney and Nolan Bushnell in 1972, and it was Atari that started the coin operated arcade industry. Atari soon introduced an electronic game called Pong, which was the electronic version of ping pong. |
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, coin operated arcade machines were appearing in movie theaters, stores, and restaurants. However, the market declined by the late 1980s due to the advent of video game consoles.
By the mid 1990s, 32-bit video game consoles were introduced, and while arcade machines had traditionally been more powerful, the video game consoles begin to catch up. The introduction of 3D accelerator cards played an important role in this.
