Some key moments in the history of electronic games
Select dates in the timeline below to sample some key moments in the history of electronic games.
Except for the first item, all artifacts illustrated in the timeline reside in the collection of the
International Center for the History of Electronic Games™ (ICHEG) at Strong National Museum of Play®.
Electronic games are a rapidly evolving new form of play, and they are profoundly affecting not only how
Americans play, but also how they learn and how they connect to each other. The International Center for
History of Electronic Games is therefore interested in a wide range of questions and issues regarding
electronic games.
These questions and issues include but are not restricted to the following:
Where do electronic games come from? What is their history? How did they originate? What are the sources of
inspiration for their stories and imagery? What popular forms of play paved the way for them?
How is playing electronic games similar to or different from previous types of play?
Who plays electronic games?
What is the educational impact of electronic games?
What is the social effect of electronic games? Do they isolate people or bring them together?
What is the effect of violence in electronic games? Does violence in electronic games cause
violent behavior or prevent it?
What is the effect of electronic games on physical and mental health? Are they addictive or is gamers’ passion
for electronic games similar to other players’ passion for other forms of play? What are the benefits of electronic games?
How are electronic games made? Who makes them? How does someone become a game designer? How are electronic
games marketed?
What role should parents have in kids’ electronic game play?
What is the future of electronic games? How are they evolving? What forces are shaping them? Where are
electronic games and gamers headed?
To aid the exploration of these questions and to help inform the forthcoming, long-term, interactive exhibit eGameRevolution,
the International Center for the History of Electronic Games has developed an interpretive
framework that includes “Concentric Circles: A Lens for Exploring the History of Electronic Games.” This framework examines
electronic games through a continual zooming back and forth of the lens of focus—from a tight focus on the games themselves,
to a broader look at who makes the games and how they’re made, to a wider-angle view of their impact on players and society,
to a panoramic consideration of electronic games through the lens of play.
