Games · 1966
The Genesis of Interactive Television and Arcades
In 1966, the foundations of video games emerged as Ralph Baer drafted the first designs for home TV gaming at Sanders Associates. Meanwhile, electro-mechanical arcade hits like Sega's Periscope signaled a major shift in public entertainment technology.
- 1966 | Prototype | Sanders Associates
Baer's TV Game Concept
Ralph Baer writes his groundbreaking four-page memo outlining a low-cost device to play interactive games on standard television sets.
- 1966 | Electro-Mechanical Arcade | Sega
Periscope
Sega releases Periscope, a groundbreaking submarine attack arcade simulator using light beams and plastic torpedoes that becomes a global hit.
- 1966 | IBM 7094 Mainframe | MIT
ELIZA
Joseph Weizenbaum completes ELIZA at MIT, an early natural language processing computer program that simulates a Rogerian psychotherapist.
- 1966 | Electro-Mechanical Arcade | Sega
Sega Duck Hunt
Sega introduces an electro-mechanical light-gun target shooting game featuring moving duck targets long before the digital console era.
- 1966 | Toy Hardware | Nintendo
Ultra Hand
Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, this expanding lattice toy becomes Nintendo's first massive commercial hit and launches their modern games division.
- 1966 | Arcade | Chicago Coin
Premier Pitch
Chicago Coin releases a popular electro-mechanical baseball game featuring physical pitch controls and animated mechanical batters.
- 1966 | Electro-Mechanical Arcade | Midway
Little League
Midway manufactures an interactive coin-operated baseball arcade machine that captures America's passion for the sport.
- 1966 | Electro-Mechanical Arcade | Taito
Crown Soccer Special
Taito launches an early coin-operated mechanical soccer game in Japan, expanding the competitive arcades of Tokyo.
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