Early Gaming

The early gaming market was vastly different than today. The first major success in the industry was in arcade cabinets. These machines were big and expensive giving rise to arcades. These venues allowed customers to enter and play arcade games. The average arcade machine only cost a user a quarter per use allowing many people to afford to use the machines.

The very first video games were made in the 1950s. However these games were very basic and would not catch on until the 1970s. Many of these early games were made in an 8-bit format.

As arcade games gained more popularity, a demand rose for the games to be played at home. As such home entertainment systems began to be created. These machines were less powerful than arcade machines but were cheaper, smaller, and could be played at home. Game consoles began using cartridges not too long after their release which allowed for them to play many different games. Many game companies would be founded and many more would attempt their own console. This led to an oversaturation in the console market.