National Video Games Day Date in the current year: September 12, 2024

Video games are electronic games that involve interaction with an input device or user interface to generate visual feedback. The first video games were created in the early 1950s, shortly after the invention of digital computers. Among the earliest video game systems were Berlin the Brain, a computer game of tic-tac-toe, and the Nimrod, an early computer custom built to play the mathematical game of Nim.

One of the first video games to be available outside research institutes and exhibitions was Spacewar! It was developed in 1962 by Steve Russell in collaboration with other computer scientists for the DEC PDP-1 minicomputer in the MIT and quickly became popular in the programming community.

Video games became available to consumers in the early 1970s. The first commercial arcade game, Computer Space, was developed and released in 1971. Its creators, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney of Syzygy Engineering who would later found Atari, were inspired by Spacewar! In 1972, Magnavox released the first commercial home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey.

Arcade video games developed rapidly and became an important part of popular culture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This period is referred to as the golden age of arcade video games. In 1983, the North American video game market suddenly crashed, but it managed to recover a couple of years later. The crash helped to establish video game development and distribution practices, many of which are still in use to this day.

Video games have come a long way since their early days. Today, video game development and publishing is a multibillion-dollar industry that produces games for various platforms, utilizing the latest technology. The worldwide popularity of video games has led to the emergence of video game culture and electronic sports, as well as to major Hollywood studios making film and television adaptations of beloved video games.

A lot of people think that video gaming is a useless hobby, but video games can be good for you, as long as you play in moderation. Playing video games can help to improve your cognitive abilities, problem-solving and decision making skills, hand-to-eye coordination, strategic thinking, and multi-tasking abilities. Some video games promote teamwork, can help to learn foreign languages, and even encourage physical activity (we’re talking about VR games).

It is unclear who and when created National Video Games Day, but don’t let this stop you from celebrating. You can observe the holiday by playing your favorite video game or picking up a new one, splurging on an expensive game or a new console, inviting your friends over to play together, or having a fun time at an old-school arcade. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media using the hashtag #NationalVideoGamesDay.