If you thought Pong was the first ever computer game – you and I both thought wrong. Believe it or not, the first computer game ever was Bertie the Brain.
Dr Josef Kates created this computer game in 1950, for the purpose of the Canadian National Exhibition.
Bertie the Brain was the first game ever that applied a primitive form of artificial intelligence.
Essentially, it was a large scale game of tic-tac-toe. Embedded within a 4-meter tall computer, Bertie the Brain had adjustable difficulty settings.
Bertie the Brains is also the first video game ever because of its massive visual display screen.
Bertie’s screen consisted of
However, there is an ongoing debate in the gaming world, whether or not Bertie the Brain really is the first video game ever.
For instance, Bertie used light bulbs instead of a real-time screen with visual graphics.
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How Was First Computer Game Ever Played?
If you have ever played a game of tic tac toe – that is pretty much it. Just try to imagine playing it on a massive 4-meter electrical wall.
The logic behind this world’s biggest computer tic tac toe game was based on a grid of 9 big squares.
By Josef Kates – U.S. Patent 2,784,312, Public Domain.
Similarly to playing a game with a human, the player makes their move, followed by Bertie’s move. Followed by the moves, an X or O shaped bulbs turned ON.
A fun addition to the game was the playfield signs “Electronic Brain” and “Human Brain” which marked player’s or computer’s turn.
One of the most impressive features of the first video game ever was its response time.
Quickly after the human move, Bertie would make her move almost instantly, within a second.
What is even more awe-inspiring about it is that on the highest difficulty – Bertie was never beaten.
Why is Pong Not The First Video Game Ever?
The game of Pong is considered to be the first ever generation of video game consoles, dating back to 1972, manufactured by Atari.
Pong was first console game ever, which consequently launched the success of Atari, building their next of digital kin – Computer Space.
By Chris Rand – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Some researchers/enthusiasts claim that Bertie wins this popular competition because Pong was a first commercially successful game ever.
Bertie the Brain, on the other hand, started off as a scientific project and money oftentimes trumped science.
Well, at least in the level of early public awareness. In our eyes, Bertie will always be #1!
In some families today, the kids are playing online TV shows and doing the same type of games. Most of the time, these are games where they are using an Internet connection.
If you want to see a completely different side of how the first games were made, then you should try to find out what it is like to play what was the first game ever made.
In Conclusion
It may seem silly to look back in history and wonder what was the first game ever made, but it can help you learn a little bit about games and the way that they were created.
Another thing that you can do is find out what the games were like when they were first introduced to the public. The company that created the games that were released in stores has not released all of the information about what they were like.
This is because they want to keep the older games to themselves. This is the way that they maintain their originality and sometimes they sell these games for low prices. You can still get them if you search for them.
When you start your research into what was the first game ever made, you may find that the information that you need can be hard to find.
However, if you research online, you will find that there are many sites that will help you find the answers to your questions. In the end, this will make you proud to be a gamer and will make you wonder what was the first game ever made.
Interested in finding out who was the first professional gamer ever?
