Atari's Pong wasn't the first video game

Happy Friday! Welcome to this week’s issue where we dig into the best resources from your favorite games. (We also have a small ask at the bottom of this newsletter.)

Have you ever wondered what the first video game looked like? Contrary to popular belief, Atari’s Pong wasn’t the first ever video game (although it would be fair to say it’s the first successful commercial game).

Surprisingly, the first-ever recorded video game was created by a physicist in 1958! He did it because the lab he was working in at the time had public visitation days, and their presentations were boring, even for him. Using an oscilloscope, the scientist created a game he named “Tennis for Two”. It worked similarly to Pong, was barebones in features but functioned well, to the point that long lines were created so that people could play the game.

Even scientists, it seems, want to make something interesting and fun for everyone. And in that regard, we have seven free games that are fun and stimulating to play!

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

Need a quick game to play when you’re on the go? Here are some iPhone and Android games you can check out for yourself. We really like the game Elevate in particular as it has multiple types of minigames that can tickle your need for a brain teaser.

Games are more than just entertainment. To many, it’s an art form. An escape from reality. Playing games can even sculpt our mental health and change how we view our actions and the world. In this book, you can delve further into how games work as an agency for more.

It’s one thing to love playing games, and another to learn how to create and design one. There are many things to consider if you want to make a game that others will want to play as well. If you’ve been playing games for a long time and want to create one with your preferences in mind, here’s a useful guide to help you design your video game.

Many parents tend to warn their children that playing too much video games is bad. They’re right, as playing too long and hard can lead to severe gaming addiction. But when properly regulated and introduced, puzzle games can improve the cognitive levels of children!

Ever since the creation of the first video game, many people have been trying to improve the technology behind it, the experience it provides and the overall fun factor involved in interacting with it. Video games, since its inception, have become more than an industry—it is now woven into modern culture.

It can become a medium for a message, a way to unwind, be with others and many more. But at its core, video games are meant to give excitement to a boring environment. Speaking of dull, the creator of the first video game, physicist William Higinbotham, had something to say about that:

“It never occurred to me that I was doing anything very exciting. Everything else was just so dull.”

A new podcast?

We recently started interviewing the creators behind your favorite games for our upcoming podcast. We’ll be launching in the coming weeks!

If you know of any video editors to help us with our YouTube channel, please reach out!

That’s all for this week. See you next Friday!

-The Hey, Good Game Team