Gaming has evolved massively over the years and we’re not just talking technology. In fact, the humble card game has been around since the late 14 th century. Playing cards are said to have originated in China before spreading through Asia to India and then Persia. From Persia, it is thought that they spread to Africa to Egypt and from there, made their way to Europe. This was via both the Italian and Iberian peninsulas which is why European playing cards tend to sport an Islamic derivation.
Card games are popular for a number of reasons, they are versatile as they is a number of games you’re able to play whether it’s Go Fish, Snap, poker, blackjack, solitaire, you name it. They are also portable. But of course, with advancing technology the majority of games are now portable and card games are now online, available at the many online poker sites. So, how did gaming become so big and make its way online?
In 1889, Nintendo was founded. However, it did not go straight into video games and stuck with creating playing cards for several decades. For a while in the mid 20th century, the Japanese company even tried their hand at vacuums, short-stay hotels, and instant rice. At around the same time, or at least a few years earlier in 1952, the first computer game was released. A computer scientist at the University ofCambridge, now one of the best educational facilities in the world and part of the Russel Group, founded the first documented computer game. This was a simple Noughts and Crosses game – simple, but at the time, very marveling indeed.
Some twenty years later and we got to see the first commercial arcade game by the same duo who founded Atari. Computer Space was an arcade game and the first ever commercially sold video game. One year later, in 1972, the first home console was created: the Magnavox Odyssey. The first video game console that plugged into a television, it featured 12 games. Ralph Baer, the founder of the console, passed away in 2014 and remains known as the father of video games.
In 1989, handheld gaming become known to us and the Game Boy catapulted the gaming industry as a result. The handheld device was a hit with gamers, invading the palms of players everywhere. Nintendo has since sold over 400 million Game Boy devices.
Fast-forward into the 21st century and gaming is all around us with a string of constantly advancing consoles, each adapted from the last. Even the least avid gamers have instant access to games via their computers and smartphones. Nowadays, when speaking of cards and gaming, it’s perhaps more likely you’ll be referring to graphics cards, but Microsoft computers and laptops are still loaded with games such as solitaire and hearts. Over half of Americans now play video games in an industry that is totaling billions.
Gaming has come a long way since the humble card game, but thanks to smartphones, tablets, and computers, any card game you desire is instantly accessible.
