Fun Questions to Start:
- What is your favorite video game?
- Do you play video games on your phone or computer?
- Have you ever played Minecraft? What do you like about it?
- If you could make your own video game, what kind of game would it be?
The Story of Video Games
Video games are very fun today, but did you know they were made a long time ago? The first video games started in the 1950s. Back then, they were not fun games like we play today. They were only used for science and research.
In 1958, a man made a simple video game. It was a tennis game for two people to play. But it was very expensive, so it didn’t last long.
Then, in the 1960s, a man named Ralph Baer had a big idea. He wanted to make a game you could play on your TV. TVs were getting cheaper, and Ralph thought this was a good chance to make video games for people’s homes.
At first, Ralph’s idea didn’t work. But in 1966, he showed his idea to his boss. His boss gave him money to work on it. After working hard with a team of engineers, Ralph and his team made the first video game console.
In 1972, the first console was sold to people. Many people loved it, and soon a lot of consoles were sold! After that, video games became very popular, and new types of games were made.
Now, video games are everywhere. People play games at home, in arcades, and even on their phones. Video games are so popular that they make more money than movies!
Comprehension Questions:
- When did video games first start?
- What was the first video game for?
- Who is Ralph Baer?
- What was Ralph’s big idea?
- When was the first video game console sold to people?
- Why are video games so popular today?
Discussion:
- What video games do you play?
- What do you think about the first video games?
- How do you think video games will change in the future?
