Spacewar! the first digital video game first ran as a demo in 1961 on an DEC Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1) computer and holds a central place in the development of video games as a cultural form.
Made In house
Spacewar! was created by a group of students and researchers (including Steve Russell) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1961, conceived of as a demonstration for the new Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-1 computer.
The completed game premiered at the 1962 Science Open House at MIT, and was later shared and modified at computer labs around the United States. This “computer toy” influenced untold technological advances and gave rise to the cultural phenomenon now known as video games.
Play an accurate online version of Spacewar! on a simulated PDP-1 here.
All the Basic Building Blocks Of Modern Videogames
Among other things, Spacewar! set the template for the game development industry and its relationship to technology, established shooting as a core game mechanic, and inspired space and science fiction themes for future games including the Atari classic Asteroids and many others. Spacewar! was even an early cartridge game ported to the Atari VCS / 2600 in 1978 and deserves extra consideration for being an important title for the collector- it was one of the first home adaptations of a computer game.