The first of all Atari 2600 games was Computer Space … sort of.
See …
Atari was a pioneering video game company that was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. The company is best known for producing popular arcade games in the 1970s and 1980s, such as Pong, Asteroids, and Missile Command. But what was Atari’s first game?
Atari’s first game was actually called Computer Space, and it was released in 1971, a year before the company was officially founded. Computer Space was developed by Bushnell and Dabney while they were working at Nutting Associates, a company that produced coin-operated arcade games.
Computer Space was a space-themed game that was played on a black and white television screen. It was one of the first video games to use a microprocessor, which allowed for more complex gameplay than had been previously possible. Players controlled a spaceship and had to shoot down enemy ships while avoiding collisions.
While Computer Space was not a commercial success, it laid the foundation for Atari’s future success in the video game industry. The company went on to release a number of popular arcade games, including Pong, which became a massive hit and helped to establish video games as a mainstream form of entertainment.
So now you know — Atari’s first game was Computer Space, a space-themed game that was released in 1971. While it may not have been a commercial success, it laid the foundation for the company’s future success in the video game industry and helped to establish video games as a mainstream form of entertainment.
Now be honest: have YOU ever played Computer Space, or even heard of it? If you can answer “yes” to either, you’re a true child of the 70s!
Next up in the Atari rolodex: How many games does the Atari 2600 have?
