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Video game pioneer Ralph Baer has passed away
Ralph Baer, developer of the first video game console and widely considered to be the father of video games, has passed at the age of 92, according to a report from Gamasutra. Baer developed the Brown Box, as well as a design that was eventually licensed to Magnavox and released to the public as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The Odyssey's presence inspired competitors like Atari, which created the 1972 arcade machine Pong after company founder Nolan Bushnell found inspiration in Magnavox's Table Tennis. Atari's success with Pong helped the company continue with arcade machines and further popularize home gaming consoles. Baer's portfolio also includes development of the first lightgun game in 1967, and the electronic call-and-response Simon toy in 1979. Bear was named one of The National Medal of Technology and Innovation Laureates in 2004 and was recognized for his work with several other notable awards, including the GDC Pioneer Award in 2007. [Image: PBS]
Minecraft belongs in a museum, according to MoMA
New York's Museum of Modern Art has announced that it is adding six video games, including Minecraft, and a console to its famous collection of contemporary art. The Museum chose to honor fourteen games last year (including Pac-Man, SimCity 2000, EVE Online, and Portal) based on their traits of behavior, aesthetics, space, and time. This year, the museum is adding Atari classics Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Tempest, and Yar's Revenge, as well as Mojang's modern hit, Minecraft. MoMA's also adding the Magnavox Odyssey to the collection, remembering it not only as the first commercial home video game console, but as "a masterpiece of engineering and industrial design." As part of the museum's collection, all of these games and the console will periodically show up in exhibits put together by MoMA's Architecture and Design department.
Pay what you want for a virtual pile of video game ebooks
The new StoryBundle – a pay-what-you-want, DRM-free collection of eBooks – offers an instant collection of game history and culture, including Jordan Mechner's journals for Karateka and Prince of Persia, Videogames: In the Beginning by Ralph Baer (who would know!), Brendan Keogh's Killing is Harmless, a longform review/critique of Spec Ops: The Line, a couple of Kill Screen issues, and more. To get all the books, you need to pay at least $10; however, you can pay anything and get merely most of them. Either way, your ebook reader is going to be loaded up with game history.
Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video
Ralph Baer is a name synonymous with gaming lore, credited with the invention of the Magnavox Odyssey and thinking that digital table tennis was a good idea long before Pong proved him right. These days, he's 90 years young, and still inventing as if his best days are ahead of him. Photographer David Friedman has embarked on quite the interesting side project, lining up a number of interviews that profile some of the world's most quietly influential folk; in the effort of concealing spoilers, we'll simply encourage you to tap the play button below after you're settled in. It's a solid watch, regardless of whether you're familiar with the man, the myth or the legend.
A touching video interview with Ralph Baer
Anyone with an interest in the history of video games should know the name Ralph Baer. As the creator of the first game console, the Magnavox Odyssey -- giving video table tennis to the world before Pong -- Baer was instrumental in the creation of the video game industry. As part of a video series on inventors, a photographer by the name of David Friedman conducted an interview with Baer.Though the question doesn't appear in the video, Friedman asked Baer if he had "unleashed a monster" in creating the video game console. "Yeah," answer Baer, "I did a bit." He elaborated that the Odyssey was designed as a family activity, something shared with multiple people. Baer is worried that games have "just sort of degenerated into a one player type thing which was never in my mind." Friedman notes that there might still be hope, with consoles like the Wii encouraging people to play together. We would throw the Kinect and PlayStation Move onto the list as well. Let this be a reminder to always teach your children about the importance of co-op.Watch the brief (and frankly touching) interview above.
Ralph Baer inducted into Inventors Hall of Fame
[SteveO526] At 88 years young, Ralph Baer is one of our favorite adults (or super adults, as we like to call those over the age of 70 among us). After inventing Pong (and resultantly, the Magnavox Odyssey), Baer went on to create the rage-inducing electronic board game Simon, and just this past week was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame for his work. He was the first game developer to have earned the award. According to the event's fact sheet (warning: download link), inductees need to meet two specific criteria before being considered: "[One] The inventor must hold a US patent, and [Two] the invention must have contributed to the welfare of mankind and have promoted the progress of science and the useful arts." The National Selection Committee (representing "various scientific, industry, and professional groups along with a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts") then chooses said inductees. In his bio, the committee specifically notes Baer's accolades in the game industry, calling him "a pioneer in the field of interactive video games" -- an assessment we tend to agree with. We've already got a suggestion for next year, though, guys: Shinji Mikami. Obviously for bringing the world the "What're ya buyin' / sellin'?" guy in Resident Evil 4, forever changing the way we conduct business. Come on, NSC! Aren't we buddies? [Via GameCulture]
Video Games Live trying New Orleans concert for PBS again
Video Games Live plans to record a show on April 1 (no joke) in New Orleans to be aired on PBS stations in July. As this is going on the tee-vees, special guests and spectacle are planned. Ralph Baer will play Pong against an audience member on stage, with the symphony providing the sound. Guests for the post-show "meet and greet" include Tommy Tallarico (Earthworm Jim/Advent Rising), Jack Wall (Myst/Mass Effect), Marty O'Donnell (Halo), Russell Brower (Blizzard), Gerard Marino (God of War), Christopher Tin (Civilization IV) and more. VGL Executive Producer Tommy Tallarico tells Joystiq that the previous attempt to record the show in February fell through due to licensing and approval issues. Tickets for the show are available from Ticketmaster. Hopefully, the second attempt goes smoother.
Ralph Baer crushes Utrecht, the Netherlands mayor at Pong
School was in session yesterday at the NLGD Festival of Games in Utrecht, The Netherlands as industry icon Ralph Baer opened the event by taking the region's mayor to town in a game of Pong. The match was played on a classic 1960's era machine, and saw the father of the gaming industry defeating the mayor 2-0. Clearly, even at 86 years young, Baer can sure swing a mean paddle.As one of Europe's largest gaming events, the NLGD Festival of Games offers a stage for people to gather and discuss the continent's growing presence in the world of gaming. Said Seth van der Meer, chairman of the NLGD, "The first day of the conference has set the tone for an exciting lineup over the next two days," which includes keynotes, more than 75 lectures, and even a career fair. However, we seriously doubt any will measure up to the awesomeness of Baer's old school Pong throw down.
