Did you know that the first video game was the result of government-funded scientists screwing around with an oscilloscope?  The Discovery channel is hosting a five-part TV series, Rise of the Video Game, which explores the history of how video games have evolved from a subculture pass-time to a gigantic entertainment empire.  I’ve enjoyed the first couple episodes of the show, which start at the first leap of Pong (“Don’t just watch your TV, play it!”) and lead you along the way to the PC, Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Playstation games of our youth.

It’s interesting to see all the obstacles video game developers and publishers have overcome and the breakthroughs in technology that had to take place in order for me to be able to play Halo 3 on Xbox Live tonight.  Take a look at this rough outline of the history of video games (I stole it from the Discovery website):

1970s - A video game empire is born. From PONG to Asteroids, see where the industry came from.

1980s - The introduction of the home computer dramatically altered the course of the video game industry.

1990s - Find out how the birth of the internet opened another world to gamers.

2000s - Where are we headed? Dive into an alternate universe that’s caused addiction and created virtual economies.

Check out the TV schedule if you’re interested in catching the next three episodes.