Investigating the complex history of video games and the challenge of identifying the first one.

• The search for the first-ever video game is not straightforward due to different answers and lack of definitive proof.
• Popular consensus has varied over time, with Pong often cited as the first due to its cultural impact.
• Early sources from the '80s and '90s refer to Pong as the first video game, but this is contested by other historical games.

Discussing the role of Pong in video game history and the acknowledgment of earlier games.

• Pong was widely accepted as an origin point due to its popularity, but there's a longer history behind it.
• Atari's earlier game, Computer Space, and its influence on Pong are examined.
• Nolan Bushnell's contributions to the gaming industry are acknowledged, highlighting that Pong was not his first game.

The history of Spacewar and its influence on later games like Computer Space.

• Spacewar was a game developed at MIT in 1962 and influenced creators like Nolan Bushnell.
• Though not commercially released, Spacewar enjoyed popularity in academic circles.
• Early 1980s recognition of Spacewar by gaming press and authors led to its acknowledgment as a pioneering computer game.

Exploring earlier games like Tennis for Two and their place in video game history.

• Tennis for Two, created by William Higinbotham in 1958, was an early game that predated Pong.
• Despite its significance, Tennis for Two was not widely recognized until much later.
• The discovery of Tennis for Two sparked interest in the history of video games and led people to look for even earlier examples.

Analyzing the 1947 cathode ray tube amusement device as a potential first video game.

• A 1947 patent for a cathode ray tube-based game is considered but lacks evidence of implementation.
• The game relied on physical targets and is classified as electromechanical, not meeting the criteria for a true video game.

Establishing a robust definition of a video game to evaluate historical candidates.

• A video game must involve a video signal, be interactive, intended for entertainment, and playable solely through the video display.
• Candidates like OXO and Spacewar are considered, with the latter's interactivity and entertainment value qualifying it as a video game.

Applying the definition to determine the first video game, leading to Christopher Strachey's drafts program.

• Christopher Strachey's drafts program from 1952 meets all criteria and is considered the first documented video game.
• The term 'video game' did not exist at the time of Strachey's program, emerging later with Pong's success.

Tracing the origin and adoption of the term 'video game' within the industry and popular culture.

• The term 'video game' emerged around 1972-73, popularized by Atari's Pong and its industry success.
• Originally a marketing term to distinguish arcade games, 'video game' has since been applied to a wide range of interactive entertainment.