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So let’s celebrate Ralph Baer today
As noted by our friends over at Retronauts (and many others), today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the man many call the father of video games, Ralph Baer. It’s hard to say, but without Baer’s work as an inventor and pioneer that developed the first video game console for the home with the Magnavox Odyssey, the industry would look very different today.
Born in Germany on 8th March 1922, Baer and his family moved to America when he was a teenager. Baer signed up to the National Radio Institute as a radio service technician, and graduated in 1940. Just three years later, he was drafted into the army to fight in World War II, where he served in military intelligence.
Upon the war’s end, Baer enrolled at the American Television Institute of Technology and graduated in 1949 with a degree in Television Engineering.
Baer has a storied history within the electronics industry, with his many inventions leading the way for console and home gaming. His Brown Box was one of his earliest creations, which started off as a humble idea to simply play games on a television. Which seems to have caught on! Except, you know, when you’re playing in handheld mode.
In 2006, Baer donated many of his prototypes and documents to the Smithsonian Institution, but he never stopped building and playing around with electronics. His creations go beyond just inspiring and pioneering many aspects of the video game industry, but we’re sure many who have a love of technology and video games in particular will be celebrating his life today.
We paid tribute to Baer when he passed away in 2014, covering a few more of his incredible creations, including the machine that inspired Atari’s Pong machine, which is what ultimately earned him his now-famous moniker ‘The Father of Video Games’.
[source twitter.com]
Comments (18)
That is an incredible legacy. I hope his work is never forgotten
I’m entering my first Smash tournament in a while. A celebration of video games to kick off the 100-year anniversary of the father of video games. Makes sense!
A great inventor who was stiffed by Atari and had to fight tooth and nail for patent royalties from Nintendo and Sega. Though he was a fan of the Wii, so clearly no hard feelings and a man of great taste in consoles. Glad he gets more recognition nowadays.
Thanks for inventing video games Ralph Baer.
Thank you, for Inventing one of the best things that I Enjoy in life!
I salute the father of my most beloved hobby!
I’ve been playing games since the Atari 2600 Spectrum ZX Commodore 64 etc and I wouldn’t change my hobby for anyone.
There should be a Root Baer Tapper game in tribute to him.
Now THIS is a good article!
He made his mark and all of us whom plays with controller should celebrate this.
RIP glad he made it to the PS4 era at least.
Nothing but respect for this man. My life would be very different without video games (I’d be fine but I’m saying I love video games lol).
@Rosalinho there’s a history of inventors getting shafted by the business-minded
This guy’s brilliant. Incredible for him to know that his “little idea” that most people probably chuckled at during the time would one day be a several billion dollar industry and a beloved pastime (and career for many) to millions around the world.
Who? I thought we were talking about Mr. Miyamoto. He’s the father of my gaming.
Truly a genius.
I like how competitive he is in the video.
Thanks for paving the way sir.
A life well led. Big respect for a real pioneer.
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