‘Father of videogaming’ Ralph Baer dies aged 92

Ralph Baer, the man behind what is widely acknowledged to be the first home gaming console, had died aged 92.

In the late 1960s, the German-American inventor developed a simple gaming console with a simple name: the Brown Box. It contained most of the fundamental elements present in gaming consoles today in as much as it was a computer within a self-contained unit which connected to a TV and was manipulated using controllers.

From 1972, the Brown Box made its way into homes as the Magnavox Odyssey, selling 300 000 units and helping spark the home gaming revolution.

Baer is also credited for creating the first light gun and game for home television use, sold grouped with a game expansion pack for the Odyssey, and collectively known as the Shooting Gallery.

In addition to his achievements in the videogaming space, Baer also helped develop Simon, a simple touch-based electronic game which is still available today.

In 2005, the inventor donated all of his prototypes to the Smithsonian and, by the time of his death, had over 150 patents in his name.

Image: bitte8bit via Flickr.