Video Games Day. We’re not entirely sure who decided that 12th September should be marked as such, or why, but we see it as an excuse to look back over time and appreciate just how incredibly far games have come. And, with EGX Digital kicking off too, what better time to check out the upcoming games hitting the market, whilst digging out your retro console and generally filling your boots with all things video games related.
Let’s take a look back at some key moments through the years…
1952
Tic-Tac-Toe (OXO), by English Professor A. S. Douglas became first video game ever created.
1975
Atari’s Pong became the first commercially successful video game ever! Laying the foundations for the formulation of the video games industry.
1980s
This decade saw the near crash of the video games sector. OK, not an achievement as such, but, quick redemption came in the release of some of the most iconic titles: Pacman, Tetris and Donkey Kong.
1990s
An explosive decade for video games with the world’s first console war in 1991, the start of 3D gaming on console and PC, and the production of the first ever portable games console by Nintendo.
2000s
The “Modern Age of Gaming” saw the release of the Xbox 360, PS3 and numerous famous titles. It also marked the start of the transformation from physical to digital video game distribution. Platforms such as Stardock, Steam and Origin thrived in the new age of fast internet connectivity.
2010s
The video games industry gets bigger and better, with a huge surge into mobile gaming. Digital distribution becomes integral as games progressively move away from physical discs to digital keys.
2011
TwitchTV was founded, paving the way for video game influencers and celebrities playing online. It was also instrumental in kickstarting the esports explosion.
2014
Oculus VR creator of the Occulus Rift headset was bought by Facebook, starting the revolutionary move towards VR in both video games and everyday life.
2015
Genba Digital was born (come on, we had to mention it). We emerged from Sony DADC to launch our very own digital logistics platform, with the core aim to provide a game-changing distribution service that benefits publishers, etailers and all gamers.
2018
Our publisher partners continued to produce top quality titles, from Team17’s Overcooked 2, to Take-Two’s Red Dead Redemption 2 – with the latter featuring in many top five games’ lists of the 2010s.
2020
It’s been a record-breaking year so far for the games sector and Genba. We continue to push big releases, from AAA publishers to emerging indie developers. And in the wake of such a challenging year, we’ve loved helping publishers and etailers to carry on spreading joy through video games.
Happy Video Games Day!
