The First Video Game

Next up: Glock.
Patreon: / ahoy
Soundtrack: xahoy.bandcamp.com/album/the-...
Soundtrack also on Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/7aHFIw...
and iTunes: music.apple.com/us/album/the-...

[@Javlin95]

" Welp, 15 minutes, we have our answers, time to- " " *What is a video game?* " * fastens seatbelt *

[@skyro1765]

Tamás Csernák this is why I love him

[@MrKillRoy14]

*Vsauce music intensifies*

[@111nf1n1ty]

crign

[@thetman0068]

vvVVVmm. Click.

[@BigPoppaShawarma]

27:05 Just what _is_ “evidence” anyway?

[@rustyshackleford1508]

Imagine being married to this guy... "Hey honey, remember our first date?" *"To do that, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with defining what a date is, and what it isn't."*

[@aghayejalebian7364]

Hey honey, can you pick up the kid? "To do that, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with defining what a kid is, and what it isn't."

[@Sereiya]

Hey honey, can you cook today? "To do that, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with defining what food is, and what it isn't."

[@stevenbobbybills]

"Stu, can you pick up the groceries?" "To do that, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with defining what fresh produce is, and what it isn't."

[@METALFREAK03]

Surely you would have to define what the meaning of time is before you can work out a date. As before the georgian calendar you had many others which did them vastly differently.

[@CW-yp9jo]

@@METALFREAK03 To do that, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with defining what calenders are, and what aren't.

[@FAIZAFEI]

"A video game must exist" So, Polybius is not video game

[@trinidad17]

Video games, or any name for that matter, can be used to reference both the idea, and also instances of the thing itself.

[@maccaswam]

Polybius is a video game, just not existant enough to be considered legible for the list.

[@KingThrillgore]

Well its definitely one now that its been released.

[@taufox4419]

its a "virtual" videogame

[@keeganmcginnis472]

I still believe. Ahoy made it clear it was fabricated, but I want to believe.

[@andyjay729]

"If, when walking down the halls of MIT, you should happen to hear strange cries of 'No! No! Turn! Fire! ARRGGGHHH!!', do not be alarmed. Another Western is not being filmed - MIT students and others are merely participating in a new sport, Spacewar." - One of the first media descriptions of gamers, 1962

[@leightonpetty4817]

Glad to hear nothing’s changed in over half a century

[@override7486]

Where's the quote from?

[@kamikazemelon787]

"on me on me on me fuck i'm dead" - Overheard at MIT 1962

[@casonhall5268]

I think I've shouted the exact same thing a few times

[@gulc]

Teabagging back in those archaic times must have been spectacular.

[@burmecian123]

"Along with manufacturer Nutting Associates..." It was a different time.

[@mindmadeover]

Yup. Now we just call them "the boys".

[@weakestlink20]

Try telling that to Pirates ownership.

[@JonnesTT]

I... I died XD

[@daviddixon9849]

lool

[@merrittanimation7721]

I'd be suspicious if this was a modern company.

[@whynotanyting]

"Darling, you better stop all processes on that cathode-ray tube amusement device and come down for dinner." "But MOM! It's a real-time transcontinental cooperative simulation! I can't just stop it!"

[@nighthoodlupin3500]

Ded before you complete the sentence

[@spectolder8536]

*Nukes Moscow* Fine, i`m coming!

[@Ida-xe8pg]

THE GLOCK VIDEO IS COMING BOIS

[@Burn_Angel]

"Just pause it"

[@scarydave7245]

Multiplayer ?

[@zachmueller2912]

Calling pong the first game is like calling the Ford model T the first car, it was the first popular and easily accessible car, but like atari with pong, it was not even fords first car, let alone the first motor vehicle on wheels...

[@jaceworley]

My dad had told me about the history of video games. He told me about the Brown Box... or Magnavox Odyssey. Originally I thought Pong was the first game too, but that was back in 2014. When I learned about the Magnavox that alone had amazed me. I delved into this extreme retro (in some cases just oldie games!) phenomenon. There I learned about Space War. Then other things like the Nintendo Color TV and many old early consoles, Microvision and etc. I kept researching this until I found Tennis for Two, and OXO. Finally, I found a website that listed the 'entire' history of games. Dating earliest to 1940; the Cathode Ray Amusement Device. Googling this device I found this video, which opened up so many earlier devices that could have been possibly used for some prototype version of gaming. It just amazes me how much people don't know about this stuff! When there are still many who say Pong is the absolute first game.

[@mortenera2294]

@@jaceworley Are you a kid?

[@deleted-something]

Ye

[@R3SerialDreams2]

The first proto-car was the Benz Motorwagen.

[@Game_Hero]

@@R3SerialDreams2 The French in 1668 and 1769 : are we a joke to you?

[@MOS6582]

That creeping realisation that the beautiful “cold-war military briefing” look isn’t After Effects but is instead countless pieces of actual footage of him placing and removing negative transparencies on a projector. And they’re all smoothly blended meaning he sweetened every cut individually. To quote Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park: “You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you did it.”

[@TjaVideos]

im just hoping its all paper/cardboard that he will recycle, and not all plastic waste.

[@comradeurod9805]

@@TjaVideos even if so, THATS what you're concerned about?

[@TjaVideos]

you dont agree that it would suck if it was all plastic sheets that he uses?

[@humboldtdrygoods1087]

@@TjaVideos NO why care?

[@vjcodec]

The son of a bitch did it! Still a lot of after effects involved here! I’m trying to figure out ways it could be done. One way could be making trackable shots of placing a sheet on the projector. And then track the surface and displacement of the sheet creating a plate for for textures. That way you need around 20 shots to create the illusion of constant variations combining this with serval key real slides to put in the edit really sells the effect. But for now I’m to deep in the suspension of disbelief to know for sure. As someone who does vfx and motion graphics everyday that really impressive for me! Tip of the hat to this amazing creator!

[@BayBerry1337]

36:20 “oxo may even be the first video game” Me: *sees 24 minutes left in the video* I guess not

[@TopBurger239]

fuck you spoiled me

[@DarthAcaila]

@@TopBurger239 Never read the comments on a video that poses a question until the very end!

[@bulldowozer5858]

*OxO* , notices your traces of Vector, graphic, dots.

[@maestrozero117]

It's like when you check the time watching an hour long crime show

[@stekuns612]

Mom said it's my turn on the Cathode Tube Ray Amusement Device!

[@mythicalplow8191]

Mom said it was my turn to sue magnavox Not sure if i spelled that right lol

[@gblawrence034]

“Amusement device” sounds like something that would come out of Aperture Laboratories

[@mythicalplow8191]

@@gblawrence034 i can agree with that one 🤣

[@un-nown7227]

Arlo Plow thats what i was thinking

[@edwardpm89]

@@mythicalplow8191 And magnavox won(again)

[@ChrisStoneinator]

This came up at a "pub quiz" during fresher's week at my uni halls a couple years ago... My table wanted to guess Pong, but I knew that wasn't right, so I strongly suggested we guess something like Computer Space instead (not the oldest, but closer and it's all that came to mind). The answer they wanted was Pong. I was not a popular man that evening.

[@thotusmaximus971]

Argue the truth! Tell them if the previous games that existed that could be qualified as video games!

[@ChrisStoneinator]

@@thotusmaximus971 oh dude trust me as soon as they read out that answer I literally leapt to my own defense. Before the poor girl could finish annunciating the "G" and before I even fully registered what was happening, a "NO IT ISN'T" erupted from my lips as I stood up at my table with such velocity as to spill two of the drinks on it. They wouldn't have it. Bastards.

[@thotusmaximus971]

@@ChrisStoneinator aw that sucks, I mean, stating/claiming something probably isn't enough evidence xD refer to the real answer clearly and if asked for sources just give them the video lol idk :/ Kinda sucks tho, but hey, you did what you could, it's all fine in the end

[@PikaLink91]

@@ChrisStoneinator Of course they wouldn’t, because when they have written an answer, hot dammit, then that’s final, no ifs or buts. Sigh, not only are videogames still a very frowned upon market, especially among adults, but this clearly shows how ignorant non gamers are about the medium. You did what you could mate, but we lost as a community that day.

[@ChrisStoneinator]

@@PikaLink91 Honestly man, they didn't say Super Mario so we gotta take the Ws we can get

[@noizepusher7594]

I love how the the two common early video game concepts are space and tennis

[@ajmofficial3657]

what if tennis is played in space?

[@RichConnerGMN]

nice pfp

[@jackieburkhart3268]

@@ajmofficial3657 you are about 60 years late to this idea

[@ajmofficial3657]

@@jackieburkhart3268 better than no idea

[@tko03]

@@jackieburkhart3268 roasted

[@SentientHoodii]

"first, it must exist" Hmmm, yes. Of course.

[@hotcocoadrinker]

He means there must be evidence of it. But yeah, ahoy just flexin' on Greek philosophers.

[@togglefire3537]

"oh yeah it's big brain time"

[@memphisraines5699]

Hmm, you reminded me of Polybius.

[@applehack97]

shots fired on Polybius

[@Inexpressable]

A DVD menu is not a video game, by the way.

[@expendableindigo9639]

You can't just casually reveal that you're named after an old magazine like that!

[@Xlanzilla]

Expendable Indigo thought I was the only one...... feels like a secret like the ugly child in the attic

[@JJAB91]

Except his original name was Xbox Ahoy

[@hydrochloricacid2146]

They're likely unrelated.

[@expendableindigo9639]

@@hydrochloricacid2146 I doubt that. They both have the exclamation point and it's literally a channel about game history.

[@expendableindigo9639]

@@JJAB91 TIL. Thank you.

[@Azelf89]

50:48 “Also, Video Games are a British invention.” You can just tell that Ahoy felt an immense amount of national pride when he makes this statement.

[@skipads5141]

Making lazy people even lazier. What a lazy accomplishment.

[@daniellove162]

@@skipads5141 - Thank you for applying immense productivity when applying your zero stakes, anonymous criticism. Appreciated.

[@chemergency]

"God save the queen!"

[@eustahijelifetips]

@@chemergency and the n-word regime

[@override7486]

@@eustahijelifetips what??

[@DNPaterson]

I remember playing Space War at university in the early 70's! It was certainly a challenging game, and the first time I'd seen anything like it. After a few career diversions I was lucky enough to end up spending half my working life developing games. Things have changed a lot over those 50-ish years... 🙂

[@gulpbiys5705]

This kzbin.info/www/bejne/raXFlJSNo96VsNU .

[@Annathroy]

They certainly have, yes. Where did you end up working?

[@DNPaterson]

My first games job was at DMA Design, and my first games credit was in GTA 1 🙂 I spent a few great years there, and after they were bought by Rockstar I moved around various other companies. Fun times but it's a very demanding business, and I eventually switched to a job in embedded/real-time systems development.

[@overratedprogrammer]

Oh the knowledge and wisdom you must have.. might be thinking I'm kidding but you have so much experience you are the kind of person I'd kill to have conversations with

[@pistonnbnz]

"Hey bro nice video game" he says as he looks at your ceiling light

[@guisampaio2008]

@@asimpledevice It is not intended for entertainment tho.

[@DlcEnergy]

And my light bulb has a remote control. I can change the colors, the brightness, and the speed it transitions or rate it changes. People last century would be having a blast playing simon says on this... lol

[@iGoNorth]

@@guisampaio2008 yea it is. Why else would kids flip them on and off rapidly

[@lg3zamzam930]

@@iGoNorth to get the fire achievement

[@michellebalogun1421]

@@DlcEnergy you can play red light green light

[@billybeamng]

Computers in 1951: ray tracing Computers in 2020: ray tracing

[@user-tb8lg5jo1u]

computers in 3020: fancy ray tracing

[@melonadeplays231]

Computers in 6969: Super Powered Ray Tracing

[@arempy5836]

Computers in 78§90X: GNI(@RT-¥AR-MUTN4UQ

[@GamingFrazix]

the 2020 ones also have intensive racing noises

[@indigenoustruthspeaker3129]

Fools I am the single player gamer from the year 9 trillion years we have super invanz god mode ray-traceying

[@bpinred]

50:03 I think we blew past the importance of Strachey's love letter algorithm. Noah Wardrip-Fruin of Grand Text Auto cites it as a 1952 program. It randomly generated satirical love poems, which you could loosely interpret as interactive by needing a user to initiate the random generation in the first place. While not strictly a video game, an argument can easily be made for the love poem algorithm being the first piece of interactive fiction. So it's possible that the first video game and the first interactive fiction stood side by side, created one after the other, from the same source. That they were sister mediums all this time. And that's kind of poetic.

[@cashkromsupernerd1193]

Doki Doki Computer Science Club?

[@Platitudinous9000]

Ok hold on I dunno if I'm willing to count "requires user input to initiate program function" as any more interactive than the example of starting a film on a DVD. "loosely" is doing a lot of work here

[@immaterialJess]

What about choose your own adventure novels

[@PixelGH]

can i just say you're a friggin incredible musician? i had no clue you produced all the music in your videos until i came to your bandcamp. incredible stuff.

[@armorhide406]

Dude's a friggin Renaissance man

[@DOOMxMD]

"I think that qualifies as a video game. It might even be the first." There's 24 minutes left - here we go boiiiiiis

[@wobblysauce]

+

[@TheImmortalPwnage]

Just got to that bit

[@Canleaf08]

"Oh, there is more.... "

[@applehack97]

"first, it must exist" even when it's another video Ahoy keeps roasting Polybius...

[@andotus7637]

I didn’t think of this, but I hope this roasting continues.

[@draexian530]

I love how, just by compiling all of this, Ahoy has inserted himself into the annals of Video Game history.

[@henrycrabs3497]

Anal lol

[@dariusanderton3760]

Fond memories. In the 1970s when I was about 10, I was visiting a friend whose family was well off, and they had Pong hooked up to their TV. It looked cool, but simplistic, and I thought it was a lot of money for such a boring game.

[@CaptainHalibut]

I think we all to some degree project an almost caveman-like “wonder and awe” (read: easily amused and simple) attitude onto people in the past seeing a now-common technology; which is why I love your comment, and the fact that even then people looked at pong and thought it was kinda boring/lame

[@rarky2406]

"The more we uncover, the less certain we become." - Ahoy

[@friedchickenUSA]

uncertainty principle? quantum physics? video games.

[@Natasha-ce3rm]

The less you know the more you know.... and the more you know the less know.

[@PlierPieBox]

"The more you learn/uncover, the less you understand." - Some guy

[@robinchesterfield42]

So basically, science. But the cool thing about science is, we become gradually more of exactly WHAT it is we don't know, so we can ask better and better questions! :)

[@edos.3859]

Socratic paradox

[@hurridel]

I see why this took so long. Another Wonderful documentary

[@edugarcia001]

You saw the complete doc in two minutes?

[@hurridel]

Edouardo Apellidos of course not.

[@BurntMike26]

@@edugarcia001 It's an Ahoy video, they're always wonderful

[@edugarcia001]

@@BurntMike26 as much as I like this channel, its videos don't have to be continuously good. Please stop being such comment cliches and be always more critic , it's the proper way to help the creators. It might turn out to be wonderful, but posting a cliche comment calling wonderful a video two minutes after it being uploaded is just to farm likes or useless for everyone, not even amusing. Come on bois you can do better.

[@BurntMike26]

@@edugarcia001 You care way too much about KZbin comments dude

[@pivotalpancake5454]

When he mentioned DVD menus as being part of interactivity, I got a massive nostalgia rush remembering the Shrek and Madagascar interactive menus with the unique original character animations and voice lines.

[@katatat2030]

So those menus were actually intended to be entertaining? So, a video game? Just kidding... Unless...

[@solared]

_This Disney DVD is enhanced with Disney's FastPlay. Your movie and a selection of bonus features will begin automatically. To bypass Fast Play, select the Main Menu button at any time. Fast Play will begin in a moment…_

[@cashkromsupernerd1193]

I have some vague memory of a VeggieTales DVD with Larry The Cucumber helping you find the meaning of different idioms, like "Noah's boy on a raft" meaning a ham sandwich

[@peterbelanger4094]

@@katatat2030 Yeah, just imagine the person who gets entertainment out of DVD menus. The DVD menu fanboi, LOL

[@patrickalmquist4762]

My mind went to the Harry Potter dvds I used to love playing the games in the first 2 movies!

[@T3KNUG3T5]

Fun Fact: There is a Ralph Baer statue in Manchester, NH on the riverfront in the Millyard. It's neat. Cause it's sitting on a bench. So you can basically sit next to Ralph Baer.

[@evening_awning]

What was the first video game? Average person: Pong Ahoy: *Entertainment must be the principal intended purpose of interaction*

[@WoodyTrombone]

Which, ironically, discounts anything published by Electronic Arts - as their principal intended purpose is for the user to spend additional money.

[@gileee]

@@WoodyTrombone His interactivity requirement also disqualifies most quick time event games, since they're pretty much like watching a movie on your computer that's set to sleep every 5 minutes. Except the quick time event is there to keep *you* from falling asleep.

[@blgdoesthings4122]

@@gileee asuras wrath

[@gileee]

@@blgdoesthings4122 Yep. And that game is one of the best of it's kind.

[@emikochan13]

@@gileee The qte does change the outcome, it's interactive.

[@mannemarco333]

“First, it must exist” The rule to existing confirmed by Ahoy.

[@gooby8953]

dang, guess I cant be a video game

[@zoohair4084]

Nerf it.

[@ridhosamudro2199]

I exist, therefore I am.

[@mannemarco333]

Gooby I’ll see what I can do for you bruv

[@mannemarco333]

ur mom Who disqualified you? I’ll try and help you start existing

[@land___shark]

this might be my favorite video essay/documentary on this entire website. i’ve rewatched it several times. your work is amazing

[@beyond_5dtemp]

i don't care

[@theununtrium]

@@beyond_5dtemp damn bro who hurt u

[@KekoahJones]

@@theununtrium jeff hurt him

[@maccaswam]

​@@beyond_5dtemp bro

[@FoxyPotato1]

I feel the same way about his history of graphics video. Extremely interesting and well put together.

[@MangoLassie142]

50:10 The music really helps this moment feel like climax we'd been waiting for. Such a cool sound!

[@yaerukun]

just notice it is from nuclear fruit

[@landonpowell6296]

Americans: "Video Games" Brits: "Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Fun Box"

[@Channel-ji3ly]

😂😂😂

[@heavysystemsinc.]

I'd have gone with "Glass Containment Tube of Particle Accelerator For Super Fun Happy Times"

[@BlinJe]

yeah except the CRT amusement guy was based in america too..

[@SinedKMK]

Russians: "Dendy"!

[@Tryputo404]

@@SinedKMK And Poles had "Pegasus", which was a FAMICLONE supported by SEGA (Co sprawia, że za każdym razem, gdy o tym myślę, to chcę wychlać wiadro Żubrówki)

[@mikaxms]

I didn't know there used to be a game magazine called "Ahoy!", but a nice name origin.

[@inverlock]

this channel used to be called XboxAhoy and did call of duty gun guides

[@cheesychipmunk8382]

@@inverlock those were darker times

[@amyiyen]

@@cheesychipmunk8382 nah

[@Calvin_Coolage]

@@cheesychipmunk8382 Those weren't dark times, they were humble beginnings.

[@Scruffi]

It was a magazine for Commodore computers, so the title was a play on the word Commodore, as a commander of a fleet of ships. I had a Vic-20, C-64, and later Amiga, so we had piles of these and other magazines around. The days of free software, if you were willing to type it in by hand from the back of a magazine. I think there's an archive online somewhere (Archive.org).

[@cetinkaya_metal]

3:38 For those wondering, the PDP 1 would cost $1,222,764 today.

[@kre9]

Feel like anyone else would have condensed this into 15min. To stretch it out over an hour without me losing interest is impressive. More quality than anything youd find on a major tv network.

[@tehredmage]

"Nokia's Snake gets an honorable mention" Me- damn right.

[@azrael6280]

@@rastas_4221 they were trying to be premium while using lower end specs, definitely yikes decisions for me

[@6581punk]

@@azrael6280 It wasn't so much that. They focussed on call quality, battery life and so on. Completely missing the emerging importance of the mobile internet and touch screens. Symbian OS did not have a touch screen interface. The Sony Ericsson P900 and P990 did have such an interface called UIQ. Nokia should have bought UIQ and integrated it into Symbian.

[@azrael6280]

@The Lavian they were selling android phones for expensive prices

[@azrael6280]

@@6581punk they were selling android phones for expensive prices

[@azrael6280]

That was my point btw

[@platiuscyndar9017]

When you're 4 itterations deep into obscure games older then pong, but there's 55 minutes of video left.

[@user-vm5pv6ex4r]

That's exactly where I've paused the video just to process the same thought xD

[@sebbog]

ik

[@tarstarkusz]

He is making a very simple question overly complex. Tennis for Two is the first video game. If you start counting tic tac toe, you have to include this: /watch?v=senG1HmruAo This was developed int he 1930s. It features a screen with light generated jet planes and clouds that move in the background. If light-bulbs are a video screen, so is this. This is MUCH closer to a video game than light-bulbs and a real world game like tic-tac-toe. Minus the actual screen not being a CRT, this is far more video game like than ANY of the early 1950s games. It "feels" like a video game in a way that tic-tac-toe does not.,

[@rosiefay7283]

Yes. Most of this video was pedantry. The actual useful information content could've been presented in a much shorter one.

[@quadpad_music]

@@tarstarkusz I know you were trying to disprove the video's point here, but I think you may have ironically just expanded upon it. This could very well considered the first videogame.

[@jakenbakery3540]

there were at least two times where i was like "oh so we have an answer :)" the first time was 14 minutes in, less than a quarter. the second was 40 minutes in, only about 2/3. and i loved every second of it. this video is a gift that keeps on giving

[@Vespyr_]

Never seen this style on KZbin. It's so sick dude, wish KZbin gave out awards.

[@toaster9922]

This channel is the definition of the saying “Quality over Quantity” When I say that I am referring to their upload schedule. slow, but worth it so much.

[@Naeddyr]

Funny you say that, I was just starting to wonder how far I'd gotten in the episode and turns out I wasn't past the halfway mark... This could really do with a lot of tightening up and editing to shorten it.

[@blackpete]

@@Naeddyr I have to disagree. The details are important and the whole video has a plot, or it rather aims on a goal. Sure, it coud be told shorter,but it wouldn't be ahoy....

[@apotheosis21]

This is a documentary, with evidence and research presented the whole way through, not an unsourced Facebook post or a KZbin top ten list or some other crap. If that’s what you want, there’s tons of places to find them.

[@blackpete]

@@apotheosis21 oh yes. And I always ask myself, where the heck all the information, Charts, graphs and evidence comes from. The research effort is immense. Then all that condensed in one video with different perspectives and alternate thoughts.

[@St4ticScratch]

@Ninety5tag My only issue with it being an hour long is that I know that if I start watching this I won't be able to stop until the video is finished....

[@RandomEskimo42]

I loved the use of overhead transparencies, I felt like I was in a covert government briefing.

[@robinchesterfield42]

I know, right? Also kind of fits the technology of the times he's talking about, 'cos like, the Magnavox Odyssey had no graphics--you had to put a transparency of the "board" over your TV. Yeah, that was a hair later, but it still kinda works...

[@Nurpus]

Me: Oh I see, so this is the actual first videogame The video: *is only 12 minutes in*

[@albertmagician8613]

There is an important criterion missing, changing display and the need to interact in real-time to it. A checkers program that you can play using a printout after each move, is certainly a computer game, but not a video game.

[@badbeardbill9956]

Well he already has the video signal and display requirement, and if said checkers game was presented via video instead of printout it would be a video game. Consider the many chess video games, or at a higher level the many turn based strategy games or turn based RPGs.

[@tdimensional6733]

*not even 16 minutes into a 1 hour video* Ahoy: "What *is* a video game?"

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

"Define your terms" is the most overlooked step of essays nowadays.

[@papaslider6079]

Would you have it any other way?

[@z-beeblebrox]

Vsauce! Ahoy here...

[@applehack97]

"we must ask ourselves this philosophical question" -Cyanide, 2015

[@essex3777]

Asking the real questions here...

[@KingJellalTV]

"What was the first video game?" Me, after this video: some British dude made checkers on a computer.

[@MXCN_El1011]

Me being lazy: p o n g

[@catink123]

SPOILER ALERT!!! Ah, it's too late for that, isn't it?

[@plushdragonteddy]

damn, i did a research paper on video games in high school, and i only ever got as far back as Tennis for Two. very daunting to see that there's still a VAST majority of the video left after that game gets name dropped! i'm excited to update any future ramblings about video game history with the new info i gain from this video lol

[@cpt_bill366]

I will never tire of your approach to "quality vs quantity" You demand so much of my time but in hindsight, you have taken so little and every second has been worthwhile.

[@majik5194]

Personally I love long ass videos. ESPECIALLY if it's Ahoy lol

[@Razer_Dash]

I love how this is better than quite a margin of documentaries, done only by a guy (or multiple, don't know if he has people editing stuff for him) that do it in a much more creative and interesting way, that keeps you watching for it's entirety and wanting more.

[@Meganarb]

@@Razer_Dash He's solo. All the music is done by him too.

[@baetovenbeats]

CPT_Bill it really is true. I've watched the monkey island one a ton, just because they're so well done.

[@DrunkenHotei]

@@baetovenbeats I was just re-watching many of his videos because I needed a fix. The lord provided

[@DJ-Rose]

Ahoy is like a blue moon. He rarely shows himself. But when he does, everyone is at awe.

[@creepergonecreep]

He's so thorough. It's very satisfying.

[@yiny4ng275]

b0realis uhhh... yes, they do, they’re just not BLUE (a blue moon is the second full moon in a month[its very rare to appear, but still exists])

[@microsoftpowerpoint3039]

mini francis ITS HERE BOIS

[@godmagnus]

I've never heard of anyone being in awe of a blue moon.

[@monicaraybrandt]

akai tsuki, akai tsuki

[@rcstann]

In 1970 at the University of California we were blessed with a Vector General programmable scope and a microprogrammed IBM 1130 emulator as well as a free rein to do as we pleased. We spent a year upgrading the primitive MIT code for Space War adding main thrusters, retro rockets, our own planet and solar orbiting torpedoes. We learned a lot of Orbital Dynamics, the mathematics of Mission Planning as well as Graphical representation. We had a suspicion there was a future in our toys, but never commercialized it. These are the same Lab Rats that went on To found QUALCOMM,

[@southstudyspecialaide4934]

Damn, I just discovered this channel. An absolutely brilliant historian with videos that are perfect in their design and aesthetic. Thank you for this great content.

[@Croz89]

Ahoy is like a desert flower. He only comes out on the rare occasions when it rains, but when he does, boy is it beautiful.

[@kerlongsjorlejov1945]

Ralphie Raccoon very much true.

[@ColtGColtG]

its why I am a patreon for him. more funds enable more content! plus for even $1 a month he officially absolves you for hitting "skip ads" lol

[@pseudonayme7717]

An excellent analogy 😊

[@Lundmunchkins2000TV]

Ralphie Raccoon yes

[@qp1946]

Furry

[@Mgrow]

Ahoy: Always outnumbered. Never out produced.

[@screamsinrussian5773]

is that a prodigy reference

[@Mgrow]

@@screamsinrussian5773 I've always related it to marketing for Timesplitters 2 but after a few minutes rumiging through google I can't find the thing I imagine. Timesplitters 2 was released 2 years before the Prodigy song though. Maybe a weird marketting tie- in?

[@screamsinrussian5773]

@@Mgrow maybe, who knows

[@METALFREAK03]

@@Mgrow I thought of TS-2 when I read it. But then again, I have never heard of Pordigy other than their song Smack My Bitch Up and Firestarter. I thought they disappeared after those came out. I really hope they make a TS-4.There are rumours it's coming out on the PS5. I bet it will be in 2025...that be 20 years after TS-3.

[@michaelmartin9022]

@@Mgrow The Prodigy were still going when Timesplitters 2 came out??

[@wolftales5203]

It should be a crime the algorithm brought me here this late. Fucking Gem of a video. Subbed

[@trebormills]

I recall playing space war in an arcade, think it was a later adaptation of the classic version. Fun bending shots around the black hole to shoot the other space ship. A fascinating look at the early history of computer gaming

[@prezofthemoon9486]

I feel like I should be paying for this

[@Superphilipp]

Their Patreon is linked in the description.

[@GGorsty]

do it c:

[@thevioletskull8158]

same

[@glerbus9561]

You technically are.

[@exoticbreadstick8661]

@@glerbus9561 not really

[@raysteam1]

Everyone is going on about the detail and quality of this video (as well they should, because it's amazing), but I want to throw out some extra appreciation for the overhead-projector style presentation. I don't know why or how, but it seems to suit this subject material extremely well.

[@aurimasvasiliauskas6920]

I'm extremely interested in finding out how he did it

[@katelyn6989]

@@aurimasvasiliauskas6920 It looks like he printed out the information onto paper, filmed himself putting down and picking up each piece of paper with an overhead camera, made the video monochromatic and inverted it then cleaned it up and added text in editing. I could be wrong but that's my best guess.

[@Computers0101]

@@aurimasvasiliauskas6920 Given some of the slides overlapped, we can see that the black areas are transparent and the white areas are opaque. This tells us the material is printed on transparent media, most likely acetate sheets for OHP use. It is likely these were printed with black ink using a laser printer, as is typical for OHP acetate sheets, meaning that the picture we see is inverted, as we can also see from some of the news article images. The sharpness of the image and the completely white appearance of Stuart's hand also indicate the contrast has likely been increased in post processing, but not to a huge extent, as we see grey 'shadows' where two sheets are overlaid and around the edges of the sheet, particularly as they are placed down. The physical apparatus used includes a light box, either one for tracing drawings (as often used by artists and animators) or the light box of an OHP, with a fresnel lens focusing light into a cone; it is difficult to tell which is the case from the video, as the lighting appears very uniform, but this may be due to increased contrast. A camera is placed above this, probably where the lens and mirror are on an OHP. The exposure on the camera is locked as we don't see any flaring (which would manifest as darkening) when the sheets are swapped. This all leads to a very refined and impressive effect, and works really well with the numerous old articles in the video. I want to say thank you to Stuart for such an excellent video, both in research and presentation.

[@martinhorvath4117]

Have you guys not tought about AfterEffects? For me, I'm more interested how did he draw those plans of the machines, but they were probably effected on. Even so, good video.

[@KenjiYam]

Lol I was just thinking about this, wondering if anyone was going to bring it up. Then I look down and see your comment

[@MyNameIsOcean]

MAN THIS SOUNDTRACK IS UNREASONABLY HARDDDDD

[@d-552]

50:48 i can practically see him smirking in his recording room

[@Mswordx23]

I feel like just giving this a like isn't doing it justice.

[@J.C.Russell_96]

Patreon my friend.

[@HueghMungus]

@@J.C.Russell_96 But he won't, like 99% of the internet who just say x-thing, but doesn't actually do it. Just all talk and no bite!

[@MrGeorgeFlorcus]

@@HueghMungus D'you know what? I will. He bloody well deserves it, he makes great content for a platform that, infamously, is uninterested in supporting creators of his kin, but someone should. So I'll go support his Patreon.

[@RichConnerGMN]

@@MrGeorgeFlorcus well did you

[@MrGeorgeFlorcus]

@@RichConnerGMN In fact I did. At $5/month. For the record, I was drunk at the time, but I'm not taking it back. I will apologize to my poor college student wallet later.

[@colorblue7018]

Me: I wonder where Ahoy went Ahoy: **1 Hour Upload**

[@marcelofrau8818]

I wonder how much time he made to produce this video.. Seems to have a lot of research.. And he did all in slides put one by one by hand.. another piece of detail.. Not to mention the background music he arrange in the video that brings enthusiasm and suspense at the same time. All ahoy videos are awesome..

[@adamp.3739]

Quality > Quantity, my friend.

[@colorblue7018]

@@adamp.3739 I couldnt be happier

[@adamp.3739]

@@colorblue7018 Same here. Can't wait for the Glock video, that'll be sick!

[@notajtag4568]

*Ahoy

[@mchenrynick]

The original Magnavox Odyssey used 2 sized overlays, 9-inch and 13-inch, that fit over typical CRT TVs. Without them, all you saw was 2 small square boxes moving around the screen, controlled by each player.

[@ming1408]

It has been 50 years since Pong was born on November 29, 1972. The high popularity of Pong led to many Pong clones which led to a crash in 1977, and many companies entering the video game industry including Nintendo.

[@dycedargselderbrother5353]

Heh, hardly anyone remembers the Pong crash. The home market was absolutely saturated. Not only did everyone seem to have a discarded Pong console, people had more than one of them. I remember how frequently one would come across the things at yard sales, people's closets, etc. until around 1990, even though no one had any interest in them for over a decade. It'd be like seeing the original iPhone in everyone's junk box today.

[@smol_time-traveler4534]

*Ahoy:* To land at a satisfactory answer to our original question we must first answer another: *Me:* What _is_ a video game? *Ahoy:* What _is_ a video game? *Me:* Hoo boy this'll gonna be one hell of a ride.

[@alexthezephyr]

Same

[@WiseEndro333]

Same

[@FiatMihiSecundumVerbum]

Without properly defining the terms being discussed, constructive analysis cannot take place. Simple dialogue can be reduced to futile quarrelling if both parties unknowingly use different definitions of a same word.

[@emoldandriel]

Totallyyy haha

[@user-wg6uq6fy4k]

NØMΞЯCУ627 "this'll gonna"

[@jackietreehorn5399]

"Next up: Glock" Thank God.

[@lee0522]

V M glock 😍

[@Alex-cw3rz]

The soundtrack to this is so tense, it feels like if he doesn't come up with the right answer all video games will be erased or a bomb will go off somewhere.

[@josephszelewski1265]

Huge props to the clearly extremely intelligent man that is Ahoy - a truly amazing video with a crazy amount of effort, is literally like a doctorate level thesis it’s insane!

[@baronofbahlingen9662]

I can’t believe I watched someone define “video game” for around 30 minutes and was absolutely invested the whole time.

[@essex3777]

Welcome to Ahoy.

[@Garlic_Doggo]

Dude just watch any other documentaries from this channel and believe me you won't regret. Hence this is the first video in 7 months, when I saw the notification I quickly grabbed some juice and chips and sat comfortably in my chair to enjoy.

[@sdude50]

This video is a bit longer than “30” minutes

[@dankmemes2354]

So you didn’t watch the full vid disgusting

[@sdude50]

Dank memes ah you got me I haven’t finished the video yet, sometimes I like watching the video while looking at the comments

[@bennieblanks5129]

Biggest takeaway: Magnavox was an early example of patent scumming.

[@1mariomaniac]

Yeah I don't think I'll be able to look at Magnavox the same way again

[@exvious6066]

Certainly not the first, but may be the best modern example which can resonate to the masses

[@gnarlin4964]

Honestly, I think the whole patent system should be abolished. It's nothing but a blight on the human civilization.

[@howlerofthegrey9368]

Now I have sour taste about Ralph Baer and the infamous Magnavox Lawsuit. Time for me to rethink about first video game.

[@duffman18]

@@gnarlin4964 the patent system is meant to be there to protect small individuals, inventors, artists, etc from being bullied and overrun by huge corporations. Some scummy companies abuse the patent system sure but that isn't a reason to abolish the thing entirely, because if that happened then artists and inventors and scientists and engineers are then being pressured into not even bothering to create new and wonderful things, as what would be the point if they immediately lose it and any potential to earn money from it? Plus you know who was a patent clerk? Albert Einstein. He was a smart lad, and the patent system is also smart. If its not perfect and can be abused, change the patent system, make it better, change the rules to block scummy companies from abusing it. Don't abolish it. The attitude of "oh this thing isn't 100% perfect so fuck it let's just get rid of it" seems so unnecessary and wasteful of an attitude. It's lazy. Instead of trying to improve things you want to just throw the baby out with the bathwater because you can't be arsed to try and make the thing better. The copyright system is there for the same reasons, to protect small individual artists when they create a new work of art whether it be books, games, paintings, music or whatever. And similarly that systemcan and has been abused by big corporations (looking at you, Disney). But that's not a reason to get rid of it entirely, it's a reason to improve it. Look what happens when you get rid of these protections for artists. China. You get China. A huge cyberpunk dystopian hell scape where art is controlled and censored and potential beautiful things don't get created because it's impossible to protect your intellectual property from being stolen by anybody else. Do you want that? Really?

[@thediamonddust]

What a fantastic video. I genuinely struggle at times keeping my attention on documentary themed videos for numerous different reasons (music, visuals and narration to name a few) but this nailed them all with genuinely interesting subject matter to boot. It was all thoroughly researched and I've come away armed with plenty of new knowledge should the conversation ever arise. Thanks for all your hard work effort!

[@MugGaming4586]

This video honestly makes me very happy to be apart of gaming. seeing where it came from, how far we come and how much thing's changed and it's influences just creates a respective proud feeling in me for some reason. and alot of that is furthered helped by the amazing writing and music "what we know as video games don't have a single origin. they're a constellation" beautiful line

[@Chivi-chivik]

The amount of effort that must've went into making all of those retro-styled slides and basically sliding them by hand... like, holy shit, this is the work of a god

[@Qi1233]

it looks like an effect

[@Chivi-chivik]

@@Qi1233 If it is an effect then it is a damn good effect

[@DatBisa]

It is in fact done by hand. Source: Patreon Edit: To elaborate, he set up a camera in his garage, made the OHP slides, pointed the cam at the projection, had at it, and inverted the footage, IIRC. Game footage etc., of course, is edited in. If you see this, sorry for spilling some secrets, Stu, but I felt like explaining to make the point of how much work went into this clear.

[@Qi1233]

@@DatBisa wow that's dedication

[@Sheevlord]

@@DatBisa I knew this looked too good to be a special effect. I guess it makes sense: if you want to make something look real make it real. Gotta applaud Stuart for his dedication

[@TheDareD3vil]

“So we have our definition. The only thing left to do is apply it.” *looks at timeline* 30 minutes into 1 hr video *buckles up*

[@space_artist_4real138]

117th like letzgo Anyone has any tips on how to like a video twice?

[@d0uble992]

@@space_artist_4real138 Multiple accounts

[@RipperCyclotron]

Stuart goes balls deep.

[@shartman1247]

@@RipperCyclotron what

[@harryw.174]

@@shartman1247 stuart goes balls deep

[@christianbolt5761]

I remember when computer space came to the arcade. It looked cool but was hard to play. Later in the 70s Spacewar came to the arcades. Credits were given in time. I loved the game

[@ukulehrling]

In-f*g-credible documentary. So well-done, and the perfect style of presenting it, plus the cool contemporary music! Wow! I enjoyed it so much and am currently busy sending the link to friends who were/are avid players or have been programming video games at some time in, well, history. Thank you so much!

[@JoMiMi_h]

Next up: Glock. O H B O Y can't wait

[@drinkerstan6477]

50 years later

[@weakestlink20]

YEEEEE DOGGY

[@baronofbahlingen9662]

New Antarctictangle/JoMiMi This is actually a veiled threat, not a new Iconic Arms.

[@luissantiago5163]

@@baronofbahlingen9662 haha nice

[@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE]

YES BOYS COME ON YES!

[@MashAttack]

so uh... are we gonna talk about the fact that THE SOUNDTRACK IS COMPLETELY ORIGINAL AS WELL??? HOW DOES AHOY DO THIS

[@masoclevine836]

Wait really? Holy fuck!

[@Helperbot-2000]

@@masoclevine836 yeah! no wonder it takes time for videos to come out

[@pastapalads5598]

Hes like LEMMiNO except without a swedish accent

[@colefitzpatrick8431]

Well it fuckin slams so good work Ahoy Did not expect to bop this hard to a powerpoint presentation about the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device

[@tiberiusbrain]

Wow its 3am. I didnt check... But this video simply made me happy from start to finish

[@oddishsmile7368]

Well researched, intriguing, stylish, and endlessly entertaining. I must've watched each of your videos a dozen times by now and I doubt I will ever tire of doing so!

[@SeanScorpion]

I just watched this video for the second time. It is the best video game documentary on youtube and perhaps the best docu period. The script, performance, pacing, and visual style are unmatched. The amount of research that had to have gone into this one is astounding too. One or the record books.

[@ragequ1t944]

"this will be colorful video!" "wait a minute..." "this is better"

[@ChapuleTaylor]

i should just rip my eyes off its better that way too

[@jamesfra1311]

"A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one"

[@thema1998]

@@ChapuleTaylor I know that you are joking but ripping off your eyes would definitely *not* be better. 😂

[@jamesfra1311]

@@d-552 "His video is very impressive, he must be very proud"

[@ChapuleTaylor]

@@thema1998 You know that I'm joking yet you still feel the need to tell me that.

[@Curt_Sampson]

When you mentioned that OXO's controls were poor, my first thought was, "this wouldn't be the first video game with poor controls." But then I realized that, yes, it might well be.

[@SireSquish]

Clever.

[@maxscott3349]

It wouldn't be the first video game without poor controls.

[@Jasonificatiation]

nice.

[@benprior9251]

@@Jasonificatiation Yeah I think I got it from my dad today wanyway whe w

[@benprior9251]

@@Jasonificatiation Yeah I think I got it from my dad today wanyway whe wr

[@Excessive_complaining]

I really appreciate the YT algorithm every 6-7 months I get recommended every long form video you've uploaded and I cannot stress how awesome they are both for being able to sleep to and still being massively interesting even after watching them over for the 500th time, your voice, editing, hell the whole structure and delivery of your content is unrivaled in quality. Crack on chief.

[@frickinfrick8488]

I’m surprised how complex Strachey’s draughts are. When we were going back in time and games were only extremely basic tic tac toe style games I would have never expected the “first” video game to be a fully playable game of checkers with an AI opponent

[@dycedargselderbrother5353]

It's impressive how he deduced the feasibility of implementation before starting at a time when such analysis didn't and really couldn't exist. He missed the mark but only slightly by needing to wait for a slightly faster model.

[@noahrosser76]

"Next up: Glock." Iconic Arms is coming back, I can't wait!

[@Ares_gaming_117]

I literally cant wait(the few months itll take to get this next video)

[@dragonfire4869]

thank god!

[@GhostSlay3r]

Haven't yall seen the MP40 Vid?

[@noahrosser76]

@@GhostSlay3r shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Also that was 7 months ago

[@GhostSlay3r]

@@noahrosser76 Wait, what? Really? Have the time gone by so fast? This is straight up scary!

[@ValkyrieTiara]

1:21 "In a 1987 issue of Ahoy!" You, uh... been doin this for a while, huh?

[@accountwontlastlong1]

Yes, I remember seeing him in Dad's Army.

[@Jablicek]

@@accountwontlastlong1 Don't tell 'em your name, Pike!

[@accountwontlastlong1]

@@Jablicek Stupid boy.

[@nebsu_]

I dunno if he's linked, but Ahoy! was an American magazine which released monthly in the 80s, last one was released in like 1989 I think...

[@neoqueto]

This is the best documentary I have ever seen and simultaneously the best video on KZbin. It changed the way I think about what a video game is from a philosophical standpoint. Production is next level. Storytelling, research and narration are out of this world. I keep coming back here and recommending it to everyone.

[@Pheatan]

14:09 so i did some very quick investigation because of this part, wondering what the origin of nimrod was, I thought maybe that it was something to do with the game of nim, essentially i had never thought about until now. Turns out the origin dates back to the Old Testament with the great grandson of the biblical Noah whose name was Nimrod and was an adept hunter. Now your thinking “what does being a good hunter have anything to do with being an idiot” Thats where i learned bugs bunny of Loony Tunes (its tunes as in songs because it originally was musical) fame made a sarcastic comment to Elmer Fudd calling him nimrod despite being a terrible hunter, and that joke was so popular in the 1940s that they turned a biblical characters name into a descriptor for an idiot, so much so that in “current year” almost nobody knows what the origin of Nimrod was.

[@xellanox]

Me: Well that would probably be tennis for two Ahoy: Well..... *1 hour later* Me: God save the Queen

[@Sonjayu]

I believed for years it's tennis for two

[@Zer064]

@@Sonjayu yeah me too

[@fayezfawzi3255]

my thoughts too.

[@buenogoodlive]

I still believe it to be Tennis for Two. The two precedents are more akin to board games.

[@METALFREAK03]

@@buenogoodlive I still think its Pong. He has the right factors but his explanation and understanding of them are limited. Pong has the intent to be a commercial, entertainment, interactive video game for public use. All the others were some sort of science experiment, mathematical thesis or engineering acomplishment. The only one which you could verse to go against Pong is Spacewar! But then you need to go into level engineering and what the video game is telling you to do and input. For instance a lot of these "games" are not even two-button. However, it's the intent factor that I have a gripe with. I don't think any of them had the intent of making entertainment for the public (except of cause the conflict with spacewar! as I mentioned) than Pong did and they (the company) continue to do.

[@Carter-dv4hz]

If mom yells to "TURN THAT GAME OFF" then its a game.

[@erlindaalba1682]

Lol i like your definition 🤣

[@Carter-dv4hz]

@@erlindaalba1682 thank you

[@_RainbowAngela_]

So when my mom used to yell to turn my gameboy off, what did that make the xbox i was playing? lol

[@mixererunio1757]

When she yells "Turn that Nintendo off" then it's a Nintendo

[@Stuit3rb4l]

You forgot the word 'stupid'... "Turn that stupid game off!"

[@rappscallion3238]

This is such an amazing video, not only the research and presentation but the fact that Ahoy even wrote the music for it.

[@shrimpboom8]

I'm extremely glad that at no point during this video did I check how long it had left. Almost every new chapter was more interesting than the previous.

[@rikkisan1]

50:48 "Also, Video games are a British invention" I can imagine the little smirk Ahoy had when he said that

[@Redbird041]

**British Anthem Starts Playing Loudly**

[@seanburbank5657]

It's Stewart Brown, buy the way.

[@thetoniotchannel1345]

@@seanburbank5657 and it's *by* the way, not buy the way

[@PonzooonTheGreat]

I had a big smirk as I heard it and saluted the flag for the 27th time that day.

[@TechnoMinarchistBall]

@@PonzooonTheGreat better have had some tea afterwards.

[@ValentineC137]

"huh is it done already? I dont feel like we really got an answer, pretty neat tho" "wait" *_15 minutes into the 1 hour documentary_*

[@wastedangelematis]

Now that's gangsta

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

Correct

[@marafolse8347]

Seeing a murky part of history I've been obsessed with for years done so much justice and rendered so well is amazing. Certainly better than wikipedia stubs and searching through patent archives like I had to lol. My pick has always been the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, but you've convinced me of Draughts.

[@skankingrudeboy]

This is my all time favourite video on KZbin. I've watched it several times and, bizarrely, it always brings a tear to my eye at the end.

[@squidikka]

"Nutting Associates" Sounds like my kinda company.

[@mustafaamin9516]

Lmao 💀

[@wohlhabendermanager]

I was about to make a similar comment.

[@kevdmiller]

Sounds like a good name for a 2-tone ska band.

[@RogerBarraud]

Nutting-Orff sounds even better :-)

[@ashwen337]

Eww

[@incorporealnuance]

Prototype Computer: "Im Baby…"

[@SurmenianSoldier]

Modern Computer: "69"

[@KrissMeow]

Im....BABY

[@SinisterSally]

“All this computing is bad for the baby” “what baby” “I’m baby”

[@FROEZOEN]

Next thing you know its gonna put false accusations on projared

[@aggserp4340]

I guess it was a really good getaway driver

[@dougaltolan3017]

The duck test, a good way to get eaten by a sheep in wolfs clothing.

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

Why is that?

[@dougaltolan3017]

@@dontspikemydrink9382 the saying is: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's a duck. However this is an attrocious way to code, since sooner or later you'll come across something that appears to be a wolf, but is really a sheep in disguise, and sheep bite hard. Technically called loose typing (ANSI Basic uses no typing, javascript uses loose typing, Java is strict typing), it tries its best to force variables to work, leading to unpredictability and seriously dodgy code.

[@jarnobot]

Your video's are of such a high quality, it's insane! I recently found your channel and I've been really enjoying your video's. Thanks for making and sharing these!

[@BrassicGamer]

Them: "What's the first video game?" Me: "Do you have an hour?"