Curated atlas · Technology

Evolution of Video Games

A cultural and technological journey through arcades, home consoles, 3D revolutions, online play, and modern gaming.

56 years

2,912 blocks

28 events

6 stages

1 block = 1 week · 1 row = 52 weeks56y · 2,912 blocks

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

Stages

Timeline ledger

Chronicle

28 events · 6 stages

Arcade pioneers

8y 1w

Jan 1, 1970 → Dec 29, 1977

Pong released

Nov 23, 1972

Atari 2600 released

Sep 8, 1977

Golden age of arcades

5y 22w

Dec 29, 1977 → May 26, 1983

Space Invaders released

Jun 1, 1978

Pac-Man released

May 22, 1980

Donkey Kong released

Jul 9, 1981

Video game crash of 1983

May 26, 1983

Tetris released

May 31, 1984

Console revolution

9y 8w

Oct 17, 1985 → Dec 1, 1994

NES released in North America

Oct 17, 1985

The Legend of Zelda released

Feb 20, 1986

Game Boy released

Apr 20, 1989

Sega Genesis released in NA

Aug 10, 1989

Sonic the Hedgehog released

Jun 20, 1991

Super Nintendo released

Aug 22, 1991

Doom released

Dec 9, 1993

3D & disc era

6y 50w

Dec 1, 1994 → Nov 8, 2001

PlayStation released

Dec 1, 1994

Pokémon Red & Blue released

Feb 22, 1996

Nintendo 64 released

Jun 20, 1996

Half-Life released

Nov 19, 1998

PlayStation 2 released

Mar 2, 2000

Grand Theft Auto III released

Oct 18, 2001

Online & HD era

12y 2w

Nov 15, 2001 → Nov 14, 2013

Xbox released

Nov 15, 2001

World of Warcraft released

Nov 18, 2004

Nintendo Wii released

Nov 16, 2006

Minecraft public alpha

May 14, 2009

Modern era & streaming

12y 8w

Nov 14, 2013 → Dec 25, 2025

Nintendo Switch released

Mar 2, 2017

Fortnite Battle Royale launches

Sep 21, 2017

PlayStation 5 released

Nov 12, 2020

Elden Ring released

Feb 24, 2022

Want to build your own?

Create a personal atlas to lay out a life, trace a project, or keep any long span visible.

Create an atlas