Skip to main content

‘The Father of Video Games’ Ralph Baer has died at age 92

Video-game industry pioneer Ralph Baer, the creator of the first video game console and the man known as “the father of video games,” has died at age 92.

Gamasutra reported the death of the inventor over the weekend.

Baer was the creator of the “Brown Box,” an early video game system that was later sold as the Magnavox Odyssey and is widely regarded as the first video game console. The console’s debut in 1972 marked the beginning of the home-based (as opposed to arcade) video-game industry, and provided the initial spark that ignited the massive gaming industry that exists today.

Along with developing the Magnavox Odyssey, Baer is credited with inventing the first peripheral device for video game consoles (the light gun), as well as the electronic, pattern-matching game Simon that was popular throughout the ’80s. Baer held over 150 patents for electronics- and gaming-related inventions.

In 2006, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology by former U.S. President George W. Bush, and he received the Game Developers Choice Pioneer Award in 2008. In 2010, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

You can watch his GDC acceptance speech in the video below:

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
The 10 best video games of 2023
Video game characters appear in front of a Game of the Year 2023 logo.

I wish I could say that 2023 was a fantastic year for video games, but that wouldn't tell the full story.

On a surface level, yes, this year was one of the best players have seen since 2017 thanks to a seemingly endless list of top-tier releases. The fact that a game like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom wasn't a shoo-in for Game of the Year honors speaks volumes to just how many unforgettable experiences developers created this year. From the dystopian abyss of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon to the scenic mountains of A Highland Song, video games transported us to so many incredible worlds that it's been hard to keep track of them all.

Read more
Hearst’s unexpected video game acquisition is great news for Wordle fans
A cartoon orb does a Crossword puzzle in Puzzmo art.

Earlier this fall, Puzzmo emerged as the worthiest competitor yet to The New York Times' gaming efforts, serving as a hub for a variety of engaging puzzles that people can complete daily. Following the same trajectory as Wordle, Puzzmo just got unexpectedly acquired by another notable media company: Hearst.

Puzzmo is a puzzle game website modeled off of physical newspaper pages. It's a daily hub where players can play original games by acclaimed developer Zach Gage, including original spins on classics like Chess and its own daily crossword. It looked like a true answer to The New York Times, and Hearst appears to have seen that value.

Read more
The best video games of October 2023: Mario, Spider-Man 2, and more
Spider-Man soars through the air in a biomechanical suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

October 2023 was one of the best months for video games in a long time. From the indie to the AAA space, there was a spectacular new game coming out every few days. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder arrived and improved upon their predecessors in almost every way, while indies like Jusant and Wargroove 2 hit the scene with fresh ideas. While the phrase “there’s something for everyone” is played out in the game industry, that truly felt like it was the case this month.
Having so much to play can also be overwhelming, though. Players are left to sift through which titles are worth checking out, which are fine, and which should be passed up entirely. To help you out on that search, I’ve rounded up our seven favorite games released during the blockbuster gaming month of October 2023.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo dropped a brand new 2D Mario game this month, and it's outstanding. Super Mario Bros. Wonder lives up to its namesake, eliciting a sense of wonder with its expertly designed levels that reward players who poke around in them and also feature Wonder Effects that can drastically change what players are doing on the stage. From singing Piranha Plants to a top-down perspective shift, Super Mario Bros. Wonder stays consistently fresh and creative the whole way through.
“With its wealth of unpredictable levels, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the series’ best 2D entry since its SNES days,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a four-star review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. “It’s still the same familiar platformer, but one that’s been given a new lease on life thanks to a fantastic new art style, delightfully absurd transformations, and flexible difficulty. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to recapturing those magic moments with the original platformers, even if there’s still room for Mario to grow into his new overalls.”
Personally, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is my favorite game of the year and one that I know will appeal to gamers of all ages and skill levels. If you only play one game on this list, I urge you to make it this one. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Read more