Video games have gone from a niche hobby to a massive industry; there are dozens of enormous game releases each year, and the eSports scene has had unprecedented growth in recent years. Here is a short history of arcade games to learn a bit more.

For younger generations, it might seem like game consoles have always been a fact of life; anyone under 25 probably grew up with a PlayStation or Xbox in their house.

The truth is that the ubiquity of consoles is relatively new.

Long before the home console, there was the arcade. So, to understand the history of gaming, you need to know the history of arcade games. 

Arcade games drove the popularity of video games for decades. Even after the Nintendo Entertainment System has released in 1983–a significant turning point for console gaming–arcade cabinets remained a driving force in the gaming industry.

It’s easy to see why: a video game console is expensive, and that’s before buying the games to go with it. On the other hand, an arcade cabinet offers the same amount of fun for a handful of quarters.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. Read on to learn about the history of the arcade, starting from the earliest arcade games.