Ralph Baer, the inventor and engineer who has been more than instrumental in the development of the first home video game console, has passed away at the age of 92.
Baer designed the first concepts for a device that could play games on a television while working for Sanders Associates Inc. Along with the help of colleagues Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch, Baer created several video game prototypes between 1967 and 1969. They were the ones who developed the original “Brown Box,” a prototype game system that allowed players to play ping-pong and shoot objects with a light gun. Sanders Associates licensed the system to Magnavox, who later released the system as the Odyssey in 1972.
It was Baer’s invention that laid the groundwork for the home video game industry. He later developed electronic games Simon, Maniac and Computer Perfection.
Baer was born in Germany in 1922 and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1938. He graduated from the National Radio Institute as a radio service technician and then later served in the U.S Army during World War II. He joined Sanders Associates in 1956 as staff engineer to the manger of the equipment design division.
In 2006, Baer donated his video game prototypes, schematics and notes to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. That was the same year he was presented with the National Medal of Technology of his groundbreaking and pioneering creation, development and commercialization of interactive video games.
We owe this man more than we can imagine. Let’s take a moment to admire what he has done in his lifetime and how it has impacted our lives. Thank you for everything Baer.
Source: Polygon
