Video game milestones

By Patrick Day and Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

When "Halo 3" was released, grosses were expected to surpass those of many summer movie blockbusters. We look back at the highlights of the path that took us from simple lights on a screen to a multimillion-dollar entertainment event.

'Pong' (1972)

Although it's mistakenly credited as being the first video arcade game ("Computer Space" was released the year before), "Pong" is definitely the first to achieve mainstream success. Based on the real world game of table tennis, the success of "Pong" is largely credited to its simplicity -- two paddles batted a small "ball" back and forth. When the game was unveiled in a Sunnyvale, Calif., bar, word of mouth soon had people lined up outside the place each day, waiting for it to open.