Video game milestones - Los Angeles Times

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Video game milestones

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

When "Halo 3" is released, it's expected to become one of the biggest-selling video games ever. Fans are already lining up outside retail locations to get their hands on a copy, and the buzz online has reached a fever pitch. With grosses expected to surpass those of many summer movie blockbusters, we wanted to 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.