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The Dawn of Gaming
Bringing Overlooked and Lesser-Known History into Focus
Blake Williams
January 25, 2025
January 25th
The Dawn of Gaming
1947
A cathode-ray tube is used upon the face of which the trace of the ray or electron beam can be seen. One or more targets, such as pictures of airplanes, for example, are placed upon the-face of the tube and controls are available to the player so that he can manipulate the trace or position of the beam which is automatically caused to move across the face of the tube.
On January 25, 1947, the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device became the first video game to be submitted for a patent (U.S. patent No. 2,455,992). In the game, players sat (or stood) in front of a screen and manipulated the movement of an electron beam to hit targets, as described in an exert from the patent application above. Created by physicists Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann, the device drew inspiration from World War II radar displays, offering a new way to simulate the experience of firing missiles at targets.
Although the device holds a special place in history, The Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device never gained widespread popularity or commercial success. It was overshadowed by the advent of more accessible and interactive arcade games in the decades that followed. Many mistakenly believe that later games like Pong or Spacewar! were the first patented video games, likely due to their widespread success.