Ralph H. Baer Dies at the Age of 92

Ralph H. Baer, widely considered the father of video gaming, has passed away at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on December 6th 2014. He was an engineer, an inventor, and a pioneer of the video gaming industry, receiving several awards for his life’s work.

Ralph H. Baer was born in a German-American family fleeing to America before World War II. After serving the American war effort, Baer got involved in the electronics field, and has come up with the idea of playing games on the screens of the television sets – unfortunately this idea was not too well received by TV set manufacturers at that time. He developed several hardware prototypes, including one that would later become one of the first video game consoles of the industry, the Magnavox Odyssey. His groundbreaking and pioneering creation, his work in development of interactive video games and his contribution to the creation of the whole gaming industry were recognized years later, when he received the National Medal of Technology. Later Ralph H. Baer received further recognition for his pioneering work: the G-Phoria Legend Award  in 2005, the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award in 2008, the Game Developers Conference Developers Choice “Pioneer” award in 2008 and the IEEE Edison Medal in 2014.

Playing games on computers was customary even before Ralph H. Baer has devised his inventions, but was restricted to bulky machines mostly available at military bases or universities. Bringing the computer video games into the homes of millions of consumers was a revolutionary idea, ultimately turning into the Magnavox Odyssey. This device was primitive by today’s standards – it was powered by a battery, and it had no sound. The games it offered, though, were entertaining enough to be remembered throughout history. Today the Odyssey is considered one of the ancestors of the modern gaming console. Atari itself – one of the most successful companies of the American video gaming industry – has found inspiration in Magnavox’s example to create its massively popular games.

Mr. Baer was an advocate for the games’ “play value”, considering the older titles superior at this, even if the newer additions to the world of gaming have superior graphics and sound. “You’ll find that that kind of play is simple and obvious. It’s more fun, at least to older people who can’t manage today’s stuff. Anybody over 35 can’t play today’s games. Who has the patience?” he said.