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Ralph Baer - The Father of Videogames?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the credit-where-credit-is-due dept.

mcgeek writes "Lauren Gonzalez interviews Ralph Baer, co-creator of Odyssey over at the High Times website. Is he the 'father of videogames?' An interesting detailed interview, with comments on graphics versus game play, patents, Odyssey, the arcade business mafia, Ping-Pong, and the games of today." Mr. Baer seems to be all over the place lately.

11 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. No. by schild · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm gonna go with Shigeru Miyamoto for having created Zelda, Mario, and Donkey Kong. Everything lept forward from there, the man was an innovator and an unparalleled genius when it came to designing simplistic, stripped-down games. I, easily and without question, classify him at the father of modern gaming.

    --
    schild
    editor, f13.net
    1. Re:No. by johannesg · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. He has been exceptionally influential and productive, but there were many years of videogaming before he ever arrived on the scene (around 1980 or so).

    2. Re:No. by johannesg · · Score: 3, Insightful
      ..."troll"? Get real. I'm making an honest point here, supported by arguments. To be the "father" of videogaming he would need to be part of the group that started it, and to do that he needed to be around at the time it started. He wasn't; therefore he isn't.

      He is an overal genius, but just like van Gogh is NOT the father of painting (seeing there were numerous genius pointers before him), Miyamoto is NOT the father of videogaming.

      Wait; I forget rabid Nintendo fan-boy'ism. What was I thinking...

  2. Enough with the question marks! by lightspawn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Video games do not have a father. They can have a "father", in which case it means whatever you want it to mean. It could be RB, it could be the person who first played pong-on-a-scope, or it could be some obscure SF writer who did a short story about them in the thirties.

    Asking the question in the title is completely meaningless.

    Mod this as a troll if you like, but I have to say it again: Question marks do not belong in article titles. If it's ask slashdot, fine, but otherwise...

    Let's try the slashdot treatment on the front page of CNN.com.

    Bidding farewell to Reagan?
    McDonald's gets low-carb Coke?
    Kimmel show pulled for comments?
    Florida drivers sue over records?

    See what I mean? It just doesn't work.

    Here, I'm posting with no karma bonus, so only two people have to mod me down to get to -1.

    1. Re:Enough with the question marks! by Dizzle · · Score: 2, Funny

      You make an excellent point. CNN *would* be better with question marks in the titles!

      --
      -Dizzle
      "I most likely AM so interested in myself."
    2. Re:Enough with the question marks! by nacturation · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just to test your theory, I went to the front page of CNN and looked around. Lo and behold, there is a question mark title, "Does war influence vote?" under the "Campus Vibe" box and it's not a poll. Though, granted, the actual article title doesn't have a question mark.

      Anyway, your point is well made, but I think it's a different thing for Slashdot vs. CNN. On CNN, you can't read a story which asks you a question and then post your own response in a nicely threaded and moderated forum. In fact, they probably wouldn't want that as asking a question would diminish their desired appearance as a news authority. "What? CNN is unsure? Let me go read/watch something else that is sure!" Slashdot is mostly about the commentary so it makes sense to ask questions to garner feedback from users.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  3. High Times? by Bob+Cat+-+NYMPHS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is that a new game site?

    DRUGS?! OH, CRAP! My company's evil-site-blocker has reported me to our IT security team! Now I'm in trouble!

    Good thing I'm in charge of IT security. :)

    Is it 4:20 yet? I'm jonesing for a binger.

    --
    The latest Slashdot meme.
  4. Re:No to your no. by TenaciousPimple · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While Miyamoto has created many great games, Baer is more fitting as the father of video games, as he had a hand in their actual, initial creation. While Miyamoto has made great contributions to video games, Baer was instrumental in creating the first 'interactive television game' back in the 60s. Without the first 'Pong', you might not have had your Donkey Kong.

  5. Ralph Baer, wha? by superpulpsicle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I give him a ton of credit, but to say he's the father of video game is like saying Thomas Edison is the father of video game cause he invented the light bulb.

  6. Re:What Machine, Again? by king-manic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When it was release 128 mb of ram would cost $671,088,640.00. memory costs.

    --
    "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
  7. Re:No to your no. by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Miyamoto could be considered the first video game auteur, but he's definitely not the "father" of videogames. I don't even think Miyamoto knows how to code: he's an artist, but the ground was laid for him earlier. Baer was early enough that he had to do everything, soup to nuts.