10 Ways Atari Shaped The Gaming World We Know Today

Some made a bigger splash. None were more influential.

Hard to fathom that we’re coming up on the 50th Birthday of the Atari Corporation, a little company from Sunnyvale, California that helped define what would become the dominant entertainment medium on the planet.

Released in 1977, (the birthday marks 50 years since the release of the arcade game PONG, the company’s first effort) Atari’s flagship system, the 2600, is still revered by gamers spread across multiple generations. Where most old consoles, with their rudimentary games and graphics, would have long been relegated to faded memories and cameo appearances in the $1 box at a yard sale by now, Atari remains etched in our minds. Why? Because the innovations it introduced to the world represent the building blocks of the gaming universe we love today.

Here are ten innovations and ideas that Atari pioneered. Each one made a unique impact on the 21st century video game universe.

1. Atari made console design matter

Take a moment and soak in the sadness that is the design of other 2600-era video game consoles. Efforts from major…