The Rise of Personal Computers: A New Era of Gaming Begins

IBM's introduction of the IBM PC in 1981 is widely regarded as the event that popularized the personal computer.

Pong, released in 1972, was the first commercially successful personal computer game.

Mystery House, released in 1980, is considered to be the first true graphical adventure game.

Ultima Online, released in 1997, was the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

Wolfenstein 3D, released in 1992, is credited with popularizing the first-person shooter (FPS) genre.

Command & Conquer, released in 1995, was the first commercially successful real-time strategy (RTS) game.

Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, is considered to be the first true sandbox game.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, released in 2017, was the first commercially successful battle royale game.

StarCraft, released in 1998, is considered to be the first true esports title.

Beat Saber, released in 2018, was the first commercially successful virtual reality (VR) game.

Pokémon Go, released in 2016, is considered to be the first true augmented reality (AR) game.

PlayStation Now, launched in 2014, was the first commercially successful cloud gaming service.

Cave Story, released in 2004, is considered to be the first true indie game.

The Humble Indie Bundle, launched in 2010, was the first commercially successful game bundle.

Team Fortress 2, released in 2007, is considered to be the first true free-to-play (F2P) game.