Ralph H. Baer, Father of Video Games, Dies at 92

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

A gaming legend passes away

If you play video games at home, you have Ralph H. Baer in part to thank for that. For those of you who are not familiar with the name, Baer was a video game pioneer who led the development team that created the Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home game console with a mere 40 transistors and 40 diodes. Sadly, Ralph H. Baer died last Saturday at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the age of 92.
Remarkably, Baer was still tinkering and inventing right up until his death. However, he's best known for his contributions to early gaming and helping create an industry that's now estimated to be worth over $90 billion. It all started with the Odyssey, which set in motion being able to play games at home.
Not long after, Atari debuted Pong, the first arcade video game. Magnavox ended up suing Atari, claiming that Pong was too similar to a tennis game for the Odyssey. Atari settled the suit for $700,000 and became Odyssey's second licensee, The New York Times reports. Magnavox would go on to sue several other companies over the next two decades, winning over $100 million.


Baer, who testified in most of the lawsuits, amassed more than 150 U.S. and foreign patents for a range of inventions that include talking doormats and greeting cards. He also co-invented the iconic Simon game with Howard Morrison
"Coming up with novel ideas and converting them into real products has always been as natural as breathing for me," Baer wrote in his 2005 autobiography, Videogames: In the Beginning.
Baer is survived by his two sons, James and Mark; his daughter, Nancy Baer; and four grandchildren.
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