Spacewar in the beginning

Spacewar was one of the first computer video games ever written and one of the most influential. Created for Digital Equipment's PDP-1, a minicomputer that allowed for new types of user interaction and graphics, the game was originally written by MIT student Steve Russell, with significant improvements later added by Peter Samson, Dan Edwards, and Martin Graetz. Released in 1962, it wasn't the first video game ever made, but people who were interested in computers in the '60s knew about it and had access to it. Spacewar also helped inspire future games, such as the arcade classic Asteroids. For the 50th anniversary of its release, MIT created a simulation that lets people play the game. The simulation was shown off Thursday and Friday on the campus, and the MIT Museum also hosted an event Friday with Graetz participating in a panel discussion. In this archival shot, we see Dan Edwards on the left and Peter Samson playing Spacewar on the PDP-1 display.

February 11, 2012 4:00 AM PST

Photo by: Computer History Museum

| Caption by: Martin LaMonica

[rw4636]

This is fantastic! Just finished reading an old book "HACKERS" by Steven Levy. Opening line of the book is " Just why Peter Samson is wondering the halls of Building 26 in the middle of the night..."

I remember SpaceWars in 1976 on an IBM time-shared with other high schools in 1976.

Thanks for the Photo's

[SEXYDIVERGUY]

We never had that on our PDP 11 where I worked.... :(