The Seven Glorious Generations of Gaming

Spare a moment and think about the first video game you ever played. What was it about that eye-opening, sensory experience that compelled you to keep playing? Whether this was the first time you put fingers to a keyboard, wiped off your greasy palms before picking up a joystick, got to grips with your first joypad, or put stylus to touch-screen for the first time, something about that game left a lasting impression that will never leave you.

Across the past three decades or so, gaming has changed dramatically, having great influence on the world around us, but the ability of games to compel, emote, charm and engross us has never waned. When Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his friends put the finishing touches to the world's first video game, Spacewar!, in 1962, no one could have guessed the impact this breakthrough would eventually have on the world.

As with all new forms of technology, scepticism was the initial response. Then, a handful of determined key players worked tirelessly to establish a viable industry, sweating blood and tears to make the rest of the world see eye-to-eye with their vision.

Fast forward to today and it's plain to see their efforts paid off. Gaming is everywhere, yet rather than being invasive, it appeals to individuals in different ways. It can be your distraction, your escape from the daily grind, the social icebreaker, the pre-night out activity and the source of fun you share with friends online, across a network or via split screen.

Join us as we sift through the last 34 years of gaming and pick out the highs, the lows, the innovations, the hilarity and the plain weird moments that have come out of the industry and kept us well-entertained. Seven generations, six writers and a lot of nostalgia. Check back each week for new chapters of the saga.

(Please note: The generations listed below are accurate, but some overlap due to the unprecedented lifespan of some consoles. i.e. - The PS2 is still soldiering on to this day!)

1) First Generation: 1972-1976

2) Second Generation: 1976-1980

3) Third Generation: 1984-1994

4) Fourth Generation: 1989-1997

5) Fifth Generation: 1994-2002

6) Sixth Generation: 1998-2008

7) Seventh Generation: 2004-Present

Got a generation of gaming you are particularly fond of? Give us a shout via the comment box and let us know what floats your boat.