The father of video games Ralph Baer has passed away

One of the founding fathers of video games as we know them has passed away at the end of 92.

Ralph Baer was the creator of the pioneering Brown Box in 1969, which formed the foundation of what became one of the first home consoles – 1972’s the Magnavox Odyssey.

The Odyssey, which sold hundreds of thousands of units and hosted over 25 software titles, was the inspiration of many competitors, chief amongst them being Atari’s seminal title Pong.

Baer’s legacy spans wider than that, however. As well as developing the first ever lightgun game in 1967 and holding some 150 patents, he was also the creator of the popular Simon Says electronic toy in 1979.

Baer was born in Germany in 1922. He and his family fled from the Nazis to the Netherlands before eventually settling in America. Baer is survived by two sons and a daughter.

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