# RIP Ralph Baer, the "Father of Videogames" **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 8, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614 "2014-12-08T00:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/1 "2014-12-08T00:10:27Z")
Ralph Baer, the inventor of the first videogame console, who sparked a multibillion dollar industry has died at the age of 92, Gamasutra reported today. > [@](#): > > Ralph Baer, a true pioneer of video games, has passed away at the age of 92, Gamasutra can confirm via independent sources close to Baer. > > Baer developed the very first console video game system, originally known as the Brown Box, but later licensed and sold as 1972’s Magnavox Odyssey, which laid the foundation for video games as we know them today. He also was the inventor of the light gun. Baer was widely recognized for his achievements. Gaming has lost a true innovator. > **[news](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/latest-news)** > > news ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/2 "2014-12-08T00:29:23Z")
Level Complete! The music for the funeral: But seriously, I'm sorry, RIP Ralph Baer. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/3 "2014-12-08T01:18:10Z")
Don’t forget Simon, Super Simon and Maniac. I had all three of those. RIP Mr. Baer; you totally fucking rocked. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/4 "2014-12-08T03:43:57Z")
Huh. I still have my Odyssey, in the original box. Cool. I don’t think I ever knew much of anything about its genesis. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/5 "2014-12-08T03:51:24Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Huh. I still have my Odyssey, in the original box. Cool. I don’t think I ever knew much of anything about its genesis. No, Magnavox made the Odyssey; Sega made the Genesis. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/6 "2014-12-08T03:54:46Z")
I knew I was going to regret that word choice. I should have covered it with an x box. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/7 "2014-12-08T04:00:04Z")
He made it possible for people to play, stationed in front of their TV. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/8 "2014-12-10T03:47:01Z")
Ask not for whom the bell tolls . . . PONG! PONG! PONNNNGGGGG!!! ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/9 "2014-12-12T13:52:11Z")
Was the Odyssey the one that had KC Munchkin? I remember a lawsuit over its similarity to Pac-Man. Then again, there were a lot of lawsuits flying around back then. R.I.P. Ralph ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/10 "2014-12-12T15:14:47Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Was the Odyssey the one that had KC Munchkin? I remember a lawsuit over its similarity to Pac-Man. Then again, there were a lot of lawsuits flying around back then. That game was for the Odyssey 2 (the Videopac in Europe), but yes, it came out about a year before Atari was ready with their licensed Pac-Man game. It took a couple of lawsuits before Atari found the right judge but ultimately sales of KC Munchkin were halted. Luckily, I already had my copy! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! ---
**Author:** ![Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Methyl_Ethyl_Death)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/11 "2014-12-16T21:50:09Z")
**Snowboarder** , did you have the voice synthesizer for it? That thing was awesome. It came with a cartridge called Type & Tell (I think) and you could make it say curse words. When your a 10 year old, it’s the funniest thing in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/12 "2014-12-17T00:15:16Z")
> [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](#): > > **Snowboarder** , did you have the voice synthesizer for it? That thing was awesome. It came with a cartridge called Type & Tell (I think) and you could make it say curse words. When your a 10 year old, it’s the funniest thing in the world. Yeah, I had that too. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/13 "2014-12-17T18:15:38Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I knew I was going to regret that word choice. I should have covered it with an x box. Wii are not amused.😛 A [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LsRGUODHlQ)of Baer playing ping pong in 1969; I wonder if this is the oldest video of people playing videogames. It seems like a fun game especially with the spin. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-ralph-baer-the-father-of-videogames/706614/14 "2014-12-29T18:16:34Z")
It wasn’t dysentery, was it?