Tennis for Two facts for kids
Tennis for Two is a very old video game from 1958. It's also known as Computer Tennis. This game lets you play a simple tennis match on a screen. It's one of the first video games ever made!
What is Tennis for Two?
Imagine playing tennis, but on a computer screen. That's what Tennis for Two did back in the 1950s. It showed a side view of a tennis court. You could see a net and a ball bouncing. Players used a special controller to hit the ball over the net. It was a very simple game, but it was amazing for its time!
How the Game Was Created
A smart American scientist named William Higinbotham created Tennis for Two. He worked at a place called the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Every year, they had an open house where people could visit and see cool science projects.
Higinbotham wanted to make something fun and interesting for visitors. So, he designed Tennis for Two in 1958. The game was first shown to the public on October 18, 1958. People loved it! They lined up to play this new kind of game.
How Tennis for Two Worked
The game didn't use a TV screen like modern video games. Instead, it used a special machine called an oscilloscope. This machine usually shows electrical signals as lines on a screen. Higinbotham used it to show the tennis court, the net, and the ball.
Players had a small box with a button and a knob. The knob controlled the angle of the ball, and the button made the ball fly. It was a simple way to play, but it showed everyone what computers could do for fun!
Images for kids
-
A modern recreation of the controller used for Tennis for Two.
-
The setup for Tennis for Two when it was shown in 1959.
-
A recreation of the original Tennis for Two setup from 1997.
