Ralph Baer, 90-year-old Video Game Pioneer

Fun & Games
Ralph Baer, 90-year-old Video Game Pioneer



This is an excellent short profile of video game pioneer Ralph Baer. He’s 90 and still inventing.

Baer-In-Lab

“I still get a big charge out of making something work. I write the hardware, I push a button, I put it into the microprocessor and it works. Ahhh… beautiful.”

Ralph Baer is often called the father of video games. His invention, the Magnavox Odyssey, was the first home console system. I photographed and interviewed him this summer as part of my ongoing series on inventors (the book and app for which will be out eventually I promise).

Since he turns 90 years old this week, and this year marks the 40th anniversary of the video game, I chose for this video some bits from our interview in which we talk about, among other things, why he’s still inventing at 90 years old.

Director David Friedman says, “This video is part of an ongoing series of photo and video portraits of contemporary inventors from all walks of life.”

14 thoughts on “Ralph Baer, 90-year-old Video Game Pioneer

  1. Kiko says:

    People forget its the old guys who made technology happen, its youth that encompassed it….”Old Guys Rule”

  2. MAKE | Ralph Baer, 90-year-old Video Game Pioneer | All About Game says:

    […] more here: MAKE | Ralph Baer, 90-year-old Video Game Pioneer Game Article and-interviewed, called-the-father, console-system-, first-, first-home, […]

  3. Daniel McGregor says:

    He is with out a doubt one of the great names in the field of electronics. I remember reading an article about him in the 90’s while I was still in high school. It got me interested in electronics as a hobby.

  4. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | Mobile Gadgets Reviews says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment […]

  5. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | Android News says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments Source: Engadget More Android News You Might EnjoyNielsen: 56% of U.S. households own a current video game consoleVideo game sales continue to slide in February, Xbox still top consoleRedbox surpasses 2 billion movie and video game rentalsVideo game sales plummet in January, Xbox leads consoles for sixth straight monthGoogle reminds up App Inventor shutting down at end of year, download your projects now […]

  6. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | HottestNewsFeed.com says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments […]

  7. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | RicciAngel News says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments This entry was posted in Technology & Gadget News. Bookmark the permalink. ← Apple simplifies its ITC suit against Samsung: drops one patent and several claims from two more […]

  8. Quality Facebook Fans To Your Fan-page. Start Your Campaign! » Blog Archive » Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments […]

  9. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video · NEWS on the Dreamspace says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments […]

  10. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments […]

  11. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | True Tech Review says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments Be Sociable, Share! Tweet Comments […]

  12. Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video | LCDTV Blog says:

    […] Permalink MAKE, Joystiq  |  David Friedman Photography, Vimeo  | Email this | Comments […]

  13. Ralph Baer, Video Games Pioneer, Passed Away at 92 | MAKE says:

    […] of videogames” passed away on December 6th, a few months shy of his 93rd birthday, but even in his 90s he was tinkering, soldering, and playing games. A self-taught student of electronics, Baer would go […]

  14. Make: Japan | ビデオゲームの父、Ralph Baerが92歳で逝去 says:

    […] ビデオゲームの父は、12月6日にこの世を去った。93歳の誕生日の目前だった。彼は、90代に入ってからも、ティンカリングやハンダ付けやゲームを止めなかった。独学で電子工学を習得した彼は、さらに、通信教育でテレビ工学を学び、多くの光学系企業で働き、やがて大手電子機器メーカー、Sanders Associatesに落ち着いた。 […]

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Mark Frauenfelder is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Make: magazine, and the founder of the popular Boing Boing blog.

View more articles by Mark Frauenfelder

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