Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics

On October 19, 1972, a group of students at Stanford University unknowingly made history by organizing what is now recognized as the world’s first esports tournament. Dubbed the “Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics,” this pioneering event marked the beginning of competitive gaming as we know it today.

The competition centred around Spacewar!, a space combat video game developed in 1962 by Steve Russell and his team at MIT. Spacewar! was one of the first widely recognized computer games, featuring two spaceships duelling in a star’s gravity well. Its popularity among the tech-savvy university crowd made it the perfect choice for this groundbreaking tournament.

Held in Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Olympics attracted around two dozen participants. They competed in both individual and team events, showcasing their skills on the lab’s PDP-10 computer. The grand prize? A year’s subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine, a fitting reward that reflected the countercultural ethos of early computing enthusiasts.

While modest by today’s standards, the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics laid the groundwork for what would become a global phenomenon. It demonstrated the potential for video games to be more than just solitary entertainment, showcasing their capacity to bring people together in friendly competition.

The event’s significance wasn’t fully appreciated at the time. It would take decades before esports evolved into the multi-million dollar industry we see today, with professional players, massive tournaments, and millions of viewers worldwide. Nevertheless, this small gathering at Stanford represents the first step on that long journey.

Looking back, the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of early computer enthusiasts. These pioneers recognized the social and competitive potential of video games long before the technology to fully realize that potential existed. Their foresight helped pave the way for a new form of sport and entertainment that continues to grow and evolve in the 21st century.

As we witness the explosive growth of esports today, with tournaments filling stadiums and offering multi-million dollar prize pools, it’s worth remembering where it all began. With a group of students, a PDP-10 computer, and a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine.

Cover image: Spacewar! Joi Ito from Inbamura, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.