Original source (on modern site)
Today's Google Doodle is something that all gamers should check out to learn the origins of the early video games industry. 4 VIEW GALLERY - 4 IMAGES Before the days of next-gen consoles, 8K gaming with raytraced visuals, and always-connected multiplayer, there was a simpler time when arcades, wood grain, and pixellated graphics were all the rage. The early days of video games in the 1970s was an era that's hard to capture--it was something you had to be there to experience--and all too often today's gamers miss out on important history lessons from that early age. Google has provided a neat little interactive history lesson that tells the story of one of gaming's most iconic creators: Jerry Lawson, who in 1976 helped create the world's first video games cartridge. 4 Gaming would have been very, very different without video game cartridges. We'd probably still have Pong consoles with the games built right into the system itself--a trend that spawned dozens and dozens of Pong systems throughout the years. Nowadays it's crazy to think of an entire system being dedicated to one game. 4 Navigating to Google.com and clicking the doodle will activate an awesome retro-themed bit of education that's not only a great way to spend some free time but will also teach you some important things along the way. The Doodle actually offers tons of little Atari-like minigames with a Breakout game, some platformers, and even a run-and-jump puzzler starring Jerry Lawson himself. You can even create your own mini-games with an editor and share them with friends. How rad.