This past Saturday, Ralph Baer, widely known as the inventor of the first home game video system and the father of the video game industry, passed away this at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire at the age of 92. The New York Times reports that his death was confirmed by his family.

Back in 1966, Baer first started out as an engineer overseeing 500 employees at a military contractor. However, during his time working there he dreamt up a vision of a "game box" that would allow people to play board, action, sports and other games on almost any American television set. He went to his boss with the idea, and received $2,000 for research and $500 for materials.

In March 1971, Baer and his employer (Sanders Associates in N.H.) filed for the first ever video game patent, which was granted in 1973. The system was then licensed to Magnavox, which sold it under the name of Odyssey in the summer of 1972. The New York Times reports that 130,000 units were sold within the first year of its debut.

Though Atari soon came out with the first ever arcade video game, Pong, the Odyssey is still known as the father of every console and handheld that has since been produced. Author Harold Goldberg lauded Bauer as having made television "an extension of you, the player."

Goldberg continued, "It would let you interact with a square on a black-and-white screen, and if you had even the lamest imagination, it made you believe you were volleying at tennis, aiming carefully as a brave marksman, even playing the innocent as you saved lives," conveying just how groundbreaking Baer's technology really was.

According to Gama Sutra, Baer was widely recognized for his achievements including receiving the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush and an induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He also received a 2008 Game Developers Choice Pioneer Award, to which he replied, "Thank you very much...I appreciate the honor, and I'm still cranking out stuff. Goodbye."

Baer is survived by two sons, James and Mark; a daughter, Nancy Baer; and four grandchildren.