When was the first video arcade game released?

The first video arcade game widely considered to be commercially successful and influential was "Computer Space", released in 1971.

While earlier games like "Tennis for Two" (1958) and "Spacewar!" (1962) existed, they were primarily research projects or played on limited, custom-built systems.

"Computer Space" was the first to be mass-produced and placed in arcades, paving the way for the video game industry as we know it.