http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/12/08/369405270/inventor-ralph-baer-the-father-of-video-games-dies-at-92

Sad news. His work inspired an industry that arguably equals or surpasses the whole movie industry.

Also an interesting story in patent law. Many engineers said his simple patent for controlling a spot of light on a TV set was obvious to anyone in the field, but it was repeatedly determined that it was innovative and valid as a patent. One comeback was that if it was so obvious, why hadn't anyone published the idea?

... One comeback was that if it was so obvious, why hadn't anyone published the idea?

I would suggest the answer was the state of electronics in 1966. Digital electronics was in its infancy and formulating an X-Y raster matrix was quite innovative in the mid-60's.

Very sad :(