The first first-person shooters were made in the 1970s and 1980s.  In the 1970s, schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Illinois made "Maze War" and "Spacism." These games were not sold. In 1980, arcades got a tank game called "Battlezone." In 1983, home computers got "Battlezone." It was the first successful first-person shooter sold to many people.