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Elon Musk’s prominence as a tech mogul and innovator often overshadows his remarkable gaming achievements. Recently, Musk earned recognition as one of the top 20 players globally inDiablo IV, impressing fans with his skills and commitment to gaming. You may have already known about his passion for gaming though.
But few people know about his first project in video game development, which began when he was just 12 years old. As a kid, Musk created a simple space shooter game calledBlastar. From such an age, he laid the groundwork for his future in technology.
Elon Musk Has Always Been A Gamer Since Childhood
According to Ashlee Vance’sbiographyof Musk (viaThe Verge), he createdBlastar, a space-themed game back in 1984, while living in South Africa. The game is an interesting showcase of his early interest in coding and space.
In 1984, 12-year-old Elon Musk made a video game called Blastar.pic.twitter.com/kQYdb7Jbm3
Inspired by popular arcade games likeSpace Invaders, the game featured a lone spaceship fighting against alien enemies. The game required players to dodge bombs and laser beams while clearing enemies off the screen. While it was a simple creationcompared to modern games, it was an impressive feat for a 12-year-old, who eventually sold the code to a magazine for $500.
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Blastardidn’t gain much attention at first, quietly fading into obscurity after its publication. However, in 2015, Ashlee Vance’s biography of Musk,Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, brought the game back into the public eye. The book included a reproduction of the game’s source code.
This caught the eye of Tomas Lloret Llinares, a Google software engineer. Lloret took it upon himself to modernize Musk’s original code, transforming it into an HTML5 game that anyone with internet access could play, givingBlastara second life. You can play ithere.
In addition toBlastar, Musk’s early career featured a short stint with a company called Rocket Science Games, where he contributed to game titles in the 1990s. Musk’s work there was limited to low-level code and took a back seat to his primary job at the Pinnacle Research Institute.
His Massive Empire Hasn’t Stopped His Passion for Gaming One Bit
Fast forward to 2024, andMusk’s recent achievement inDiablo IVhas gotten more eyes on his passion for games. According to him, he is one of two Americans to be in the top 20 worldwide ranking for the game.
🚨ELON MUSK ON VIDEO GAMES"I’m in the top 20 in the world in Diablo IV. I’m listed with my actual name on the list. There’s only two Americans in the top 20, and I’m one of them.““If I play a video game on extreme difficulty, I have to concentrate fully on the game and it has…pic.twitter.com/I8EWbN3L3r
Musk recently mentioned how playing games helps him “clean the mind” and manage the stress that comes with work. He suggested that games can be a mental reset and offer an escape from work pressures.
From Diablo 4 to Elden Ring, Elon Musk Explains the 1 Relatable Reason he Makes Time to Game
His accomplishments as both a tech entrepreneur and a competitive gamer reveal how these different sides of his personality coexist. Just as he’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in technology, Musk is also challenging himself in his passion for games.
Though simplistic by today’s standards, his childhood efforts show the origins of a visionary who still makes an impact on multiple industries. By sharing his hobby so publicly, Musk is redefining what it means to be a tech billionaire, showing that even someone at the top can take time to unwind.
What do you think of Elon’s history with gaming? Let us know in the comments!
Daniel Royte
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :1368
As part of the FandomWire team, Daniel has followed the hero-shooter genre closely with a focus on titles like VALORANT, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals. You can also find him providing insight on the latest AAA titles from Elden Ring to GTA 6 and exploring the world of gacha games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. With more than 1,000 articles under his belt, you’ll need to look no further for a unique insight into every situation.If he’s not looking for the latest video game news, you’ll find him cheering on Ferrari in the race tracks of Formula 1 or at the theatres for the latest MCU releases.
