The Discovery Age is anything that existed up until The Video Game Crash of 1977. This covers the widest period in video game history, starting in 1947, with the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device. This period is where engineers developed and experimented with the concepts of electronic entertainment.
The Golden Age is from 1977-1994. This period is marked by the time after The Video Game Crash of 1977 up until the release of Sony's Playstation home console. During this period, early gaming culture was being developed. Games were mostly reserved for children, outcasts, and nerds (sometimes all three). As the newest toy on the market, some kids used video games as a status symbol, only really delving into the most well known games. The outcasts and the nerds of all ages developed their love affair with interactive escapism, growing the first communities both at home and over the Internet.
The Silver Age is from 1995-2003. This period starts with the release of the Playstation up until the release of the Nintendo DS and the PSP. Video Games were becoming commercial successes, the casual gaming market was introduced, and the expanded gaming culture was forming. Hardcore titles like the Final Fantasy series were becoming household names. Online gaming started becoming a mainstay in the industry, and people started paying thousands of dollars for initial release console.
The Current Age starts with the release of the Nintendo DS and the Playstation Portable (PSP) in 2004. Social games, mobile games, fully connected platforms, and franchises that rival movies sales mark the Current Age. Video Games have started being accepted as legitimate forms of entertainment, and for once gaming culture is heavily influencing pop culture and the technology boom. Facebook, Apple iOS, and Google Android OS are as much gaming platforms as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony home and handheld consoles.
On a side note, I found this graph of Internet service providers. If you compare this to my Ages, it has an interesting correlation. The Internet and Video Games grew up hand and hand with each other, which is probably why they're so closely interconnected.
