History Of Video Game Consoles (First Generation)

The Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home videogame machine, was released in 1972, and it marked the transition of the typical Streaming device from passive to interactive. All at once, there was a significant change in home entertainment.

The video game consoles marketed from 1972 to 1983 are the first-generation era. The Magnavox Odyssey, Odyssey series, Atari Home Pong, Coleco Telstar series, and Color TV-Game series are notable platforms from the first generation.

During the 1970s, the first video gaming systems were created. This idea was put forward by Ralph H. Baer in 1966, and the Magnavox Odyssey was inspired by it in 1972.

Some of the first Video Game Consoles

Magnavox Odyssey (1972):

Let’s start with the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video gaming machine to be sold commercially. The Odyssey comprises two rectangular wired controllers and a white, black, and brown box that plugs into a television. These controllers don’t resemble any other controllers that one would encounter today. The knob on the side of the controller was the only way to navigate the included game.

Games were, at this stage, entirely constrained by graphics. Three dots and a line with variable heights were all that the Odyssey could display. Players had to place plastic overlays on their TVs to play the various games. That is how it felt to use one of those old overhead projectors. The Odyssey gaming system was packed.

Atari Pong (1975):

The designers of Pong attempted to transition the game to a home console after a successful stint as an arcade game. That was the method used for making video games for a while. Create a fully functional arcade cabinet for your game, and perhaps you will create a console just for it so it can play at home.

The home console port was created by Harold Lee and Allan Alcorn. They considered selling the invention to Sears after finishing the prototype in 1974 after seeing an advertisement for the Magnavox Odyssey in the sports goods section.

After some discussion and other offers, they ultimately decided to go with Sears, and Atari purchased a brand-new plant to produce 150,000 machines. But there hadn’t yet been a happy ending. Because the Odyssey included a very similar ping-pong-style game, Magnavox sued Pong in 1974. Atari ultimately decided to settle the case for $1.5 million. However, considering Pong is still one of the most well-known video games, it was worthwhile in some respects.

Coleco Telestar Series (1976-1978):

Coleco is one of the businesses that jumped on the trend head-on but a little bit too late. As an illustration, the Telestar television series debuted in 1976 with a Pong-like console. Coleco chose to release 14 consoles over the following two years after that had some degree of success. Coleco Telstar Combat, Coleco Telestar Arcade, and Coleco Telstar Classic are a few of the most renowned. The Telestar had three games when it was launched as a Pong clone: tennis, handball, and hockey. When you hear that, you could think that, given the period, it looks pretty remarkable. But let us assure you those are the loosest definitions that may apply to those three sports.