History of gaming consoles

Fairchild Channel F (VES)

Aug 10, 1976

Fairchild released the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES) in 1976. While there had been previous game consoles that used cartridges, either the cartridges had no information and served the same function as flipping switches (the Odyssey) or the console itself was empty and the cartridge contained all of the game components. The VES, however, contained a programmable microprocessor so its cartridges only needed a single ROM chip to store microprocessor instructions.

Atari 2600

Oct 14, 1977

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_XrIx2eUGcThe Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in. The first game console to use this format was the Fairchild Channel F; however, the Atari 2600 receives credit for making the plug-in concept popular among the game-playing public.

The Magnavox Odyssey

May 10, 1978

It was not until 1972 that Magnavox released the first home video game console which could be connected to a TV set—the Magnavox Odyssey, invented by Ralph H. Baer. The Odyssey was initially only moderately successful, and it was not until Atari's arcade game Pong popularized video games, that the public began to take more notice of the emerging industry.

Nintendo Entertainment System

Sep 1, 1986

http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=26&game=5The Nintendo Entertainment System (also abbreviated as NES or simply called Nintendo) is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987.

Sega Genesis

Oct 29, 1988

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jGnZ-e3jcThe Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as Mega Drive , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in North America.

Panasonic 3DO Interactive Multiplayer

Mar 20, 1993

Although released to much fanfare, like the Jaguar, it faded out of the market with little popularity. The system was technically superior to all the consoles released at the time, but due to the oversaturated market and the hefty US$699.95 price tag, the system did not adopt well into the market. One unique aspect of the 3DO is that the rights to manufacturing the console itself were licensed to different manufacturers by the 3DO company, which only produced the specifications. These companies,

Atari Jaguar

Sep 23, 1993

The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic 3DO in processing power.

Playstation

Dec 3, 1994

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY88Oe7oQqwThe PlayStation (is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, 1994. The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices.

Sega Dreamcast

Nov 27, 1998

The Dreamcast is a sixth generation video game console which was released by Sega in late 1998 in Japan and in September 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube.

Playstation 2

Mar 4, 2000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL6cK6O5zb8&feature=relatedThe PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan. Its primary competitors were Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube.

Nintendo Gamecube

Sep 14, 2001

http://nintendo-okie.com/2011/11/18/gamecube-10th-anniversary-fun-facts/The Nintendo GameCube, released November 18, 2001 in North America, was Nintendo's fourth home video game console and the first console by the company to use optical media instead of cartridges. The Nintendo GameCube did not play standard 12 cm DVDs, instead employing smaller 8 cm optical discs.

Microsoft Xbox

Nov 15, 2001

Microsoft's Xbox, released on November 15, 2001 in North America, was the company's first video game console. The first console to employ a hard drive right out of the box to save games, and had similar hardware specifications to a low-end desktop computer at the time of its release. Though criticized for its bulky size, which was easily twice that of the competition, as well as for the awkwardness of the original controller that shipped with it, it eventually gained popularity due in part to th

Xbox 360

May 12, 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyHaiS4J7eoMicrosoft kicked off the seventh generation with the release of the Xbox 360 released on November 22, 2005 in the United States. It featured market leading processing power until the Sony Playstation 3 release, one year later. While the original Xbox 360 "Core" did not include an internal HDD, most Xbox 360 models since have included at least the option to have one.

Play Station 3

Nov 1, 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMvk88-JU6oThe PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.