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TV Game Unit #7 Developed
Developed by Ralph Baer, the TV Game Unit #7--better known as "The Brown Box" for its appearance--was the first multiplayer, multiprogram video game system. The console came with two controllers, and players could choose one of six games by flipping a series of switches. [source]http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/evolution-of-home-video-game-consoles-1967-2011/)
[source]http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1301997) -
Atari is Founded
Nolan Brushnell founded Atari to create games and license them to other companies for mass production. source -
Magnavox Odyssey Released
Sanders Associates, Inc., the company that employed Ralph Baer, licensed The Brown Box to Magnavox, and the system was released under the name "Magnavox Odyssey." It now sported a different appearance and, just like the first movies, was entirely silent. -
Atari Releases Home Pong
Inspired by the success of its own arcade games, Atari released a home version of the Pong game. -
Coleco Telstar Released
The Coleco Telstar was another pong-style game, but this one was purposefully simplified to be more affordable to families on a budget. It only offered 3 games while it had a potential of 6. This system did, however, offer the choice of a difficulty level for the first time. source -
Nintendo's First Consoles Released
The Color TV Game Series by Nintendo was only available in Japan, but it marked the pivotal moment that Nintendo--still a major name in gaming today--joined the game market. -
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Golden Age of Video Gaming
The video game industry began experimenting with non-Pong related games such as fighting, platform, adventure, and RPG games. Classics including Pac-Man, Mario Bros, the Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Golden Axe were released during this era. Sega and Nintendo dominated the industry. -
Nintendo Entertainment System Released
The Nintendo Entertainment System, better known as the NES, was the best selling console of its generation. It was this system that gave Nintendo a name in gaming. -
SG-1000 Hits the Market
While Sega's first console, the SG-1000, was never launched in North America, it still marks the entrance of Sega onto the playing field. It also marked the beginning of the power struggle between Sega and Nintendo. -
Sega Genesis Released
The Sega Genesis was the company's top selling console of all time. -
SNES Released
The next in line for Nintendo's consoles was the SNES, or Super Nintendo Entertainment System. -
CD-i Released
The CD-i developed by Philips was seen as a failure because it was confusing and its games were below par, but it marked an important shift--it was the first console to store games on CDs instead of cartridges. This meant video games had an increased capacity and could now be in 3D instead of 2D. -
Atari Jaguar Released
The Atari Jaguar was the last console ever released by Atari. -
Playstation is Released
Sony entered the scene with its Playstation, which met great success. It was also during this time that Sega released its Saturn system and Nintendo released the Nintendo 64. -
Sega Dreamcast Released
The Sega Dreamcast was the first system to feature a built-in modem for online play. -
Microsoft Xbox Released
Microsoft finally entered the competition with its well-received Xbox, which featured online gaming through Xbox Live. It was released around the same time as Nintendo's GameCube. -
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Only Three Main Competitors
Now that the market has stabilized, there are only three main companies competing in the console market--Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Systems today have motion sensing, online play, and connection to the internet for downloadable content, along with full 1080hp graphics.
