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Magnavox Odysee
The Magnavox Odyssee is released as the first home console that can connect to a Television screen. It marked the beginning of the First console generation, however success would be short lived as a flood of simple games flooded the market. -
The Second Generation of Consoles Begins
The Fairchild Video Entertainment System kicks off the new generation of consoles. Changes included software that only required a cartridge with a single ROM chip thanks to the addition of a built in programable microprocessor. followed suit. -
The Rocky Start of Handheld Consoles
Milton-Bradley releases the Micro-Vision, The first handheld game console with interchangeable cartridges. However technical feats were overshadowed by a breakable screen and small selection of games and it was pulled after two years at market. The market would retain this trend until the popular Game & Watch was developed by Nintendo. -
Atari and Arcade Games for the Home
Atari releases Space Invaders into the households of consumers, exclusively on the Atari 2600. The ability to have an arcade classic in the home jumped the Atari into the #1 spot for console sales despite technically superior rivals. Seeing the success of Space Invaders in console sales, other developers jumped at the opportunitiy to start buying the licenses of other arcade hits to launch on consoles of their own. -
Video Game Crash of 1993
A bigger crash than the era of the Odyssee occured due to an influx of poor quality games like Pacman 2600 and the infamous E.T. Many companies found themselves filing for Bankruptcy and ultimately shuting down. Only Intelevision remained producing games sparringly thanks to a buyout by Mattel Electronics and the entire North American Console Market shut down by 1984. -
Nintendo saves the Market
Towards the end 1983, Nintendo created the Famicom console that received stunning sales in Japan. It was rebranded the Nintendo Entertainment System and released in the U.S. in 1983. In order to market itself properly to a consumer base seeing video games as a gad that was past its prime, the N.E.S. was advertised as a toy and even included a toy robot named R.O.B. The NES. shattered console sales achieving the highest gross units sold to date in North America. -
Atari Can't Catch Up
Atari is in the gutter after the crash and the gains of Nintendo are the losses of Atari. When consoles began to make a comeback,Atari tried to claw its way out of debt. Unfortunately Atari did not have the kind of titles Nintendo had like Super Mario Bros. In the end they ended up losing to rival companies Nintendo and SEGA. -
Game Boy Makes a Monopoly
Game Boy begins monopolizing the handheld market with its strong reliance on backwards compatibility. They would be the premier source of handheld games for 15 years with a strong hold on the market.
