History of video game consoles (first generation) facts for kids
The first generation of video game consoles was a really exciting time for gaming! It started in 1972 with the release of the Magnavox Odyssey, which was the very first home video game system. This era lasted until 1977, when the gaming world changed quite a bit.
Early Home Game Systems
During the first generation, many companies started making video game consoles for people to play at home. These early systems were often quite simple, usually letting you play games like Pong or other similar sports games.
The Magnavox Odyssey was the first one to come out. It was released in North America in May 1972. It cost about US$100 back then. This console used special game cards, which were like early versions of cartridges. It even had a light gun accessory for some games! About 330,000 Odyssey consoles were sold.
After the original Odyssey, Magnavox released the Magnavox Odyssey Series starting in 1975. These consoles were often simpler, with games built right into the system.
Another very popular system was the Atari/Sears Tele-Games Pong, released in 1975. It cost about US$98.95. This console was famous for letting you play the popular arcade game Pong at home. Around 150,000 units were sold.
Coleco Telstar consoles came out in 1976. These were very affordable, costing around US$50. Coleco sold a lot of these, reaching about 1 million units! Some Telstar models even had different controller styles built in.
Nintendo, a company you probably know today, also made consoles in this generation. Their Color TV Game series was released in Japan in 1977. These consoles were quite popular, selling about 3 million units!
These early consoles helped make video games popular in homes around the world. They were the first step towards the amazing games and systems we have today!
by Michael Miller
Images for kids
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The "Brown Box" prototype is the forerunner of the Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home video game console.
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First cartridge of Magnavox Odyssey
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Many consoles in the first generation were clones of or styled similarly to the arcade version of Pong.
See also
In Spanish: Videoconsolas de primera generación para niños
