The History of Video Game Consoles

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ames have been played before we began to record time. Almost 50 years ago, games changed into a new form. Magnavox Odyssey can be debated to be the first game console. Throughout 50 years ago and now, video games have become essential to every living room and a pastime to every young child. Companies have risen from this new industry, to produce games to young investors and dominate the game world. With new technology, graphics, and software: gaming franchises run mostly by public support. Each decade that passes, games are changed by America’s public these games change based on how the public perceives them.
The Magnavox Odyssey (created by Ralph Baer) has been debated to be the first video game and console. Atari, which came out 2 years after the Odyssey, Senger Emily states “ In the 1977 with the launch of Atari 2600 video game console. Atari dominated the home-market through the 70’s and 80’s.” Atari is the first big game company to emerge in U.S soil and dominated the game market. The Magnavox Odyssey sold with Magnavox tv’s and brought forth the idea that the game system only worked on their tv’s. With the arrival of Atari’s 2600 video game console they released Pong ,similar to Odyssey’s paddle and ball game, a new game that sold better than their rival, Odyssey. “Atari's position as the top video-game console brand dipped in the early '80s, when competitors flooded the market and quality across the industry waned leading to the video game crash of 1983”which Senger Emily claim to be Atari’s downfall. Due to their problems after the video game crash, “1992, Atari's share of the North American video-game market had shrunk to just 12%.”(Senger) Atari switched CEO to tramiel in 1989 , which never kept the company afloat. I...

... middle of paper ...

...on, and passed down to another generation.

Works Cited

Boyer, CrispinHerman, Leonard. "Ralph 'Odyssey' Baer." Electronic Gaming Monthly 14.12 (2001): 52. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.

"Main Page." Sega Retro. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

SENGER, EMILY. "THE ODE: Atari (1972-2013)." Canadian Business 86.11/12 (2013): 16. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Fisher, Adam. "Hot-Tub Time Machine." Time 179.6 (2012): 54. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"History of the Sony PlayStation." About.com Classic Video Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
"Nintendo History." Nintendo of Europe GmbH. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.
Oxlade, Chris. Gaming Technology. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2010. Print.
"The History of the Xbox." Digital Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Main Page." Sega Retro. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

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