A Timeline of Video Gaming Home Consoles Quiz

The Magnavox Odyssey was the first home video game console on the market. Ralph H. Baer and his team first created a working model called the Brown Box in 1968, which eventually became the Odyssey. Magnavox sold approximately 350,000 units before discontinuing the Odyssey in 1975; they had made a huge marketing error, as it was only sold through Magnavox dealerships. This made people think that it only worked with Magnavox televisions. Some stores did offer a reduction in the console price of US$99.95 if it was purchased with a television set.

The Odyssey came with twelve games, including table tennis, ski, hockey, and football. Some of the games worked with a heavy plastic overlay that was attached to the screen, which helped to create color and visual settings.

Although the Magnavox Odyssey was discontinued in 1975, the company continued to make money as it successfully sued others for infringement of their patents! And, of course, its production inspired Atari employees to create "Pong"!

Atari Home Pong was a sports game that was originally marketed for arcades in 1972. The console was not launched for home use until 1975. "Pong", which was a simulation of a game of table tennis, was the only game that could be played. Released by Sears during the Christmas season, "Pong" sold for US$98.95 plus US$7.95 for the adapter. Although it was manufactured by Atari, the console was first branded by Sears as Tele-Games; it was rebranded as an Atari console in 1977.

The Coleco Telstar hit the market in 1976 with hockey, tennis, and handball games that could be changed with a switch. Many believed that the features made the US$70 (some sources say US$50) console seem like it was a "Pong" clone. Made with built-in rotary control paddle knobs for two players, the console connected to a television and had a black and white display.

Over the next two year Coleco released fourteen different console variants, adding color graphics, sound, and light guns that could be plugged in. Variations of the original game included "Telestar Ranger and Marksman" and "Telstar Combat!".

The Nintendo Entertainment System was first released in Japan in 1983, and then came the Video Game Crash of North America the same year. What happened? The crash was mostly caused by the over manufacturing of consoles, low quality games, and the increasing popularity of personal computers. The release of the NES is considered to be the event that saved the home gaming industry.

At a price of US$89.99 for the standard control deck, the NES came with "Super Mario Bros." A deluxe set was also offered at a price of US$199.99, but it came with "Gyromite", "Duck Hunt", and a cool NES Zapper. By the end of its production in 1995, more that 60 million NES units had been sold worldwide.

The Sega Genesis, which was first released outside of North America as Sega Mega Drive, is said to have transformed the video game industry when the console was released because it targeted an audience of teenagers and adults. With the marketing slogan, "Genesis does what Nintendon't", and the introduction of Sonic the Hedgehog, better quality graphics, and louder sounds, Sega launched a rivalry with Nintendo that forced both companies to lower prices and produce better games.

Selling for a retail price of US$189.99, the Sega Genesis came bundled with a controller and a hit arcade game called "Altered Beast". With an endorsement by football great Joe Montana and the development of sports games like "Madden NFL" and "NHL", it appeared that Sega would win the Console War! And - they did - from 1991-1994! Approximately 30.75 million units were sold worldwide with about 18 million of them ending up in North America, and that isn't counting the variants that were sold. By 1995, however, 32-bit systems began to hit the market. Sega discontinued production in 1997.

Some sources say that the Nintendo Super Nintendo was the greatest video console ever made due to its innovative controller and awesome games; it was well worth its cost of US$199.99! One of its features, "Mode 7", made "Super Mario Kart" and "F-Zero" appear to be 3-D. The sound produced was considered to be way ahead of its time as were the L & R shoulder buttons.

The L & R shoulder buttons were located toward the top of the controller for secondary actions using index fingers to play. Players could easily hold the controller in their hand, use their thumb for the D-pad and face buttons, and have their index finger free for the shoulder buttons, which revolutionized video game playing.

Most experts admit that the Atari Jaguar looked better on paper than it did in use. At US$249.99, it had power chips that seemed like they would produce better and faster 3-D graphics. Popular games like "Alien vs. Predator", "Tempest 2000", and "Iron Soldier" were released. And don't forget "Doom", which had previously only been available on PCs!

In reality the Atari Jaguar suffered from a small library of other games that weren't the best on the market. In addition, the competition from other companies was fierce at the time. The console was discontinued in 1996, and Atari left the console business.

Finally! Built in ports for four players and amazing 3-D graphics made the Nintendo 64 a must have console. In addition, because the game used cartridges instead of discs, it could be almost instantly loaded. What more could you want for a video gaming party at home?

The Nintendo 64 was a bit pricey at US$199.99 for the console and US$59.99-$79.99 for the games. Many, however, believed the cost was justified due to the games that were available, like "Super Mario 64", "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", "Banjo-Kazooie", and, of course, "Super Smash Bros".

When it was released, the Microsoft XBox was considered to be the most powerful console produced. It was viewed as being equal to some of the best PCs of the day. Made in response to the popularity of the Sony Playstation 2, it had a built in hard drive, which meant that separate memory cards were no longer needed. There was also a built in Ethernet port for some on-line gaming fun!

And - its introductory game, "Halo: Combat Evolved", was popular enough to sell the system on its own! At a price of US$299.99, and with games at approximately US$49.99 each, it was a deal for buyers, but not the company. Microsoft lost over $4 billion because its XBox cost more to manufacture than the amount that was charged.

Launched in 2006, the Song PlayStation 3 had a built in Blu-ray player, which made it a very good purchase at US$499.99 for the 20 GB model or US$599.99 for the 60 GB model in North America. At the time, Blu-ray players cost twice the amount of the 20 GB model. Smart customers wanted the combination of a game console and the high definition DVD player in their homes!

A well received lineup of games, which cost about US$59.99 each, was also central to the PlayStation 3's success. Its list of titles like "God of War: III" and "The Last of Us". Players could also play online games via the Play Station Network without paying for a subscription.