The First 5 Gaming Consoles

What are some of the oldest gaming consoles you have at home? Maybe you’ve got a GameCube or Nintendo 64 lying around. Unless you’re a serious collector, you likely aren’t regularly playing Atari games. Even though there’s much-deserved hype about newer consoles like the Nintendo Switch, our team at GameTruck Savannah has an appreciation for the old days. Let’s take a look at some of the first gaming consoles to see how far we’ve come.

Magnavox Odyssey

In 1972, the first ever gaming console was released. It didn’t do well commercially – only about 350,000 units sold – but the consoles go for $400 today, so hobbyists appreciate the system. The Odyssey couldn’t play sound and came with physical dice. When compared to today’s units, it’s pretty much unrecognizable.

Atari Pong

A few months after the Odyssey was released, Atari brought some competition with Pong. Pong was first released as an arcade-style ping-pong game (as the name suggests) and later evolved into a console that was sold through Sears.

Coleco Telstar

This console became wildly popular because of its affordable price point. It sold for $50 (which would be about $221 today) and sold over a million units. The console allowed gamers to play tennis, hockey, handball and jai-alai.

Intellivision

Developed by Mattel Electronics in 1977 and released in 1979, the Intellivision was advertised as an “intelligent television” and was intended as a competitor for the Atari 2600. It debuted with four games available but was loved by gaming fans – more than three million units were sold during its heyday.

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System (commonly abbreviated as NES) changed the video game market. Originally released in 1985, this console is still a favorite among collectors and hobbyists. The NES is also notable because Nintendo allowed third-party developers to make games for the console. Once games didn’t have to be developed in-house, the number of choices increased dramatically. If you’re a gaming lover, consider reaching out to our team at GameTruck Savannah. We offer premier video gaming parties for video game aficionados of all ages. You’ll have the time of your life in our state-of-the-art mobile theater, and we’ll bring the party to your home, office, school or anywhere else. Click here for a free quote, or give us a call at 866-253-3191.

Magnavox Odyssey

Atari Pong

Coleco Telstar

Intellivision

Nintendo Entertainment System

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