Tag: video game history
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.
5 Fascinating Facts about Video Games
If you’re a fan of video games, you’re in good company. Four in five Americans have a video gaming device and 155 million Americans regularly play, according to a 2015 report.
Even if you’re not a gamer, you likely know someone who is. The team at GameTruck Cherry Hill compiled some interesting facts about video games you may not have heard before.
Video Games Have Been Around Since The 1950s
Video gaming may seem like a modern invention, but the first video game was created by a physicist in 1958. It wasn’t anything like the video games we’re accustomed to, but William Higinbotham created a tennis game called “Tennis for Two.”
Women Play Almost As Much As Men
Who do you think of when you picture the average gamer? Stereotypically, video gamers are young men. But women make up a large portion of the gaming demographic. Forty-four percent of gamers are women, which shows video gaming is for everyone.
1 in 4 Video Game Players Is 50 Years Old Or Older
Again, if you’re picturing a teenager when you think about video games, reconsider: the average gamer is 35 years old. Interestingly enough, 27 percent of gamers are over the age of 50, which means middle-aged people are a bigger segment of the gaming population than players under 18.
The U.S. Leads The World For Video Game Spending
With hundreds of millions of Americans play video games regularly, it’s no surprise that the U.S. leads for video game spending worldwide. Fascinatingly, the U.S. drops to the third place once you account for spending per person.
There More Than A Million Games On The Market
How many video games are out there? Because games are released on so many platforms, it’s impossible to get an exact number, but even conservative estimates put the number well over one million when iOS and Android games are included.
Regardless of your favorite video game, GameTruck Cherry Hill can help you throw the perfect gaming party. Whether you’re in Cherry Hill or a nearby community, we’ll come to you and take the stress out of party planning. Contact us at 866-253-3191 or click here to get a free estimate.