Post by Pigeonwolf on Feb 16, 2008 18:41:09 GMT
Ultimately the Odyssey was doomed. Magnavox had invented a new and exciting concept, but the market was not yet ready for home gaming and sales were a flop.
At around the same time though, a small hardware developer named Atari had the same idea (mainly because they'd seen an early prototype of the Odyssey). Atari though had a little more business acumen than Magnavox and had a fantastic idea on how to 'warm-up' the market.
Atari launched it's 'Pong' device as a machine in the fast-becoming-popular pinball arcades. As well as this, they installed them as arcade machines in bars and clubs. A similar marketing strategy that would be used by Sony 20 years later.
Pong finally hit the shelves as a home console in 1975 and the buzz was immense. Initially Sears department stores had exclusive rights and branding so the 1st machine was known as the 'Tele-Games' Pong system. It was Sears best ever selling christmas product, with the $100 system taking profits of $40 million in the 1975 christmas season.
This was followed by the genuine Atari system 6-months later in several forms. Both systems, however, contained the Atari processor.
Soon after, all manner of Pong sequels and versions came out, each expaning on the original concept and some soming with switches that would let you play up to (ready for this) 16 GAMES!!!
Then came the console that would inspire the Nintendo revival some 30 years later....in 1977 atari realeased the ground-breaking 'Pong-sports'. The system is still selling in millions today, now re-branded as the 'Nintendo Wii'.
At around the same time though, a small hardware developer named Atari had the same idea (mainly because they'd seen an early prototype of the Odyssey). Atari though had a little more business acumen than Magnavox and had a fantastic idea on how to 'warm-up' the market.
Atari launched it's 'Pong' device as a machine in the fast-becoming-popular pinball arcades. As well as this, they installed them as arcade machines in bars and clubs. A similar marketing strategy that would be used by Sony 20 years later.
Pong finally hit the shelves as a home console in 1975 and the buzz was immense. Initially Sears department stores had exclusive rights and branding so the 1st machine was known as the 'Tele-Games' Pong system. It was Sears best ever selling christmas product, with the $100 system taking profits of $40 million in the 1975 christmas season.
This was followed by the genuine Atari system 6-months later in several forms. Both systems, however, contained the Atari processor.
Soon after, all manner of Pong sequels and versions came out, each expaning on the original concept and some soming with switches that would let you play up to (ready for this) 16 GAMES!!!
Then came the console that would inspire the Nintendo revival some 30 years later....in 1977 atari realeased the ground-breaking 'Pong-sports'. The system is still selling in millions today, now re-branded as the 'Nintendo Wii'.
