A History of the Home Video Game Console

TheGameConsole.com has published a very comprehensive history of every home video game console released from 1972 to the present day. While not entirely RPG related, it’s interesting to see just how many companies have attempted to enter such a competitive field over the years. Aside from the Tandy TRS-80 (which isn’t listed), this is the first console I remember playing:

Atari VCS 2600
Released in 1977

The Atari 2600, released in 1977, is the first successful video game console to use plug-in cartridges instead of having one or more games built in. It was originally known as the Atari VCS, for Video Computer System, and the name “Atari 2600” (taken from the unit’s Atari part number, CX2600) was first used in 1982, after the release of the more advanced Atari 5200.

The initial price was $199 with a library of 9 titles. In a play to compete directly with the Channel F, Atari named the machine the Video Computer System (or VCS for short), as the Channel F was at that point known as the VES, for Video Entertainment System. When Fairchild learned of Atari’s naming they quickly changed the name of their system to become the Channel F.

Atari expanded the 2600 family with two other compatible consoles. The Atari 2700, a wireless version of the console was never released due to design flaws. The Sleek Atari 2800 released to the Japanese market in 1983 suffered from competition from the newly-released Nintendo Famicom.