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| The Video Game Comes Home
In the late 1960s, an electrical engineer named Ralph Baer began creating the first home video game system. His first models didn't even use microchips. However, they did connect directly to a standard television set. This eventually became the Odyssey game system. The Odyssey included 12 different games printed on circuit cards. In addition, players had to place a transparent screen over their televisions to provide the background. Players also had to keep track of their own scoring by marking little sheets of paper. The next advancement was provided by the General Instruments Corporation, which developed a microchip that manufacturers could buy for $5 or $6 that allowed more complex home video games to be developed. Coleco used it to develop the Telstar system. Soon, companies like Fairchild, RCA, Atari, and Mattel introduced new game systems that could be programmed. This allowed other companies to develop cartridges for them. The Atari Video Computer System eventually dominated the field. It sold more than 12 million units and more than 200 game cartridges were created for it. 
Figure 2.3
The home video game system became a household item in the 1980s.
The home video game system is still just as popular today, but the players are different. Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's N64 system are the two most popular. Although the Sega Saturn was not as popular, Sega may be regaining ground in the video game wars with the recent release of Dreamcast. These modern home systems rival both the personal computer and the coin-operated arcade machine. The processors are fast, and the CD media or cartridges contain quite a bit of data. | |