On Monday, Microsoft announced one of the largest acquisitions in the company's history with the purchase of video game developer ZeniMax Media for a reported $7.5 billion. E The second generation of computer and video games (sometimes referred to as the early 8-bit era) began in 1976 with the release of the Fairchild Channel F and Radofin Electronics ' 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System. The second generation of video games (1976–1984) includes the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Odyssey 2, and ColecoVision. By the end of its lifespan in 1992, the Atari 2600 had sold 25 million units.1 The ColecoVision sold 6million units, as of 1984.2 As of 1990, the Intellivision sold 3 million units.345 See also: List of best-selling game consoles. Second Generation (Golden Age): 1977–1982 Fairchild had initiated the age of the programmable video game, but its graphics weren't far removed from those of the original PONG game. Customers clamored for higher-resolution graphics, better game play, and more games—which Atari would soon deliver.
Trends[edit]
Flooded Market[edit]
A huge number of consoles and video games flooded the market. Many of these consoles and games were low quality, and made it difficult for consoles offering innovative features or quality games to compete. This was one factor which lead to the video game crash of 1983.[1]
Digital programmable computers[edit]
This generation, many game consoles contained basic 8-bit computers. Rarely 4-bit and 16-bit computers would be used, like in the Game and Watch (4-bit)[2] or the Intellivision (16-bit),[3] though this had minimal impact on console graphics which were primarily constrained by other factors. Cartridge based systems became normal during this generation, and the introduction of digital programmable computers allowed game consoles to run software, which permitted more varied games than what the console designers originally intended.
Representative Graphics[edit]
This generation saw increased graphical capabilities of home game consoles, leading to less reliance on simple squares and rectangles in conjunction with overlays, and evolving to simple pixel artwork and rarely vector art. The pivotal choice between industry support for raster or vector graphics technology would hugely affect the industry going forward, with many genres of games favoring one or the other. The ultimate success of the use of raster graphics this generation would lead to their dominant use until the fifth generation of consoles. While these graphics would quickly be considered quite outdated by the mid to late 1980's, this step was a huge leap in quality and allowed more arcade style games to be played on home consoles.
This generation saw the first handheld consoles with basic screens. The displays were typically not visible in the dark and monochrome, but they still offered an improvement over the previous approach of using a few basic lights as output.
Home Consoles[edit]
Major Consoles[edit]
- Atari 2600 / VCS
- Atari 5200
- Fairchild Channel F
- Magnavox Odyssey²
- Intellivision
- ColecoVision
- RCA Studio II
2001 family[edit]
Second Generation Consolesthe History Of Video Games Free
- Arcadia 2001
- Leisure Vision
- Tele-Fever
- Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game
1292 family[edit]
- 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
- Interton Video Computer 4000
Tabletop Consoles[edit]
- Vectrex
- Entex Adventure Vision
Minor Consoles[edit]
- Cassette Vision
- Bally Astrocade
- APF-MP1000
- Bandai Super Vision 8000
- Gakken Compact Vision TV Boy
- SHG Black Point
- VTech CreatiVision
- Pyūta Jr
Canceled Consoles[edit]
- Ultravision Video Arcade System
Handheld Consoles[edit]
Major handhelds[edit]
- Game & Watch series
- Microvision
Minor handhelds[edit]
- Epoch Game Pocket Computer
- Entex Select-A-Game
- Tomytronic 3D
- VTech 3D Gamate
- VTech Variety
- Children's Discovery System
- Colorvision
- Palmtex Portable Videogame System
- Digi Casse
- Nintendo Computer Mah-Jong Yakuman
Cancelled Handhelds[edit]
- Atari Cosmos
References[edit]
Wikipedia has related information at Second generation of video game consoles |
- ↑'No. 3038: The Video Game Crash of 1983'. https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi3038.htm.
- ↑'Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. Review — Only 80s Kids Remember' (in en). 17 November 2020. https://www.dualshockers.com/game-watch-super-mario-bros-review/.
- ↑'Intellivision'. http://kevtris.org/intv/index.html.
← First generation of video game consoles · Third generation of video game consoles →
kidzsearch.com >wiki Explore:webimagesvideosgames
| Part of a series on: |
| History of video games |
|---|
|
The second generation of video game consoles began in 1976. The second generation began with the release of the Fairchild Channel F and Radofin Electronics' 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System. This generation is sometimes called the 'early 8-bit era'. Many consoles were released in the second generation. The Atari 2600 was the most popular video game console for much of the second generation. Other consoles such as Intellivision, the Odyssey 2, and ColecoVision were also popular.
The second generation ended in 1984. This was because of the video game crash of 1983. As of 2004, the Atari 2600 has sold 30 million units.[1] As of 1990, the Intellivision had sold 3 million units.[2][3][4] As of April 1984, the ColecoVision had sold 2 million units.[5] As of 1977, the Fairchild Channel F had sold 250,000 units.[6]
- 1Home systems
- 2Handheld systems
- 3Software
Home systems
Comparison
| Name | Fairchild Channel F | Atari 2600 | Magnavox Odyssey² | Intellivision | Atari 5200 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fairchild Semiconductor | Atari | Magnavox | Mattel | Atari | ||||
| Console | |||||||||
| Launch prices | US$169.95 | US$199 | US$200 ¥49,800 | US$299 | US$270 | ||||
| Release date | US August 1976 | US October 1977 EU 1978{{v | US 1978 EU December 1982JP 1982BRZ 1983 | US 1979 EU 1982JP 1982 | US November 1982 | ||||
| Media | Cartridge | Cartridge and Cassette (Cassette available via special 3rd party attachment) | Cartridge | Cartridge | Cartridge | ||||
| Top-selling games | N/A | Pac-Man, 7 million (as of September 1, 2006)[7][8] | N/A | Astrosmash (1 million)[9] | N/A | ||||
| Backward compatibility | N/A | N/A | None | Atari 2600 games through the System Changer module accessories (retail) | N/A |
|
|
|
|
| CPU | Fairchild F8 1.79 MHz (PAL 2.00 MHz) | MOS Technology 6507 1.19 MHz | Intel 8048 8-bit microcontroller 1.79 MHz | General Instrument CP1610 894.886 kHz | Custom MOS 6502C 1.79 MHz (not a 65c02) | ||||
| Memory | 64 bytes, 2 kB VRAM (2×128×64 bits) | (within a MOS Technology RIOT chip): 128 bytes (additional RAM may be included in the game cartridges) | CPU-internal RAM: 64 bytes Audio/video RAM: 128 bytes | 1456 bytes main RAM | 16 kB main RAM | ||||
| Video |
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| Audio | Mono audio with:
| Mono | Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
|
| Name | Vectrex | Arcadia 2001 | ColecoVision | Bally Astrocade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | General Consumer Electric and Milton Bradley | Emerson Radio Corporation | Coleco | Bally Technologies |
| Console | ||||
| Launch prices | US$199 | N/A | US$199 | N/A |
| Release date | US November 1982 EU May 1983JP June 1983 | US 1982 | US August 1982 EU May 1982 | US 1977 |
| Media | Cartridge | Cartridge | Cartridge and Cassette, available with Expansion #3 | Cartridge and cassette/Floppy, available with ZGRASS unit |
| Top-selling games | N/A | N/A | Donkey Kong (pack-in) | N/A |
| Backward compatibility | N/A | N/A | Compatible with Atari 2600 Via Expansion #1 | N/A |
| Accessories (retail) |
| N/A |
|
|
| CPU | Motorola 68A09 1.5 MHz | Signetics 2650 CPU 3.58 MHz | ZilogZ80A 3.58 MHz | ZilogZ80 1.789 MHz |
| Memory | 1 kB main RAM | 512 bytes | 8 kB main RAM 16 kB VRAM | 4k (up to 64k with external modules in the expansion port) |
| Video | Built in vector CRT |
|
|
|
| Audio | Mono (built in speaker) | Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
|
Handheld systems
The first handheld game console was the Microvision designed by Smith Engineering. It was distributed and sold by Milton-Bradley in 1979. It was the first handheld game console that could use different game cartridges. The Microvision had a small LCD display. There were only a few games that could be played with this system. It was discontinued two years later.
The Epoch Game Pocket Computer was released in Japan in 1984. The game system did not sell very well. Because of this, only five games were made for it. Nintendo's Game & Watch was more successful. It was very popular until it was discontinued in 1991.
List of handheld systems
Milton Bradley Microvision (Released in 1979)
Nintendo Game & Watch (Released 1980-1991)
Epoch Game Pocket Computer (Released in 1984) Canon ixus 950 is drivers for macs.
Software
Popular games
References
- ↑'Atari VCS (Atari 2600)'. A Brief History of Game Console Warfare. BusinessWeek. http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/3.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
- ↑'Mattel Intellivision - 1980-1984'. ClassicGaming. IGN. http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=17&game=9. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ↑'Ask Hal: Frequently Asked Questions to the Blue Sky Rangers'. Intellivision Productions. http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/people/askhal/askhal.html#A1. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑'playstaion 303'. http://www.intellivisiongames.com/history.php.
- ↑Coleco Industries sales report, PR Newswire, 1984-04-17, 'First quarter sales of ColecoVision were substantial, although much less that [sic] those for the year ago quarter,' Greenberg said in a prepared statement. He said the company has sold 2 million ColecoVision games since its introduction in 1982.'
- ↑Gareth R. Jones; Charles W.L. Hill (2007). Strategic management: an integrated approach (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. C-123. ISBN0-618-73166-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=P8q5AAAAIAAJ&q=%22By+this+point,+second-place+Fairchild+sold+around+250000+units%22&dq=%22By+this+point,+second-place+Fairchild+sold+around+250000+units%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6-FIT4SdB6mb1AX0zsSVDg&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 25 February 2012. 'By this point, second-place Fairchild sold around 250,000 units of its system.'.
- ↑Jeremy Reimer (2006-09-01). 'EA's Madden 2007 sells briskly, but are games gaining on movies?'. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060901-7652.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑Kent, Steven (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. ISBN0-7615-3643-4.
- ↑'Mattel Intellivision — 1980–1984'. ClassicGaming. IGN. http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=17&game=9. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
Other websites
|
|
This generation, many game consoles contained basic 8-bit computers. Rarely 4-bit and 16-bit computers would be used, like in the Game and Watch (4-bit)[2] or the Intellivision (16-bit),[3] though this had minimal impact on console graphics which were primarily constrained by other factors. Cartridge based systems became normal during this generation, and the introduction of digital programmable computers allowed game consoles to run software, which permitted more varied games than what the console designers originally intended.
Representative Graphics[edit]
This generation saw increased graphical capabilities of home game consoles, leading to less reliance on simple squares and rectangles in conjunction with overlays, and evolving to simple pixel artwork and rarely vector art. The pivotal choice between industry support for raster or vector graphics technology would hugely affect the industry going forward, with many genres of games favoring one or the other. The ultimate success of the use of raster graphics this generation would lead to their dominant use until the fifth generation of consoles. While these graphics would quickly be considered quite outdated by the mid to late 1980's, this step was a huge leap in quality and allowed more arcade style games to be played on home consoles.
This generation saw the first handheld consoles with basic screens. The displays were typically not visible in the dark and monochrome, but they still offered an improvement over the previous approach of using a few basic lights as output.
Home Consoles[edit]
Major Consoles[edit]
- Atari 2600 / VCS
- Atari 5200
- Fairchild Channel F
- Magnavox Odyssey²
- Intellivision
- ColecoVision
- RCA Studio II
2001 family[edit]
Second Generation Consolesthe History Of Video Games Free
- Arcadia 2001
- Leisure Vision
- Tele-Fever
- Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game
1292 family[edit]
- 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
- Interton Video Computer 4000
Tabletop Consoles[edit]
- Vectrex
- Entex Adventure Vision
Minor Consoles[edit]
- Cassette Vision
- Bally Astrocade
- APF-MP1000
- Bandai Super Vision 8000
- Gakken Compact Vision TV Boy
- SHG Black Point
- VTech CreatiVision
- Pyūta Jr
Canceled Consoles[edit]
- Ultravision Video Arcade System
Handheld Consoles[edit]
Major handhelds[edit]
- Game & Watch series
- Microvision
Minor handhelds[edit]
- Epoch Game Pocket Computer
- Entex Select-A-Game
- Tomytronic 3D
- VTech 3D Gamate
- VTech Variety
- Children's Discovery System
- Colorvision
- Palmtex Portable Videogame System
- Digi Casse
- Nintendo Computer Mah-Jong Yakuman
Cancelled Handhelds[edit]
- Atari Cosmos
References[edit]
Wikipedia has related information at Second generation of video game consoles |
- ↑'No. 3038: The Video Game Crash of 1983'. https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi3038.htm.
- ↑'Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. Review — Only 80s Kids Remember' (in en). 17 November 2020. https://www.dualshockers.com/game-watch-super-mario-bros-review/.
- ↑'Intellivision'. http://kevtris.org/intv/index.html.
← First generation of video game consoles · Third generation of video game consoles →
kidzsearch.com >wiki Explore:webimagesvideosgames
| Part of a series on: |
| History of video games |
|---|
|
The second generation of video game consoles began in 1976. The second generation began with the release of the Fairchild Channel F and Radofin Electronics' 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System. This generation is sometimes called the 'early 8-bit era'. Many consoles were released in the second generation. The Atari 2600 was the most popular video game console for much of the second generation. Other consoles such as Intellivision, the Odyssey 2, and ColecoVision were also popular.
The second generation ended in 1984. This was because of the video game crash of 1983. As of 2004, the Atari 2600 has sold 30 million units.[1] As of 1990, the Intellivision had sold 3 million units.[2][3][4] As of April 1984, the ColecoVision had sold 2 million units.[5] As of 1977, the Fairchild Channel F had sold 250,000 units.[6]
- 1Home systems
- 2Handheld systems
- 3Software
Home systems
Comparison
| Name | Fairchild Channel F | Atari 2600 | Magnavox Odyssey² | Intellivision | Atari 5200 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fairchild Semiconductor | Atari | Magnavox | Mattel | Atari | ||||
| Console | |||||||||
| Launch prices | US$169.95 | US$199 | US$200 ¥49,800 | US$299 | US$270 | ||||
| Release date | US August 1976 | US October 1977 EU 1978{{v | US 1978 EU December 1982JP 1982BRZ 1983 | US 1979 EU 1982JP 1982 | US November 1982 | ||||
| Media | Cartridge | Cartridge and Cassette (Cassette available via special 3rd party attachment) | Cartridge | Cartridge | Cartridge | ||||
| Top-selling games | N/A | Pac-Man, 7 million (as of September 1, 2006)[7][8] | N/A | Astrosmash (1 million)[9] | N/A | ||||
| Backward compatibility | N/A | N/A | None | Atari 2600 games through the System Changer module accessories (retail) | N/A |
|
|
|
|
| CPU | Fairchild F8 1.79 MHz (PAL 2.00 MHz) | MOS Technology 6507 1.19 MHz | Intel 8048 8-bit microcontroller 1.79 MHz | General Instrument CP1610 894.886 kHz | Custom MOS 6502C 1.79 MHz (not a 65c02) | ||||
| Memory | 64 bytes, 2 kB VRAM (2×128×64 bits) | (within a MOS Technology RIOT chip): 128 bytes (additional RAM may be included in the game cartridges) | CPU-internal RAM: 64 bytes Audio/video RAM: 128 bytes | 1456 bytes main RAM | 16 kB main RAM | ||||
| Video |
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| Audio | Mono audio with:
| Mono | Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
|
| Name | Vectrex | Arcadia 2001 | ColecoVision | Bally Astrocade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | General Consumer Electric and Milton Bradley | Emerson Radio Corporation | Coleco | Bally Technologies |
| Console | ||||
| Launch prices | US$199 | N/A | US$199 | N/A |
| Release date | US November 1982 EU May 1983JP June 1983 | US 1982 | US August 1982 EU May 1982 | US 1977 |
| Media | Cartridge | Cartridge | Cartridge and Cassette, available with Expansion #3 | Cartridge and cassette/Floppy, available with ZGRASS unit |
| Top-selling games | N/A | N/A | Donkey Kong (pack-in) | N/A |
| Backward compatibility | N/A | N/A | Compatible with Atari 2600 Via Expansion #1 | N/A |
| Accessories (retail) |
| N/A |
|
|
| CPU | Motorola 68A09 1.5 MHz | Signetics 2650 CPU 3.58 MHz | ZilogZ80A 3.58 MHz | ZilogZ80 1.789 MHz |
| Memory | 1 kB main RAM | 512 bytes | 8 kB main RAM 16 kB VRAM | 4k (up to 64k with external modules in the expansion port) |
| Video | Built in vector CRT |
|
|
|
| Audio | Mono (built in speaker) | Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
| Mono audio with:
|
Handheld systems
The first handheld game console was the Microvision designed by Smith Engineering. It was distributed and sold by Milton-Bradley in 1979. It was the first handheld game console that could use different game cartridges. The Microvision had a small LCD display. There were only a few games that could be played with this system. It was discontinued two years later.
The Epoch Game Pocket Computer was released in Japan in 1984. The game system did not sell very well. Because of this, only five games were made for it. Nintendo's Game & Watch was more successful. It was very popular until it was discontinued in 1991.
List of handheld systems
Milton Bradley Microvision (Released in 1979)
Nintendo Game & Watch (Released 1980-1991)
Epoch Game Pocket Computer (Released in 1984) Canon ixus 950 is drivers for macs.
Software
Popular games
References
- ↑'Atari VCS (Atari 2600)'. A Brief History of Game Console Warfare. BusinessWeek. http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/3.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
- ↑'Mattel Intellivision - 1980-1984'. ClassicGaming. IGN. http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=17&game=9. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ↑'Ask Hal: Frequently Asked Questions to the Blue Sky Rangers'. Intellivision Productions. http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/people/askhal/askhal.html#A1. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑'playstaion 303'. http://www.intellivisiongames.com/history.php.
- ↑Coleco Industries sales report, PR Newswire, 1984-04-17, 'First quarter sales of ColecoVision were substantial, although much less that [sic] those for the year ago quarter,' Greenberg said in a prepared statement. He said the company has sold 2 million ColecoVision games since its introduction in 1982.'
- ↑Gareth R. Jones; Charles W.L. Hill (2007). Strategic management: an integrated approach (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. C-123. ISBN0-618-73166-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=P8q5AAAAIAAJ&q=%22By+this+point,+second-place+Fairchild+sold+around+250000+units%22&dq=%22By+this+point,+second-place+Fairchild+sold+around+250000+units%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6-FIT4SdB6mb1AX0zsSVDg&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 25 February 2012. 'By this point, second-place Fairchild sold around 250,000 units of its system.'.
- ↑Jeremy Reimer (2006-09-01). 'EA's Madden 2007 sells briskly, but are games gaining on movies?'. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060901-7652.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑Kent, Steven (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. ISBN0-7615-3643-4.
- ↑'Mattel Intellivision — 1980–1984'. ClassicGaming. IGN. http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=17&game=9. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
Other websites
|
|
Second Generation Consolesthe History Of Video Games Online
