Ahhh – the humble video game.
Some might say that baseball is 'America's Pastime', but in our opinion, that honor more
accurately goes to those bulky boxes of plastic, silicone, and circuitry that go beep and boop.
Some of us older cats grew up playing games like Duck Hunt on the Nintendo Entertainment
System while others got their first taste of interactive, digital wizardry burning through
pocketfuls of quarters at the local arcade playing titles like Pong, Qbert, and Space
Invaders.
Millennial gamers cut their teeth living through the glory days of the Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube
generation, pwning our friends in Halo and Call of Duty or solving dungeon puzzles in
the cel-shaded masterpiece, Legend of Zelda: Windwaker.
Oh, and how could we forget about the cultural phenomenon that was the Wii?
For a few brief years, it seemed like everyone and their literal grandmas were addicted to
Wii Sports Bowling!
Looking at the 9th generation of video game consoles of today, it's crazy to think how
in just a few short decades, we went from the giant pixels and simple color palette
machines like the Atari 2600 were limited to displaying to the complex, insanely realistic
looking graphics seen in Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S titles such as Elden Ring,
Horizon: Forbidden West, and Cyberpunk 2077.
Since video games are somewhat of a cultural touchstone, we decided to geek out a bit and
create a video dedicated to covering the timeline of home video game consoles.
Even if you're not that much a gamer, we're willing to bet that this video is going to
at least inspire a tad bit of that good old fashion nostalgia feeling.
Facts Verse Presents: Evolution of Home Video Game Consoles (1970s to Today)
1972 – Magnavox Odyssey
A lot of folks tend to think that console gaming got its start in the 80s, but actually,
it all began in the 60s with a chunky brown console aptly named the "Brown Box" invented
by one Ralph Baer.
Baer's rudimentary console was later revamped by Magnavox – you heard that right Magnavox
– for the commercial market in the early 70s.
The system included plastic overlays that you literally fixed to the glass of your CRT
TV screen in a feeble attempt to make up for its super bare-bones graphics.
While this console is all but forgotten today – and Magnavox has long been out of the
gaming market – this early console helped pave the way for the beloved video games that
we all know and love today.
1977- Atari VCS 2600
The world of console gaming changed forever in 1987 when Atari released its first popular
console capable of playing swappable cartridges.
Before this innovation, consoles only had the ability to play single – or occasionally
a couple - self-contained games.
The 2600 game players have the ability to use paddle controllers or joysticks to play
such classic, albeit primitive, titles as Frogger, Pong, Asteroids, and Food Fight.
1979 – Intellivision
Mattel Electronic was keen on dethroning Atari as the reigning console king when they released
their own home console as a direct competitor to 2600 in 1979.
The Intellivision, or the "intelligent television', was never quite able to surpass the Atari
in terms of popularity, but where it lacked in sales, it made up for that in graphical
and audio fidelity.
Some of the most popular games released on the console included Dig Dug, Shark!
Shark!, and my personal favorite, Burgertime.
1982 – ColecoVision
In 1982, yet another company, Coleco Industries, threw their chips into the home game market
with their answer to the 2600 and Intellivison, Colecovision.
The console had the ability to play popular titles like Sega's Zaxcxon and Nintendo's
Donkey Kong, as well as a few lesser-known offerings such as Cosmic Avenger and Lady
Bug.
1983 - The Video Game Crash
In 1983, the video game industry took a massive hit in an event that has since been dubbed
the "Video Game Crash" in North America or the "Atari Shock" in Japan.
The crash was attributed to a handful of factors including oversaturation in the number of
consoles and games available on the market.
Simply put, there were far too many over-hyped yet poorly made games getting shoveled out
like hotcakes to increasingly disillusioned consumers that were beginning to lose interest
in console games.
The most infamous example of this was arguably the notoriously abysmal, Blockbuster bomb
ET on Atari – a game that is often considered the worst ever made.
At the time, the personal computer was just starting to become something that the average
joe was able to afford.
When a PC was able to not only play games but also do tasks like word processing, graph
making, and primitive visual design, the idea of a limited console that could only play
games – many of which were stinkers – began to lose its appeal.
For a brief period, it looked like game consoles were on the way out, and the PC was the wave
of the future.
Home video game revenue peaked in 1983 at $3.2 billion but dropped to a comparably paltry
$100 million in 1985.
For those that aren't that great at math – don't worry I'm in that category too – that represented
almost a 97 percent drop!
The crash lasted a couple of years and caused a number of console companies and game developers
to the tank.
By 1985, however, the home video game industry began to recover with the introduction of
this groundbreaking Japanese console.
1985 – Nintendo Entertainment System
The NES, or the Famicom as it was known in Japan, was released in the US in 1985 alongside
the enormously popular title Super Mario Bros.
The Italian plumber with a penchant for munching on magic mushrooms and hopping on turtles'
heads helped launch the console into popularity.
With the NES' introduction, console gaming was suddenly cool again.
The NES went on to be the birthplace of many other legendary video game franchises, such
as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Final Fantasy – just to name a few.
1989 – Sega Genesis
With the catchy tagline, "Genesis Does What Nintendon't", Sega took the home game console
into the 16-bit territory.
Sega got their start developing arcade games and cabinets, but as the market shifted, they
shifted gears and entered the home console market in 1988 with the release of the Mega
Drive.
In '89, the Mega Drive was rebranded as the Genesis for the North American market.
While the Genesis was superior to the NES from a technical perspective, it trailed behind
Nintendo's offering in terms of sales.
Still, it gained a significant market share with popular titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog
and Echo the Dolphin.
1990 - Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The 16-bit SNES was released as the Super Famicon in Japan in 1990, with a North American
release later that year.
The console was a huge success and even survived well into the 32-bit era.
The SNES was the first console to introduce right and left shoulder buttons, and due to
the quality of the releases on the platform, more than 49 million Super Nintendo units
were sold worldwide.
Some of the most popular titles for the console include Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid, Super
Mario World, and The Legend of Zelda : A Link to the Past.
1995 – Playstation
In 1995, after failing to secure a deal that would have seen the company join forces with
Nintendo, Sony released its first iteration of the "Playstation" series of consoles.
The console ran games off of CD-Rom discs and was capable of producing true 3D graphics.
This generation represented a monumental leap for video games.
More complex titles tapped into the console's increased power leading to the birth of popular
franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, and Resident Evil.
Even though it was their first entry into the console market, Sony's Playstation sold
more than 100 million units worldwide.
1996 – Nintendo 64
Boasting a beefy 64-bit processor but lacking in the ability to play higher-capacity CD-ROM
games, the N64 hit the market in 1996.
The machine could produce impressive graphics, but unfortunately, it sold substantially fewer
units than the rival Playstation console.
Its lack of CD drive is typically pointed to as being the primary reason why the N64
failed to sell as well as Nintendo's previous consoles.
Even so, some majorly iconic hit games saw releases on the platform, such as Super Mario
64, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Goldeneye 007.
2000 – Playstation 2
Sony gave their Playstation console a major update in 2000 with the introduction of the
PS2.
It was capable of DVD playback, offered backward compatibility, and produced significantly
higher resolution and polygon count graphics.
Some of the top games for this system were Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Shadow of the
Colossus, and Final Fantasy 10.
2001 – Xbox
In 2001, Microsoft decided that it was finally time to hop into the console gaming realm.
With the introduction of the Xbox, Bill Gates and the company effectively kicked off what's
commonly known as the console wars.
They introduced their popular Xbox Live service that let players compete against each other
online.
The enormously popular HALO franchise also helped cement Microsoft as a significant player
in the home console market.
2005 – Xbox 360
In continuation of the ongoing console wars – a rivalry that saw the big three of Sony,
Nintendo, and Microsoft duke it out with their PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox consoles - Microsoft
took another jab at Nintendo and Sony with their powerful Xbox 360 console.
The machine featured wireless controllers, improved graphics, and the popular 'Achievements'
systems.
Popular games released on the 360 include Call of Duty and Gears of War.
2006 – Nintendo Wii
Realizing that they couldn't compete with the powerful, adult-oriented rival offerings
from Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo released the motion-controlled, family-friendly system,
the Wii, in 2006.
The motion controls, albeit simple and not exactly accurate, kicked off a casual gaming
revolution.
Players could bowl, smack around tennis balls, and even duel with lightsabers using its unique
"Wiimote".
They could also break their TV sets if they weren't careful.
2006 – Playstation 3
To compete with Microsoft's 360 consoles, Sony introduced the PS3 in 2006.
With that iteration of their console line, they introduced the Playstation Network for
online gaming.
The console's most popular titles included The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand
Theft Auto 5.
2013 – Xbox One
The Xbox One improved upon the Xbox Live subscription service, featured third-party streaming capabilities,
and boasted improved graphics, sleek modern design, and support for an enormous library
of games.
A few of the most popular Xbox One games included Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Call of Duty Black
Ops II, and Fallout 4.
2013 – Playstation 4
The PS4, much like the Xbox One, was essentially just an evolution of the formula that had
already been working so well for Sony.
The console featured sharper graphics, VR capabilities, a large, impressive library
of games, and a sleek redesign of the actual hardware.
Popular games included Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Black Ops IV.
Even though the PS5 has since replaced it, the PS4 still continues to sell well, and
new games are still in development
2017 – Nintendo Switch
After the catastrophic failure that was the Wii U, Nintendo decided to go back to the
drawing board and actually listen to the wants and desires of their customers when they released
the Switch in 2017.
The Hybrid console is both a handheld as well a TV-based console when in 'dock mode'.
While significantly less powerful than the other mainline consoles on the market, such
as the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, the portability of the Switch alongside
its impressive library of AAA first-party and third-party titles has led to it becoming
one of the highest selling video game consoles of all time.
Popular games include Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Splatoon franchise, and Super
Mario Odyssey.
2020 – Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
Both consoles saw releases in November 2020.
These two powerful gaming machines kicked off the current ninth generation of consoles
and feature 4K capable resolutions, Blu-Ray drives – at least for their non-digital-only
models - and substantial support from third-party developers.
Higher resolutions, faster FPS refresh rates, and graphical features like 'raytracing',
have made these two consoles capable of producing almost photo-realistic graphics.
On that note, we'll go ahead and wrap this video up.
But now it's your turn to let your voice be heard.
In the comments, let us know which video game console you have the fondest memories of and
what you think the future of video game consoles might look like!