Difference between revisions of "Magnavox Odyssey"

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1974 (EU/JP)
 
1974 (EU/JP)
 
|Input Controller = Two paddles
 
|Input Controller = Two paddles
|Successor = [[Magnavox Odyssey 2]]}}Magnavox released the first video game console, the Odyssey, in 1972, predating the Pong machines by three years. However, the games were all included on the circuitry; the cartridges were nothing more than a series of jumpers to select the game. When the [[Fairchild Channel F]] and the [[Atari 2600]] released in 1976 and 1977 respectively, which both featured programmable ROM cartridges, Magnavox responded with the Odyssey2 (also known as the Philips Videopac G7000 or the Philips Odyssey). While inferior graphically and with a smaller library than it’s competitors, the Odyssey2 managed to last until the crash of 1983.
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|Successor = [[Magnavox Odyssey 2]]|Generation = First Generation
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|Media type = Cartridges}}Magnavox released the first video game console, the Odyssey, in 1972, predating the Pong machines by three years. However, the games were all included on the circuitry; the cartridges were nothing more than a series of jumpers to select the game. When the [[Fairchild Channel F]] and the [[Atari 2600]] released in 1976 and 1977 respectively, which both featured programmable ROM cartridges, Magnavox responded with the Odyssey2 (also known as the Philips Videopac G7000 or the Philips Odyssey). While inferior graphically and with a smaller library than it’s competitors, the Odyssey2 managed to last until the crash of 1983.
  
 
Sales of the console were hurt by poor marketing by Magnavox retail stores, in addition to many consumers being led to believe that the Odyssey would work only on Magnavox televisions. For that reason, most later "Pong" games had an explanation on their box saying ''"Works on any television set, black and white or color"''.
 
Sales of the console were hurt by poor marketing by Magnavox retail stores, in addition to many consumers being led to believe that the Odyssey would work only on Magnavox televisions. For that reason, most later "Pong" games had an explanation on their box saying ''"Works on any television set, black and white or color"''.

Revision as of 05:14, 2 June 2013

Magnavox Odyssey
[[File:Magnavox-Odyssey-Console.jpg|230px]]
Manufacturer Magnavox
Generation First Generation
Release date 1972 (NA)

1973 (UK)
1974 (EU/JP)

Media type Cartridges
Successor Magnavox Odyssey 2

Magnavox released the first video game console, the Odyssey, in 1972, predating the Pong machines by three years. However, the games were all included on the circuitry; the cartridges were nothing more than a series of jumpers to select the game. When the Fairchild Channel F and the Atari 2600 released in 1976 and 1977 respectively, which both featured programmable ROM cartridges, Magnavox responded with the Odyssey2 (also known as the Philips Videopac G7000 or the Philips Odyssey). While inferior graphically and with a smaller library than it’s competitors, the Odyssey2 managed to last until the crash of 1983.

Sales of the console were hurt by poor marketing by Magnavox retail stores, in addition to many consumers being led to believe that the Odyssey would work only on Magnavox televisions. For that reason, most later "Pong" games had an explanation on their box saying "Works on any television set, black and white or color".

The Odyssey brought the arcade experience into the home and helped pave the way for the next generation of home video games such as the 1970s icon Pong. It demonstrated that the home console system would work and that there was a viable market.

Technical specifications

Ralph Baer, often considered the "father of video games" designed the Odyssey. Magnavox released it in the fall of 1972, but Baer had already created a functional prototype a few years earlier. The game console looks similar to today's games, but its functions were not. To play a game, one inserted a circuit card (similar to a game cartridge) into the console. The card did not contain the actual game program, though. Rather, it altered the signal path in the machine to change the light output coming through the television screen. Depending on the game, the light, which showed through the overlay, could be a race car, a baseball, a hockey puck, etc.

Different games could be played on the same circuit card by simply changing the acetate television screen overlay, which simulated background color graphics, and by using a different set of accompanying accessories: game boards and pieces, scorecards, chips, maps, etc. In reality, games were mostly played with the accessories instead of the simple graphics on the screen. In that way the Odyssey was very similar to traditional board games. The Odyssey and its later versions did not have sound capability.

The Odyssey originally included twelve games, with eleven more games and a shooting gun attachment marketed shortly thereafter. Sales were solid but the Odyssey was not a major hit. A major reason was that some consumers believed that the Odyssey only worked with Magnavox televisions, which was not the case. Production ceased in 1975 after 350,000 systems were sold.

Power: The system uses 6 batteries (original batteries were branded Eveready) or DC.

Identification

The model, serial and RUN numbers are written on the under side of the unit. The RUN number stands for the production run, the US model is either 1TL200BLAK, 1TL200BK12 or 1TL200BL99. Only specimens sent back to Magnavox to have the warranty renewed had their model updated to 1TL200BL99 (the original BLAK serial, if sticked inside the unit, was left, and the new serial was sticked over the original under the unit). Serial numbers start from 06xxxxxx to 11xxxxxx although the 0 was not printed. All of these models differ by small electronic changes, and sometimes with minor variations of game accessories

MAGNAVOX ODYSSEY 1TL200 PRODUCTION BETWEEN 1972 AND 1975
Model RUN Differenciation
1TL200BLAK 1 Original model made in 1972 only.
1TL200BLAK 2 Second run of original model made in 1973 and 1974.
1TL200BK12 2 Second model made between mid-1974 and fall 1975.
Late specimens have a Magnavox logo on front side.
ODYSSEE 5887 05 01 NONE Original German Export Model made in 1973.
Comes with only 10 games, translated in German.
YE7100BK11/13 ANY Export Model made in 1974.
Comes with only 10 games, trilingual playing cards.

To identify the exact date of production follow this guide HERE.

Games

The released cartridges and their games. All games came with two overlays.

  1. Table Tennis
  2. Ski ,Simon Says, Fun Zoo, Percepts
  3. Tennis, Analogic, Baseball, Hockey, Football (Passing and Kicking), Soccer (1)
  4. Cat and Mouse, Football (running), Haunted House, Invasion (1)
  5. Submarine, Invasion (2), Soccer (2), Wipeout
  6. Roulette, States, Invasion (3)
  7. Volleyball
  8. Basketball, Handball
  9. Shootout, Dogfight, Prehistoric Safari
  10. Shooting Gallery
  11. It was originally planned for the Basketball game. For unknown reasons, Magnavox dropped the cartridge and used cartridge #8 instead.
  12. Interplanetary Voyage
  • In addition to the 12 games provided with the Odyssey, customers could purchase extra games, although only ten extra games were released. Each game box has a reference starting with 982329 and followed by a number between 1 and 15. Because each box has a unique number, it is believed that 15 boxes were planned. Boxes referenced 982329-8 to 982329-12 are still unknown, and could have been reserved for games planned but never released.
  • The export version of the Odyssey contained a SOCCER game, which replaced the FOOTBALL game provided with US Odyssey consoles. It is not known whether this game was sold separately in the USA, though no specimens were found outside of export Odyssey consoles.