Video game console

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(Redirected from Video game consoles)
Game console redirects here, for the command line in modern computer games, see PC game console.

A video game console is a dedicated electronic machine designed to play video games. Often the output device is a separate television or a computer monitor. The main input device is a controller.

The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games(Atari 2600, NES, Sega Genesis, SNES, Sony Playstation, etc.} from a PC, which has many other functions, or Arcade Games, which are designed for are designed for consumers to buy and then charge other to play games.

Note that the advertised number of bits of post-32-bit consoles were in large part created by the console makers' marketing departments and may have little to do with the actual architecture or processing power of the systems.

Video game consoles have created a whole self-supporting market for thousands of different video game accessory manufacturers who would otherwise not be able to produce their own video game consoles. These manufacturers have expanded upon the original uses for the game consoles and have even created entirely new ways to both play and use some of the most popular video game systems.

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Ambiguity of the Term

There is disagreement over what is or is not a video game console. The is largely because term became popular in the early 90's. During the 90's there were much greater differences bewteen consoles and pcs than there is now or was in the 80's. The NES, Genesis, and SNES; hooked up to a television, didn't have an internal hard drive, and used video game controllers for input. Personal Computers used computer monitors to display information, had internal hard drives, and used a mouse and keyboard for input.

In the current generation of consoles the line is much more blurred. A keyboard is available for the gamecube, the Xbox has a hard drive, and it's possible to connect video game consoles to computer monitors and computers to television screens.

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History

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The Magnavox Odyssey

The first video game system was designed by Ralph Baer. In 1951, he worked for Loral, then an electronics developer in the Bronx. Baer thought it would be interesting to include some kind of interactive game in the television he was designing at the time, but his boss, Sam Lackoff, was not interested.

In 1966, he began working on the idea again. He drew a schematic for a chase game (where each player controls a spot, and one chases the other.) Baer built a prototype that allowed a person to move a single sqaure around the screen, change it's color, and stretch it in different directions. Then running a division at Sanders Associates in New Hampshire, he showed this original prototype to Herbert Campman, the company's Corporate Director, who was very impressed. Ralph got funding for the project, and continued to work on it with the help of several other engineers and technicians for several years.

There were seven prototypes in all. The final one (known both as Unit 7 or the "Brown Box") was completed in 1968. It could play a variety of games including the original chase game, a shooting game, and the ping pong game that PONG is based on. The games were selected by switches on the outside of the unit. It had a light gun and two of what would now be considered paddle controllers. The whole thing was covered with brown wood-grain adhesive paper.

Magnavox signed an agreement with Sanders Associates in 1971. In 1972 they released the Odyssey. It had twelve games programmed into it, which were selected by inserting cards into the system. It came with two paddle-style controllers, overlays, and accessories for some of the games (like dice.) The gun, shooting games, and overlays for the shooting gamed were sold seperately, and are now very rare.

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Fairchild Channel F

The Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES) is considered by most gamers to be the first video game console. Released in 1976, it was produced by Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. The VES used a microprocessor designed by Fairchild Semiconductor, a pioneer of semi-conductor research and subsidiary of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. The use of a microprocessor allowed Fairchild to use programmable ROM chips.

Because the VES was designed to play a wide range of games, it used "grip sticks". The grip stick had two parts. The bottom part was short platic stick that was held. On top of it was a triangular knob/joystick, that could be pushed in four directions, rotated like a paddle controller, or pressed down like a fire button.


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Timeline

Template:Video game console timeline

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Seventh generation consoles

  • PlayStation 3, will be released on November 11, 2006 (Worldwide).
  • Revolution will be released in Late 2006 (tentative).
  • Xbox 360, released in November 2005.
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Sixth generation consoles

  • Dreamcast Sega's last console.
  • Gamecube Nintendo's fourth generation videogame console.
  • PlayStation 2 The sequel to the PlayStation.
  • Xbox Microsoft's first videogame console.
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See also

Template:Dedicated video game consoles

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Books

Template:Cite book [1]

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External links

br:Koñsolennoù c'hoarioù video cs:Herní konzole de:Spielkonsole es:Videoconsola eo:Ludkonzolo fr:Console de jeux vidéo hr:Igraća konzola is:Leikjatölva it:Consolle he:קונסולת משחקים nl:Spelcomputer ja:ゲーム機 no:Spillkonsoll pl:Konsola gier wideo pt:Videogame ru:Игровая приставка sq:Konzola simple:Video game console fi:Pelikonsoli sv:Spelkonsol zh:游戏机

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