Magnavox Odyssey Video Game Unit, 1972
Magnavox Odyssey Video Game Unit, 1972
- Description
- When most people think about the first video game, they think of Pong, the ping-pong arcade game released by Atari in 1972. However, months earlier, Magnavox had released its Magnavox Odyssey, a home video game system based on the “Brown Box,” a prototype invented by Ralph Baer. Additional games and accessories, like a lightgun, were sold in separate packages.
- Since the Odyssey had limited graphic capabilities and displayed only a few small white blocks and a vertical line on the screen, Magnavox included translucent color overlays to provide settings and layouts for the games. Perhaps most surprising to modern gamers, the Odyssey also came with nonelectronic game accessories such as dice, decks of cards, play money, and poker chips. These accessories were possibly included to make the Odyssey more like the physical games that existed at the time.
- With approximately 350,000 units sold, Magnavox Odyssey was not considered a commercial success, especially in comparison with Pong’s runaway popularity. Among the contributing factors, poor marketing played a large role. Many potential consumers were under the impression—sometimes encouraged by Magnavox salesmen—that Odyssey would only work on Magnavox television sets. Despite these setbacks, Magnavox Odyssey made its mark by starting the video game console industry.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- video game system
- Date made
- 1972
- inventor
- Baer, Ralph H.
- manufacturer
- Magnavox Company
- Physical Description
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 3 3/4 in x 16 1/2 in x 16 1/2 in; 9.525 cm x 41.91 cm x 41.91 cm
- ID Number
- 2006.0102.08
- catalog number
- 2006.0102.08
- accession number
- 2006.0102
- Credit Line
- Ralph H. Baer
- See more items in
- Medicine and Science: Computers
- Popular Entertainment
- Baer
- Family & Social Life
- Computers & Business Machines
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Comments
G....MAN
Fri, 2019-09-27 10:10
Malissa Paige
Thu, 2018-05-03 11:56
Chimeria
Wed, 2018-02-21 16:11
John Hilla
Sun, 2015-11-01 02:53
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
Michelle Vivien
Tue, 2021-09-28 16:36