In 1966, the father of videogames, Ralph Baer, began developing the Brown Box prototype, the forerunner to the first home console ever released, the Magnavox Odyssey.
The Magnavox Odyssey was released in 1972. Players controlled two dots while the console controlled another that darted around the screen and could be returned like the ball in pong. Though the basic gameplay was the same, people could put graphic overlays over their TV to create different game experiences, like skiing and football.
Rare 1972 promotional film for the original Magnavox Odyssey video game system. This super-8 film was distributed to TV dealers in Magi-Cartridge film-loop format, and could be viewed on a special display device in the dealer showroom. Video via YouTube.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Previously on display
22 April 2019
ACMI Ground Floor
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
GF000148
Curatorial section
The Story of the Moving Image → Games Lab → GL-04. Collector's Case → GL-04-C01
Measurements
100 x 370 x 227mm
Object Types
Computer game equipment/Game
Materials
Video game console functioning as a playable unit. Also includes original box with contents