First generation of video game hardware

The First generation of video game hardware approximately covers the period between 1972 and 1980, although video gaming had existed in one form or another since the 1950s. The Magnavox Odyssey is often cited as the true beginning of the first generation of video game hardware, which itself was an evolution of "The Brown Box", a prototype for a video game console developed in 1967.

Features
The hardware seen in this era of video gaming is very different to the consoles that would be manufactured afterwards. Removable or swappable media, such as cartridges for video games was not widespread, so the games that were provided often came with the console itself. This limitation caused a fair amount of consoles to be spawned, as each company strove for their standard to be accepted.

The most striking feature of this generation was that they did not feature microprocessors in their circuitry, instead having to make do with a series of logic circuits. Many consoles of this era were just hardware platforms for "Pong", with a small number aiming higher. Atari, Magnavox (later bought by Philips) and General Instrument were the biggest players of this era.

The Magnagox Odyssey featured an early optical light gun accessory called Shooting Gallery, released in 1972. This light gun peripheral was manufactured by Nintendo, marking their first entry into the video game industry. On September 12, 1975 Epoch released Japan's first console, the TV Tennis, a home version of Pong, several months before the release of Home Pong in North America. The most unique feature of the TV Tennis was that the console was wireless, functioning through a UHF antenna. Japan's most successful consoles of the first generation, however, was Nintendo's Color TV-Game series of video game consoles, first released in 1977. The Color TV Game sold 3 million units, making it the best-selling console of the first generation.

Membership
The following can be considered part of the first generation of video gaming:


 * APF TV Fun
 * Binatone TV Master
 * Blip
 * Color TV-Game series
 * Magnavox Odyssey series
 * Name of the Game
 * Ping-o-Tronic
 * Pong
 * Radio Shack TV Scoreboard
 * TV Tennis
 * Telstar
 * Unisonic Sportsman T101