Editing First generation of video game hardware (section)

==Features==
{{VG History|expandmenu=2}}

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)|''Color TV-Game'' series]] of video game consoles, first released in 1977.<ref name="picard2013">Martin Picard (December 2013), [http://gamestudies.org/1302/articles/picard The Foundation of Geemu: A Brief History of Early Japanese video games], ''The International Journal of Computer Game Research'' '''13''' (2), Game Studies</ref> The Color TV Game sold 3 million units,<ref name="tv_game"/><ref name="sheff 27">{{Cite book |title=Game Over: Press Start to Continue - The Maturing of Mario|last=Sheff |first=David |last2=Eddy |first2=Andy |author-link=David Sheff |publisher=Cyberactive Media Group/GamePress |date= April 15, 1999 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=0dK2AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Color+TV+Game%22|pages=27–28 |isbn=9780966961706|quote=Nintendo entered the home market in Japan with the dramatic unveiling of Color TV Game 6, which played six versions of light tennis. It was followed by a more powerful sequel, Color TV Game 15. A million units of each were sold. The engineering team also came up with systems that played a more complex game, called "Blockbuster," as well as a racing game. Half a million units of these were sold.}}</ref> making it the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling console]] of the first generation.