The video game console developed by Ralph Baer in the late 1960's (see the Origins of Video Games) was sold to a company called Magnavox and released as the first commercial video game console in May 1972. The Magnavox Odyssey (as it was known) was built mainly using analogue electronics and connected to a standard home television set. Although it was not a great success, other companies such as Atari developed similar products, paying Magnavox a licensing fee.
In 1975, Atari released a home video console version of the coin-operated game 'Pong', which became an immediate success, inspiring the release of many other clone consoles, such as the Coleco Telstar and the UK manufactured APF TV Fun.
For more information about the first generation of video consoles, select an item from the following list.
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