Magnavox Odyssey 2:
The Game System That Started It All
By: Didiek Timer
There are a lot of companies that manufactures gaming console competing in the market today. Some boasts that their gaming console can connect to the internet while other gaming consoles brags that it can have up to four different players playing locally at the same time.
With a wide library of games available today and the different gaming consoles available in the market, it is very hard to imagine that these games have evolved from a very simple and primitive beginning.
Before the Magnavox Odyssey 2 game system, the Magnavox Odyssey gaming system was the first to come out. This gaming system was developed by Ralph Baer who worked on the Odyssey gaming system for two years. The Odyssey was first called the Brown Box because it was encased on a wooden box. The company called Magnavox became interested in Baer’s idea and was willing to reproduce it and market it. Baer’s Brown Box underwent a number of refinements and changes before it was released by Magnavox as Odyssey in the year 1972.
In the year 1978, Magnavox released the new version of Odyssey called Magnavox Odyssey 2 Game System. This unit was created to compete with the growing gaming console industry. One of the features that made Magnavox Odyssey 2 stand out is the 48-key keyboard to assist in educational games. The Odyssey 2 technical specifications were an 8 bit Intel 8048 (1.79MHz) CPU, a 64B RAM integrated in the CPU, 16 colors and 4 on screen, resolution of 280x192, 4 sprites, 1 channel mono sound system, and a 2K programmable game card. Odyssey 2 gaming console is also integrated with one button digital joysticks, and a QWERTY layout keyboard for educational games.
Magnavox Odyssey 2 sistem game also has expansion modules for different games. Because of the fast technological development in the gaming console industry, you may assume that more gaming consoles with the best technology available will eventually pop out in the market in the near future.
Just think about it, in less than 30 years, game console developers and manufacturers have developed simple gaming consoles to highly advanced gaming console with the latest technology in graphics and sound in just a little time.
Today, because of the latest development in computer technology and the internet, Magnavox Odyssey 2 sistem game are readily available for online play. It is defiantly hard to imagine that all the gaming consoles you see in the market today evolved from a simple gaming console developed by a man called Ralph Baer and a company called Magnavox.
Come to think of it, if you played Odyssey 2 before, you would really want to play the old and simple games again. You can play these old games in a number of websites available. Most of Odyssey 2 games are available for online gaming for free.
Also, check out my other guide on Nes Game System.
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