Video Game Evolution
by ...just finished reading a pretty good article on the
history of video games. i couldn't find it on the net, so i'm recreating the main chart here.
Technnological evolution in the
US home video game industry
Generation
[time period]
Rival platforms
[manufacturers]
Introduction
date
Operating performance
CPU
Bit
ROM
1st generation
(1976-1982)
Channel FDD [Fairchild]*
VCS** DD (Atari)
Studio II (RCA)
Odyssey2 (Magnavox)
Gamevision (Texas Instruments)
Home Arcade (Bally)
Aug. 1976
Oct. 1977
Jan. 1977
1978
----
Feb. 1978
2 MHz
1.19 MHz
1.78 MHz
----
3.58 MHz
8
8
8
8
----
8
4 K
2 K
----
2nd generation
(1980-1984)
Intellivision (Mattel)*
Atari 5200 (Atari)
Colecovision** (Coleco)
Arcadia 2001 (Emerson)
1980
1982
Sep. 1982
1982
0.87 MHz
1.79 MHz
3.58 MHz
3.58 MHz
16
8
8
8
16 K
8-32 K
8 K
3rd generation
(1986-1990)
NES** (Nintendo)*
Master System (Sega)
Atari 7800 (Atari)
Oct. 1985
Jun. 1986
Jun. 1986
1.79 MHz
3.60 MHz
1.79 MHz
8
8
8
24-32 K
32-131 K
52 K
4th generation
(1989-1996)
Sega Genesis** (Sega)*
Turbo Grafix 16 (NEC)
Super NES (Nintendo)
Aug. 1989
Sep. 1991
Sep. 1991
7.60 MHz
3.60 MHz
3.58 MHz
16
8/16
16
64 K
250 K
5th generation
(1995-present)
Interactive Multiplayer (3DO)*
Jaguar (Atari)
Saturn (Sega)
Playstation** DD (Sony)
Nintendo 64 (Nintendo)
Oct. 1993
Oct. 1993
May 1995
Sep. 1995
Oct. 1996
12.50 MHz
26.60 MHz
28.00 MHz
33.90 MHz
93.75 MHz
32
32
32
32
64
660 MB
660 MB
660 MB
660 MB
100 MB
6th generation
(1999-present)
Dreamcast (Sega)*
PlayStation 2 (Sony)
GameCube (Nintendo)
Xbox (Microsoft)
Sep. 1999
Oct. 2000
Nov. 2001
Nov. 2001
200 MHz
294 MHz
485 MHz
733 MHz
128
128
128
128
1.1 GB
5.6 GB
1.1 GB
5.6 GB
* indicates the first mover
** indicates the most popular platform
DD indicates early adapter and dominant design
- what was your first video game system?
- what made you get it? a specific game for that system?
- who will be the break out leader for the current (6th) generation systems?
for educational purposes only...source: IEEE Potentials
Scoring Video Games' Standard Contributions by Scott Gallagher and Seung Ho Park
AI Summary
89 Comments
ok...truth is, i needed some practice with tables. working on some homework.
My first was the Atari VCS (2600)... EVERYONE had it at the time.. still have one with tons o' games...I also had, over the years, Atari 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx, Intellivision, Colecovision. NES, SNES (still have), N64, Playstation, Game Cube (still have), Genesis, Dreamcast (still have)... I think a couple of others too.... hmmmmmm
also had a Sega Saturn for a little while...
lol why did i think you were talking about a car when i read that
in reading this article, i learned that the VCS was the original name. it was later called a 2600. which one did u have?
The first one I had was a 2600.. I now have a VCS (Worship the Woodgrain as they say)
so ur saying u DOWNgraded?
did you ever have NEO GEO or 3DO, or how about any form of turbo graphix?
I had a turbo graphix DUO--it could play CD's AND the older credit card sized games
Never had any of those, although I DO have a Neo Geo Pocket color.. nice handheld system... But I notice this chart includes the Neo Geo OR the Turbo Duo... nor does it mention the original Odyssey (which had games all buit in, the "cartridges" merely accessed the program)
i loved the turbo duo..
my first system was the atari. my parents got it for me as a gift. i think PS2 will be the best 6th generation system. they have so many releases, and plus, you can play your PS1 games on it - very good indeed
adapters were a big selling point on some systems. i think the colecovision had an adapter to play atari 2600 cartridges.
i don't know, the xbox has much better graphics, i think.
i heard that's true, Xbox having better graphics. but remember how Xbox had to change their controllers cuz they were uncomfortable? i feel PS2 is more reliable
see now, i don't agree about the controllers. i LIKE the bigger controllers. the 'new' ones that came out were really their japanese version (u know: those orientals with the small hands...who gave them THAT idea?)
i agree! you cant change perfection!!!
but if you think about it, they saw a need to adjust and they did, now they accomodate all of there fans with both sizes
LOL ooh ok gotcha. i only played Xbox once. i'm so used to Playstation's triangle, circle, square, and x buttons hehe
ohhhhh, i get it. funny thing u bring up: being weened on atari 2600, i was used to one stick, one button. i never caught on with nintendo...and i couldn't figure out the button's on playstation one. now here i am with an xbox and i'm playing nfl fever with like three hundered different button combinations! go figure!
I totally agree, PS2 has got to be the biggest. It's cheaper and it doesnt rip you off cuz you can play all your old games. Oh and hasn't there just been released an online capability for it now? Plus I have one :)
yah, i love playin my PS1 veteran games like Final Fantasy 7, Parasite Eve, Chrono Cross, some others too
my parents bought my first being the atari 2600. it came with a free pacman...never got bored with that.
2600 was the first system i had, from then i was hard core nintendo rev. i never touched genisis or sega. then it was all over with sony, but i was side-traked with xbox.
i think xbox is goana run the show for a long tme. till playstation 3 at least
hey i was talking with the "hill" (dan hill)
and we wer thinking of putting together a halo tournament 8 on 8.
lets post this up first, and see who is interested and then we could get a final date and place.
we could even break it up.
even a free for all tourne finnal 4 play on a projection TV on the side of my garage!!!
im all for this so post up, and let me know
Ill be up for that!!!! we could have it over by me too... im gonna have a setup in my apt soon... so its up to you guys... ill rock both of you!!!!
as long as you get cable man. don't be tryin to take us on with some "dial up"
i'm def up for that! i've got a hub and cables...lmk
ok thats good, how many guys play buy you? i have like a solid 6-7 heads
buy the way, we dont have to do it over the net, with the hub, and a couple of tv's, some chips, beer, and a room full of male agression, we could have a real good time
hmmm that is sounding pretty cool...well, the beer part anyway
seriously if you wanted to hook it up i could get a ton more guys. It stinks that i know people who play i game i never have.....
who said anything about the net? halo doesn't work with live...
i dont know where you have been, but halo has been on lone at sites such as gamespy for over a year!!!!
i had no idea! *wipes spit out of eye* what's the link? how's it work? a little ip api or something?
yeah it's like a big chat room it's pretty schweet...check out www.xbconnect.com , SON! (another one, schooled!)
well, SON!, that would be so right if you actually knew how to do a link: xbconnect.com [lessons free]
yeah man you gotta get with the program. xb connect RULES. and it's free. so xbox live can keep their little headset for 50 bucks.
my 1st was a Spectrum. I dont remember what model, but it was a small black keyboard with rubber keys and a tape player connected which ran the games. It only played dungeons and dragons and Leap Frog.
Then we got a Sega Master system which had Alex The Kid built into it and Sonic the hedghog.
Then we got the Mega Drive with, Olympic Games, Fifa 96 and Sonic 2 games. Then we got the Playstation(Tony Hawk Pro Skater), N64 (Goldeneye) and the SNES (Mario Kart) the last three I still have and I just also bought a PS2 which is soo cool! I still love the SNES though, Vintage Mario is unbeatable. Im toying with buying a Mega Drive again to see if Sonic was as good as I remember!
sonic saved sega!!!
on the same token, sega hored him out, and now there done, and he is on Game cube. Sega made some poor choices when it came to inovation!
Laura, if you bought a Game Cube, you could have gotten the Sonic Mega Collection.. so good... but get a Mega Drive (Genesis for us Yanks)-- they should be cheap enough...
it all started with NES. i loved Zelda, Bionic Commando, Metal Gear, Rygar, etc. next was Genesis, i liked Sonic, Strider, ESWAT, NBA Jam. after that came N64 which is still in effect! i played tons of Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, and others, but the main games on that system were Super Smash Brothers, Mariokart64 and Goldeneye. i used to have cheese puff fueled tourneys at my house. the kids in my hall were all masters of smash brothers especially. the air got pretty thick sometimes. almost no one could take me though. Fox was my main combatant. Falcon, my arch-nemesis. i rarely play anymore though. i'm into PS2 and XBOX now. PS2 has the some of the best games, all the good franchises--Metal Gear Solid 2, Gran Turismo, Tony Hawk, Socom, the Bond games, etc. And of course Splinter Cell and Halo for XBOX. flawless games. i'm getting pretty good Halo lately. Halo2 will rule. good times, eh?
We had my cousins old atari first..not quite sure which version..but we had a million games for it and it will always be my favorite. SNES was pretty awesome though..Mario Allstar with all the old NES games on it was the best!
There was actually a TV documentary on this very subject a few weeks ago, prob. a PBS station. I remember having i think a commodor and all ya could do is play ping pong....now thats real excitement!
I've had a platform from the 2nd generation all the way through the 6th now. First was the intellevision....
Uhhhh. i though "trekkies" were bad.
ok, can i say something. i was never allowed to have video games when i was little, my parents forbid it. then when i was 10 i got a game boy, because when i got in trouble (which was often) my parents could take it and hide it. then when i was 17 I got an N64...I got myself 1080 Snowboarding instead of going to my prom. now I'm on my xbox. and you know what- halo, the game everyone loves, just sits there until my friends come over. i'd rather play tony hawk or amped. or even the sims. so watch out for me. because i am good at stuff.
im STILL not allowed
and look how great you turned out...
is that a compliment?
doubtful. i wouldn't think so.
ouch. that was way harsh dan.
ur kidding right?
no im not--butt serious
i can believe it...
my thought is if yourr goana sit infront of a Tv, it mite as well be interactive, ya know!!!
we have to change that. i meen what do you do on a rainy day?
give me you dads # ill set him strait! lol
nooooo i dont want my dad to dislike any of my friends lol
seriously, DON"T CALL HER DAD! my bro is still not allowed to call the house. And he seriously thinks one day he'll get an apology...
no way! stop making my dad out to be that bad! your bro definitely won't get an apology hahaha
were you going to go to your prom if you didn't buy the 1080 snowboarding?
ummm. possibly. i wasn't the best kid back then.
I wasn't trying to ask that in a bad tone or anything to make you feel bad..I was just curious as to people's views on that seeing as how my senior year is approaching it's end.
oh. well i would definitely say don't go. i mean, do you want to have fun with a bunch of worldly people? i dunno.
im anti prom let's throw her a party!
ok ok lets not and go play hide and seek. i'll look for you. later on today. or possibly next week. haha.
im getting a lot of hate from you lately. maybe we need to find a boxing ring.
i would kick your sorry, no good butt. just watch!!
just watch...you try.
well I guess that all depends on whether you think you can slave for two masters now doesn't it? hmm? (haha. jk. but I suggest not going)
i have an xbox and xbox live... I haven't touched it since.. feb. Anyone wanna buy it... Wait no, let me get some more action in Mechassualt online first. My name on xbox live.. is ASONE. watch out for me. i'm tough like a meerkat.
This is really lame. Get a life. Stop playing video games and researching them.
that's like telling a crack fiend to stop shooting up
hahaha that was a good one ian!!
dont hate cause your not part of the video game revolution!!!
chloe is just one of those self-haters! she's at home now playing Everquest AND Max Payne while weeping and rocking wishing she could stop..
No... I gotta defend her... she's not a self-hater... she really doesn't like video games... and that's okay!
s'all in good fun, sir Galahad
anyone like online gaming? it's kinda cool to play other people, but creepy in the same way
absolutely. online gaming is a lot of fun.
yeah . i wish i had more time. but when i do.. it's fun. mechassault online. with the new CTF game. good times !
ctf? u mean UT?
yo let me know next time your goana play mech assault!
im so nasty at that game, and im on line,
obsidian12hotmail.com/ or jeepjenkins iM/ or cell, 845.699.1434
spam alert
oh we playing !!!! my gamer tag is ASONE
i'm sorry ty, but i always add an extra ess when i read that