| ATARI 2600 VIDEO COMPUTER SYSTEM | ||||
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The Atari Video Computer System, later known as the Atari 2600, was a 8-bit game system released in late 1977 for around $250.00. It is considered, while not the first cartridge console (the Zircon Fairchild Channel F holds that distinction) the "grandfather" of the modern games industry, and one of the most revolutionary game systems of all time, basically creating the whole genre of cartridge based, dedicated gaming computers.
The Atari 2600 hearkens back to a time of New Wave, Post-Punk, Reganomics, Arcade Games, and when gaming was a social activity for the entire family, and not just an activity to hide in your room for hours away from everyone. It's heyday was about 1977-1983, when the Video Game market in America crashed due to poor control over hte industry, poor investments on Atari (and their competitors) parts, and the fact that home computer prices, such as those of the Commodore 64 and Tandy TRS-80, were going down, making parents far more discretionatory when buying a full-blown PC they can do their checkbook on as well as have the kids play something "educational" on. I grew up on this system, and while it's nostalgia is fading fast as Gen X gets older, it's up to guy slike me to make sure that it survives in history on a level people can still experience.
Deep Dive Technicals on VCS Hardware Restoration of a 1978 Atari VCS "Heavy Sixer" |
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