First Generation Gaming

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Sut1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

First Generation Gaming

Postby Sut1 » July 6th, 2013, 5:15 pm

I've got myself a a Grandstand SD 070 console which is part of the PC-50x family of consoles, luckily they are ten a penny here in Europe. I believe they are rarer in the US and your first generation gaming was mainly dedicated consoles. I have all the bar one of the cartridges I wish to buy from the games I'm interested in from this generation.

However - the original Odyssey. Is there anything worth playing on it ? I prefer original systems for consoles (but emulation for home computers) I've read up on the games and watched them on YouTube and I can't say anything screams 'play me'.
I'm not a collector who would buy an Odyssey just to say I've got one I want to get use and enjoy the games.

Also do you play any first generation games still ? Or does your gaming start at the second, third, forth, etc generation ?

scotland171
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First Generation Gaming

Postby scotland171 » July 7th, 2013, 12:40 am

Thanks for the interesting post, Sut, the PC-50x family are ones I've never gotten hands on time with, but the tech is interesting in not using ROM cartridges for a microprocessor, but a dedicated IC for that game in each cartridge.   

I wondered whether they should be considered 1st generation, given that they were made after the ROM consoles like the Atari were available, even if they did not sell well for some time?  In thinking on it though, these PC-50x consoles seem much like the Coleco Telstar Arcade, that unique triangular system, which I think is firmly 1st generation, and also has chips in cartridges instead of ROMS.  The Bentley company was making true Pong machines into the 80s, but they are still 1st generation.  

The whole idea of 'generation' is both regional, and just a term of convenience anyway. Does generation three begin with the Famicom in Asia, or the regional launch of the NES in parts of America years later - or when it gets released in the US nationally?  If we made a new Pong console, or another console in the PC-50x family, would be making a modern yet still 1st generation console? 

As for 1st generation dedicated machines, I enjoy them.  While many make use of the same GI AY-3-xxxx chips, the hardware they put them was very different - different cabinets, controllers, and some different features.  Some are pretty common on Ebay.  There are also the Atari Breakout machines that I enjoy, and some others like the Coleco Telstar Combat/Tank game.  The light guns that came with some could look real at a glance.  A good Pong or Breakout game is easy to learn and fun - at least for a short stints. Its also nostalgic for some of us, and a working bit of history for others.  "Avoid missing ball for high score" is both basic and brilliant all at once.

Mr. Sut - what is the state of light guns in the UK?  Did they use them back on those first generation Pong/PC-50x consoles like in the US?  Were they part of the basic Nintendo NES or Sega Master System packages like they were in the US?


Sut1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

First Generation Gaming

Postby Sut1 » July 7th, 2013, 3:36 am

You make a good point about generations being regional as we didn't get the Atari 2600 until the 80's and it was expensive, so the PC-50x family had a decent run here. Also home computers such as the ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC and Acorn BBC Micro were much more popular than consoles here in Europe. It wasn't until the NES and Master System (NES didn't beat the Master System over here) were launched that we became more in line with the US. But like you state the generation thing is convenient and I believe you can group them technology wise e.g. the Atari XEGS was released close to the Mega Drive/Genesis but I would place it in with the NES and Master System generation.

Light guns were indeed abundant here in the UK. For my Grandstand Console there is a rifle for use with the Shooting Gallery cartridge that looks remarkably like the Odyssey rifle. Also plenty of dedicated 'Pong' style consoles not from the PC-50x family came with light guns included again for the target style games.
And yes both the NES and Master System had packs with the light guns available, I also remember there being a light gun for the ZX Spectrum and C64.

Marriott_Guy1
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First Generation Gaming

Postby Marriott_Guy1 » July 7th, 2013, 12:21 pm

If you are not a collector, the original Magnavox Odyssey offers little that you can't experience on the SD 70 you picked up.  Carts for the PC-50X Family are somewhat uncommon in the US due to the other systems that were available (Channel F, RCA Studio II, 2600, etc.).  As you pointed out, the GI Chip had extended success in Europe so I would imagine that you can score most of the games for a small pittance. 

Sut1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

First Generation Gaming

Postby Sut1 » August 4th, 2013, 9:33 am

Finally got hold of the Shooting Gallery Cartridge along with the light gun, I have attached pictures of the light gun for those who were interested.

Now I just need to track down the Tank cartridge.

weallmissedme1
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First Generation Gaming

Postby weallmissedme1 » August 4th, 2013, 8:42 pm

That gun looks similar to the one that came with my Super Color Volley VI

Sut
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Re: First Generation Gaming

Postby Sut » December 9th, 2017, 6:31 am

Analogic -Magnavox Odyssey

Thanks to the wonders of Sly DC's fantastic OdySim. I/We are now able play these old 'gems' from the very first games console.
I roped my young daughter into playing as most of these games are two player, as they said in 1972 what's single player precious ?

http://atariage.com/forums/blog/87/entry-379-illogical/
I shall refer you to Chronogamer who explains the rather convoluted rules on how to play the game and then follow with my thoughts.

Mixed report on Analogic if we stuck to the games rules we got caught in cul-de-sac's and keeping 'interstellar contact' just got annoying. However we tweaked the rule set, dumping the 'interstellar contact' gimmick completely and both started with 8 diagonal chips so if we ended up in said cul-de-sac's we had a way out.
Turns out with these 'mods' my daughter had a fun time, we will probably never play this again but we enjoyed it.

However the Odyssey is pretty superfluous for this game, it is essentially a board game with the Odyssey merely supplying your avatar.

Edit: Added screenshot

402D7965-0339-488C-86E8-6EE87110880B.png
402D7965-0339-488C-86E8-6EE87110880B.png (80.69 KiB) Viewed 2223 times


I will post further thoughts on more Odyssey 1 games soon (ie I can rope my daughter into playing old games from before Daddy was born). If you get the chance check out OdySim and post your thoughts on some historic gaming.
Last edited by Sut on December 21st, 2017, 4:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: First Generation Gaming

Postby VideoGameCritic » December 9th, 2017, 9:56 am

I enjoyed reading this, especially since I will probably never play it.
Also thanks for turning me onto this Chronogamer guy. He has a good sense of humor.

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Re: First Generation Gaming

Postby VideoGameCritic » December 9th, 2017, 9:56 am

I enjoyed reading this, especially since I will probably never play it.
Also thanks for turning me onto this Chronogamer guy. He has a good sense of humor.

mbd36
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Re: First Generation Gaming

Postby mbd36 » December 9th, 2017, 12:29 pm

I've never played the original Odyssey but it looks like 99.9% of its appeal was the novelty of manipulating objects on a TV screen. The light gun/rifle looks pretty neat though. The gun games could be amusing for a bit.


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