Maks wrote: To throw another hat in the ring, I would add the Intellivision. It's the first system I had as a kid, when my parents brought it home I didn't understand what it was. Yeah, the controllers were garbage, but I later realized many of the games were better than what my friends were playing on their 2600s. Though I guess I'm not really "shocked" it didn't catch on.
Good addition. Mattel already had a solid name both for toys and for electronic toys. They advertised, including the George Plimpton ads which really were effective. The graphics were clearly better. The focus on sports was prescient, including licenses from the NFL, NSL, PGA and the coveted ABPA license, which might be unique in video game history. The games library has many arcade titles, plus games like the AD&D games, Utopia and Microsurgeon. Maybe its the the learning curve on many of the games and the controllers.