THE BIRTH OF THE GAMING CONSOLES

Entertainment is already a part of our life. Since ancient times, our ancestors already have their own way to entertain themselves. Now, that the we have reached computer age, we have different ways to have fun, we already have the so called "digital entertainment" such as  the electronic gaming consoles.
Can you still remember those times when this high tech gadgets  hasn't been introduced to us? People from kids to adults plays boardgames, cardgames and others uses indigenous materials to play with their friends? Chess, checkers, backgammons, poker, solitaire, mix and match games, snakes and ladders, monopoly, and millionaires games were among those. Those are the things that satisfy us before until gaming consoles has been introduced.

In 1972, Magnavox launched "ODYSSEY" which was the first game console. This system has 12 built in games, and uses 2 controllers. Odyssey only uses black and white graphics and no audio. This was followed by "PONG", a console that was introduced in 1975. In 1977, the first game console that uses cartridge and the first widely known gaming console was launched which was the "ATARI 2600" where the popular game "Space Invaders" came from.
In the early 80's gaming consoles market crashes but there's no way of stopping the manufacturers in creating and developing much and more advance consoles. In 1986 the slowly dying industry  was revive by Nintendo when they launched their "FamilyComputer" and was released as "NES" in the U.S.A., this gaming console already has thousands of colors. Its competitor SEGA,  releases the "SEGA MASTER SYSTEM" which has a better graphic display and audio. The 2 developer continue their duel with the released of more advanced consoles such as the SEGA Genesis or Megadrive and the SNES where famous gaming icons were also born, Sonic the hedgehog for SEGA and Mario for the Nintendo.

Manufacturers continue to research and invent more enhanced gaming consoles until the systems that uses 3d and CD  technology were developed, the SEGA Saturn, Sony Playstation and Nintendo 64 were released.   
With their continuing battle to gain popularity, another generation of gaming consoles were launched, this time Sony uses DVD technology on their Playstation 2, Nintendo releases GameCube, their first console that uses optical drive in place of their cartridge, SEGA releases Dreamcast that uses GD-Rom and Microsoft with their XBOX which has an Ethernet port.  

Few years passed, gaming enthusiasts has lost their passion on these new generation consoles, they are now asking for more updated and advance console. Developers know what consumers want, this time new systems were introduced using new technologies. Sony has launched the Playstation3 which uses a new disc format which is the Blue-ray Disc.  Microsoft has its XBOX 360 that uses HD DVD technology and Nintendo releases  Wii which uses remote and a sensor which has an infrared detected by a camera. All of them uses the latest realistic graphics and audio technology.
Gaming consoles have made their way to our homes since the time their graphics were still flickering until the realistic 3d platforms have been marketed and now with portable gaming systems such as the GAMEBOY, GAMEBOY COLOR, PSP,PSP SLIM, NDS,NDS LITE,NDSi, etc...

Personal computers and consoles will continue to improve and we have yet to wait what lies ahead on the coming years, what is important is that we should clearly understand the pros and cons of this high tech gadgets to us and our children.


*the author does not claim ownership of pictures shown above*