Game Gallery Amusements

A ping-pong video game is developed using three moving dots on a television screen. Two of the dots are paddles. The third is a ball controlled by a game computer. The concept allows the television to be used for something other than watching network shows.1972The Odyssey home video-game system is launched by Magnavox. Game cartridges include hockey, tennis and roulette. Magnavox later offers an Odyssey 2 and an Odyssey 300.1979Atari 2600, a new platform with a library of nine games is released. The following year, Atari upgrades its platform with the Atari 400/800 Series.1983The Nintendo brand expands beyond arcade games. By 1985, Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt are in American homes on the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES.1987Nintendo releases “The Legend of Zelda,” a franchise that continues to churn out game titles into 2005.1989Game Boy, Nintendo’s hand-held system, hits stores.1990Sega releases the Sega Genesis platform.1995Sony releases PlayStation.1996Nintendo ups the ante on graphics and power with Nintendo 64 in Japan.Sega bridges the gap between home video-game consoles and the Internet with Sega Saturn Net Link. The console offers full Web access and online gaming.2000PlayStation 2 is launched. The Sony platform plays games and DVD movies.2001Nintendo releases its newest platform, GameCube.Xbox by Microsoft makes its debut, featuring a 10-gigabyte hard drive, 733-magahertz processor and the ability to connect players via broadband and the Internet. 2002Sony begins selling modem adaptors that allow PlayStation 2 to play against friends online.2004Nintendo DS, the latest Game Boy upgrade, allows wireless gaming with players up to 150 feet away.2005Sony releases the Sony PlayStation Portable, a hand-held platform that plays video games, movies, MP3s, allows wireless multi-player gaming and eventually Internet browsing.Xbox 360 is launched.2006PlayStation 3 is expected to hit stores.Nintendo Revolution is to go on sale.