The Evolution of the Video Game Console

Wow, what does a box that looks like a car battery and a woman pictured mid-kick have in common?  Well, they are both video game controllers.

What you are looking at is the evolution of the video game controller from the very first video game console (the Magnavox Odyssey, mentioned in last week's article What Are the Origins of Video Games?) to the latest controller, the Microsoft Kinect.  Ok, so maybe that image isn't exactly representative of the Microsoft Kinect, but with the latest technologies in modern video game consoles, a special camera attached to the console can track a user's movements and gestures, allowing them to control a video game without being in contact with any physical device.  But what about all of the progressions in video game consoles starting with the Magnavox Odyssey and leading up to the latest generation of video game consoles?  It is extremely important to know where consoles came from, to know where they are going.  Knowing the major improvements from the previous generation's technologies also helps provide incite into what has already been done, and what should or will be done in the future.

Here is a brief history of the seven generations of video games:

• First Generation (1972 - 1977):  The first generation of video game consoles occurred with the Magnavox Odyssey around the beginning of the golden era of arcade games.  Consoles released in this era had awkward controls, and came preloaded with all of the console's games already installed on the devices.  Consoles were typically shipped with companion accessories like play mats, or transparent films that could be placed over the television screen to create grids or slightly distort the TV's projection for special effects in certain games. During this generation, both Nintendo and Atari got their starts, however neither had significant success.  Also, none of the consoles used microprocessors, they instead used simple state based machines specifically designed for the games implemented in their memory.
  Major importance: This was the most important generation since these were the first times that many electronic computer-like devices made their way into consumers households. 
  Generation's major consoles: Magnavox Odyssey
• Second Generation (1976 - 1984): The first generation was quickly phased out by large technical achievements created in the second generation of video game consoles.  The most prominent feature of the second generation of video game consoles was the innovation and use of the console cartridge (while the Magnavox Odyssey technically had cartridges, they were actually just glorified keys that allowed users to play games that were already hard-wired into the console).  True cartridges used in this era contained entire highly sophisticated games.  Sega released its first console (SG-1000) during this era.
  Major Importance: Cartridges created a separation between a video game and the hardware it was run on.  The video game industry took off to become a major entertainment industry with the Atari 2600.  Some video game themes and genres today can draw their roots directly back to a game invented in this era.
  Generation's major consoles: Atari 2600, Intellivision
• Third Generation (1983 - 1992): Nintendo and Sega's dominating lead over Atari characterizes this generation, often referred to as the "8-bit generation".  The video game crash of 1983 caused by the flooding of a large quantity of generic and poor quality games resulted in a huge restructuring in the way that console video games were licensed, designed, produced, and marketed.  Video game console producers were now much more picky with who they would license game development rights to, and would require a much higher quality threshold before allowing a game to be released.
  Major Importance: Console licensing forced developers to focus on the quality of the games they produces instead of sheer quantities of games.  Numerous advanced technologies regarding video and sound processing were introduced.  Many video game franchises had their start in this generation (Mario, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Legend of Zelda, etc.)
  Generation's major consoles: Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated NES, and called "Famicom" short for Family Computer in Japan when initially released), Sega Megadrive, Atari 7600
•  Fourth Generation (1987 - 1996): Referred to as the "16-bit generation", major technical improvements were done to the video and sound capabilities of video game systems.  Basic 3D characters and environments were seen in video games for the first time.  Additionally, portable gaming devices that used cartridges to store games became available during this time.  Previously to generation four, most hand-held games imitated the methodology seen in the first era of gaming devices with respect to gaming devices being sold with a defined set of games being pre-programmed into the device.
  Major Importance: This generation offered the first true console rivalry between Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES, also called the Super Famicom in Japan), and Sega's Sega Genesis.  This would later be labeled as "the console war."  Portable gaming became popularized as well.
  Generation's major consoles: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Sega Genesis, Neo Geo.  Handheld gaming devices: Nintendo's Game Boy and Sega's Game Gear.
• Fifth Generation (1993-2006): Often referred to as the "32-bit generation" this time span began to show discrepancies in using the CPU's word length (i.e. the ##-bit) as a metric of capability.  64-bit systems were released during this era (e.g.: the Nintendo 64), which demonstrated that an increase in processor capability did not necessarily equate to dominating performance.  Compact Discs (CDs) as forms of video game media were introduced in this generation as well. Though users of consoles using CDs would experience frequent load times, that cartridges did not experience, the CD offered over six times the capacity over that of the largest cartridges.
  Major Importance: Sony entered the console wars.  CDs used in some fifth generation consoles allowed larger potential for game possibilities, specifically with respect to game content, the inclusion of non-synthesized music, and full motion video.  Production of CDs was much cheaper than cartridges as well.
  Generation's major consoles: Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar.  Handheld gaming devices: Nintendo Game Boy color, Neo Geo Pocket.
• Sixth Generation (1998 - current): This generation marked the beginning of all games progressing to disc media.  Also, this was the last generation of consoles to use the bit-to-system-power metric as a marketing tool.  As such, it is only informally called the "128-bit generation."  This generation also offered the first consoles to have Internet network connectivity, allowing users to play games with other users across the Internet.  This generation also introduced devices with large amounts of internal storage (hard drives).  Until this generation, almost all game-saves had been stored either directly on the cartridge or on ejectable memory cards.  Sony offered the first dual-purpose gaming console + DVD player combination.  The Microsoft Xbox offered the feature to play DVDs, but only as a costly add-on.
  Major Importance: Cartridges were phased out of use with the much cheaper Compact Disc media.  Digital Video Disc (DVD) media used with some consoles, providing another six-fold increase of data capacity over the previous generation's CD media.  Sega discontinued console hardware production in 2001 and converted to a software-only company.  Microsoft entered the console wars.  The concept of Internet network gaming was introduced.  The hard drive was introduced as a primary game-save location as opposed to ejectable memory cards.  Though unsuccessful, the first attempt at a mobile gaming device/cell phone/music player was introduced with the Nokia N-Gage.
  Generation's major consoles: Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Sega Dreamcast.  Handheld gaming devices: Nintendo Gameboy Advance, and Advance SP, Nokia N-Gage.
• Seventh Generation (2005 - current): This generation marked a large divergence of techniques to set each manufacturer's consoles apart from the others.  The new Microsoft and Sony consoles attempted to maximize the video performance of their devices and included high-powered computer and graphics processors, and high-definition display capability.  Sony again offered a dual-purpose gaming-device + Blu-ray Disc option (without additional cost).  Nintendo chose to remain with the standard-resolution capabilities used in previous generation's consoles in exchange for drastically altering the player's gaming interface: it introduced a revolutionary kinesthetic approach to interact with games, and featured a controller that focused on physical movements and gestures of a player rather than simple button pushing.  Because of the lack of expensive console technology, Nintendo was also able to release its new console at a much lower price than Sony's or Microsoft's.  All three major game consoles included an online component, with Microsoft requiring a paid subscription to play over the Internet, and Sony and Nintendo offering free online play.  They also offered online stores where players could purchase full games which could be downloaded from the Internet directly to their consoles.  Updates and "content packs" were also available on these online stores, allowing players to expand owned games with new weapons, game modes, and sometimes entirely new levels and stories.  A blurring and eventual combination of previously separate features provided by numerous mobile devices began to create major competition in the realm of dedicated handheld gaming devices.  
  Major Importance: Elimination of competitors left Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo as only seventh generation console manufacturers.  Internet connectivity was included with all consoles.
  Generation's major consoles: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii.  Handheld gaming devices: Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Apple iTouch and iPhone.
  

Into the future:
Original gaming devices brought us the knob, the button and the joystick.  Cell phones, once barely able to make a long phone call, now have capabilities and features comparable to those of desktop computers.  Additions to modern consoles are causing a large shift in the ways that users interact with games.  And now all modern video game consoles feature a controller (or in Microsoft's case, a camera) that use a largely kinesthetic approach to interact with video games.  At the advent of the Magnavox Odyssey, it may have been hard to imagine a console like the Kinect would someday follow.  It may also be interesting to see if the explosive growth of the gaming market due to mobile game distribution systems like Apple's App Store will cause a repeat of 1983's video game crash.  Given these past 40 years of advances in video game technologies, the next 40 years promise to be an exciting experience in the video game industry.