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1 entry of 164 involving Fairchild Semiconductor

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1970-1979 The 1970s

Interchangeable cartridges arrive on a programmable home console

Fairchild's console combined a microprocessor with games sold on plug-in cartridges, the architecture the whole industry adopted within a year. It sold modestly, and the engineer who led the work went unrecognized for decades.

Key facts and significance Hide details
Platform
Home consoles
Region
North America
Period
The 1970s

Why it matters

The idea that a console is a computer waiting for software, rather than a box containing fixed games, was demonstrated here first. That single decision separated the dedicated ball-and-paddle era from everything after it, and it is why a console's value came to rest on its library instead of its hardware.

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