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1 entry of 164 involving Ralph Baer

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1970-1979 The 1970s

The Odyssey puts Ralph Baer's television games in stores

Magnavox turned the Brown Box prototype into a consumer product sold through its television dealers. Plastic overlays, plug-in circuit cards and physical accessories compensated for electronics that could produce only a few white shapes.

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

Why it matters

Home play arrived before the arcade boom rather than after it, which is easy to forget. The console also carried the patents that shaped the industry's first decade of litigation, since the ball-and-paddle claims filed by its designer covered nearly everything that followed and were enforced against manufacturer after manufacturer.

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