Magnavox Odyssey (Console)

The Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972, holds the distinction of being the first commercial home video game console. It connected to your TV and used simple, discrete components to generate basic shapes on the screen. Players interacted with these shapes using knobs and switches on the console, overlaid with plastic screens to simulate different game environments. It was revolutionary for its time, introducing the concept of video games into the home. While its graphics were primitive by today's standards, the Odyssey sparked the home video game revolution and paved the way for future consoles like Atari and Nintendo. People fondly remember the creativity required to imagine the games being played, and its role as a novel form of family entertainment.