Odyssey:Scene History

This page outlines major points in the Magnavox Odyssey's history.

1951

Ralph H. Baer (engineer) has the idea to build a television set that the owner can control in addition to its normal function of receiving signals from a remote television station. His employers, Loral Electronics do not pursue the idea.

1966

August: Baer, then the head of the Equipment Design Division at military contractor Sanders Associates, comes up with the concept of using a television to play games; writes up a four-page proposal for a "game box" that would plug into a television screen, costing around US$25

December: Baer, together with one of his technicians, Bob Tremblay, completes an initial prototype later christened "TV Game #1", which could display and move a vertical line on a television screen.

1967

February: Baer designs further prototypes, and assigns technician Bill Harrison to begin building the project, creating successive modifications to the prototype.

May: Harrison develops some early games, beginning with a two-player game where the players repeatedly press a button in competition to fill or empty a bucket of water.

June: Multiple games are completed for a second prototype, including a game where players controlled dots chasing each other and a light gun shooter game with a plastic rifle.

Baer demonstrates the console to the board of Sanders Associates - CEO Royden Sanders authorizes the project to be continued with the aim of selling or licensing the console as a commercial product.

November: The team completes their fourth prototype machine, as well as a ping pong game, a chasing game, a light gun game, and three types of controllers: joysticks for the chase game, a rifle for the light gun game, and a three dial controller for the ping pong game.

They decide to sell the rights to produce the console.

1968

April: TelePrompTer Corporation back out of a proposed agreement to manufacture and sell the console, due to cashflow problems.

1969

January: A seventh prototype, known as the "Brown Box" due to the wood-grain stickers on the casing, is completed. A replicate of this prototype is on display at the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, Texas.

July: The creators of the Brown Box demonstrate the product to television manufacturers, Magnavox. Vice President of Magnavox Console Products Planning Gerry Martin is in favour of agreeing to produce the console.

1971

January: After a long period of negotiations the two companies finally signed an agreement in January 1971.

A team from Magnavox led by George Kent turned the prototype console into a final product.

1972

May: Magnavox performs market surveys and playtests in Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and demonstrates the console to dealers in Las Vegas in May 1972.

May 22nd: The console is publicly unveiled at a press event at the Tavern on the Green in New York City.

September: The console is released, with a price tag of $99.99 (equivalent to about $647 in 2021)

October 16th: Product manager, Bob Fritsche, demonstrates the Magnavox Odyssey on an episode of the popular panel game-show "What's My Line?"