RangerG Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 How would you categorize the consoles of the pre-NES era? I want to eventually collect for the major consoles of the era, but I'm on the fence whether Odyssey2 and Vectrex qualify? My opinion: Major Consoles: Atari 2600 Intellivision Colecovision Atari 5200 Minor Consoles: Odyssey2 Vectrex Afterthought Consoles: Arcadia 2001 Channel F RCA Studio II Odyssey 1 a few others Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frizo Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Dude, Take off 5200, that thing isnt even close to becoming a Major Console. Vectrex belongs where it is, but, Odd 2 might be moved up, maybe. Everything else is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 How would you categorize the consoles of the pre-NES era? I want to eventually collect for the major consoles of the era, but I'm on the fence whether Odyssey2 and Vectrex qualify? Thoughts? Not sure what the definition of your categories are? What makes e.g. the 5200 a "major console"? Why do you want to collect? Vectrex is highly collectible and I can't get my hands on one cuz they get bid up so high... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremysart Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Dude, Take off 5200, that thing isnt even close to becoming a Major Console. Vectrex belongs where it is, but, Odd 2 might be moved up, maybe. Everything else is fine. Yeah, the Odyssey2 does kinda float inbetween major/minor. Ive known enough people who grew up with them to say lower major though. 5200 definitely gets booted off, although it is NOT a bad system. Here is an afterthough: Action Max: Wtf? Hey, what about Turbo Grafx 16? Great system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frizo Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Dude, Take off 5200, that thing isnt even close to becoming a Major Console. Vectrex belongs where it is, but, Odd 2 might be moved up, maybe. Everything else is fine. 5200 definitely gets booted off, although it is NOT a bad system. Im in no point of view to say it is. Ive never played one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Thoughts? Remove the "Afterthought" category. Major Consoles Atari 2600 Odyssey 2 Intellivision Colecovision Atari 5200 Minor Consoles Vectrex Arcadia 2001 Channel F RCA Studio II Odyssey 1 Astrocade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Thanks for the opinions. 5200 is easily my favorite console and any game magazine coverage from 1982 to 1984 would show it as a major console (but short lived). I have no idea about sales figures for the Vectrex? I never heard of a Vectrex until getting into the hobby, but a friend had an Odyssey2. Another minor console (major?) that really should be in the running and I forgot is the Bally Astrocade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Gabriel, I think you're right that O2 needs to be in there - dang :-). Do you really think that the Arcadia 2001, the Channel F, and the RCA Studio II (not to mention the APF 1000) belong with the Vectrex? And what about the Astrocade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbersan Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 My uncle had an Odyssey 2. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbid Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 the 2600 was the only major console of the era the secondary consoles would be any machine that garnered third party support, that would include the 5200, intellivision, colecovision, and yes, the odyssey 2 (just barely... two imagic games) so under that criteria, the o^2 is in, and the vectrex is out, but the vectrex did get some outstanding arcade licenses and frankly is the coolest retro console you can own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic George 2K3 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Major consoles: Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision Minor consoles: Odyssey 2, Vectrex, Astrocade "Little league" consoles: Arcadia 2001, Channel F, RCA Studio II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 I think VicGeorge got it. Just add APF under little league. 11 consoles in one era (not to mention that the Vic-20, Atari 8-bits, Commodore 64, Ti-99, and TRS-80 might as well have been considered consoles when it came to gaming) - wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 How would you categorize the consoles of the pre-NES era? I want to eventually collect for the major consoles of the era, but I'm on the fence whether Odyssey2 and Vectrex qualify? My opinion: Major Consoles: Atari 2600 Intellivision Colecovision Atari 5200 Minor Consoles: Odyssey2 Vectrex Afterthought Consoles: Arcadia 2001 Channel F RCA Studio II Odyssey 1 a few others Thoughts? looks perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Rogue Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Thoughts? Remove the "Afterthought" category. Major Consoles Atari 2600 Odyssey 2 Intellivision Colecovision Atari 5200 Minor Consoles Vectrex Arcadia 2001 Channel F RCA Studio II Odyssey 1 Astrocade Yah, I'd have to agree with this listing over the others presented, except for the Odyssey 1. Odyssey 1 is a 1st gen console, and for 3 years was the only one on the market - kinda hard to not call it a major. Another thing you have to think about is usually the "second generation" is split in to two different periods, so as far as major you have 2600/Intellision/Odyssey2 (early) and 5200/Colecovision (late). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Do you really think that the Arcadia 2001, the Channel F, and the RCA Studio II (not to mention the APF 1000) belong with the Vectrex? And what about the Astrocade? Do I think the Arcadia 2001 and Channel F belong with the Vectrex? Quality wise, no. But in terms of recognition and market share, the Vectrex, Arcadia 2001, Channel F, and Astrocade are all pretty much in the same boat. I kind of use the "kid down the street" ruler. Everyone had a 2600. A couple of kids in the neighborhood had Intellivisions or Odyssey 2s. One kid had the Colecovision and another had the 5200 (I was the 5200 kid). Game stores were packed with game merchandise for all those systems. Things like the Vectrex or Astrocade were the types of systems you really only saw in video game magazines. Sometimes you might see one in a store but they were extreme rarities. A side story to this, I had always lusted after a Vectrex and I had played an Astrocade in Woolco back in the day. Yet, when I shared my tales of these game systems, no one believed me. They were that obscure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Yah, I'd have to agree with this listing over the others presented, except for the Odyssey 1. In my defense, I don't consider the Odyssey 1 in the same boat either. I don't even think the RCA Studio II should be there. I just included them because they were in the original poster's list. And you have to find someone fairly into videogames to even realize those two exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malducci Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 (edited) How is the 5200 a major console!? Major consoles: Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision Minor consoles: Atari 5200, Odyssey 2, Vectrex, Astrocade "Little league" consoles: Arcadia 2001, Channel F, RCA Studio II Edited August 29, 2009 by malducci Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Rogue Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 How is the 5200 a major console!? Very simple, it was one of the major competitors of the 2nd generation of the second generation market. That generation was dominated by Colecovision and the 5200, with the Vectrex in a far distant 3rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 Units Sold from Wikipedia and a few other sources: 2600 - 30 million Colecovision - 6 million INTV - 3 million 02 - 2 million These seem about right although the INTV seems low and the 02 high? 5200, Bally, Vectrex ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 How is the 5200 a major console!? Major consoles: Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision Minor consoles: Atari 5200, Odyssey 2, Vectrex, Astrocade "Little league" consoles: Arcadia 2001, Channel F, RCA Studio II Probably because it sold as much or more than coleco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Rogue Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Units Sold from Wikipedia and a few other sources: 2600 - 30 million Colecovision - 6 million INTV - 3 million 02 - 2 million These seem about right although the INTV seems low and the 02 high? 5200, Bally, Vectrex ?? That Colecovision number is a bit high as well, more in the 2-3 million range (2 million by April of '84 and tapering by the time it was cancelled). The INTV number comes from INTV Production's (Blue Sky Rangers) own website, and they state over 3 million by the time it was finally cancelled in 1990. For the 02, that sounds about right for about a 6 year run, probably just over the 2 million range. More if you take the Philips version in to account, where it was much more popular. 5200 was over a million by the time of the takeover, which is pretty good for a 2 year run. Vectrex I'm not sure, it was a little less than 2 years in the US though so I can't imagine it'd be much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 A lot of the figures stated are all over the place. I agree the Colecovision should be lower - a couple other sites put it at more like 3 million tops. Also, I found a few more references to 02 more like in the 1 million range (U.S. only). I really would like to know a guestimate for the 5200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Rogue Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 A lot of the figures stated are all over the place. I agree the Colecovision should be lower - a couple other sites put it at more like 3 million tops. Also, I found a few more references to 02 more like in the 1 million range (U.S. only). I really would like to know a guestimate for the 5200? I stated it. Over a million by the time manufacturing stopped, as reported in news articles at the time. Figure at most another million at most over the next several years that the Tramiels continued to sell the remaining inventory and release new games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 Thanks for the figures. Only 2 million tops then for the 5200? That seems low. That's lower than the Odyssey2 and I have seen a lot more 5200s while thrifting than Odyssey2s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmel_andrews Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Perhaps you could add the Atari 400 as Atari did market the 400 as a 'games machine' rather than a computer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.