2. Mattel Intellivision Released in 1980After successful test marketing in 1979, Mattel Electronics released its Intellivision system nationwide in late 1980. Armed with twelve games, better graphics and sound than its competitors, and the promise to release a compatible keyboard that would turn the system into a home computer ("Play games and balance your checkbook!"), Mattel set its sights on taking down the "invincible" Atari 2600. They got off to a good start, selling out the first production run of 200,000 Intellivision units quickly.
3. Vectrex Released in 1982The Vectrex is an 8-bit video game console developed by General Consumer Electric (GCE) and later bought by Milton Bradley Company. The Vectrex is unique in that it utilized vector graphics drawn on a monitor that was integrated in the console; no other console before or after the Vectrex had a comparable configuration, and no other non-portable game console had a monitor of its own (integrated). It was released in November 1982 at a retail price of $199. As the video game market declined and then crashed, the Vectrex exited the market in early 1984
4. Atari 5200 The Atari 5200 is a video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari. It was created to compete with the Mattel Intellivision, but it also competed with the Colecovision shortly after the 5200's release. In some ways, it was both technologically superior and more cost efficient than any console available at that time.
5. Emerson Arcadia 2001 Released 1982 In 1982, the computer electronics company, Emerson, jumped into the gaming world. They released the Arcadia 2001, a small cartridge-based system.The Arcadia 2001 controllers are similar in design to the Intellivison or Colecovision, with a numeric keypad, a joystick, and two side buttons
6. Colecovision Released in 1982The Colecovision is Coleco's third generation video game console, released in August 1982. It offered arcade-like graphics and controllers, and an initial catalog of 12 titles, with 10 more promised titles on the way
7. Coleco Gemini In 1982, Coleco released Expansion Module #1 for its Colecovision video game system using off-the-shelf components. Atari sued Coleco for patent infringement, however a court ruled that since Coleco used off-the-shelf components and not the same components found inside an Atari 2600, the Expansion Module #1 did not infringe on Atari's patents for the 2600. With this ruling, Coleco decided to make a stand-alone Atari 2600 clone and named it the Gemini.
8. Mattel Intellivision II Released in 1982Shortly after the Intellivision I released nationwide in the United States, Mattel followed up with the new updated Intellivision II unit in 1982. The product retailed for $99.99 USD and showed a few marked improvements. In order to cut costs Mattel featured 16 position removable joysticks on their 'new' system.
9. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Released in 1985Following a series of arcade game successes in the early 1980s, Nintendo made plans to produce its own console hardware that had removable cartridges, a feature not included with the company's earlier Color TV Games product.
10. Atari 2600 Junior Released in 1986In 1986 the Atari 2600 was re-released as the 2600 Junior. They retailed for $49.99 and came with a controller, RF switch and power cord but were absent of a pack in cartridge. They were made to match the 5200 and 7800 of the same time and some of the Juniors actually sported a JR stamp on them.
11. Atari 7800 Released in 1986The Atari 7800 was Atari's chance at redemption in the video game market. Atari Inc. spent a good part of 1983 interviewing thousands of people on what they wanted and didn't want in a video game console. Atari Inc. through Warner Communications, then worked with General Computer Corporation who earlier had lost a lawsuit with Atari regarding a "Speed-up" board for Atari's Missile Command.
12. Sega Master System (SMS) Released in 1986After producing many games for early home video game consoles, Sega decided to develop a console system of its own
13. NEC Turbo Grafx 16 Released in 1989In Japan, shortly after the introduction of Nintendo's Famicom (Japan's version of the NES), the electronics giant NEC entered into the video game market with the introduction of their "next generation" system, known as the PC Engine (PCE). The PCE boasted a 16-bit graphics chip capable of displaying up to 256 colors on screen at once, at a number of resolutions.
14. Sega Genesis Released in 1989It was 1989. Nintendo's NES had reigned supreme in the video game market for nearly five years, and it was time for a new system to take over the throne.
15. 2009-Present Day Microsoft's Halo: Reach pulled in approximately $200 million in first-day sales when it was first released in the US and Europe in September this year. It didn't beat GTA IV's impressive first-day earnings of $310 million in 2008 but it beat previous games in the franchise. making it the fastest-selling game Microsoft has ever released. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a first-person shooter game published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, made $310 million from 4.7 million sales in North America and UK on it's first day when it was released in November of 2009. Activision turned over $1 million of its profits to establish a Call of Duty endowment fund to help real-life soldiers returning from war pursue careers in the private sector.
16. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a first-person shooter game published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, made $310 million from 4.7 million sales in North America and UK on it's first day when it was released in November of 2009. Activision turned over $1 million of its profits to establish a Call of Duty endowment fund to help real-life soldiers returning from war pursue careers in the private sector.
17. Call of Duty: Black Ops, The seventh installment in the hugely popular first-person shooter Call Of Duty series broke record first-day sales when it first released on November 9, 2010. Black Ops made approximately $360 million, selling 5.6 million units in North America and the UK in 24 hours. This broke previous first-day sales by a $50 million margin and more money in one day than any movie ever has. Activision is reportedly going to use $1 million from Black Ops sales to help veterans find jobs
