[game_preservation] Release date of the Odyssey?

[Henry Lowood]

Sure, Frank, but it's going to cost you ... :)

Hits below for a search on "magnavox odyssey" and 1972 in the Chicago 
Tribune.  Pretty much just a brute force search.  (BTW, I assume the 
duplicates are different eds. of the daily paper - see pagination)

Henry

* 1
PreviewGame Simulator Using TV Set Being Marketed by Magnavox: What's 
New for You
Douglas, Anne. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 01 
July 1972: w_b16.
o Citation/Abstract
o Full text - PDF (204 KB)?
o
* 2
PreviewCame Simulator Using TV Set Being Marketed by Magnavox: What's 
New for You
Douglas, Anne. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 01 
July 1972: s_b8.
o Citation/Abstract
o Full text - PDF (102 KB)?
o
* 3
PreviewGame Simulator Using TV Marketed by Magnavox
Douglas, Anne. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 01 
July 1972: n_b14.
o Citation/Abstract
o Full text - PDF (259 KB)?
o
* 4
PreviewBusiness Ticker
Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 11 May 1972: c7.
... MAGNAVOX CO. HAS introduced several innovations in its new consumer
...color television operation; "Odyssey," a new electronic television
o Citation/Abstract
o Full text - PDF (30 KB)?
o
* 5
PreviewDisplay Ad 30 -- No Title
Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 07 Nov 1972: b14.
o Citation
o Full text - PDF
o
* 6
PreviewMarketing: He's Got a Big 'Crush' on Hires
Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 15 Nov 1972: c10.
o Citation/Abstract
o Full text - PDF (103 KB)?
o
* 7
PreviewThe Game Room: Last-minute gift suggestion: $99.95
Verhulst, Roger. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 22 
Dec 1972: a1.


On 8/9/2012 10:47 AM, Frank Cifaldi wrote:

> We're not all librarians! :)

>

> Henry, can you check to see if there is a Magnavox ad that mentions the

> Odyssey dated earlier than August 30?

>

> On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 10:14 AM, Henry Lowood <lowood at stanford.edu> wrote:

>

>>   Frank,

>> Correction: Article is available *on-line* (for pay) at

>> newspaperarchive.com.  :)   It's available at various places on microform

>> and paper.

>> I checked the Chicago Tribune database, and they have a 1 July 1972

>> article on the Odyssey. I have attached it.  This article is saying

>> "expected" release in "late August" in Chicago and 18 other market areas.

>> Henry

>>

>>

>> On 8/9/2012 9:59 AM, Frank Cifaldi wrote:

>>

>> BREAKING NEWS!

>>

>> Via the July 27, 1972 edition of The Daily Herald (Chicago):

>>

>> "Available to Magnavox dealers in August, Odyssey's initial price tag of

>> just under $100 will include 12 different games."

>>

>> This was in a report about Magnavox's annual zone meeting for its dealers.

>> There you go!

>>

>> Article is available (for pay) at newspaperarchive.com.

>>

>> On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 9:37 AM, Philippe Dubois, association MO5.COM,

>> Président <samurai at mo5.com> <samurai at mo5.com> wrote:

>>

>>

>>   **

>>

>> Thanks everyone for your answer.

>>

>> The biography of M.Baer just came out in France this month through the

>> edition "Pix'n Love", i'm sure it will be delightful to read it in details

>> ;)

>>

>>

>> Best regards,

>>

>> -----------

>>

>> Cordialement,

>>

>> Philippe Dubois, Association MO5.COM, Président

>>

>> --

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> On Aug 9, 2012 11:25 AM, "Philippe Dubois, association MO5.COM,

>> Président" <samurai at mo5.com> <samurai at mo5.com> wrote:

>>

>>

>>     Hi everyone !

>>

>>        How can it be possible for M.Baer, with all the respect i have for him,

>>

>>   not to know the exact date the Odyssey was publicly launch and available in

>> stores ?

>>

>> Because he had nothing to do with that. Remember, he was with Sanders.

>>

>> The Odyssey's launch, distribution, etc. was a Magnavox issue.

>>

>> What about the date when M.Baer showed up the tennis game to M.Bushnell so

>> he went into the idea of cloning this as "Pong" ?

>>

>>

>>      He didn't show anything, Magnavox did.

>>

>>

>>

>>     Best regards,

>>

>>      -----------

>>

>>      Cordialement,

>>

>>      Philippe Dubois, Association MO5.COM, Président

>>

>>      --

>>

>>          Maybe we just have different philosophies but I'm going to have to

>>

>>   strongly disagree here. The only thing we know as solid fact right now is

>> that sometime between May 3 and August 30, the Odyssey was in at least one

>> store. Saying "by August" is safe, I agree, but I fail to see how saying

>> the first sale was in August is any safer than saying the first sale was in

>> July. We just don't know.

>>

>>

>>         On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 9:02 AM, Bill Loguidice <bill at armchairarcade.com> <bill at armchairarcade.com>

>>

>>   wrote:

>>

>>

>>       August is safest at the moment because the ad is thus far our earliest

>>

>>   proof of a unit physically being in a store. Again, it doesn't mean it was

>> for sale - it could have been a demo unit - but even if it wasn't

>> necessarily in stock, it was likely available for order. If we have some

>> type of earlier proof a unit was in a store, we can revise the estimate.

>> That's why I personally think August is "safe" and the best available time

>> period. If someone can dig up earlier availability at a Magnavox dealer,

>> all the better...

>>

>>

>>       ===================================================

>>

>>      Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc.

>>

>>      ===================================================

>>

>>      Authored Books and Film; About me and other ways to get in touch

>>

>>      ===================================================

>>

>>            On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 11:36 AM, Frank Cifaldi <fcifaldi at gmail.com> <fcifaldi at gmail.com>

>>

>>   wrote:

>>

>>

>>       Why is August the safest estimate? And do we want a "safe estimate" or

>>

>>   do we want an exact range?

>>

>>

>>         On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 8:30 AM, Bill Loguidice <bill at armchairarcade.com> <bill at armchairarcade.com>

>>

>>   wrote:

>>

>>

>>       I think right now August is still our safest estimate, though you're

>>

>>   right, it could certainly have been released sooner. Even the ad - which at

>> least proves the system was at dealers by August - doesn't necessarily mean

>> it was for SALE in August (it's a relatively modest "come see" - you would

>> think they would advertise something so "cool" with the TVs and indicate

>> its actual availability).

>>

>>

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>>

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>>

>> --

>> Henry Lowood

>> Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;

>>    Film & Media Collections

>> HSSG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall

>> Stanford University Libraries, Stanford CA 94305-6004650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu; http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood

>>

>>


-- 
Henry Lowood
Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;
   Film & Media Collections
HSSG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall
Stanford University Libraries, Stanford CA 94305-6004
650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu; http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood