[game_preservation] Release date of the Odyssey?

Henry Lowood lowood at stanford.edu
Thu Aug 9 14:22:38 EDT 2012

It's interesting that the Journal and Times must have had the same
release (11 May), but the Journal called it an "all-electronic game"
while the Times called it a "TV game simulator." As somebody in social
construction of technology might say, the artifact had not yet
stabilized. Obvious in a way, but it's always nice to see evidence of
these things.
Henry

On 8/9/2012 11:14 AM, Brian Taylor wrote:

> Gonna jump in, because it's a slow afternoon at the office.

>

> Found stuff in:

>

> Wall Street Journal, "All-Electronic Game Hooked to TV Set Slated by

> Magnavox", May 11, 1972.

>

> Washington Post, "Games for TV -- a New Concept", June 25, 1972 & an

> ad from September 19, 1972 - half the page or so dedicated to the

> Odyssey ("$99.95, pay $10 monthly").

>

> LA Times - a half-page ad for Ken Crane's Magnavox City ("The Largest

> Display of Magnavox in the West") that is mostly TV and audio

> equipment, but there's a small box that says "See the Odyssey game at

> our booth - LA County Fair."

>

> Oh, by the way, hi.

>

> --b

>

>

>

> Brian Taylor

> btphotographer.com

> twitter.com/brianmtaylor

>

>

>

> On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 2:04 PM, Henry Lowood <lowood at stanford.edu> wrote:

>> Frank,

>> Also checked NY Times. The Magnavox announcement, "Magnavox Unveils TV Game

>> Simulator" is dated 11 may 1972.

>> "Simulator?" That's interesting.

>> The earliest display ad is in November - Christmas ad, I guess.

>> Interestingly, I also noticed a hit for the want ads in 1974 -- no way I was

>> searching through the NY Times want ads, but that was probably a used one up

>> for sale.

>> Henry

>>

>>

>> On 8/9/2012 10:51 AM, Frank Cifaldi wrote:

>>> Correction: I've got one from August 28 now, can you go earlier than that?

>>>

>>> On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 10:47 AM, Frank Cifaldi <fcifaldi at gmail.com> 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).

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>>>

>>>>> game_preservation mailing list

>>>>>

>>>>> game_preservation at igda.org

>>>>>

>>>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>>>

>>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>>>

>>>>> game_preservation mailing list

>>>>>

>>>>> game_preservation at igda.org

>>>>>

>>>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>>>

>>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>>> game_preservation mailing

>>>>> listgame_preservation at igda.orghttp://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>>> game_preservation mailing

>>>>> listgame_preservation at igda.orghttp://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> --

>>>>> 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

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> game_preservation mailing list

>> game_preservation at igda.org

>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation


--
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

More information about the game_preservation mailing list