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Meet the man who started the game console revolution

Meet the man who started the game console revolution

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Ralph H. Baer
Ralph H. Baer

When looking back at gaming's shift from the arcade to the living room the venerable Atari 2600 stands out as a major milestone, but it was beat to market five years earlier by the first home game console: the Magnavox Odyssey. Ars Technica takes a look at the man beyond the innovative device, inventor Ralph H. Baer. Having first come up with the idea of television gaming back in 1955, Baer held on to the dream over the ensuing years, eventually getting funding for the project and finding a company to partner with in Magnavox. While the console was eventually overshadowed by competitors, Baer continued to leave his stamp on electronics and pop culture, working on projects like the Simon electronic game and the ColecoVision. If you're interested in gaming or the history of consumer electronics, you'll definitely want to check it out.