TV Games

A handheld TV game or just TV game or a plug and play game is an interactive entertainment device designed for use on a television set that integrates the video game console with the game controller.

The term "TV game" can be used to refer to any number of self-contained, portable game systems operating on either batteries or an electronic power supply which plugs directly into a TV or VCR. The game software is built directly into the unit, which is typically designed to look like a toy or classic game console/controller with the addition of two AV ports. These systems usually contain either highly specialized games or activities, or a collection of classic games. Thus, it could be viewed as a video game console without interchangeable game software. As the game software is integrated into the game unit and almost never designed to be changed by the user, these game systems are typically sold by retailers as electronic toys or collectibles rather than game consoles. Most units sell for prices typically under $50 US.

Although several manufacturers produced these devices before 2002, such systems became better known following the release of Jakks Pacific's Atari Classic 10-in-1 TV game. Most manufacturers have their own trademarked names for these systems, such as Radica's "Play TV" or Majesco's "TV Arcade"; however, most retailers refer to all of them as TV games or Plug & Play games.

Originally all home video game consoles were called TV games. The idea to introduce TV games into the home market originated in 1949 with Leo Beiser and Ralph Baer while developing a new television system. Although the system never went into production, the idea of playing games on televisions stuck with Baer.

Baer and a technical team developed one of the first TV Game System while at Sanders Associates, between 1966 and 1967, the prototype was called "Brown Box". In 1968 Sanders, a military-hardware firm, made proposed deals with cable company TelePrompTer to include the TV game system with cable boxes. The cable company would provide a live video feed to be used as the background while the games played in the foreground. Because of the depressed business conditions of the late 1960s and 1970s, these deals fell through.

In 1968–1969 several television manufactures were shown the prototype. RCA was the only manufacture to begin to negotiate a license in 1969, however negotiations broke down. Bill Enders left RCA and become vice president of Magnavox. Bill Enders was part of the RCA team that was negotiating for the Brown Box prototype and was impressed with the technology. In 1972 Magnavox had introduced the Magnavox Odyssey game system, which had had removable game cartridges. The Odyssey game system sales were lower than expected, however, and it was discontinued shortly after it was launched.

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