Others like poker chips, die, and money could be reused in multiple games. Some of these materials were tied to specific games, like trivia cards for a trivia game or a scoreboard, a deck of cards, and a football field for a complicated game of football. The Odyssey also came with components that were more akin to what you would find in physical board games: cards, poker chips, paper currency, and a die, among others. The different components that came with the Magnavox Odyssey. While this most likely did not have an impact on the user’s experience, the controller might have been a bit more complicated than expected for the 1970s. The size of the controller has generally also grown in pace with the complexity of the games, which demands more input options and more precise controls. And the Odyssey was hardly the last controller to be criticized for its bulk the first-generation Xbox controller was often dinged for being too big for players’ hands. Using two different dials to control motion on the screen may sound cumbersome, but most contemporary controllers boast two analog sticks, the combination of which give players precise control over what is happening on the screen. Even so, some aspects of the Odyssey’s design proved enduring. No one would confuse the Odyssey's controller with those of modern gaming systems. The depressible button was used as a reset, sending the dot back onto the television screen. It was used in some programs to control the movement of the smaller dot, which might represent a ball, puck, or even a torpedo. The smaller dial was called the English dial (a reference to the term used in billiards for side spins). The two large dials controlled your box-similar to an Etch-A-Sketch, one moved horizontal and one vertically. (This might explain the rubber stoppers on the bottom, which would have made it possible to set the controller down on a table without it slipping). The controller was tall and wide, making it a bit bulky to hold. Instead of a joystick, the Odyssey’s controller had three dials-including a small dial stacked on a larger dial-and just one button on the top of the controller. It was notably different from what Atari and arcade games would adopt: joysticks and one or a few buttons. The Magnavox Odyssey’s controller had some complexity and perhaps not enough comfort. A controller needs to balance complexity with comfort and be flexible and versatile for a wide range of games. (2006.0102.08)Ĭontrollers are a significant part of the video game experience. Now tools for professional game development are widely available, and some students learn coding by using the same tools as the professionals.Ī top-down view of the Magnavox Odyssey Controller. Years after the Odyssey, video games began offering different tools for players to use, letting them create their own levels in the game ( Lode Runner, Pinball Construction Set), swap out game artwork with their own artwork ( Doom), or even make their own games without knowing code ( ZZT). In other words, the Odyssey could be seen as the forerunner of video game engines that give users the tools they need to build their own games. What this meant in practice was that nothing stopped inventive players from altering the rules laid out in the instructions or even mixing and matching the Odyssey’s components to create their own, bespoke games. In it, you'd learn that the console's carts weren't standalone "games" (as we now understand them) but a set of mechanics that could be used in any of the system's designed games. To figure out what was happening, you would need to consult the Odyssey's manual. You’d be surprised to find that when you stuck one of the carts into the console, the system turned on immediately but all you could see were some white boxes on a black screen: no text, no instructions, no background graphics. If you were familiar with video games, you would naturally assume the carts were the games. If you were transported back to 1972 and unboxed an Odyssey, you would find a console, six carts (as they called the cartridges back then), two controllers, a large instruction manual, a set of plastic overlays for the television screen, and other supporting materials. The Magnavox Odyssey with its cover box, controllers, and carts.
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