Geek Trivia

What Was The First Video Game Console Called?

Brown Box
What Is Known Informally As "Our Solar System's Vacuum Cleaner"?

Answer: Brown Box

The world’s first video game console system had an entirely uninspiring name–designers simply referred to it as the “Brown Box”. The Brown Box was developed in 1967 by German engineer Ralph Baer and included control paddles and a light gun.

Baer and associates pitched the system to various electronics companies, eventually securing a contract with Magnavox. The Brown Box would undergo various revisions and improvements before release to the public as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972.

Despite the public’s interest in video game systems the Odyssey was a poor seller, due in large part to the widespread misconception that it required a Magnavox-brand television to work.