Who Smarted?

Episode Summary: What Was the First Video Game Console?

Published December 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and humor-filled episode, the trusty narrator guides "smarty pants" listeners through the fun and fascinating history of video game consoles. Geared for curious kids and families, the episode explores the evolution of gaming from early arcades to today's cutting-edge systems, highlighting pivotal inventions, technology battles, and memorable flops. Along the way, listeners test their knowledge with interactive questions, learn cool facts, and encounter playful moments from sound effects to dramatic scene-setting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Struggle to Play: Arcades Before Consoles

• Listeners are prompted to imagine a time before home gaming—when playing a video game meant braving “pouring rain,” “cold,” and trudging to the local arcade, pockets heavy with quarters.

  • [02:09] A: “Imagine if you had to leave your home in the pouring rain and trudge uphill in the cold just to play your favorite video game... with tons of quarters... and then a car drives through a puddle and splashes dirty street water all over you. Sounds terrible, right?”

• The answer to where video games were played before home consoles:

  • Arcade
  • “Back in the day, you had to go to an arcade to find video games, and each game would cost you at least one quarter.” [03:03]

2. Rise of Home Video Game Consoles: The Birth of In-Home Gaming

• Video games gained massive popularity, with over 3.3 billion players worldwide today.

  • [04:15] A: “The answer is B, at least 3.3 billion. And that number is growing!”

• Home video games started in the 1970s, not the 80s or 90s.

  • Comparison: early games were basic, “just some blips, some dots, and some lines.”

• The world’s first commercial home console:

  • Magnavox Odyssey (1972), based on Ralph Baer’s “Brown Box.” Simple controllers, no music or color.
  • [05:45] A: “Ralph Baer and his team... developed the first console to play multiple games with multiple players... It was first sold commercially in 1972 as the Magnavox Odyssey.”
  • The Odyssey flopped but inspired later icons.

3. The Pong Phenomenon and Atari’s Golden Era

• Atari founders, inspired by the Odyssey, created Pong (1972), a huge arcade and, later, home hit.

  • [07:30] B: “It’s Pong.”
  • Atari’s 2600 brought joystick controls, color, and hits like Space Invaders, Pitfall, Asteroids.

• Home console games were less powerful than arcade cabinets, leading to simpler gameplay.

4. Trouble in Paradise: The Video Game Crash of 1983

• Oversaturation: “Atari also let numerous companies develop games ... and soon there were too many. Some games became classics, but a lot were bad...”
• Notable flop: E.T. for Atari—often called the worst video game ever.
  • [08:00] A: “It was just terrible. It's so bad. It's often called the worst game ever created. And it helped doom Atari.”
• By 1983: Video game crash—gamers shifted to home computers (Commodore 64; Apple).

5. Nintendo Saves the Day: The Console Renaissance

• 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revitalized home gaming, with better graphics, storytelling, and “catchy music.”

  • [09:14] A: “That's right, the Nintendo Entertainment System brought gaming back in a big way... The NES ruled the late 80s with its catchy music, storytelling adventures, and improved graphics.”

• NES classic games: Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Tetris.

• Game Boy (1989): first wildly popular handheld console.

  • [10:04] B: “Woohoo. I can play video games outside now. Check it out. I'm gaming and touching grass.”

6. The First Console Wars: Sega vs. Nintendo

• Sega Genesis (1991) introduced Sonic the Hedgehog and the era’s first major console rivalry.

  • [10:11] A: “Do you know the name of this character?... If you said Sonic, you’re right. The popularity of Sonic and the Sega Genesis led to the first console war.”

• “Bits” explained: increased processing power meant better graphics and gameplay. The jump from 8 to 16 to 64 bits marked big leaps in technology.

  • [11:09] A: “Bits referred to... the processing or thinking power... The 16 bit systems had a lot more processing power than the 8 bit NES.”

7. New Millennium: PlayStation, Xbox, Wii, and the Modern Era

• Sony PlayStation (originally a Nintendo partnership) emerged as a new gaming leader with advanced 3D technology and iconic titles (Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid).

  • [13:17] A: “...a gaming console that took advantage of new 3D technology, allowing you to explore a game in any direction... The answer, of course, is Sony's PlayStation.”

• PlayStation 2: Best-selling console ever by 2000.

• Xbox (Microsoft) entered the competition, further diversifying choices.

• Nintendo innovated again with the Wii—movement-based gameplay.

  • [14:02] B: “Whoa, look, I'm making it move by moving my arms.”

• Nintendo Switch combined portability, motion controls, and innovation.

• The present and future: Online and mobile gaming, VR technology.

  • [14:44] A: “The future of gaming seems to be moving toward virtual reality...but with so many online games available on your smartphone...the future of gaming might already be in your hands.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the excitement of early consoles:

  • “Whoa. This is so cool.” [05:42 B]

• On Atari’s downfall:

  • “Sit down Atari. I don't care about you anymore.” [11:05 B]

• On Game Boy’s portability:

  • “Woohoo. I can play video games outside now. Check it out. I'm gaming and touching grass.” [10:04 B]

• On bits and progress:

  • “Bits referred to the processing or thinking power. The 16 bit systems...had a lot more processing power...” [11:09 A]

• On the legacy of consoles:

  • “The blips of Pong were a distant memory, as were Atari and Sega. However, a new player emerged, threatening to sink Nintendo.” [13:16 A]

Key Timeline & Timestamps

• [02:09] – The hardship of going to arcades
• [03:03] – Arcades defined and interactive question
• [04:15] – Global video gamer count and the arcade-to-home transition
• [05:45] – The first commercial console: Magnavox Odyssey
• [07:30] – The rise of Pong and Atari
• [08:00] – The E.T. disaster and 1983 video game crash
• [09:14] – Nintendo NES revives console gaming
• [10:04] – Game Boy and portable gaming
• [10:44] – Sega Genesis, Sonic, and console wars
• [11:09] – Exploring “bits” and processing power
• [13:17] – PlayStation’s rise and 3D revolution
• [14:02] – Nintendo Wii’s motion innovation
• [14:44] – Discussion on VR and the future of gaming

Conclusion

This episode offers a whirlwind, laugh-out-loud retrospective of video game console history, loaded with trivia, sound effects, and smart commentary. From the Magnavox Odyssey to the Nintendo Switch—and onward toward virtual reality—kids (and kids-at-heart) get a thorough, memorable overview of how gaming left the arcade, entered the living room, and now fits in everyone’s hand or even on their face!

Listen, learn, and laugh—Who Smarted? makes it all a game!