The Intellivision is a play console, which was published 1980 by Mattel. The development of the console began 1978, less than one year after the publication of the competition product Atari 2600.

History

The Intellivision was developed by the subsection Mattel Electronics, which had been created for the development of electronic plays. 1979 was brought the equipment and four pertinent plays in Fresno on the market, in order to examine its market fitness. 1980 the system finally published at the price of $299 with the play read Vegas Blackjack in the whole USA. Although Mattel not when first competed with Atari (Fairchild Semiconductor, Bally and Magnavox had already play consoles brought on the market), was the Intellivision the first serious threat for Ataris supremacy on the video game market. In a set of advertising spots with George Plimpton represented to Mattel merciless the technical inferiority of the Atari 2600 opposite the Intellivision.

In the first year Mattel sold 175.000 Intellivision consoles, and extended the play selection to 19 titles. At this time all plays were developed by an external company. In order to increase with own software the profit, Mattel created an internal play development department. In order to prevent that competitor Atari the programmers became abwarb, their identity and work place of residence top secret held. In the public these programmers were usually called Blue Sky Ranger.

the sales of the console a new highest level reached 1982. Over two million Intellivision consoles to year end and brought in Mattel were sold a profit of approximately $100.000.000. Ataris Third party developers Activision, Coleco and Imagic began with the publication of plays for the Intellivision. Over 1 million copies were sold by the most popular titles in each case. As reaction to success Mattel presented a new peripheral device, the Intellivoice. In connection with intended plays this equipment served for the expenditure of language.

With the announcement of a computer keyboard Mattel provided for attention. This computer Upgrade proved as expensive and complex in the production, and finally Mattel was occupied by the Federal trade Commission (FTC) with a punishment by $10,000, which became daily due, until Mattel published the promised Upgrade. Finally the keyboard was available over a written order. 4000 units were sold, of which many were returned, when Mattel recalled them 1983. The reason for it was that the developers had developed a more efficient manufacturing method. A new computer Upgrade, the Entertainment computer system (ECS), was clearly smaller and easier to produce than the original keyboard. The two devices were incompatible, but owners of the old version knew its keyboard against the new model exchanges.

At the same time to the ECS 1983 the Intellivision II with removable Gamepads and new Design were published, in addition the systems Changer for playing Atari 2600-Spielen with the Intellivision and a key board extension for the ECS. However also new problems came to Mattel with the publication of these devices: With new play consoles (ColecoVision [1982], Atari 5200 [1983], Vectrex [1983]) competition manufacturers market share won, and the video game Crash of 1983 made for the entire industry to create. In August the production of Mattel was strongly throttled and the price of the Intellivision II was lowered of $150 to $69. Mattel Electronics registered a loss of 300 million dollar. Beginning of next yearly was closed the department as one of the first large victims of the Crashs.

A group of employees bought up the rights at console and software as well as the remaining stocks and sold these in the indication of the new company INTV Corp. over the Versandhandel. After all Intellivision of ii-copies was sold off, one published a new console, the INTV III. thereby concerned it a variant of the Intellivision in new Design, which was renamed later in super pro system. Additionally to the production of new consoles the INTV Corp developed. also new plays. Finally however the sales erstarben, and INTV was dissolved 1991.

Statistics

• The Intellivision was the first 16-Bit-Spielkonsole, although it was called often erroneously 10-bit system.
• The Intellivision was the first system with broadband support. 1981 published general instrument as well as Mattel the Play Cable, with which plays will receive over a cable connection could.
• More than 3 million Intellivision consoles were set off during its twelve-year-old boy of sale.
• Altogether 125 plays for the Intellivision appeared.

Technical data

• General instrument CP1610 16-Bit-Mikroprozessor CCU with 894.886 kHz
• 371 byte RAM
• 160 196 pixels
• 16 (simultaneously representable) colors (FarbChip AY-3-8915)
• 8 Sprites
• Three-channel clay/tone (sound chip: GI AY-3-8914)

CONTROLLER information

• Gamepad with 12 keys
• 4 lateral "“Action Buttons"”
• "“Directional disk"” to input of 16 directions

Related links

• Intellivision Retrogaming side, operated from the Blue Sky Ranger

Articles in category "Intellivision"

We found here 2 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 4 related websites.

• Intellivision - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The Intellivision was developed by Mattel Electronics, a subsidiary of Mattel formed ... In that first year Mattel sold 175000 Intellivision consoles, ...


• Intellivision Direct to TV
  Mattel Electronics Intellivsion videogame system history & emulator.


• Intellivision Downloads
  Mattel Electronics Intellivsion videogame system history & emulator.


• Official Intellivision Classic Videogame Website
  Mattel Electronics Intellivsion videogame system emulator.