A Brief History of Home Video Games

Second Generation Terminology

(It is assumed that the reader has a basic knowledge of Computer Terminology.)

Cartridge : A box (typically plastic) which contains video game data that can be plugged into a video game system. In the Second Generation, and every generation thereafter, we find that cartridges only contain ROM data. The jumper switches used in the First Generation were no longer adequate to keep track of game data.

Controller : Anything that is used to interface with a video game system. During the Second Generation, consumers were introduced to the joystick which would remain the primary controller through the Third Generation.

Home Video Game System: This term is used to designate systems that are specifically designed for video game use. In other words, when a home video game system is mentionned it can be assumed that it is not in reference to a personal computer. Although there have been many attempts to convert a video game system to a personal computer (mostly in the second generation) a video game system is still a system used primarily for games.

Joystick: Introduced by Atari as the pack-in controller for the VCS/2600, the joystick would become the controller of choice for two generations. However, its influence can still be felt today (Sixth Generation) through the continued use of the joypad first introduced in the Fourth Generation.

Player/Missle: Graphical items, usually 8 pixels wide by 2 to 256 pixels tall as players and 2 by 2 to 256 as missles. In the later generations, such items were renamed "sprites." The key difference between sprites and Player/Missles is that Player/Missles could only contain one color while sprites could contain mutiple. Missles were only used in the Second and Third Generations.

Switchbox : During all generations of home video games, the Switchbox has been the box that links the system to a television. It is not to be confused with any kind of main power switch (except with certain systems such as the RCA Studio II.)