Handheld TV game
Encyclopedia
A TV game is an interactive entertainment device designed for use on a television set
that does not require the use of an actual video game console
for operation. In the early days of cartridge consoles, they too were sometimes called "TV games", interchangeably with "video games".
or an electronic power supply which plugs directly into a TV or VCR. The game software is built directly into the unit, which is typically designed to look like a toy or classic game console/controller with the addition of two AV ports. These systems usually contain either highly-specialized games or activities, or a collection of classic games. Thus, it could be viewed as a video game console without interchangeable game software. As the game software is integrated into the game unit and almost never designed to be changed by the user, these game systems are typically sold by retailers as electronic toys or collectibles rather than game consoles. Most units sell for prices typically under $50 US.
Although several manufacturers produced these devices before 2002, such systems became better known following the release of Jakks Pacific
's Atari Classic 10-in-1 TV game. Most manufacturers have their own trademarked names for these systems, such as Radica's "Play TV" or Majesco's "TV Arcade"; however, most retailers refer to all of them as TV games or Plug & Play games.
Baer and a technical team developed one of the first TV Game System while at Sanders Associates, between 1966 and 1967, the prototype was called "Brown Box". In 1968 Sanders, a military-hardware firm, made proposed deals with cable company TelePrompTer to include the TV game system with cable boxes. The cable company would provide a live video feed to be used as the background while the games played in the foreground. because of the depressed business conditions of the late 1960s and 1970s, these deals fell through.
In 1968–1969 several television manufactures were shown the prototype. RCA was the only manufacture to begin to negotiate a license in 1969, however negotiations broke down. Bill Enders left RCA and become vice president of Magnavox. Bill Enders was part of the RCA team that was negotiating for the Brown Box prototype and was impressed with the technology. In 1972 Magnavox had introduced the Magnavox Odyssey game system, which had had removable game cartridges. The Odyssey game system sales were lower than expected, however, and it was discontinued shortly after it was launched.
The early video-game consoles developed in the late 1970s, such as the Atari-Sears PONG and Coleco Telestar, ran on double-D batteries, with the controllers built in. These consoles were fairly portable because of the built-in controllers (typically knobs) and built-in software (typically some variant of PONG), and because they ran on either double-D batteries or a DC plug-in adapter.
Later systems didn't build in the game software, used separately plugged in controllers, didn't take batteries, and typically required a special splitter box. These systems also tended to be called video-game consoles.
In the late 1980s many toy manufactures attempted to make toys that interacted with live television feeds, thus allowing children to play the television. An example of this is the 1987 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
show, in which the toys reacted to the television show.
Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the development of the "Computer on a Chip" (MRU) and advances in this technology allowed for more and more complex systems. Through the 1990s several manufactures created basic computing technologies. Brother international in particular created personal computing devices by attaching a 14" monitor to a standard or ink-jet typewriter. These devices, by the time they were discontinued in 1999, mostly retailed for less than $100. Although they attached to a 14" monitor, the technology at the time could have allowed for them to be attached to a TV without substantial increases in cost.
Although the original deals to deliver video games to the television through cable had failed in the 1960s and 1970s, since the mid 1990s many deals to deliver games through satellite and cable television have been made. In 2005 two notable cable/satellite channels are PlayJam
and Playin' TV
. These services use the television's remote control as the controller. Hotel
s around the U.S.
have interactive TVs with a controller attached to them. Most commonly SNES
or N64
emulation; sends a signal through the cable to add to the hotel bill.
From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s three things happened: first, the retro game movement started to gain momentum, secondly, the price of systems on a chip fell dramatically, and thirdly, car television sets became popular. Several unlicensed family game
s, such as the TV Boy
, were produced. These factors led to manufacturers officially licensing classic games. The first TV games included collections of classic games; one of the earliest was the Toymax Activision 10-in-1, released in 2001. Although the first TV games contained collections of classic games many manufacturers started incorporating original content and controls into the device. Criticism that video games were contributing to obesity in children led to the development of TV games such as the "Play TV
" series, including Play TV Baseball, Play TV Football, Play TV Barbie Dance Craze, and others in 2003. Nickelodeon also contracted with Jakks Pacific to create original-content games for the SpongeBob and Blue's Clues titles. in 2004 Tiger also started creating paintball and a Lord of the Rings sword-fighting game, using a toy sword as the controller. In 2004 Radica started producing collections of Sega Games. The C64 Direct-to-TV
was also released in 2004 by Toy:Lobster and Mammoth Toys and had a copy of the C64 operating system and a virtual keyboard
as a hidden extra. In 2005 Jakks Pacific produced original game content for the new Star Wars and Fantastic Four films, while Tiger produced a Jedi light-saber sword-fight game using a light saber as the controller. In 2005 Milton Bradley started producing TV game versions of Whack-a-Mole and Miniature Golf. Radica's titles include Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
, Columns
, and Gain Ground
, among others.
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
that does not require the use of an actual video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
for operation. In the early days of cartridge consoles, they too were sometimes called "TV games", interchangeably with "video games".
Overview
The term "TV game" can be used to refer to any number of self-contained, portable game systems operating on either batteriesBattery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
or an electronic power supply which plugs directly into a TV or VCR. The game software is built directly into the unit, which is typically designed to look like a toy or classic game console/controller with the addition of two AV ports. These systems usually contain either highly-specialized games or activities, or a collection of classic games. Thus, it could be viewed as a video game console without interchangeable game software. As the game software is integrated into the game unit and almost never designed to be changed by the user, these game systems are typically sold by retailers as electronic toys or collectibles rather than game consoles. Most units sell for prices typically under $50 US.
Although several manufacturers produced these devices before 2002, such systems became better known following the release of Jakks Pacific
Jakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
's Atari Classic 10-in-1 TV game. Most manufacturers have their own trademarked names for these systems, such as Radica's "Play TV" or Majesco's "TV Arcade"; however, most retailers refer to all of them as TV games or Plug & Play games.
History
Originally all home video game consoles were called TV games. The idea to introduce TV games into the home market originated in 1949 with Leo Beiser and Ralph Baer while developing a new television system. Although the system never went into production, the idea of playing games on televisions stuck with Baer.Baer and a technical team developed one of the first TV Game System while at Sanders Associates, between 1966 and 1967, the prototype was called "Brown Box". In 1968 Sanders, a military-hardware firm, made proposed deals with cable company TelePrompTer to include the TV game system with cable boxes. The cable company would provide a live video feed to be used as the background while the games played in the foreground. because of the depressed business conditions of the late 1960s and 1970s, these deals fell through.
In 1968–1969 several television manufactures were shown the prototype. RCA was the only manufacture to begin to negotiate a license in 1969, however negotiations broke down. Bill Enders left RCA and become vice president of Magnavox. Bill Enders was part of the RCA team that was negotiating for the Brown Box prototype and was impressed with the technology. In 1972 Magnavox had introduced the Magnavox Odyssey game system, which had had removable game cartridges. The Odyssey game system sales were lower than expected, however, and it was discontinued shortly after it was launched.
The early video-game consoles developed in the late 1970s, such as the Atari-Sears PONG and Coleco Telestar, ran on double-D batteries, with the controllers built in. These consoles were fairly portable because of the built-in controllers (typically knobs) and built-in software (typically some variant of PONG), and because they ran on either double-D batteries or a DC plug-in adapter.
Later systems didn't build in the game software, used separately plugged in controllers, didn't take batteries, and typically required a special splitter box. These systems also tended to be called video-game consoles.
In the late 1980s many toy manufactures attempted to make toys that interacted with live television feeds, thus allowing children to play the television. An example of this is the 1987 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication...
show, in which the toys reacted to the television show.
Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the development of the "Computer on a Chip" (MRU) and advances in this technology allowed for more and more complex systems. Through the 1990s several manufactures created basic computing technologies. Brother international in particular created personal computing devices by attaching a 14" monitor to a standard or ink-jet typewriter. These devices, by the time they were discontinued in 1999, mostly retailed for less than $100. Although they attached to a 14" monitor, the technology at the time could have allowed for them to be attached to a TV without substantial increases in cost.
Although the original deals to deliver video games to the television through cable had failed in the 1960s and 1970s, since the mid 1990s many deals to deliver games through satellite and cable television have been made. In 2005 two notable cable/satellite channels are PlayJam
PlayJam
PlayJam is the world’s largest interactive casual games network, available across digital TV, mobile and online platforms.PlayJam emerged during dawn of the digital TV era as a side project of London-based visual media company Static 2358...
and Playin' TV
Playin' TV
Playin' TV is a North American, European and Latin American interactive television channel, owned by Visiware America.Playin’ TV is known to propose several different games in six categories. The board and card games include Solitaire, Poker, Chess and Backgammon. Action and adventure games include...
. These services use the television's remote control as the controller. Hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s around the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have interactive TVs with a controller attached to them. Most commonly SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
or N64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
emulation; sends a signal through the cable to add to the hotel bill.
From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s three things happened: first, the retro game movement started to gain momentum, secondly, the price of systems on a chip fell dramatically, and thirdly, car television sets became popular. Several unlicensed family game
Family game
A Family Game is a video game console, usually with several games built-in, with the outer shell designed to mimic popular consoles such as the Atari 2600, the Famicom, the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis or the PlayStation....
s, such as the TV Boy
TV Boy
The TV Boy and its successors TV Boy 2 and Super TV Boy are 1990s video game consoles produced by many different companies, including Systema, Akor, and NICS, based upon an unlicensed clone of Atari 2600 hardware. They were widely available across Europe. In the UK they were most visibly available...
, were produced. These factors led to manufacturers officially licensing classic games. The first TV games included collections of classic games; one of the earliest was the Toymax Activision 10-in-1, released in 2001. Although the first TV games contained collections of classic games many manufacturers started incorporating original content and controls into the device. Criticism that video games were contributing to obesity in children led to the development of TV games such as the "Play TV
Play TV (Radica)
Play TV is a series of Interactive Plug-N-Play Game systems by Radica. Play TV is also known as ConnecTV in the United Kingdom.-Play TV series members:* Baseball/Baseball 2/Baseball 3* Football/Football 2...
" series, including Play TV Baseball, Play TV Football, Play TV Barbie Dance Craze, and others in 2003. Nickelodeon also contracted with Jakks Pacific to create original-content games for the SpongeBob and Blue's Clues titles. in 2004 Tiger also started creating paintball and a Lord of the Rings sword-fighting game, using a toy sword as the controller. In 2004 Radica started producing collections of Sega Games. The C64 Direct-to-TV
C64 Direct-to-TV
The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games. The design is similar to the Atari Classics 10-in-1 TV Game...
was also released in 2004 by Toy:Lobster and Mammoth Toys and had a copy of the C64 operating system and a virtual keyboard
Virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows a user to enter characters. A virtual keyboard can usually be operated with multiple input devices, which may include a touchscreen, an actual keyboard and a computer mouse.- Types :...
as a hidden extra. In 2005 Jakks Pacific produced original game content for the new Star Wars and Fantastic Four films, while Tiger produced a Jedi light-saber sword-fight game using a light saber as the controller. In 2005 Milton Bradley started producing TV game versions of Whack-a-Mole and Miniature Golf. Radica's titles include Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis video game console. The game was released in Japan in February 1989, North and South America in August 1989 and in Europe on November 1990...
, Columns
Columns (video game)
is a puzzle video game, first created in 1989 by Jay Geertsen. Early versions of the game were made and ported among early computer platforms, and then the Atari ST, until 1990, when Jay Geertsen sold the rights to Sega, where it was ported to several Sega consoles.-Description:The game takes...
, and Gain Ground
Gain Ground
Gain Ground is a 1988 action-strategy arcade game with real-time strategy elements, later ported to the Sega Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, and PC Engine . In 2004, it was re-released in Radica Games' TVPlay Legends Vol. II TV Games compilation. It was remade in the PlayStation 2 title Sega...
, among others.
Manufacturers
- Jakks PacificJakks PacificJAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
- Radica GamesRadica GamesRadica Games Limited is a company that produces electronic games. On October 3, 2006, Mattel, Inc. announced the completion of their acquisition of Radica. Radica was originally founded in 1983. It began by producing electronic souvenir games for casinos. In the late 1990s, it became famous for...
- Majesco
- SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
- KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
- CapcomCapcomis a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
- Tiger ElectronicsTiger ElectronicsTiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
- Toy:Lobster
- Mammoth Toys
- Video Extreme
- AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
- Ohio Art
- Pelican
- Techno SourceTechno SourceTechno Source concentrates primarily in the handheld electronic game and TV Game markets selling electronic toys, games and learning aids.Based in Hong Kong with United States offices in New York City, Techno Source is a privately owned company founded in 2000 by two toy industry veterans, Wayne...
- Toymax
- NrTrade
- Kid Connection WalMart Branded Generic Toys
- vs. Maxx
- DreamGEAR
- Milton BradleyMilton Bradley CompanyThe Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
- PolaroidPolaroid CorporationPolaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
Bundled with Car TV Kit although can be purchased by itself for under $20 USD - NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
See also
- Dedicated consoleDedicated consoleA dedicated console is a video game console that is dedicated to a built in game or games, and is not equipped for additional games, via cartridges or other media.- History :...
- Game system cloneGame system cloneA game system clone is a third-party remake of a game system. In many cases, they are bootlegged/pirated/unlicensed. These kind of game systems are often sold online, or at flea markets especially in developing countries, where it is seen as an affordable alternative to more expensive consoles...
- Jakks TV Games
- GameKeyGameKeyGameKeys are expansion modules made by Jakks Pacific for the purpose of adding games to GameKey-ready entries in their Plug It In & Play TV Games product line.-History:...
- Power Player Super Joy IIIPower Player Super Joy IIIThe Power Player Super Joy III consoles are a line of unauthorized handheld Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom clones manufactured by NRTRADE that are sold in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The system resembles a Nintendo 64 controller and attaches to a TV set...
- History of video gamesHistory of video gamesThe history of video games goes as far back as the 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann filed a United States patent request for an invention they described as a "cathode ray tube amusement device." Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and...