Are you like us, obsessed with the Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES, Sega Master System, 3DO, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and everything in-between? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible – Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system, the ‘Brown Box’ (which became the Magnavox Odyssey)!
The Boy Who Thought Outside The Box – The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer is an awesome picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US. It introduces kids (Ed: and adults!) to a great inventor and the birth of the first home video games console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television set into a vehicle for gaming; Baer’s invention, the Odyssey, was the precursor to the Atari VCS. Today, interactive gaming systems like the Switch, Xbox and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative ‘Brown Box,’ making this award-winning inventor the true ‘Father of Video Games.’
The hardcover book is available via Amazon for AUD$18.99.
Prior to super-slick marketing videos, there was cheesy (and endearing) promotional films, just like this rare 1972 footage telling you all about the ground breaking Magnavox Odyssey video game system – the electronic game of the future!