Color TV-Game#Color TV-Game Block Breaker

By the late 1970s, Nintendo began moving away from toys and playing cards and into the rapidly-growing video game market. This decision was based on the smash success of the arcade video game Space Invaders (1978) by Taito and the 1973 oil crisis making toys expensive to produce.{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=35 Years Ago, Nintendo's First Brush With Video Disaster |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/35-years-ago-nintendo-had-its-first-brush-with-video-game-disaster |website=USGamer |accessdate=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502051532/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/35-years-ago-nintendo-had-its-first-brush-with-video-game-disaster |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |date=January 21, 2014}} Nintendo's first foray into video gaming was the arcade game Computer Othello in 1978.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/computer-othello|title=Computer Othello for Arcade (1978)}}{{cite web |last1=Plunkett |first1=Luke |title=Nintendo's First Arcade Games Were, Well, Pretty Sucky |url=https://kotaku.com/nintendos-first-arcade-games-were-well-pretty-sucky-5794203 |website=Kotaku |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608183733/https://kotaku.com/nintendos-first-arcade-games-were-well-pretty-sucky-5794203 |archive-date=June 8, 2019 |date=April 21, 2011}} This was followed by games such as Sheriff, Space Fever, and {{ill|EVR Race|ja|EVRレース}}. Most of these were unsuccessful but made Nintendo view video games as its next major market.{{cite book|last=Kent |first=Steven L. |author-link=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |date=2002 |publisher=Random House International |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7615-3643-7 |oclc=59416169 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC}} The home console market also rose in popularity, particularly in North America with the release of Atari's Pong system in 1972. The market was flooded with similar video tennis games as companies scrambled to cash in on its success. Nintendo made its own dedicated Pong system to import this popularity to Japan.

The Color TV-Game consoles were produced jointly by Nintendo Research & Development 2 (R&D2) and Mitsubishi Electronics.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Color TV Game Series (カラー テレビゲーム シリーズ, 1977-1979) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-color-tv-game-series-1977-1979.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024124848/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-color-tv-game-series-1977-1979.html |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |date=March 15, 2011}}{{Cite journal|title = Capability Reconfiguration of Incumbent Firms: Nintendo in the Video Game Industry|last1 = Subramanian|first1 = Annapoornima M|journal = Technovation|doi = 10.1016/j.technovation.2011.01.003|last2 = Chai|first2 = Kah-Hin|issue = 5|year = 2011|volume = 31|last3 = Mu|first3 = Shifeng|pages = 228–239}} Nintendo had no prior experience in manufacturing electronics, and had previously contracted Mitsubishi for production of EVR Race, so this continued. For the first two consoles, Color TV-Game 6 and Color TV-Game 15, Nintendo acquired a license from Magnavox production of its own Pong clone game consoles. Magnavox created the original concept for Pong for its Magnavox Odyssey console, which inspired Atari to create a similar game for arcades.{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/11/al-alcorn-interview| title = Al Alcorn Interview| first = Cam| last = Shea| publisher = IGN| date = March 10, 2008| accessdate = October 13, 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170727190507/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/11/al-alcorn-interview| archive-date = July 27, 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}} For this, Magnavox sued Atari and other Pong console manufacturers for copyright infringement.{{cite news| title = Magnavox Sues Firms Making Video Games, Charges Infringement| newspaper = The Wall Street Journal| date = April 17, 1974}} Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi specified that the consoles be produced quickly and with cheaper parts to reduce production costs. He wanted a competitive edge by making the systems cheap for the consumer to purchase.{{cite book |last1=Gorges |first1=Florent |title=The History of Nintendo 1889-1980 |date=November 20, 2012 |publisher=Pix'N Love |isbn=978-2918272151 }} The TV-Game 6 and 15 required little production time due to their simplicity. Mitsubishi made minor changes and corrections to the systems before they were released.{{cite book |last1=Yamazaki |first1=Isao |title=Famicom Complete Guide |date=November 26, 2016 |publisher=Shufu no Tomosha |isbn=978-4074176397 |page=99 |language=ja}}

File:Nintendo Color TV game 6 (Cut out).jpg

The Color TV-Game 6 was launched on June 1, 1977.{{cite book|title = Powerplay|last = Fleming|first = Dan|publisher = Manchester University Press ND|year = 1996| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3u7AAAAIAAJ&q=%22color+tv+game%22&pg=PA180 | page=180 |isbn=978-0-7190-4717-6}} It retailed at a price of {{JPY|9,800}}, significantly lower than competing systems. Nintendo used this as a marketing tool. It contains six variations of Pong, such as adding additional paddles, decreasing the size of the paddles, and adding deflective shields in the center of the screen. It can be powered by batteries or by a power adapter sold separately. Shortly after its release, Nintendo released an improved version of the TV-Game 6, featuring a cream-white outer casing and removing the power adapter. A second variation was produced as part of a promotion with food company House Foods to promote its House Shanmen instant noodles. It is identical to the original TV-Game 6 but has the House Shanmen logo on the casing. This version was produced in very limited quantities, making it extremely rare. Sharp Electronics produced dark orange-colored versions of the TV-Game 6 to bundle with its television sets.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Color TV-Game 6 (カラー テレビゲーム 6, 1977) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/04/nintendo-color-tv-game-6-6-1977.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027011549/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/04/nintendo-color-tv-game-6-6-1977.html |archive-date=October 27, 2019 |date=April 9, 2011}}

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File:Nintendo Color TV Game 6 Screenshot.png

One week later on June 8, Nintendo released the Color TV-Game 15.{{cite web|url=http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/special/20080929/1019222/ |title=【任天堂「ファミコン」はこうして生まれた】第2回：電卓をあきらめてゲーム機ヘ|date=September 30, 2008|publisher=Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.|website=nikkeibp.co.jp | language=ja | quote=こうして任天堂は1977年に、価格9800円の「カラーテレビゲーム 6」と、価格1万5000円の「カラーテレビゲーム 15」を売り出すことになる。 |accessdate=February 24, 2015}} It retailed for {{JPY|15,000}}, roughly 50% more than the TV-Game 6. Essentially, the TV-Game 15 is an enhanced version of the TV-Game 6. Both consoles house the same fifteen games; however, only six are accessible on the TV-Game 6 without modification. The TV-Game 15 has detachable controllers which are stored in a small compartment on the system. Nintendo produced a second model of the TV-Game 15 with a reddish-orange casing, which had a longer production run and are more common. Sharp made a white-colored version that was renamed Color TV-Game XG-115.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Color TV-Game 15 (カラー テレビゲーム 15, 1977) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2012/01/nintendo-color-tv-game-15-15-1977.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031051343/http://blog.beforemario.com/2012/01/nintendo-color-tv-game-15-15-1977.html |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |date=January 22, 2012}}

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File:Nintendo - Color TV Racing 112.jpg

The third unit, the Color TV Game Racing 112, was published on June 8, 1978. It is significantly larger than the previous two units, with a larger shipping box to accompany it. Racing 112 was set to be released at {{JPY|18,000}}, but was lowered to {{JPY|12,000}} to ensure competitiveness. It was later reduced to {{JPY|5,000}}. To prevent the machine from requiring a larger box, the wheel is detachable from the console. The built-in game is a top-down racer similar to Speed Race, an arcade game released by Taito in 1974. Variations include a smaller screen width and opponents that move faster, with all possible game combinations totaling to 112. The console also comes with two paddle controllers for multiplayer support.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Color TV Game Racing 112 (任天堂 カラー テレビゲーム レーシング 112, 1978) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/05/nintendo-color-tv-game-racing-112-112.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101221400/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/05/nintendo-color-tv-game-racing-112-112.html |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |date=May 28, 2011}}

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File:Nintendo-Color-TV-Game-Blockbreaker-FL.jpg

Color TV Game Block Kuzushi was released on April 23, 1979, at ¥13,500. The system was produced by Nintendo, allowing its name to be prominently displayed. Block Kuzushi includes six variations of Breakout, an arcade game released in America by Atari. Nintendo released a clone of Breakout titled Block Fever for Japanese arcades in 1978.{{cite news |title=Block Fever promotional sales flyer |url=https://www.flyerfever.com/post/147151189448/block-fever |accessdate=May 9, 2020 |publisher=Nintendo |date=1978 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207224543/https://www.flyerfever.com/post/147151189448/block-fever |archive-date=December 7, 2019 |url-status=usurped |language=ja}} Rival company Epoch released the TV Block console in Japan, which was successful and gave way to steady competition by other companies, including Nintendo. The system's casing was designed by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. It is one of his first video game projects after joining Nintendo in 1977. The built-in games for Racing 112 and Block Kuzushi were designed by Takehiro Izushi.{{cite web |title=When Developers Did Everything |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/clubn/game-and-watch-ball-reward/0/0 |website=Iwata Asks |publisher=Nintendo |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502173442/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |language=ja |date=April 2010}} Nintendo held competitions in department stores to promote the Block Kuzushi, where winners received a congratulatory note and a medal.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Color TV Game Block Kuzushi (任天堂 カラー テレビゲーム ブロック崩し, 1979) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/05/nintendo-color-tv-game-block-kuzushi.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030201824/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/05/nintendo-color-tv-game-block-kuzushi.html |archive-date=October 30, 2019 |date=May 6, 2011}}

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File:Nintendo-TV-Game-Computer.jpg

The final console, the Computer TV Game, was released in 1980. Because dedicated consoles were decreasing in popularity, the Computer TV Game was only produced in limited quantities, making it extremely rare.{{cite web |last1=Voskuil |first1=Erik |title=Nintendo Computer TV Game (コンピュータ TV ゲーム, 1980) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/02/computer-tv-game-tv-1980.html |website=Before Mario |accessdate=May 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101194908/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/02/computer-tv-game-tv-1980.html |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |date=February 20, 2011}} Miyamoto again designed the system's white-colored casing and the packaging. It was produced internally. Computer TV-Game contains a version of Computer Othello, and is built around an original Computer Othello arcade system board.{{cite web |last1=S. Zavia |first1=Matías |title=Color TV-Game 6, la consola olvidada que Nintendo fabricó diez años antes de lanzar la NES |url=https://es.gizmodo.com/color-tv-game-6-la-consola-olvidada-que-nintendo-fabri-1759221791 |website=Gizmodo Espanol |accessdate=May 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421160216/https://es.gizmodo.com/color-tv-game-6-la-consola-olvidada-que-nintendo-fabri-1759221791 |archive-date=April 21, 2019 |language=es |date=February 15, 2016}} This makes it an arcade-perfect rendition, an uncommon sight during the early 1980s. The entire Color TV-Game series was discontinued in favor of the Family Computer in 1983, a cartridge-based system with a library of hundreds of games. Nintendo sold millions of the Famicom and its international counterpart, the Nintendo Entertainment System,{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/finance/historical_data/xls/consolidated_sales_e1703.xlsx|title=Historical Data: Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |accessdate=April 27, 2017|date=April 27, 2017|publisher=Nintendo |format=xlsx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026163943/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/finance/historical_data/xls/consolidated_sales_e1703.xlsx|archive-date= October 26, 2017|url-status=live}} and solidified the company's presence in the video game hardware market.

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The Color TV-Game series was very successful for Nintendo, and was a commercial hit. Nintendo sold one million units each of Color TV-Game 6 and Color TV-Game 15. One half million units each of Racing 112 and Block Kuzushi were sold.{{cite book |title=Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children |last1=Sheff |first1=David |last2=Eddy |first2=Andy |author-link=David Sheff |publisher=GamePress |year=1999 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0dK2AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Color+TV+Game%22 27] |isbn=978-0-9669617-0-6|quote=Nintendo entered the home market in Japan with the dramatic unveiling of Color TV-Game 6, which played six versions of light tennis. It was followed by a more powerful sequel, Color TV-Game 15. A million units of each were sold. The engineering team also came up with systems that played a more complex game, called "Blockbuster," as well as a racing game. Half a million units of these were sold.}} Their success prompted Nintendo to continue pursuing the video game console market, leading to the creation of the Family Computer and the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Erik Voskuil, writing for his blog Before Mario, believes that part of the reason for the success of the Color TV-Game series was its low price point, far below the competition. He wrote: "Almost thirty-five years and multiple generations of ever improving, multi-million selling Nintendo video game consoles on, we can reflect on this moment as the beginning of something very, very big." In his 2004 book Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life, Chris Kohler claims that the colorful casing played a part in the systems performing well, saying they resembled toys more than video game consoles.{{cite book |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |date=October 19, 2016 |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=978-0486801490 }} Luke Plunkett of Kotaku acknowledged the consoles for their importance as Nintendo's first foray into the market, and for it being influential for its next system. Plunkett also said the series was successful for their low price, as it established Nintendo's "consoles must be sold at a profit" attitude that continued onward.{{cite web |last1=Plunkett |first1=Luke |title=Nintendo's First Console Is One You've Never Played |url=https://kotaku.com/nintendos-first-console-is-one-youve-never-played-5785568 |website=Kotaku |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420111128/https://kotaku.com/nintendos-first-console-is-one-youve-never-played-5785568 |archive-date=April 20, 2019 |date=March 25, 2011}} PC Magazine{{'}}s Benj Edwards noted that the Color TV-Game 6 and Color TV-Game 15 units in particular gave Nintendo faith in the market due to their commercial success. He noted that the Block Kuzushi marked the debut of Shigeru Miyamoto, an important figure within the company.{{cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Benj |title=The Lost World of Early Nintendo Consoles |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-lost-world-of-early-nintendo-consoles |website=PC Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508210746/https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-lost-world-of-early-nintendo-consoles |archive-date=May 8, 2020 |date=January 26, 2017}}

Nintendo has referenced the Color TV-Game systems and their built-in games in other franchises. Alleyway, a launch game for the Game Boy, is believed to be based on the Color TV-Game Block Kuzushi.{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=Alleyway Retrospective |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFBUQEroIo&feature=emb_title |website=YouTube |accessdate=May 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509043302/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFBUQEroIo |archive-date=May 9, 2020 |date=April 21, 2014}} Jeremy Parish said that Alleyway is a throwback to Block Kuzushi, due to it having been cemented in Nintendo's corporate roots. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! includes a minigame based on Racing 112, where the player has five seconds to dodge the moving cars.{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Kevin |title=The Ultimate Guide to Classic Game Consoles |date=May 22, 2013 |publisher=eBookIt.com |page=12 |isbn=9781456617080 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z2gWO6efsfEC&q=warioware+racing+112&pg=PA12-IA2 |accessdate=May 8, 2020 }} It is part of 9-Volt's stage, which comprises minigames featuring older Nintendo video games. A Color TV-Game 6 minigame appears in 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. An assist trophy based on the TV-Game 15 appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and its follow-up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.{{cite web |last1=Radulovic |first1=Petrana |title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Everything we know |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/22/17488470/super-smash-bros-ultimate-release-date-nintendo-switch-characters |website=Polygon |publisher=Vox Media |accessdate=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207030346/https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/22/17488470/super-smash-bros-ultimate-release-date-nintendo-switch-characters |archive-date=December 7, 2019 |date=June 22, 2018}} When summoned, it spawns a pair of paddles that launch a ball across the stage, which will inflict damage on fighters that touch it. In late 2020, a Nintendo 3DS game developed by Butterfly called The Queen TV-Game 2 was influenced by the console series name along with gameplay broadly based on Color TV-Game 6.{{cite web|title=The Queen TV-Game 2|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-queen-tv-game-2-3ds|website=Nintendo of America|access-date=December 5, 2020|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226011320/https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-queen-tv-game-2-3ds/|url-status=dead}} Retrieved December 4, 2020.

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{{Portal|Japan|Video games|1980s}}

{{Nintendo hardware}}

{{First generation game consoles}}

{{Dedicated consoles}}

Category:Computer-related introductions in 1977

Category:Dedicated consoles

Category:First-generation video game consoles

Category:Home video game consoles

Category:Japan-exclusive video game hardware

Category:Nintendo consoles

Category:Pong variations

Category:Discontinued video game consoles

Category:1977 establishments in Japan