ATARI 2600

The Atari 2600 is a home console from Atari, Inc. released on September 11, 1977 and credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on ROM cartridges, instead of dedicated hardware with games physically built into the unit. It was bundled with two joystick controllers, a conjoined pair of paddle controllers and a game cartridge. It was launched with nine simple, low-resolution games but in 1980 its conversion of Taito's Space Invaders made it widely successful, leading to the creation of Activision and other third-party game developers. In 1986 the new Atari Corporation released a lower-cost version of the Atari 2600 but finally ended its production on January 1, 1992 with an estimated 30 million units sold across the system's lifetime.

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