Microvision

Microvision
A Microvision with Block Buster cartridge inserted
Also known asMilton Bradley Microvision
MB Microvision
ManufacturerMilton Bradley Company
TypeHandheld game console
GenerationSecond generation
Release dateNovember 1979 (1979-11)
Introductory priceUS$49.99 (equivalent to about $210 in 2023)
Discontinued1981
MediaROM cartridges
CPUIntel 8021/TI TMS1100 (on cartridge) clocked at 100 kHz
Memory64 bytes RAM, 2K ROM
Display16 × 16 pixels resolution
Power1 × 9V battery (TMS1100 processors), 2 × 9V battery (Intel 8021 processors)

The Microvision (aka Milton Bradley Microvision or MB Microvision) is the first handheld game console that used interchangeable cartridges[1][2] and in that sense is reprogrammable.[3] It was released by the Milton Bradley Company in November 1979[4] for a retail price of $49.99,[5][6] equivalent to $212.00 in 2023.

The Microvision was designed by Jay Smith, the engineer who would later design the Vectrex video game console.[2] The Microvision's combination of portability and a cartridge-based system led to moderate success, with Smith Engineering grossing $15 million in the first year of the system's release. However, very few cartridges, a small screen, and a lack of support from established home video game companies led to its demise in 1981.[7] According to Satoru Okada, the former head of Nintendo's R&D1 Department, the Microvision gave birth to Game Boy, the follow-up to Game & Watch, after Nintendo designed around Microvision's limitations.[8]

  1. ^ Sfetcu, Nicolae (2014-05-04). Game Preview. Nicolae Sfetcu.
  2. ^ a b "Cribsheet No. 15: Milton Bradley's Microvision". Next Generation. No. 40. Imagine Media. April 1998. p. 25.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ www.lookingtodraw.com, MICHAEL J. BARNES, ILTD DESIGN SERVICES. "PC Timeline. The Freeman PC Museum... Largest Collection of Vintage Computers On The Web". Retrieved 22 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Microvision by Milton Bradley – The Video Game Kraken". Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  7. ^ Donald Melanson, March 3, 2006, A Brief History of Handheld Video Games Engadget
  8. ^ Barder, Ollie (December 31, 2016). "New Interview With Satoru Okada Delves Into The Hidden History Behind Nintendo's Gaming Handhelds". Forbes.com. Retrieved 22 January 2017.

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