The Nintendo Entertainment Console - 3 Decades of Excellence

The original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is one of the most successful pieces of electronic hardware of all time. Although it was released almost 30 years ago, it still remains a popular and entertaining household item. Let’s take a look at what made this console so great.

Innovation

At the time the NES was released there was really nothing like it on the market. Atari had developed a home gaming system (the infamous 2600) but the graphics and game play were quickly becoming out dated. Many developers in the late 70s were releasing low quality games, which caused a video game market crash in 1977. The NES revived the falling industry. The NES was released in Japan in 1983 (under the name Famicon). It had a much more powerful processor which allowed for high quality game development. Home video game consoles had become very popular in Japan, and the NES was finally released in the United States in 1986.

Affordability

For the North American release in 1986 the NES base model retail price was $129.99 US, there was also a premium package that included extra games and controllers for $249.99US. At the time this was much more affordable than a home computer system (which was still very new). The game cartridges (roms) were sold between $40 and $60 US. The pricing point of the NES allowed most middle and upper class families to purchase the console. This led to over 60 million consoles sold worldwide during its nearly 10 year production. This was exponentially more than previous home video game systems.

The Nintendo Entertainment System changed the world of video games and home computers. Its superior design saved a failing market and propelled it for almost 10 years. Some game cartridges, mario 3, went on to sell over 15 million copies. It was a major commercial and technological success and set the standard for all future video game hardware development.

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