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Atari 2600

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Atari 2600

Insights and reflections

The Atari 2600's development under codename Stella marked a shift from dedicated Pong consoles to programmable systems, leveraging cheap MOS chips to make home arcade ports viable amid 1970s financial risks.

Space Invaders in 1980 exemplified killer apps, transforming modest sales into explosive growth, highlighting how licensing arcade hits could sustain hardware through innovative programming despite hardware constraints.

"Space Invaders sparked massive sales growth in 1980."

Strengths

  • Pioneered ROM cartridges
  • Sold 30 million units
  • Long 15-year lifespan
  • Spawned third-parties

Considerations

  • Only 128 bytes RAM
  • 4 KB cartridge limit
  • No framebuffer graphics
  • RF-only TV output

Key Terms

Bank switching
Method to expand ROM beyond 4 KB limit by swapping memory banks during gameplay, first used in Asteroids for larger cartridges.
MOS Technology 6507
Cost-reduced 6502 CPU with 13 address pins, running at 1.19 MHz, limiting Atari 2600 to 8 KB addressable but 4 KB cartridges initially.
Television Interface Adaptor
TIA chip handling graphics, sprites, audio, and RF TV output without framebuffer, requiring per-scanline programming synchronization.
Racing the beam
Technique timing code to CRT electron gun scan, running logic during blanking intervals outside visible screen for efficiency.