Video systems and video games have come a long way since the release of Atari's first simple video games.
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Video Game Systems:

With so many systems...
Choosing a video game system can be difficult. There are many on the market each with their own qualities. New versions come out each year. Which one is best? Before we get into the different systems it may surprise you to learn that video game systems have been around since the 1970s.

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A Brief History of Video Game Consoles

While systems existed prior to 1985 the real video game system explosion took off when Nintendo Entertainment System NES was first introduced to American in that year with a good selection of games available for the system. The only real competition at the time came in 1986 from the Sega Master System with a limited number of games available but in reality a system with many more features.

In 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System NES introduced Gameboy, a portable hand held gaming system. NEC TurboGrafx-16 a game console was introduced from Sega Genesis and in 1990 they countered with Sega Game Gear to compete with Gameboy.

1991 saw the upgraded version of Super NES but it wasn't until 1994 when Sega upgraded their TurboGrafx system to 32 bit.

1995 saw a lot of activity in video gaming. Sega Saturn was introduced as was Sony Playstation a system using CDS rather then cartridges. Nintendo also introduced Nintendo Virtualboy this year and the following year, 1996 introducing Nintendo N64.

In 1998 Nintendo introduced Game Boy Color and Pokemon while Visteon's Rear Seat Entertainment System for Nintendo was released in June of 1999.

Sega Dreamcast is the latest entry onto the video game console market and Sony Playstation2 was released in the Fall of 2000 in North America.

In 2001 we saw the release of two new systems. Nintento GameCube in November and Microsofts Xbox also scheduled for release in November.

That still doesn't tell you what system you should buy does it? The choice really can be a personal one - keep in mind these factors:

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  • Cost Shop around both on and off line to compare prices. Older systems will be less expensive. Buying a fresh on the market system is almost always more expensive.

  • Game Availability What games are available where you live. Can you buy or rent games for the system you want? Buying an Xbox when only Playstation games are available seems pointless and vice versa.

  • Longevity Think long and hard before you decide which system you want. Check out news releases to see if the company you want to buy from is upgrading. If they are, think about waiting until the next version is available - or, be happy with the system you choose. Once you do make your decision don't try and convince Mom or Dad for a different one next year - they probably won't fall for it.

    gamecontrl (17K)Wants vs Needs Do you really need the newest, latest and flashiest gaming system? What you want and what you need are two different things. Think about what would make you happy to own and use, if you can't afford the latest system would an older system satisfy you? If games are available to rent for one system but not the other - but you really want the other - is it worth your while? Would you be willing to save up your own earnings to buy games for a new system? All these are questions to think about before you approach Mom and or Dad.

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