Microvision

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Microvision
Microvision (US version)
logo
Sales start and new price
United StatesUnited StatesNovember 1979 for approx. 50 USD 1981 for 149 DM 1981
GermanyGermany
United KingdomUnited Kingdom  ItalyItaly  FranceFrance
Scope of delivery (USA)
Handheld with block buster game module, instructions and packaging, plus styrofoam inserts

The Microvision is a portable video game console from the US toy manufacturer Milton Bradley . The handheld is based on a single-chip microcomputer and was available in the USA from 1979, later also in other countries. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the device was sold by the German branch of Milton Bradley in the early 1980s.

In contrast to other contemporary handhelds with their light-emitting diode displays , the Microvision showed what was happening in the game on an LC display . In addition, after changing a plug-in module, you could also run other games on the same device - another first in the history of portable video games.

history

The advent of inexpensive microprocessors made it possible to use portable devices for video games, the so-called handhelds, from 1976 onwards. In contrast to stationary consoles, they were not connected to a television set to visualize the game , but instead contained an LED display , which essentially consisted of several light-emitting diodes. The use of energy-saving liquid crystal displays ( liquid crystal displays , LCD for short ), as they were already known from digital watches and pocket calculators, initially failed due to their limited performance.

development

Jay Smith was the first to develop and manufacture an LC display suitable for video games. Shortly afterwards he began to construct a handheld based on it together with Gerald S. Karr and Lawrence T. Jones. In addition to the use of the new type of LCD technology, the device should be able to run various games, which will also be created in the future. Such a game change was not possible with existing handhelds. Rather, a new handheld had to be purchased for each new game.

  • Milton Bradley Company logo.svg

After about a year of development, Smith presented a prototype of the now patented handheld to various US toy manufacturers. Shortly afterwards, Milton Bradley licensed the device and the engineers there took over the further development. For example, the housing was enlarged to make the handheld appear more valuable. The device called Microvision was first presented to the US public, along with a few games, at the Toy Fair in New York in early 1979. In addition, the manufacturer also presented the games Block Buster , Bowling , Pinball and Connect 4 . Production started in spring 1979.

marketing

The Microvision hit US retailers in late November 1979. It could then be purchased in department stores and toy stores at a price of around 50 US dollars (today, adjusted for inflation, corresponds to around 180 euros). The game Block Buster was included in the delivery. Additional game modules from Milton Bradley cost up to $ 18. The sale was accompanied by extensive advertising on US television, which Milton Bradley had already started in October. In addition, supported by print advertising and newspaper advertisements with the slogan “Play video-type games anytime, anywhere!”, The manufacturer was able to sell around 500,000 devices and roughly the same number of plug-in modules in 1979. The good record of 1979 was only clouded by high reject rates, which had reached up to 60 percent in the autumn. In addition, there was an unusually high number of complaints about fully functional devices. Retrofitting protection against electrostatic discharges was able to solve these problems for the production series in late autumn.

In 1980 Milton Bradley began developing international markets, particularly in Europe. The Microvision was first presented to the German public at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in February 1980 by Milton Bradley GmbH from Fürth. On an advertising leaflet, the manufacturer praised its "new [s] electronic [s] super game system" as "small enough to take with you anywhere" and as "really great because of its diverse range of play options". The Microvision was then available from 1981 in department stores and toy stores for 149 DM (today, adjusted for inflation, corresponds to approx. 150 euros). At the same time, the device could also be purchased in France, Great Britain and Italy. 1982 Milton Bradley announced with Super Block Buster and Barrage for the last time new games, with Super Block Buster only in the Federal Republic of Germany and Barrage should no longer go on sale. In the USA, the Microvision had probably been abandoned by its manufacturer a year earlier.

Games

A total of twelve different games were released for the Microvision, with the Block Buster game already included in the scope of delivery. Eleven games were available in the USA, but only eight in the Federal Republic of Germany.

 
Overview of the games published by Milton Bradley for the Microvision
Game name number of players Year of publication
United StatesUnited States GermanyGermany
Block buster Block buster 1 1979
bowling bowling 1 or 2 alternately 1979
Connect 4 Four wins 1 or 2 at the same time 1979
Pinball Pinball 1 1979
Mindbuster did not show up 1 1979
Star Trek: Phaser Strike Shooting Star 1 1979
Vegas slots did not show up 1 or 2 at the same time 1979
baseball did not show up 1 or 2 at the same time 1980
Sea Duel Lake duel 1 or 2 at the same time 1980
Alien Raiders lightning 1 1981
Cosmic Hunter did not show up 1 1981
did not show up Great block buster 1 1982
Included with the handheld    From 1980 only under the name Phaser Strike Available

Technical information

Single-chip microcomputer TMS1100

In contrast to stationary game consoles, a handheld device offers little space for electrical and mechanical assemblies due to its smaller dimensions. The electronic components used may also only consume a small amount of electricity, so that a long service life can be guaranteed for the necessary battery operation. The developers therefore decided to use a single-chip microcomputer (also known as a microcontroller), which combines all the components of a simple computer - microprocessor, input / output units and main memory . The read-only memory with the program data to be executed is also integrated in such a chip and cannot be changed after it has been manufactured. To change a game, the chip, i. H. the entire computer, and not just the ROM read-only memory, as in stationary game consoles, can be replaced. Such a change is also associated with an increased susceptibility to electrostatic interference of the microcontroller, which can lead to its destruction. Milton Bradley switched from the initially used Intel 8021 to the TMS1100 from Texas Instruments, which was available in sufficient quantities . However, this is based on a different hardware architecture, which is why the games originally developed for the Intel 8021 had to be completely reprogrammed.

Base unit

The approximately 24.5 cm long and 9 cm wide basic device of the Microvision contains a single circuit board with the LC display and its driver module. In addition, in the plastic housing there is a loudspeaker, batteries, a rotary control (English paddle ), a contact grid for the control buttons and a slide switch. In order to be able to put the Microvison into operation with the latter, a plug-in module must first be inserted. This is pushed at a flat angle into a contact strip at the upper end of the base unit and then pushed down until it clicks into place at the lower end and is thus locked.

With the approximately 3.5 cm square LC display, up to 16 × 16 grid-like square pixels can be displayed. It is operated in multiplex mode with the aid of the highly integrated Hughes 0488 driver module . According to the signals supplied by the game microcontroller, the associated pixels for displaying the game are activated or deactivated. Because of the still immature production methods of that time, many displays have become unusable due to chemical and physical decomposition processes - accelerated in particular by direct sunlight.

  • Base unit (front)

  • Base unit (rear)

  • Motherboard (front)

  • Motherboard (rear)

  • Display of the game Block Buster

Plug-in modules

The plug-in modules, also known as cartridges, each contain a circuit board with protruding contact tongues that are protected by a movable plastic shield. The plastic shield also prevents unwanted electrostatic discharge processes when plugging in or removing the plug-in module, which can damage the sensitive microcontroller. If there is a plug-in module in the base unit, the plastic shielding is pushed to the side by a special mechanism and a conductive connection is established with the electronics inside the base unit.

The 28-pin TMS1100 single-chip microcomputer installed in almost all game modules belongs to the TMS1000 family of microcontrollers and is based on a processing width of 4  bits . For the execution of a game, the program data of which is stored in the 16384-bit read-only memory, 512-bit working memory is available. The clock rate can be set between 100 and 400 kHz using appropriate external wiring.

Depending on the game, up to twelve different, each spring-loaded plastic buttons are used to control the game. These are housed in the housing of the corresponding plug-in module. If the module is plugged in, a conductive connection is established in the contact grid of the base unit below by pressing a button. The resulting electrical signal can then be evaluated by the microcontroller in the plug-in module. The US version of the Microvision differs from the European version in the type of key suspension: Plug-in modules manufactured for the US market use the resilience of a foamed plastic , while European devices use an elastic plastic connection between the button and the plug-in module housing.

In addition to the buttons and the circuit board, the plug-in modules contain a transparent window that can be partially printed. After inserting a plug-in module, it covers the monochrome LC display and the partly colored printing enhances the visual appearance of a game and thus strengthens immersion.

  • Plug-in module (front)

  • Plug-in module (rear)

  • Back without plastic shield

  • Circuit board with microcontroller

  • German plug-in modules

reception

Contemporary

Even before it went on sale, the device was described by US non-fiction author David H. Ahl in May 1979 as “one of the most innovative newcomers” and the game Block Buster as “challenging” and “addicting”. In the same month, the US magazine Computer Weekly also commented on the handheld: It represented the “advance in engineering” and had “what it took to be the most successful application of the year for large LC displays”. However, it will be comparatively expensive, said Computer Weekly .

Even after it was published in November 1979, the press was benevolent. According to the non-fiction author Howard J. Blumenthal, the device combines the mobile use of handhelds with the versatility of stationary video games. According to the US magazine On Computing, the design includes an "attractive" alternative to the CRT screen, so that a television set is no longer necessary for video games, as the magazine Popular Science wrote. According to Ahl, the built-in display is very small, which is why you need good eyes and the right light to read it, continues Blumenthal. According to On Computing, the eye must first get used to the sluggishness of the display and the resulting streaking . The German magazine Das Spielzeug , on the other hand, described its “own small screen” as “easy to read”.

Due to the low graphic resolution of the game, the games of the US magazine Electronic Games can only be described as "simple". According to On Computing, they therefore required “a certain amount of imagination”. Despite the simple graphics, the games are action-packed and challenge even experienced players, according to On Computing . Ahl saw it similarly and described the included Block Buster as "fun" and "quite challenging". The other games also required good hand-eye coordination and, according to Blumenthal, were among the "best available on the handheld market".

In a brief presentation in 1981, the German magazine Chip praised the interchangeable “cassettes” and the “varied game variants” associated with them. In addition, it is easy to use and is not dependent on the mains, although the need for two batteries was also criticized. However, the case is “disproportionately large” and the price of the “complete game system” is too high, Chip continued.

Retrospective

The Microvision is consistently classified as the first portable game console with interchangeable game modules. According to the non-fiction author Rusel DeMaria, however, their technology is "very primitive" compared to the standards of 2018. The game journalist Winnie Forster comes to a similar assessment and describes the device as "extremely minimalist". Although the display is also small and the graphics are “blocky”, according to the non-fiction author Leonard Herman it still allows more “movement” than the LED-based displays of other contemporary handhelds. The Forster is also due to its simple technology according to "spartan-effective [e]" and, according to Brett Weiss, "cumbersome" operation. In addition, the device is very sensitive and prone to errors, according to Game Informer magazine .

The release of only a few games and the insufficient handheld support by Milton Bradley would soon have led to a niche existence. According to DeMaria, for example, the manufacturer failed to license and implement popular games from other manufacturers, as was common at the time. For Forster, the “original handheld” and the “ Game Boy forerunner” simply appeared “too early for the technical standard or the mass market”. Herman sees it similarly, noting that the world was “surprisingly” not yet ready for such a programmable handheld. According to Weiss, on the other hand, for many potential buyers simply the "effort" to acquire new plug-in modules would not have been worthwhile because of the simplicity of the games. The magazine Retro Gamer attributes the rapidly declining sales success of the handheld to the fact that “thanks to the overwhelming success of Space Invaders on the Atari VCS, the consoles regained the upper hand in 1980” and so the Microvison fell victim to this development. Nevertheless, according to Retro Gamer, the console remains "an important footnote in the rich history of video games", according to Weiss it even has a "significant" place in it. The journalist Benj Edwards sums up his point of view as follows:

"Overall, the Microvision was an odd machine - very obscure, very underrated, and very forgotten at the moment."

"All in all, the Microvision was a very strange device - hardly noticed, hardly appreciated and hardly remembered nowadays."

- Benj Edwards (2009)

The Microvision is a permanent exhibit in various museums, including the Computer Games Museum in Berlin.

Web links

Commons : Microvision  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mark J. P. Wolf: The Video Game Industry Crash of 1977. In: Before the Crash: Early Video Game History. Edited by Mark J. P. Wolf. Wayne State University Press, Detroit 2012, ISBN 978-0-8143-3450-8 , p. 86.
  2. ↑ a b c The Vision - The History of the Microvision. In: Retro Gamer , special issue 2/2016, 2016, EAN 4018837009710, p. 34.
  3. ↑ a b Jay Smith of MB Microvision / GCE Vectrex Interview (from 0:02:00) on YouTube, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  4. ↑ Jay Smith of MB Microvision / GCE Vectrex Interview (from 0:02:40) on YouTube, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  5. ↑ a b The Vision - The History of the Microvision. In: Retro Gamer , special issue 2/2016, 2016, EAN 4018837009710, p. 35.
  6. ↑ a b David Ahl: Random Ramblings. Creative Computing, May 1979, p. 18.
  7. ^ A b John Elder Robison: Look me in the eye. Crown Publishers, New York, 2007, 978-0307396181, pp. 198 ff.
  8. ↑ Dick Cowen: Pre-Recorded Video Tapes. Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Nov. 25, 1979, p. 4H.
  9. ↑ Microvision Features Seven Different Game Cartridges. Byte Magazine, Nov. 1979, p. 252.
  10. ↑ Leisure time electronic products by category. Toy & Hobby World, May / June 1980, p. 22.
  11. ↑ Milton Bradley: Treat Yourself: Get a Good Game.
  12. ↑ Electronic games market in the USA. The Toy, May 1980, p. 950.
  13. ↑ Now put on quality. The Toy, February 1980, p. 599.
  14. ↑ a b MB with a wide range of innovations. The Toy, April 1980, p. 848.
  15. ^ Milton Bradley GmbH Fürth: The big MB competition. 1981, p. 2.
  16. ↑ a b The electronic game partners at a glance. Chip, June 1981, p. 22.
  17. ^ Renée Rowan: Faut-il faire confiance au jouet électronique. Le Devoir, December 8, 1981, p. 6.
  18. ^ The Portable Games Center . Computer and Videogames, November 1981, p. 79.
  19. ^ Più Ricco il parco elettronici. Per Gioco, February 1981, p. 52
  20. ↑ Mattel Expands. Starlog, July 1982, p. 30.
  21. ^ Leonhard Herman: Handheld Video Game Systems. In: Before the Crash: The Video Game Explosion. Edited by Mark J. P. Wolf. Greenwood Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7 , p. 144.
  22. ↑ Brett Weiss: Classic Home Video Games. McFarland & Company, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7864-6938-3 , pp. 243-246.
  23. ↑ The Vision - The History of the Microvision. In: Retro Gamer , special issue 2/2016, 2016, EAN 4018837009710, pp. 34-36.
  24. ^ Van Waterford: Microcomputer Controlled Toys & Games & How They Work. Tab Books, 1983, ISBN 0-8306-0407-3 , p. 41 f.
  25. ↑ Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH: Introduction to microprocessor technology. Technik Marketing, Munich, 1977, ISBN 3-88078-0099 , p. 315.
  26. ^ The year of the solid-state Santa Claus. Computer Weekly, May 17, 1979, p. 26.
  27. ^ A b c Howard J. Blumenthal: The complete guide to electronic games. Sphere Books Limited, London, 1982, ISBN 0-7221-1762-0 , pp. 128 f.
  28. ^ A b c Chris Morgan: Computer Games and Toys - What's new for 1980? On Computing, Winter 1979, p. 7.
  29. ^ William J. Hawkins: Electronics teasers - computerized games that may be smarter than you are. Popular Science, Dec 1979, p. 71.
  30. ↑ a b Davis and Betsy Ahl Staples: Electronic Games Roundup. Creative Computing, November 1979, p. 17.
  31. ^ A b Henry B. Cohen: Video games go king size. Electronic Games, July 1982, p. 74.
  32. ↑ a b Rusel DeMaria: High Score! Expanded: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games. CRC Press, 2019, ISBN 978-1138367197 , p. 35.
  33. ^ A b c Winnie Forster: Game consoles and home computers 1972–2009. Gameplan, 2009, ISBN 978-3-00-024658-6 , p. 43.
  34. ^ Leonhard Herman: Handheld Video Game Systems. In: Before the Crash: The Video Game Explosion. Edited by Mark J. P. Wolf. Greenwood Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7 , p. 144.
  35. ↑ a b c Brett Weiss: Classic Home Video Games. McFarland & Company, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7864-6938-3 , p. 243.
  36. ^ A Brief History of Handheld Gaming. Game Informer, 2005, p. 132.
  37. ^ A Brief History of Handheld Gaming. Game Informer, 2005, p. 132.
  38. ^ Giles Slade: Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America . Harvard University Press, Harvard 2006, ISBN 978-0-674-02203-4 , pp. 223 (English, limited preview in Google Book search).
  39. ^ Leonhard Herman: Handheld Video Game Systems. In: Before the Crash: The Video Game Explosion. Edited by Mark J. P. Wolf. Greenwood Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7 , p. 144.
  40. ↑ The Vision - The History of the Microvision. In: Retro Gamer , special issue 2/2016, 2016, EAN 4018837009710, p. 37.
  41. ↑ Benj Edwards: Milton-Bradley Microvision. Vintagecomputing.com, December 7, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  42. ↑ Dorian Gorr: Gamblers' hearts beat faster in the games museum. Welt.de, April 24, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
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