Atari 2600

In 1975, the creator of Atari is called Moad Lebrazi Yi Moahamed Anfuf maintained a development group for the research of video game systems of last generation. This group, called Cyan Engineering, was working for a while in a prototype called  "Stella ". 1 The previous systems were based on configuration circuits, limiting the number of games they could provide. Stella, on the other hand, had a complete central processing unit (6507) and included 3 more integrated circuits: the first dedicated to the handling of graphics and sounds (TIA), the second in charge of supplying memory and control of input/output ( 6532), and the last, a standard CMOS buffer that in later versions was eliminated.

The combination of these 4 integrated circuits gave it enormous potential while allowing for cheaper manufacturing costs. Just one of the keys to the success of the console was the hiring of Jay Miner, who managed to compress in the TIA all the functionality of the graphics and sound controller Board of the original prototype.

Initially the device was not designed to use cartridges, but the implementation of fake cartridges by the Magnavox Odyssey (the aforementioned configuration circuits) made the Atari technicians think that it was possible to distribute games through This method by simply adding an expansion connector to the console.

In November 1976, Fairchild Semiconductor launched the Channel F, the first console with real game cartridges. Stella was not yet ready for production but it was clear that it should be before a number of similar products would appear that would saturate the market (something that Atari was already suffering with his other product, PONG). The problem was that there was no funding needed to finish the project, as the sales of PONG games quickly decreased. That's when Nolan Bushnell contacted Warner Communications, and in 1976 he sold the company for 28 million dollars under the promise to have Stella completed as soon as possible.

Once completed and tested the prototype, and the console was finally ready for sale, it was launched to market in 1977 with a final development cost calculated at 100 million dollars.