A very curious patent from 1985 for a mobile self-contained video game system with instantaneously selectable game (by Robert J. Nikora).

“The system internally stores a plurality of standard video game cartridges simultaneously and provides instantaneous external user selection of any game cartridge without power sequencing of the console electronics or physical extraction/insertion of the cartridges. The system includes a video monitor for viewing either color or monochrome game images, a video game console electronics unit, a cartridge storage and switching apparatus, a plurality of video game cartridges, multiple hand-held game controllers for providing player control inputs to the console electronics, audio separator and amplification circuits, a choice of speaker or earphone audio devices, an externally activated and lockable power switch, an audio device selector to disable conventional speaker use in “quiet” environments. The system is enclosed in a mobile housing which includes a height adjustment mechanism and a power cord take-up apparatus.“

Why do I blog this? What I found funny here is the “mobile” feature of the apparatus (”the mobile base unit”). Obviously, mobility was a total different concept at that time. The range of movement in space were not the same (especially when you consider the presence of a power cord).

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 9:00 am and is filed under VideoGames. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.