On May 24th, 1972, the Magnavox Odyssey was officially demonstrated to the public, marking the birth of the home video game console. Invented by Ralph Baer, often considered the "Father of Video Games", the console was a commercial realization of his "Brown Box" prototype, which he developed at the defense contractor Sanders Associates. While a visionary product, the Odyssey was a modest commercial success, selling roughly 350,000 units before being discontinued in 1975. Its growth was capped by a high price tag of $99.95 ($700 today) and a widespread misconception that it only worked on Magnavox-branded televisions. A demonstration of the Odyssey's "Table Tennis" game famously inspired Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of Atari, to create Atari's "Pong' in 1972. This led to a landmark series of patent lawsuits that ultimately earned Magnavox and Sanders over $100 million in licensing fees and settlements.
