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Mattel Auto Race & Mattel Football (1976-1977)
Mattel Auto Race & Mattel Football (1976-1977)
Mattel
First: First fully electronic hand-held video game
Media: Mattel "Electronic Football" commercial.
Mattel Auto Race
Often referred to as the first fully-digital handheld video game console, Mattel's Auto Race was released in 1976. Mattel pioneered handheld video games, and this handheld is often forgotten because of the success of Mattel Football released a year later in 1977. Similar to Football, the characters (in this case, cars), were represented by small, moving, red LED lights and had simple sounds. Mattel, who was known for producing Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, was first unsure about entering the electronics market, but the success of Auto Race and Football led to the Mattel Electronics division of the company, which was, at a point, highly profitable.
Source: eBay Auction
Mattel Football
Mattel Football was released in June 1977, and sold through Sears retail stores. After less than 100,000 were made, Sears decided that they didn't think the game would sell, and production for both Football and Auto Race were stopped. Later, Sears realized their prediction was inaccurate, and when production started again, 500,000 were selling a week!
Obtained from: Elephants Trunk Flea Market
