ROM cartridges
Second Generation Consoles
1976
The major change that occurred around this year was that, in the earliest consoles the computer code for one or more games was hardcoded on microchips using discrete logic, this blocking any other games from ever being added, but now games were found on cartridges. Programs were burned onto Read-Only Memory (ROM) chips in plastic cartridges that could be plugged into the home consoles. Other than only being able to play the games within the gaming system/computer one bought, one could now buy many cartridges and collect more games to play.
1979
Before 1979 all games were done by one person only, who thought up the idea, wrote the code for the program, did the graphics, sounds, and anything else the programmer may have wanted. In 1979 the first game was created by a group of people, it was called Activision.
The major change that occurred around this year was that, in the earliest consoles the computer code for one or more games was hardcoded on microchips using discrete logic, this blocking any other games from ever being added, but now games were found on cartridges. Programs were burned onto Read-Only Memory (ROM) chips in plastic cartridges that could be plugged into the home consoles. Other than only being able to play the games within the gaming system/computer one bought, one could now buy many cartridges and collect more games to play.
1979
Before 1979 all games were done by one person only, who thought up the idea, wrote the code for the program, did the graphics, sounds, and anything else the programmer may have wanted. In 1979 the first game was created by a group of people, it was called Activision.
