website/content/museum/mattel-electronics-intellivision.md

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Mattel Electronics Intellivision	Consoles	name image logo company company_name tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware emulators links docs videos related oc_id source Intellivision /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_1s.jpg /media/museum/logos/intellisivion_logo2.gif /companies/mattel-electronics Mattel Electronics photos adverts hardware emulators links docs videos 1173 title subtitle text image INTELLIVISION CONSOLE /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_2.jpg title subtitle text image TOP /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_top.jpg title subtitle text image CONTROLLER OUT /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_3.jpg title subtitle text image CONTROLLER & OVERLAY A pair of plastic overlays were offered with each game. They could be slided into the controller to indicate the function of the different keys on the keypad. /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_controller.jpg title subtitle text image CARTRIDGE INSERTED /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_cart-port_2.jpg title subtitle text image CONTROLLER 16-directions controller disc + 12-buttons keypad + 4 lateral action buttons /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_controller_2.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_box.jpg title subtitle text image BOX - VERSO /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_box_verso.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_prm-picture_1.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/photos/mattel_intellivision_prm-pic_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (DEC. 1982) "Intellivision video games. Realism goes past fiction" /media/museum/pubs/mattel_intellivision_pub-fr_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (AUGUST 1983) "Intellivision video games. Intelligence is in the game" /media/museum/pubs/mattel_intellivision_pub-fr_3.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (NOV. 1983) "Enter the game of computing" /media/museum/pubs/mattel_intellivision_pub-fr_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH FLYER ... featuring the Intellivoice /media/museum/pubs/mattel_intellivision_poster-verso.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/pubs/mattel_intellivision_prm-pic_1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPUTER ADD-ON White version Mattel was in a bind to compete with the increasing amount of game systems and computers entering the market so they set up competing internal engineering teams, each trying to either fix the Keyboard Component or replace it. The result was a new component system dubbed "the Entertainment Computer System" that proved to be was much smaller, sleeker, and easier to produce than the original Keyboard Component. Users who opted to keep their old "Keyboard Components" were offered the new system in exchange. In the end, however, the "ECS" was a retail flop. Although the original Keyboard Component offered some promise if it could have been fixed, the new one was designed to be cheap, not functional and simply could not compete with the likes of computers like the Commodore 64, never mind that it was totally incompatible to the older "Intellivision Keyboard Component". /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_white_ecs.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE Thanks to this connector it's possible to connect other Intellivision expansions /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_r-side.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE The ECS is attached to the Intellivision master console thanks to this interface /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_l-side.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD White version /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_keyboard.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED LID The connectors are used to attached the keyboard via a special "Y" cable. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_opened.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_box.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE Brown version /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_1.jpg title subtitle text image ITALIAN PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET featuring also the music synthesizer /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_ita_1.jpg title subtitle text image ITALIAN PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET featuring also the music synthesizer /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_ecs_ita_2.jpg title subtitle text image DOWNLOAD GAMES 3rd party developer Schell Electronics during the late 1990's developed the Intellicart to transfer Intellivision games from selected Internet sites and play them directly on their Intellivision unit. It connected via a 9pin serial connected to the back of a PC via a wire while it remained connected to the Intellivision via it's cartridge port. The device is no longer made. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_intellicart.jpg title subtitle text image LET YOUR CONSOLE SPEAK ! The "Intellivoice" was launched in 1982 to much fanfare when it was introduced as the second voice synthesis system ever made for video games (The first was Magnavox's voice module for the Odyssey). Innovative for the time, "Intellivoice" produced speech when used with certain games, most of which would not work without the add-on component. The VSM was a large, brown cartridge that could be plugged into the Intellivision, at which point games specifically designed for the device could be inserted like a normal cartridge into the right side of the module. More information available in the [READ MORE](/museum/mattel-electronics-intellivision/) section. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_intellivoice.jpg title subtitle text image TURN YOUR INTELLIVISION INTO A REAL COMPUTER ! Sometime before the failed Aquarius home computer scheme was hatched by Mattel, the Intellivision team had attempted to expand Intellivision into the growing home computer market by turning it into a full fledged computer dubbed as the "Intellivision Keyboard Component", much in the same way Coleco was soon to do with their Adam computer. The unit featured a built-in cassette tape drive for loading and saving data. The Keyboard Component would plug into the cartridge slot on the Intellivision, and had an additional cartridge slot of its own to allow regular Intellivision game cartridges to be played in the usual way. It used the famous 6502 microprocessor as its base. This device was a promise made by Mattel way back in 1979 when they claimed the Intellivision could be upgraded to become a 64K computer. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_component-keyboard.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_component-keyboard_2.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_component-keyboard_3.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_component-keyboard_4.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_component-keyboard_5.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD & BOX The Intellivision Music Synthesizer was a real music keyboard providing 49 keys, 6 polifonic notes (it can play 6 notes at the same time). The keyboard demands the ECS component in order to work: it would be connected through a double 9 pin connector to the controller doors of the Mattel adapter. The Music Synthesizer could be found in the traditional but rare color brown color typical of the first Intellivision model, or in the gray color of Intellivision II. Unfortunately Mattel created only one game to take advantage of the musical add-on, that being "Melody Blaster". /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_piano-keyboard_2.jpg title subtitle text image ITALIAN PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_synthe_1.jpg title subtitle text image ATTACHED TO THE INTELLIVISION The Intellivision was the first system to feature downloadable games (though without a storage device the games vanished once the machine was turned off). In 1981, General Instrument (manufacturer of the Intellivision's CPU) teamed up with Mattel to roll out the "PlayCable", a device that allowed the downloading of Intellivision games via cable TV using what we would now call a primitive "Cable DSL Modem". This device of course assumed the user had Cable TV, as in the Early 1980's most people still did not. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_playcable.jpg title subtitle text image PICTURE #2 /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_playcable_2.jpg title subtitle text image SCREENSHOT This screenshot is what appears when you turn the unit on since the Playcable service doesn't exist anymore (you bet!). This all you get... /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_playcable_ss.jpg title subtitle text image LABEL /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_playcable_label.jpg title subtitle text image PLAY ATARI 2600 GAMES ! The System Changer plugs into the Master Component and lets the owner play Atari VCS games. This new add-on is actually a VCS clone in a box complete with Atari joystick ports and game select/reset buttons. Spurred on by the System Changer, as well as Coleco's Expansion Module #1 Atari adapter for their own ColecoVision, Atari starts to threaten lawsuits. It is helpfully pointed out that clones of the Atari machine are legal due to the off-the-shelf components and un-copyrighted software contained in them. Atari backs off, opening up the floodgates for various versions of the VCS by other manufacturers. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_system-changer.jpg title subtitle text image PLAY 8 DIFFERENT GAMES without changing cartridges Third party developer Compro created an Intellivision device knoiwn as "Videoplexer", a gamer could plug in up to 8 games at a time at the same time instead of pulling each cartriudge out when finished. Very few of these units were ever made. The device would sit connected to Intellivision's cartridge port with the games pluggged into any or all of the 8 cartridge slots, and the user would push a button corresponding the the game they wished to play. /media/museum/hardware/mattel_intellivision_videoplexer_1.jpg title url platform text Nostalgia http://www.shiny-technologies.com/nostalgia.php Windows many features including ECS, Intellivoice,CGC support, network play, menu system, box/overlay display and text manual reader title url platform text Bliss http://bliss.kylesblog.com/ Multiplatform Intellivision emulator for Windows and PalmOS title url platform text IntellivisionWorld http://www.intellivisionworld.com/Download/List.asp?iwCat=1 Multiplatform More emulators at IntellivisionWorld title url platform text jzINTV http://spatula-city.org/~im14u2c/intv/ Multiplatform Good emulator for Unix, Windows and MacOS title url text Intellivision Exhibition http://www.hotcom.com/intellivision Overlays and screenshots for more than 100 games! title url text Intellivision FAQ http://www.intellivisionworld.com/FAQ/#_Toc140592017 Excellent FAQ. Very complete and good quality title url text Intellivision Gaming Network http://intvgn.roarvgm.com/ News, emulators and downloads title url text Intellivision Gumbo Website http://home.earthlink.net/~classic-videogames/intellivision/ At this site you'll find a tasty Intellivision stew, with pictures of rare Intellivision hardware, games, catalogs and fanzines title url text Intellivision Hot Spot http://www.intellivision.org/HomePage.asp custom overlays, hardware, software, rarity and more title url text INTELLIVISIONlives.com http://www.intellivisionlives.com/ Must see site from the Blue Sky Rangers, original Intellivison programmers title url text IntellivisionWorld.com http://www.intellivisionworld.com/ Excellent website full of info. Wonderfuly designed. title url text INTV Funhouse http://intvfunhouse.com/ Intellivision fun, facts, tips & pics title url text Wikipedia - Intellivision entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision Nice article from Wikipedia title url cover text INTELLIVISION MASTER COMPONENT - OWNER'S MANUAL http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/instructions/console.shtml /media/museum/docs/couvs/mattel_intellivision_owner-manual.jpg [**INTELLIVISION MASTER COMPONENT - OWNER'S MANUAL**](http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/instructions/console.shtml)written by Mattel  compiled/archived by www.intellivisionlives.com\  type of document : HTML\  source : [www.intellivisionlives.com](http://www.intellivisionlives.com) title url text Intellivision TV Commercial: Introducing Intellivision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYdYL_DPrrs Length: 1 min 3 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : Lock 'n' Chase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUJEWW62yvY Length: 29 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : Atlantis http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7503908992375545057&hl=fr Length: 34 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : AD&D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoXEYJBaLnM Length: 29 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : AD&D (Italy) http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-4441730504192492066&hl=fr Length: 30 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : Burger Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rnRRph4bcE Length: 33 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : Star Strike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPB3H_a234s Length: 32 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : B17 Bomber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=741_jmeRtv8 Length: 32 s title url text Intellivision TV Commercial: Plimpton Sports https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDza6eTXGEY Length: 33 s title url text Intellivision TV Commercial: Major League Baseball https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0KTjpaG3cg Length: 32 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : 50$ rebate http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=5944145927718736854&hl=fr Length: 33 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial : George Plimpton and Henry Thomas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsmIma0ZQtQ Length: 33 s title url text Intellivision TV commercial (Canada?) http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/54eDfNt0SvlOx4JN4 Length: 30 s title url text Hills TV commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ucpCu9wZMk Length: 27 s title url text Intellivision II TV commercial http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7884106539536123617&hl=fr Length: 30 s title url text Intellivision: Programmer Home Movies 1983/1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAkXoCAIA3w Length: 7 min 44 s title url text Intellivision: Programmer Interviews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bewzUlJEjcA Length: 9 min 26 s title url text Intellivision: CNET TV Profile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQirAqjI-s Length: 3 min 15 s /museum/intv-corp-system-iii /museum/mattel-electronics-keyboard-component /museum/world-book-tutor-vision 1205 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230419234504/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1205 2023-04-19

The Intellivision was developed by Mattel Electronics, a subsidiary of toy company Mattel (yes, the same people that make the famous "Barbie doll"), specifically to get a foot into the arriving and profitable market of electronic games. The Intellivision arrived in 1979 boasting technology that far outstripped any of the competitors, so much so that it was the first real challenge to Atari. Like Atari, Mattel also marketed their console to retailers as a rebadged unit. These models include the Radio Shack Tandyvision, the GTE-Sylvania Intellivision, and the Sears Super Video Arcade.

Using a General Instruments CP1610 processor, Intellivision was the first 16-bit game console. The data bus was only 10 bits wide but the processor internally ran with 16 bits at 894.886 kHz with 1352 bytes of RAM. The games were stored on 4-8k ROM insertable cartridges. The strongest market for the device was in sports video games where it offered superior graphics and sound.

By early 1982 Mattel had boasted a machine that sold over 2 million units, making them some $100 million US and a growing library of games that would eventually reach some 129 titles and more titles if you include 3rd party developers.

Mattel also developed a “System Changer”, an attachable device that allowed the direct play of Atari games that saw them as one of the first to successfully win a lawsuit against Atari who sued because of the invention.

Intellivision was the second video game system with a Voice Synthesis module (“IntelliVoice”), and had what was probably the first Cable Modem in the form of “PlayCable” that allowed users to download Intellivision games direct off a special TV channel.

The Intellivision’s unique controllers allowed natural player movement in 16 directions with overlays used for each individual game, allowing the controller to be reprogrammable.

After the arrival of IntelliVision II: Mattel would drop their attempt at the “Keyboard Component” (the IntelliVision computer) for the “ECS”, an updated design that attached to the system and also failed commercially due to poor design. Mattel then invested in the equally failed Aquarius home computer.

On Jan 20, 1984, and after selling 6 million units and loosing $300 million, Mattel closed the Intellivision project when the “video game crash” came into full force. The remaining inventory eventually falling to the hands of former Intellivision programmers who went on with the project in the form of INTV and on-line/CD-ROM versions of the classic Intellivision video games.

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Contributors: "Skel" (Derek McDonald)