First Video Game Console Ever: The Brown Box - Rare Obscure or Retro - Rerez

[@The8BitDuke]

Extremely informative, and with that professional Rerez production touch. If you consider yourself any sort of video game consumer, you owe it to yourself to watch this video and learn about how this industry got started.

[@rerez]

Most game consumers will probably not watch this video as they associate the word 'brown' with 'poop'.

[@NaveedMohebbi]

This was fantastic. The early history of video games are so fascinating to think about. Without these machines we wouldn't have what we have today.

[@rerez]

If we didn't have video games I wouldn't be doing these videos! Hell, I might have taken that job as a husky Canadian sex slave.

[@Mwhg]

Dafuq O_o

[@crispyscars]

Naveed Mohebbi Fortnite 😂

[@SuperSteve180]

I certainly wouldn't let my kids play a game called "Touch Me".

[@GalaxyEighty]

Steven Mathews its not what you think it is.its basicly the electronic "simon says"

[@tearlach47]

TheEmeraldStar But the name of it isn't really inviting for parents to let their children play if they just heard the name. "Ooh, mommy! I want to play that game!" "What game is that, sweetie?" "Touch me!" "..." Do you get what I mean?

[@MrApple187]

***** people didn't think that way back then

[@tearlach47]

Jaime Villa Are you trying to be a dumbass purposefully? .-.

[@MrApple187]

haha I guess u can catch em all haha. mommy can I play pokemon son ur 25.

[@GameSack]

Nice! Love the music at the end. Very fitting.

[@rerez]

It reminded me of Lethal Weapon.

[@rerez]

Actually that isn't true. A console is something that can be plugged into a regular consumer TV.

[@rerez]

I don't think it was the first video game, that can be argued with other systems. :)

[@Malkmusianful]

That sad blues-rock solo over Ralph Baer fixing Touch-Me into Simon.

[@TheSponge278]

Game Sack ERMAGERD ITZ GAME SERK! I'm going to watch Game Sack videos now.

[@GH1LL3]

R.I.P. Ralph Baer...you created something amazing...

[@derpd6578]

Rekt it ralph baer

[@Jack-fe6vv]

no hes not, he died in december 6th 2014

[@Richi-xe7rn]

You made fortnite such a god

[@MrApartment3]

So, hmmmm, if I may let my heart be known here: life has an end. Uh, does this mean we just live for so long and "that's it?" I wanted us to think about this. We don't have to talk about it. Thank you.

[@TheGreenYoutuber]

Who?

[@shortfuse9443]

It's amazing to think that we've gone from the brown box, to The Switch, (and consoles not yet released) within 50 years

[@6piecechickenmcnuggets23]

1967? Wait... Today's January 1, 2017! The Brown Box was made 50 years ago!

[@hobobob59]

6 Piece Chicken McNuggets happy 50th home gaming!

[@shameermunawar1969]

6 Piece Chicken McNuggets And now it's 51!

[@NobleS1236]

@@shameermunawar1969 now it's 52.

[@BlockedUser420]

@@NobleS1236 now its... your mum!

[@NobleS1236]

@@BlockedUser420 real original.

[@KromeDrone]

I'm still happy to have a sealed Magnavox Odyssey.

[@superbox17R]

KromeDrone gimme

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

KromeDrone Holy crap that’s insane.

[@johnhoog8279]

When I was a kid a neighbor friend had one. There's a good reason why that Odyssey is still sealed in the box, they were boring.

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

I've got 2

[@Yamaha-lr1hd]

how much for the odessey Wonka

[@rolenta24]

Great documentary! However, it should be noted that the Brown Box should in this video was a replica that had been made by 91-year old Ralph Bear in the past few years. The original Brown Box was donated to the Smithsonian in 2006, where it is not on display and cannot be loaned out to other museums. Since 2006, Ralph built approximately 30 replica Brown Boxes, some functional, others not functional, so other museums can have it on display.

[@rerez]

This is absolutely true. The Brown Box I played was a replica built by Mr. Baer using all the original parts that had to be ordered in special. It's a really awesome device!

[@NearChris]

Truly, we've come a long way. First squares, now Minecraft.

[@Zange217]

Lol, you sir make me laugh out loud.

[@rerez]

ZGamer217 He always makes me laugh. He has a funny name.

[@off.franktenpenny3604]

Now Fortnite

[@Dev-tw1og]

@SmashMasterShow We actually stop coming awhile back in the 90ds and became lazy and spoiled which is why basically everyone is a hacker badass since they don't have to code from scratch. If people actually learned to code from scratch Google and Microsoft would be out in the cold because people would have their own Linux kernel.

[@Gamester81]

I really enjoyed this video Shane. Very informative and entertaining. Nice work!

[@rerez]

Thanks dude! :)

[@BigHairyMarty314]

That was wonderful. I'd known of the Odyssey but not of the Brown Box. That story about Magnavox getting their own back with the Simon toy was amusing. :)

[@VigilanteGamer]

OK man, you got me. I've watched a couple of your videos and I'm convinced. Subscribed!

[@tysonnelson525]

High production value, and a very solid video, you deserve more subs.

[@rerez]

+Tyson Nelson Thanks! We try to make the best we can.

[@b.l.o.o.d.m.o.s.e.s.]

I completely agree Tyson

[@ImportGamingFTW]

Wow, quality is top-notch for this video all around! Really professional without being stale or uninteresting. I'll have to check out your other videos now! Didn't know that tidbit about Simon, so I was glad to learn about it.

[@rerez]

Thanks! :D

[@CommodoreFan64]

Awesome episode, we all owe so much to the simple little brown box Ralph Baer created :-)

[@rerez]

If I was Ralph I would have called it "The Fake Plastic Wood Sticker Box"

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

***** I would have put a sticker on it that states it's crinkle-resistant... If it's good enough for my shirts, it's good enough for me.

[@Jeffrey314159]

4:13 Atari also included sound effects

[@p.l.vasquez9040]

Nice job here. It's amazing how few people know about the original Odyssey and its roots. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that Nolan Bushnell would refuse to give credit where it was due, even when confronted with evidence of where "his baby" came from. Really like how you included Ralph Baer in the "Special Thanks" section - he and his team really deserve it.

[@hitkid2456]

This was envisioned in the damn 60s! The age of ARPANET! Even Computer Space wouldn't be out until the next decade.

[@frankez99]

That album by The Door was unbelievable; there will never be another debut album like that ever.

[@alexk8792]

I remember having seen the legendary Brown Box on exhibit at the Game On video game convention in Seattle several years ago.

[@dave4shmups]

Excellent video, Rerez! I definitely want to go to that museum! Ralph Baer has an interesting personal history. His background is German and Jewish, and when the Nazi's came to power, he was kicked out of middle school for being Jewish, and he came here, to the USA.

[@rerez]

He really has lived a very interesting life!

[@Abdega]

He was also drafted to fight in World War II

[@OTDIGaming]

Spectacular job man, this was a really nice video, and I really hope to see more of these in the future.

[@rerez]

I might do more like this. It really depends on the subject matter.

[@kilgoretrout8896]

Excellent video; thanks for the history lesson man!

[@rerez]

Kilgore Trout You're welcome!

[@gregbullock9315]

That's the best mustache I've ever seen.

[@kilgoretrout8896]

Hey, thanks man! Just gotta wash, comb, and twist every damn day and you too can have the mustache of your dreams.

[@MrHP3r]

Kilgore Trout I seriously hope my mustache will look like yours, damn that thing looks good.

[@kilgoretrout8896]

***** Eh, so it goes.

[@darksouls-qv8jb]

Making fun of the brown box is like making fun of grandparents you just don't

[@gentlegiant6585]

Old timer here. Been gaming since the beginning and still game with my son and grandson. I actually had an Odyssey (Yes, I am a gramdpa too 😁). It was very expensive at the time and my Grandfather bought it. He liked gadgets and was an early adopter. I was lucky and had the coolest grandpa (grandma too)🕹😊🇺🇸. P.S. had a Simon too. Loved it!

[@medleysa]

What a fantastic episode on the history of gaming! It's interesting to see how everything started and what succeeded and became popular. I think it's interesting how the Brown Box and the Odyssey had several different games, but the one that became popular was Pong. Not only was that the most popular, in just a few years, it was the only one that survived the exit of the Odyssey. I'd love to visit that museum. It'd be like seeing Plymouth Rock or the Constitution for an American Historian. Awesome episode, Shane!

[@rerez]

Honestly, that tag game was actually very fun. However now-a-days kids want the guns and the blocks to makes the huts and the cars. Damn kids.

[@longarmsshow]

This was amazing, Shane. Simply stellar work, man, and this was a very interesting subject to learn more about!

[@rerez]

I wanted to be a teacher but they said I couldn't teach video game history. TAKE THAT MRS. KABAPAWITZ!

[@n64glennplant]

Awesome in depth, well researched video :-) loved it

[@rerez]

Thank your Mr. Plant. The research was hard and I fell asleep on the job many a nights.

[@killerblocks]

5:38 sick build bro

[@vito7056]

These videos relax me. Thanks for all your content

[@deludedmarxist]

That music made the whole thing a lot more... melancholy. I got some serious Pink Floyd vibes, very much in the same vein as Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Who knew royalty-free music could not suck?

[@pixelcrunch300]

It's insane to think that the first ever home console is something that anyone could recreate using a couple of flashlights and a big wall. We've come so far in 51-odd years.

[@VoidHalo]

Where is this personal computer museum you were at? There's one in Brantford Ontario in Canada that I've been to (donated a Tandy 1000EX to it) and it looks remarkably similar to the one you were in.

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

That's where he's at

[@CazMeister]

An excellent lookback at gaming's long-forgotten home console. Curious Shane, do you plan to cover some other early pieces of gaming history like OXO and Nim?

[@rerez]

If I can find the original hardware, sure! (However OXO could be reviewed... with like... a piece of paper and a pen...)

[@MarysSwagYouTubeChannel]

at 2:41 there is custom grow 420 lurking in the background

[@brendans.9515]

before he got the munchies

[@WallyTheLegend]

I don't know how I missed this the first time, but this was really interesting! Needless to say, I really enjoyed this! Great job Shane!

[@TiberianFiend]

The most important invention in gaming ever was the personal computer because all video games are developed on them.

[@TiberianFiend]

+Diamondminor9 Learn to read.

[@DoctorNica]

+Tiberian Fiend It can be possible to develop a game on a console.

[@isecream]

+Tiberian Fiend Amen brother.

[@romanace3432]

Tiberian Fiend I don’t really think personal computers existed back they were a bit bulky taking up a whole room for something less powerful than a google search.

[@danielcrocker]

This is the first Rerez video I've seen, but I'm really impressed. The production values are amazing. Subscribed :)

[@CultOfWeirdness]

i had an old portable Simon. ran on 9 volts. loved that thing

[@sylvur]

I never heard about the Magnavox Odyssey until I saw that AVGN episode. I guess we can truly blame Atari for stealing the spotlight and trying to claim Pong was the first home console ever made.

[@samuelcamarillo1349]

Kreeded The Atari Jaguar was the last console ever. RIP gaming.

[@KronosTheDeejay]

Great show! Keep up the amazing work. Your in depth reports are top-notch.

[@316whatupz]

OMG...Simon. I remember that game. It's been so long since I've last played one. Ah, good ol' memories. Awesome video.

[@VectrexRoli]

Great video, thanks for showing this!

[@DH1986]

My first console was an NES. I love learning about the older ones like the fairchild and the Brown Box.

[@pastywhitegangsters3748]

how did this channel remain undiscovered for so long?

[@rerez]

With my magic cloak of irrelevance!

[@daisymae3717]

That museum is amazing, I'd love to go to one like it.

[@joshuaplotkin8826]

The original brown box is in the vault at the Smithsonian. They have a replica made by Ralph Baer himself on display

[@Trialwolf]

This was really informative, I never even knew about the Brown box before. great job.

[@rerez]

It was all new to me as well!

[@Jeffrey314159]

Pong was derived from 'Tennis for Two', an electronic video game displayed on an oscilloscope screen which was demonstrated to the public at Brookhaven National Labs in 1959.

[@NBarker1993]

This is the type of gaming journalism thats needed. None of that sensationalist KOtaku shit and corrupt IGN 'reviews'. Good job.

[@bsharpmajorscale]

Dude! How did I miss this? Great stuff!

[@SakuraAvalon]

Amazingly innovative, creative and advanced hardware for the time... and they named it 'Brown Box'.

[@GamerDave1974]

Ya know, to be a true gamer you have to be Retro! I grew up in the best years of gaming and Loved it!

[@davenoneya1092]

Great video. Learned something I didn't know. I grew up when the Pong craze took off and always assumed it was the first.

[@TheGlassMan]

So this is where tag came from..

[@wmcdaniel2002]

R.I.P. Ralph Baer

[@torontofreddy8688]

I love that you threw in Floyd at the end!

[@8ball372]

What if you flip multipul switches on the console? Will it make a glitchy display?

[@homefront1999]

Fun Fact : The first video game ever was made by William Higinbotham. If i remember it used old 1940's radar military system.

[@Brookewayemusicofficial]

great vid dude, nice camera work/editing too

[@hazyfall1]

This might not be good but you can't blame It the first console ever.

[@okchief420]

Great video brother! I love me some history!

[@rerez]

Thanks dude! :)

[@seacliff217]

This is actually pretty interesting, coming from someone who loves the old pre-80 consoles. I knew pong wasn't the first game, but I thought it was Steve Russell's space wars. But considering this 'tag' like game is miles simpler, I think it's clear which came first.

[@rerez]

Spacewar! from Steve Russell actually predates this system. The brown box isn't the first video game, it's the first video game console capable of playing multiple games on a single system. :)

[@seacliff217]

***** Ah, that's right, I guess I confused myself between the two. Thanks for clarifying!

[@rerez]

No problem. :)

[@yourwaifu8643]

The first "video game" was the the "Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device" which was built in 1947, but was never released to the public.

[@seacliff217]

Vault Boy I think that's more of a Electronic Toy rather than a video game... though I do see where you are coming from.

[@KuMo]

That is so cool! Wish I could go to that museum.

[@mattyboy3576]

It’s interesting how games evolved from two dots playing tag to the ability to interact with your game

[@thepoliticalstartrek]

The break through they made was 2 parts. First part was the ability to determine the location of objects with no feed back. The second part was collision detection.

[@rpg5452]

Awesome vid, great information rewatching again now, myself I lived the jump from Coleco Atari to Nintendo Genesis and every generation after of course, but man seeing the NES for the first time was something man like magical, I was like 6yo right, another ball game they were so apart, always felt from the brown box up to Coleco was the same gen overall, I was lucky having a older brother who had a commodore 64 in like 82 83 and I had the consoles. cheers

[@ItsAllOnFilm]

Nice job on this video! keep up the good work!

[@cjcathead2468]

now I want to see a descriptive time period for all of them that talks about all the consoles

[@deezuldeezul]

Am I the only one that reconizes Micheal Tomasson for being in the Guinness World Records for having the biggest video game collection?

[@ClexYoshi]

I'd love to se Rerez visit neat topics of video game curios again once there's less pandemics, als much fun and effort seems to be put into "It's just bad".

[@jarynn8156]

I really wish you wouldnt have filmed this in front of a bunch of CRT screens. But good to know my hearing still works. Man I do not miss that squeal.

[@TsunamiCoRyan]

Thank you for making this video! My history was all wrong!

[@rerez]

You're welcome!

[@ErectedGasCan]

Cool! My dad has a variation of some console that has 4 games, the controllers only use vertical movement. It's from the early to mid 70s. Got to check the manufacturer at some point.

[@CHOCOLATEPLAYSGAMES]

I love you're video's! I'm so glad I found out about them. I have played the oddysey once. I played the haunted house and the pong game. I liked it a bit :)

[@rerez]

Isn't the Odyssey fun? :D

[@spiderjerusalem100]

The chirpy background music when you're playing that block chase game reminds me of Ren and Stimpy.

[@rerez]

Serpico's Beard It's from the same music library that Ren and Stimpy's creators used. :)

[@spiderjerusalem100]

***** lol cool, it's the kind of music they use when Ren is being unusually calm before he's about to explode in rage or when the camera is zooming in on something gross like a rotten tooth,

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

***** I'm happy you confirmed that; I had made a similar comment about the music's likeness to Ren and Stimpy :)

[@isecream]

+Rerez What's the song name?

[@sumdood8563]

The first electronic game system was actually a system meant to run a mathematics based game called The Game of Nim (A.K.A Nimatron) released in 1940 for the world fair.

[@xenocg]

I saw your trailer, saw some vids, and became your fortune cookie that says "I see a subscriber in your future".

[@dilloncompton6930]

Cool video man . Learned something new

[@555AllenWoods]

I must be getting old...I remember that game " Touch Me " and i played it as well.

[@WillEatForFood]

I wish I lived in 1967... it was also the year when they had that awesome Spider-Man cartoon series

[@robertblunderton6636]

What's that music that plays from like 10 seconds to like 30 seconds (or past that)? It reminds me of stuff in old TV shows.

[@cunningwolf4516]

but the first videogame was made in the 50s and was on a military computer, it was a tennis game but looked like nether pong or the brown box tennis game...

[@rerez]

It was called Tennis for two. However this is the first video game 'console' not the first video game.

[@cunningwolf4516]

***** I relised that I posted the comment and all I said was "oh..."

[@MaverDick12]

+cunning wolf Actually there was a legal debate about that. the conclusion was it dos not count as video .

[@cunningwolf4516]

still set everything into motion, so its a game in my book XP

[@isecream]

+cunning wolf Tennis For Two was actually the 2nd game to ever be invented. The very 1st video game built was Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device (CRTAD for short).

[@trizlet-]

Just think, if this thing wasn't invented consoles might not exist

[@wavsnackssss]

Trizlet Me no like movies. :(

[@TimMonfries]

Getting an extreme Pink Floyd vibe from the BGM - nice!

[@exiledgoldfish6329]

I've played with one of these before. Pretty cool

[@centipede167]

Thanks for the history lesson!

[@czmik]

I watched only 3 videos from this channel and i know that its great SUB

[@patsfan4life]

Nice job calling out the Doors eponymous 1967 debut!!😉

[@hellomotoa]

Is the song at the end a Pink Floyd song? Someone hit me with the title! I’m guessing its from an album before Dark Side Of The Moon, Echoes maybe??

[@adude9000]

I remember hearing about the brown box years ago on G4...now lets have a moment of silence for G4

[@awesomegaming8914]

I think one of the firs vid. Game system had to do with some sort of scope thing. It was a game where u play tennis but u can't see the paddles. Also there was another one where it was a radar or something like that.

[@Chaos89P]

Okay, I was think the Brown Box "looked kinda like an Odyssey" to find out that it's pretty much the Odyssey's prototype!

[@Grimmations]

I just thought I would mention, Ralph H. Baer passed away about a year later after this video. That was about 12 years ago. Rest in Piece to the Father of Video Games…

[@tikifire]

Great history lesson there!

[@sircliffordmalcolmjac5870]

HMMMMM, i wonder how the "well game" is played?! HAHA! Thats awesome! We need to thank those three mad men looking gents in the pictures!!

[@AbidChaudhry]

whats that tune at the end of the video? Sounds so close to Pink Floyd's Shine on You Crazy Diamond, but isnt. Also - great video!

[@HoneyMike]

This didn't show up in my feed for some reason

[@rerez]

You should totally burn your feed and/or computer.

[@HoneyMike]

Totes Mcgoats

[@PedroAlvarez-vr9xe]

Best lessons ever not even school can beat this