History of video games/Platforms/RCA Studio II

History Background The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was founded in 1919 and quickly became a consumer electronics titan, having introduced some of the first consumer color television sets to the market in 1954.A Visual Memoir of RCA https://www.rca.com/us_en/our-legacy-266-us-en 15 January 2021RCA & Color TV: A dominant company and standard, both now gone – Part 2 https://www.eeworldonline.com/rca-color-tv-a-dominant-company-standard-both-gone-part-2-faq/ Electrical Engineering News and Products 15 January 2021 10 December 2019 In fact, RCA had been in such a powerful position that it helped set the standards for color television in the United States of America, and by extension other NTSC countries.Color TV Transformed the Way Americans Saw the World, and the World Saw America https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/color-tv-transformed-way-americans-saw-world-world-saw-america-180971343/ 13 February 2021 Smithsonian Magazine en Indirectly this would have massive implications for the technologies adopted by the video game industry on its own, and is likely the largest single impact on the video game industry attributable to RCA's industry leadership. By the late 1970's RCA was not as successful as it once had been due to a lack of solid leadership, and began to seek success in different segments of consumer electronics including their CED media format,Grundhauser Eric Movies on Vinyl: A Thing That Actually Happened in the Early 1980s https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/11/capacitance-electronic-discs-were-a-doomed-effort-by-rca-to-make-videos-go-vinyl.html 15 January 2021 Slate Magazine 10 November 2015 en and the RCA Studio II home video game console. Development Development of the system began in 1969 as the FRED (Flexible Recreational and Educational Device) personal computer, spearheaded by Joseph Weisbecker. This is quite remarkable, as the only other game console in development at the time was the Magnavox Odyssey Brownbox prototypes, which were not based around a proper computer. Poor management at RCA lead the company to not capitalize on this computer for some time, and by the time they did the first generation of video game consoles had already hit the market, and were being replaced by more advanced second generation systems. The Studio II was a version of the FRED. A related early home computer design, the COSMAC ELF, had also resulted from the work of Joseph Weisbecker.Chip Hall of Fame: RCA CDP 1802 https://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/processors/chip-hall-of-fame-rca-cdp-1802 IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News 31 October 2020 en Joyce Weisbecker, one of Joseph Weisbecker daughters, is believed to have become both one of the first female game developers and is also perhaps the first independent console game developer with her work developing the TV Schoolhouse I quiz game for the system as an outside contractor in 1976.Edwards Benj Rediscovering History’s Lost First Female Video Game Designer https://www.fastcompany.com/90147592/rediscovering-historys-lost-first-female-video-game-designer Fast Company 31 October 2020 27 October 2017 thumb|RCA Studio A, a recording studio. The RCA Studios were the namesake of the RCA Studio series of game consoles. Despite the name, there was not a product released named the RCA Studio I.The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/worst-game-consoles.html#slide11 PCWorld 16 January 2021 en 14 July 2009 The name is instead based on RCA's recording studio naming scheme. Launch and Legacy The RCA Studio II was released in January 1977 for about $150 US Dollars. The system was quickly discontinued in February 1978 having been a commercial failure.RCA Studio II (1977 - 1978) https://obsoletemedia.org/rca-studio-ii/ Museum of Obsolete Media 28 October 2020 24 January 2015 A color capable and sound enhanced RCA Studio III was designed by 1977. However the failure of the Studio II lead to RCA leaving the console to its Hong Kong based partner Conic Group, which released the console in a number of countries outside the United States of America under other brands in 1978.RCA Studio III by RCA – The Video Game Kraken http://videogamekraken.com/rca-studio-iii-by-rca 16 January 2021 Some software for the RCA Studio II and the RCA Studio III is compatible across both systems. A higher spec RCA Studio IV was planned.Sudo Null https://sudonull.com/post/11617-Architecture-and-Programming-RCA-Studio-II SudoNull 16 January 2021 en A January 1st, 1978 tape made by Joseph Weisbecker containing data for the final interpreter software has lead hobbyists to make a working version of this console in software.Emma 02 https://www.emma02.hobby-site.com/studioiv.html www.emma02.hobby-site.com 16 January 2021Modla Andy ajavamind/rca-studio2 https://github.com/ajavamind/rca-studio2 16 January 2021 12 January 2021 Between 53,000 and 64,000 consoles were sold, with fewer cartridges sold then consoles.RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager! https://atariage.com/forums/topic/209519-rca-studio-ii-gold-mine-an-interview-with-the-studio-2-production-manager/page/47/#entry3872359 AtariAge Forums 15 January 2021 RCA as an independent company would not last much longer, following a merger with General Electric in 1986.Center Smithsonian Lemelson RCA Corporation Records, 1887-1983 (bulk, 1914-1968) https://invention.si.edu/rca-corporation-records-1887-1983-bulk-1914-1968 15 January 2021 Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation 23 July 2014 en Despite this, the RCA brand would be used on at least one more console. In Summer of 2002 (RCA DRC300N) and June 2003 (RCA DRC480N) two RCA brand Nuon enhanced DVD player was released, though the both systems are incapable of playing commercial titles and could only be used for homebrew gaming.NUON-Dome - www.nuon-dome.com https://www.nuon-dome.com/rcadrc300nrev.html www.nuon-dome.com 19 January 2021NUON-Dome - www.nuon-dome.com https://www.nuon-dome.com/rcadrc480n.html www.nuon-dome.com 19 January 2021 thumb|The Library at the College of New Jersey. At least one tape related to the development of the RCA Studio series is held by the Sarnoff Collection held at the College of New Jersey in Trenton, New Jersey. Technology The RCA Studio II uses RCA's own RCA CDP1802 processor, clocked at 1.78 megahertz.RCA Studio II Teardown https://www.ifixit.com/News/3394/rca-studio-ii-teardown iFixit 29 October 2020 en 29 October 2020 The CDP1802 was also developed by Joseph Weisbecker, giving the RCA Studio II the rare advantage of sharing a designer of both the console and the processor inside of it. Furthermore a degree of horizontal integration was present as a result of RCA using their own processor design in their console. This revolutionary processor was the first to use power efficient complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, and was also a pioneer a RISC like methodology in early microprocessors.Great Microprocessors of the Past and Present (V 13.4.0) http://www.cpushack.com/CPU/cpu2.html www.cpushack.com 15 January 2021 An RCA CDP1861 support processor handles graphical output.RCA Studio 2 Technical stuff https://web.archive.org/web/20090415051408/http://studio2.classicgaming.gamespy.com/techinfo.htm web.archive.org 31 October 2020 15 April 2009 The system was limited to black and white graphics, which proved to be a major downside for the console.Vintage RCA Studio II System Review - Gamester81 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CB-JOzsUCw 15 January 2021 The system has 512 bytes of RAM, and 2 kilobytes of ROM. The RCA Studio II and RCA Studio III typically execute software through an interpreter, a very forward thinking design for 1977. This is similar to the CHIP-8 on the COSMAC ELF, though RCA Studio series and COSMAC ELF software are not compatible. Had RCA continued to make consoles and video games, they likely could have maintained backwards compatibility at minimal cost thanks to this technical decision, as future devices would only need the interpreter to be rewritten for their specific hardware. The console uses a hand drawn PCB designed around through hole components for a motherboard, a fairly typical design for the time. This style of design enhances reliability and made the board easier to repair,Through Hole Assembly vs Surface Mount Assembly https://falconerelectronics.com/through-hole-vs-surface-mount-assembly/ 15 January 2021 Falconer Electronics 4 December 2020 especially compared to the then new technology of surface mounted components.The History of Surface Mount Technology and It's Advantages https://falconerelectronics.com/history-advantages-of-surface-mount-technology/ Falconer Electronics 15 January 2021 17 September 2019 The system used a combined power supply and RF switch, a rare design choice which is similar to the later Atari 5200.The RCA Studio II gaming console was one of the first cart-based video game consoles http://www.8-bitcentral.com/rca/studioII.html 8-Bit Central 16 January 2021 This critical part has a high failure rate and is the Achilles heel of maintaining a working RCA Studio II.Video Game Console Library RCA Studio II https://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg70-rca.htm#page=ratings Video Game Console Library 16 January 2021 Styrofoam casing embossed with the RCA brand was used to protect the Studio II in the box.RCA Studio II: History's worst home console - Unboxing, Gameplay, Review Retro Game Living Room https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB-gc2k7GPc 15 January 2021 Notable Games Built in software Bowling Addition Doodle Patterns Freeway Cartridges TV Arcade Series: Speedway/Tag TV School House I TV School House II: Math fun Star WarsRCA Studio II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_Studio_II Wikipedia 13 February 2021 en 10 January 2021 Gallery Games RCA Studio II RCA Studio II internals Related RCA Photos External Resources RCA Studio II RCA 1802 COSMAC ELF RCA Studio II Video Game Kraken RCA Studio II page - Includes prototype photograph and detailed historical information. Video Game Kraken RCA Studio III page - Includes photographs and detailed historical information. Video Game Kraken Toshiba Visicom C 100 page - Includes photographs and detailed historical information. Old Computers Museum RCA Studio II page - Includes history and specifications. Video Game Console Library - RCA Studio II page - Includes photos and history. References 2100%__NOTOC__