Milton Bradley Microvision

The Milton Bradley Microvision was the first ever handheld console with interchangeable cartridges. While manufactured and produced by Milton Bradley, the console was actually designed by Jay Smith of Smith Engineering, the man who would later develop the Vectrex.

The Microvision was released in November of 1979 to quite decent success; however, a combination of several factors (detailed below) and very little third party support meant it was discontinued after just two years in 1981, with only 12 games ever released for it.

A notable thing about the machine is that the console itself is just a screen, a paddle dial and a couple of connecting chips; the CPU, RAM and everything else were included on the cartridges.

Why It Flopped

 * 1) High price: While the console itself retailed for a reasonable $49, the complex nature of the cartridges meant they could cost twice the amount of the console itself, and sometimes even more.
 * 2) Poor build quality: The CPU doesn't have proper ESD shielding, so even an small electrical charge can fry it and destroy the cartridge. The buttons are also unreliable and their plastic cover tears extremely easily.
 * 3) Bad screen: The 16x16 LCD screen was notably awful; not only does it easily suffer from "screen rot" (the condition where a LCD will start leaking and darken) due to not being sealed properly, but it's also thermally sensitive to the point where subjecting it to the heat of the sun (i.e. playing outside) can cause it to break.
 * 4) Poor battery life: The console initially required two 9 volt batteries in order to run (a later revision changed it to one), and would eat them up in around 4 hours; as well, installing them improperly is practically guaranteed to brick the console.
 * 5) Very little third party support, as stated above.
 * 6) Poor marketing: Milton Bradley had little to no faith in the device and barely gave it any marketing.
 * 7) The console was really heavy and awkward to hold. It is also hard to fit into the user's pocket.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) Handheld gaming had to start somewhere, so while it flopped, the Microvision still has a place in history.
 * 2) The console has one of the earliest Star Trek licensed games, and is somewhat valuable among collectors as a result.

Trivia

 * Gunpei Yokoi, the man who would one day create the Game Boy, got the idea for the Game & Watch after seeing the Microvision, and took notes to avoid its design flaws.

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