TCW Podcast Episode 262 - Vectrex

The Vectrex came with its own screen, plastic color overlays, and roots in the aerospace industry. GCE brought Smith Engineering in to design and develop digital watch games, then calculator games, before the two companies set their sights on a full home console. That console had to include its own display because home televisions could not support vector graphics. The idea took shape when engineer John Ross came across a one-inch CRT designed for aircraft instruments, and that sparked the push toward a vector-based home console. GCE knew they were too small to compete in a saturated market on their own, so they sought out a larger company with the manufacturing and marketing muscle to give the Vectrex a real shot. Milton Bradley acquired GCE in September 1982. The Vectrex launched at $199 that holiday season, right into the Video Game Crash, and cost Milton Bradley $31.6 million before Hasbro bought what was left in 1984.

TCW 199 - The History of Handheld Games Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW199-the-history-of-handheld-games-part-2

Major Matt Mason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sNoiDT0BMw

Creepy Crawlers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJOd3pPUcEo

TCW 025 - Matel Electronics?: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW025-mattel-electronics

TCW 177 - The Intellivision Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW177-the-intellivision-part-1

TCW 178 - The Intellivision Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW178-the-intellivision-part-2

GCE Game Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bf1ShRP0sU

GCE Arcade Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgPMbbyfyw

GCE Sports Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9K0Ty5MVr0

GCE Chase N Counter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXaPOwrPq4

GCE Space N Counter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXaBH2hVnZ4

TCW 009 - The History of Mediagenic Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW009-history-of-mediagenic-part-1

TCW 010 - The History of Mediagenic Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW010-history-of-mediagenic-part-ii

TCW 225 - Games By Apollo: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW225-games-by-apollo

Towering Inferno (Atari): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9E4xYtUmqE

Entombed (Atari): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D21cBQ8zPI

TCW 080 - Vector Lights: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW080-vector-lights

TCW 133 - Rolling Dice With The Parker Brothers: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW133-rolling-dice-with-the-parker-brothers

Starhawk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjv6lnt98zY

Solar Quest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzPwfY82Aok

Rip Off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d-fcGnMpI8

Space Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxl8WAr2WI

Armor Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAShNvM8I9U

Blitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qend3Al4Rw

Star Trek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzrsb5c8dB4

Cosmic Chasm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaDXjOKMv0

Cosmic Chasm (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-9ZRSs2ATU

Berzerk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tarHYgKekeI

Hyperchase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvHKW7dnIUs

Clean Sweep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2jpYm6ZwIs

Vectrek Accessories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9LLEJ63_Rw

Star Castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ZYcNK_Fe4

Spinball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpT29NOsASw

Fortress of Narzod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYiWPBljWHk

Spike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsyOWHQ71s

Pole Position: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxKt4iZgRc

New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!

TCW Email: [email protected] 

BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds

Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com

Alex's book: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1

Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode 

Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love 

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/