Engineering:PC-50x family
| Manufacturer | Several companies; see Consoles list |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | First generation |
| Lifespan | 1977–1982 |
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| CPU | General Instrument AY-3-8xxx |
The PC-50x family (also known as SD-050,[1] SD-070,[1] SD-090,[1] 9015) is a series of home video game consoles belonging to the first generation prevalent in Europe between 1977 and the early 1980s, all produced in Asia.[2][3] The designation PC-50x of the series derives from the serial number of the cartridges (PC-501, PC-502 ...).[2][4]: 39
The consoles do not have a central processor; all the games are implemented thanks to the individual chips in the cartridges, all based on the chip family AY-3-8xxx of General Instrument.[2] The family also includes the so-called "9015" series in which it changes the name (9015-A, 9015-B ...) and changes the shape of the cartridges but uses the same AY-3-8xxx chips.
Common features
Some consoles produced coloured screens while others were black and white. Of the colour consoles some were marked with the initial letter S of SECAM, the French standard of the colour coding, used for example in France (and colonies) and Russia.
Features common to all the consoles in the family are the 10 keys for choosing the game, a start/reset button, 4/5 switches for game settings and two joystick with one button on each.[2]
For many models, in the name there are the SD letters, which stand for Soundic (Hong Kong), the real manufacturer of the console.
Consoles list
The consoles were produced in China, imported and rebranded by several companies and sold under different names. Below is a non-exhaustive list of them.
| Name | Company | Display | Year | Country | Note | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD 050S | ITMC | Colour | France | |||
| SD 90 | ITMC | Black and white or colour | France | 250px | ||
| SD 050S | Soundic | Colour | Europe | 250px | ||
| Programmable system | Soundic | Black and white | Europe | |||
| TV Jack 5000 | Bandai | Colour | 1978 | Japan | 250px | |
| Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game | Neckermann | Colour | 1978 | Germany | 250px | |
| Video Cassette Lock | Takatoku | Colour | 1977 | Japan | (CTV-8600 or TG 95 OI model). | 250px |
| SD 050 | Hanimex | Black and white | Europe | |||
| SD 070 couleur | Hanimex | Colour | Europe | |||
| TVG 070C | Hanimex | Colour | Europe | 250px | ||
| Secam Systeme vidéo cassettes | Secam | Colour | France | On the PCB is written SD-050S | 250px | |
| Jeu Video SD 050S | Secam | Colour | France | |||
| SD-50 Program 2000[5] | Creatronic | Colour[5] | 1978[5] | France[5] | ||
| Programmable 2003 | Elbex | Colour | 1977 | Europe | Produced in China but sold in Europe | |
| 4/303 'Video Secam System' | Rollet | Colour | 1983? | France | Sold also with the name 'Secam Video Systeme' SD-050S | |
| Programmable TV-Game | Universum | Colour | Germany | |||
| SD-050 | Grandstand | Colour | United Kingdom | |||
| Programmable game | Grandstand | Colour | United Kingdom | Also known as Mercury Commander Paul's Mark III – Programmable TV Game | 250px | |
| Colour Programmable SD070 Video Sports Centre SD070 |
Grandstand | Colour | 1978 | United Kingdom United States[4] |
250px | |
| Tournament Colour Programmable 2000 | Prinztronic | Colour | 250px | |||
| Programmable TV Game SD-050C | Tempest | 1977 | Austria | |||
| Cablestar 01-4354[5] | Binatone | Black and white[5] | 1978[5] | United Kingdom[5] | ||
| Tele-Sports III[5] | Radofin | Colour[5] | 1978[5] | Europe | 250px | |
| Tele-Sports IV[5] | Radofin Acetronic |
Colour[5] | 1978[5] | Europe | 250px | |
| Tele-Sports programmable[5] | Radofin | Colour[5] | 1978[5] | Europe | ||
| Colour TV Game[5] | Acetronic | Colour[5] | 1978[5] | United Kingdom[5] | ||
| Video SD-050[5] | Akur | Colour[5] | 1978[5] | Germany[5] | ||
| Color TVG-872[5] | Cam Clipper |
Colour[5] | 1978 (Cam) 1977 (Clipper)[5] |
Italy[5] | ||
| TVG-888 | Irradio | Colour | Italy | |||
| PG-7 programmable | Polycon | Colour | United Kingdom | 250px | ||
| 9015 | Poppy | Colour | Germany | |||
| TVG 10 | Poppy | Colour | Germany | 250px | ||
| 9015 | Sanwa | Colour | Germany | |||
| 9015 | Mustang | Colour | Germany | |||
| 4A-8 | Conic | Colour | 1978 | Hong Kong | Cartridge format in common with 9015 | 250px |
| Jeu Video Cassette Interchangeables Tele-sports III | Univox | Colour | 1977 | France | 250px | |
| Color (model TVG 57253) | Mark | 1978 | Europe | 250px | ||
| TV Game-programmable SD-070 | Tristar | 1978 | Sweden | 250px | ||
| Colour Cartridge VMV12[6] | Videomaster | Colour | 1979 | United Kingdom | Cartridge format in common with Palson | 250px |
| Game Cassette System CX-336[6] | Palson | Colour | 1978 1979 |
Spain | Cartridge format in common with Videomaster | 250px |
| Aureac Video Play | Aureac VP Electronics | 1978 | Spain | The 10 game select keys were on one of the two controllers | 250px | |
| Black Point FS 1003 | S.H.G. GmbH | Colour | 1978 | West Germany | 200px | |
| Black Point FS 2000 | S.H.G. GmbH | Colour | 1978 | West Germany | 200px | |
| Optim 600[7] | Optim | Colour | 1978 | United Kingdom |
Games
| Code | French name | English name | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC-501 9015-A |
Supersportif | Sports / Supersportic / Superten / Superstar | AY-3-8610 (8 pong games + 2 rifle games) |
| PC-502 9015-B |
Motocyclette | Motor cycle | AY-3-8760 (4 race games) |
| PC-503 9015-C |
Bataille de chars | Tank Battle | AY-3-8710 (2 tank games) |
| PC-504 9015-D |
Course de voitures GP | Racing cars / Grand Prix / Race Car GP | AY-3-8603 (2 racing games) |
| PC-505 9015-G |
Bataille navale | Submarine | AY-3-8605 (2 games) |
| PC-506 9015-E |
Jeu de destruction | Super Wipeout | AY-3-8606 (10 games) |
| PC-507 9015-H |
Jeux de tir | Shooting Gallery | AY-3-8607 (3 rifle games) |
| PC-508 9015-F? |
6 jeux de base | Fundamental | AY-3-8500[8] (pong games) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.pong-story.com/pc-50x.htm pc-50x cartridges
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Amos, Evan (2021). The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox. No Starch Press. p. 35. ISBN 9781718500617. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Game_Console_2_0/-KAiEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22PC-50x%22&pg=PA35&printsec=frontcover.
- ↑ Boellstorff, Tom (2024). Intellivision: How a Videogame System Battled Atari and Almost Bankrupted Barbie. MIT Press. p. 341. ISBN 9780262549509. https://archive.org/details/mit_press_book_9780262380553/page/n357/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Herman, Leonard (March 2018). "Revising History". Old School Gamer Magazine (BC Productions) (3): 38–39. https://archive.org/details/old-school-gamer-magazine-11/Old%20School%20Gamer%20Magazine%2003/page/n37/.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedstarr - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Videomaster su Pong-Story
- ↑ Robertson, Angus, ed (1979). From Television to Home Computer: The Future of Consumer Electronics. Blandford Press. pp. 187–188. ISBN 9780806999142. https://archive.org/details/fromtelevisionto0000unse/page/187/.
- ↑ "Sly DC's Retro Gaming Blog: PC-508 Fundamental cartridge". 19 November 2016. https://slydc.blogspot.com/2016/11/pc-508-fundamental-cartridge.html.
External links
- "PC 50x at videogameconsolelibrary". http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg70-pc50x.htm.
- "PC 50x at pong-story". http://www.pong-story.com/sd050.htm.
- "PC 50x at ultimateconsoledatabase". http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/others/pc_50x.htm.
- "PC 50x at old-computers". https://www.old-computers.com/magazine/view.asp?r=2&a=4.
- "PC 50x at 20th Century Video Games".
Template:First generation game consoles
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