Ralph Baer was working for a U.S. defense company when he invented the world's first video game system. Luckily, this invention was too fun to remain locked away from the public.

Stuff of Genius tells the story behind everyday inventions. From the bikini to super wheat and everything in between. Viewers will learn the stories of unsung inventor heroes and their trials, tribulations and successes.

--

Behold, the video game console. But where did it come from?

Meet Ralph Baer, born in Germany in 1922.

His most famous invention is the first home video console, called the Magnavox Odyssey.

Although the kernel of this idea came to Baer during his time with a defense company in New Hampshire, it wasn’t until several years later that he began to seriously contemplate the notion.

As a 29-year old engineer at a television company called Loral, Baer began developing games that could be played on a television set.

After more experimentation and research, Baer was ready to apply his innovation to television sets around the world.

When Baer licensed his innovations to Magnavox in 1971, the company immediately produced the Odyssey, which could be plugged directly into a television, although without sound.

Within a few years, the Odyssey was catching on, and the inevitable lawsuits began.


свернуть