1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
“Power pack outside, dignity intact — a graceful exit in 1983.”
“The intelligent television outthought its rivals, then simply took its talents home”
The Intellivision — a portmanteau of 'intelligent television' — arrived from Mattel Electronics in 1979 and quickly earned a reputation for more realistic sports and strategy games than its competitors. By 1981 it held close to 20% of the domestic video game market, eventually selling more than 3.75 million consoles and 20 million cartridges through 1983. At its peak, Mattel Electronics employed about 1,800 people ac
In 1984, Mattel sold its video game assets to a former executive and investors, who carried on as INTV Corporation; game development ran from 1978 all the way to 1990. IGN ranked it No. 14 on its list of the greatest video game consoles of all time in 2009. The brand lives on through follow-ups like the Intellivision Flashback, the Amico, and Atari's Intellivision Sprint, with Atari owning the brand and library as of
Spotted something wrong? Every fact on this page traces to a dated source. Fixes make the graveyard better for everyone.
“Power pack outside, dignity intact — a graceful exit in 1983.”
“First to the cartridge party, first to leave it — fun, channeled briefly.”
“It kept the hot side hot and the cool side cool, right up until the world went warm on styrofoam.”