![]() Years after the Odyssey, video games began offering different tools for players to use, letting them create their own levels in the game ( Lode Runner, Pinball Construction Set), swap out game artwork with their own artwork ( Doom), or even make their own games without knowing code ( ZZT). In other words, the Odyssey could be seen as the forerunner of video game engines that give users the tools they need to build their own games. What this meant in practice was that nothing stopped inventive players from altering the rules laid out in the instructions or even mixing and matching the Odyssey’s components to create their own, bespoke games. In it, you'd learn that the console's carts weren't standalone "games" (as we now understand them) but a set of mechanics that could be used in any of the system's designed games. To figure out what was happening, you would need to consult the Odyssey's manual. You’d be surprised to find that when you stuck one of the carts into the console, the system turned on immediately but all you could see were some white boxes on a black screen: no text, no instructions, no background graphics. If you were familiar with video games, you would naturally assume the carts were the games. ![]() If you were transported back to 1972 and unboxed an Odyssey, you would find a console, six carts (as they called the cartridges back then), two controllers, a large instruction manual, a set of plastic overlays for the television screen, and other supporting materials. The Magnavox Odyssey with its cover box, controllers, and carts. ![]()
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