Atari 2600 Video Computer System [1977] 

The Atari 2600 VCS was an 8-bit machine and not a 4-bit system like you would assume, but lacks the capabilities of other consoles in this bracket, including the NES and the Sega Master System. It also lacked the RAM to keep up with the rivals.

This console could be said to be the main contributor to the great video game market crash of 1983-4. This started in 1982 when Atari decided to release Atari Pac Man. Much was expected by the makers - about 20 million copies. This was never going to happen as the majority of the public were not impressed by the version and it sold only 7 million.

There was money that needed to be made up by Atari, so they created a game around the movie, E.T. This needed to sell at least 25 million copies to make up for the cost of the license. Most people hated it, selling only a million copies, leaving loads of the game unsold on shop shelves. Atari being the leader in video games at the time left the video game market in tatters. The stores discontinued all video games sales, including all games for consoles around this time.