Atari 2600 goes on sale

2600 Reasons To Love It

Happy birthday the legendary Atari 2600 video game console, which went on sale in the United States for the first time today in 1977. Still beloved by those in the gaming community, its late 70s sticker price was a fairly hefty $199, which is the equivalent of nearly $800 today. So only the the most discerning computer game freaks could afford the console, two joysticks and a blocky little cartridge called Combat, which is what you got for your 200 bucks.Once users got their heads around video games on cartridges, the 2600 grew in popularity becoming the bestselling Christmas gift of 1979, with 1 million units eventually being sold. Then they had the slightly smart decision of releasing an Atari version of arcade fave Space Invaders in 1980, which saw sales figures double once again. Though as technology and home computer use expanded and the popularity of the 2600 declined, it is still loved by computer game aficionados. Especially the distinctive music.