ABSTRACT
Mattel’s aggressive ads were seen as the first shot in a console war-the first of its kind-and the media was quick to respond. Although today we consider it commonplace to have competing video game systems on the market at all times, back then it was almost unheard of. Although Coleco had once run head-to-head ads against Mattel comparing handheld games, (see page 37), this was the first such video game ad. For the first time in the brand-new video game business, consumers had a choice. Robinson puts it this way: “Before, the question was, ‘Should I buy a video game system for my kid?’ After, it became, ‘Which video game system should I get my kid?’” Like Activision’s challenge to Atari the previous year, this was a rite of passage for the young industry.
