Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COLECO VISION VIDEO GAME SYSTEM

Date Range From

1982

Date Range To

1984

Materials

PLASTIC

No. Pieces

22

Height

13.7

Length

53.1

Width

33.9

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. 2 PIECE. LID IS TRANSLUCENT BROWN PLASTIC; HAS A SLIGHT RIDGE RUNNING DOWN CENTER. THERE IS A BLACK RECTANGULAR STICKER IN CENTER OF LID WITH A SILVER GEOMETRIC DESIGN ON IT. LID HAS NUMEROUS SHALLOW SCRATCHES ON IT. BASE IS DARK GREY PLASTIC WITH A MOLDED INTERIOR, MADE TO HOLD VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF SYSTEM. THERE IS A SILVER BAND ACROSS FRONT OF BASE THAT READS "COMPUTER/GAME ORGANIZER". THERE IS A HOLE IN BACK OF BASE FOR POWER SUPPLY CORD TO GO THROUGH. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM IS "THE DYNASOUND ORGANIZER DIV. HARTZELL MFG. INC. GRANTSBURG, WI. 54840 MADE IN U.S.A.". 2. CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT. 6.8 X 38.0 X 24.0. BLACK WITH SILVER LABELS. ON TOP OF UNIT IS A SPACE TO HOLD AND PLUG IN GAME PADDLES. THERE IS ALSO A SLOT ON TOP TO INSERT CARTRIDGES, AS WELL AS AN ON/OFF SWITCH. ON FRONT OF UNIT READS "COLECO VISION VIDEO GAME SYSTEM", AND THERE IS A SLOT FOR "EXPANSION MODULE INTERFACE" WITH A DOOR THAT SLIDES VERTICALLY. ON BACK OF UNIT ARE TWO PORTS AND A CHANNEL SWITCH. BOTTOM OF UNIT HAS A STICKER THAT READS "SERIAL NO: C0130715". 3. GAME PADDLES. 3 PIECE. 4.6 X 16.0 (W/O CORD) X 7.0. 2 PADDLES: ONE IS BLACK, ONE IS OFF-WHITE; BOTH ARE PLASTIC. BOTH HAVE RECESSED BUTTONS WITH NUMBERS FROM 0 THROUGH 9 AND * AND #, ON THEM. AT TOP OF EACH PADDLE IS A ROUND JOYSTICK. EMBOSSED BELOW JOYSTICK IS "COLECO". THERE IS A BUTTON ON EITHER SIDE OF PADDLE ADJACENT TO EMBOSSING. COMING OUT OF THE TOP BACK OF EACH IS A SPIRALLED CORD. EMBOSSED ON THE BACK OF EACH IS "COLECO MADE IN TAIWAN PATENT PENDING". BLACK PADDLE ALSO HAD AN EXTRA INSERT THAT GOES OVER TOP OF NUMBERED BUTTONS. INSERT IS THIN PLASTIC AND HAS SAME NUMERICAL CHARACTERS AS ABOVE BUT ALSO HAS SQUARE 1 THROUGH 3 AND 5 COLOURED, AS WELL AS A DOG'S HEAD IN SQUARE #5. TAB ON SIDE OF INSERT READS "1982 COLECO INDUSTRIES, INC.". 4. POWER SUPPLY. 5.5 X 11.9 (W/O CORDS) X 7.6. A BLACK PLASTIC BOX WITH FOUR FEET, AND A CORD COMING OUT OF 2 ENDS, OPPOSITE EACHOTHER. SILVER LABEL ON TOP OF BOX READS "MODEL NO. 74942 COLECO POWER SUPPLY FOR COLECOVISION VIDEO GAME SYSTEM". EMBOSSED ON UNDERSIDE OF BOX IS "COLECO MODEL NO. 74942 CSA #LR-51341"; ALSO STAMPED IN WHITE ON UNDERSIDE IS "43013". 5. GAME CARTRIDGES. 2.0 X 9.7 X 8.2. EACH IS BLACK PLASTIC WITH A PAPER LABEL. BOTTOM END OF EACH CARTRIDGE IS OPEN AND EMBOSSED ON BACK OF ALL BUT TWO IS "COLECO MADE IN U.S.A."; ONE HAS "COLECO MADE IN TAIWAN", AND THE OTHER HAS NO EMBOSSING ON BACK. THE TITLES OF GAMES INCLUDE: DONKEY KONG, DONKEY KONG JUNIOR, LADY BUG, VENTURE, FRENZY, MOUSE TRAP, SPACE PANIC, LOOPING, SUPER ACTION BASEBALL, PEPPER II, ZAXXON, MR. DO!, SPACE FURY, CARNIVAL, COSMIC AVENGER, AND B.C.'S QUEST FOR TIRES.

Subjects

DATA PROCESSING T&E

TOY

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

PURCHASED BY DONOR FROM A GARAGE SALE. WAS COLLECTED FOR FAMILY USE, SO THAT HE COULD WORK WITH KIDS AND TEACH THEM ABOUT ELECTRONICS. THE COLECO VISION WAS RELEASED N 1982, AND WAS A THIRD GENERATION COLECO SYSTEM. IT PROMISED ARCADE QUALITY GRAPHICS AND SOUND, AND WAS A HIT BECAUSE OF ITS QUALITY AND THAT IT LIVED UP TO ITS PROMISE. IT WAS IN COMPETITION WITH ATARI AND INTELLIVISION, BUT SUCCEEDED BECAUSE OF ITS BETTER QUALITY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ATARI. COLECO BOUGHT THE RIGHTS TO DONKEY KONG FROM NINTENDO AND THE RELEASE OF THIS GAME WITH THE SYSTEM BOOSTED SALES OF COLECO VISION GREATLY. IN 1983 SALES OF COLECO VISION BEAT OUT ATARI AND MATTEL. EXPANSION MODULES WHICH WERE PRODUCED ALLOWED OTHER SYSTEM'S GAMES TO BE PLAYED ON COLECO VISION. DUE TO THE VIDEO GAME CRASH OF 1984 PRODUCTION OF COLECO VISION STOPPED IN THIS YEAR. OTHER SYSTEMS PUT OUT GAMES FOR COLECO VISION IN 1985 AND A CLONE OF THE SYSTEM WAS RELEASED IN 1988. MORE THAN 6 MILLION COLECO VISIONS SOLD IN 2 YEARS. WITH EXPANSION KITS, THE COLECO VISION HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF PLAYABLE GAMES THAN ANY OTHER SYSTEM, EVEN TO THIS DAY. DONOR HAS COLLECTED, IN GENERAL, ALL HIS LIFE. HE SAW COLLECTING AS A WAY TO WORK WITH HIS SONS, DAVID (B. 1975) AND COLIN (B. 1980). COMPUTER COLLECTION WAS BEGAN IN 1988 WHEN THE DONOR WAS WORKING AT THE U OF L. PRIOR TO THAT, SYSTEMS WERE TOO EXPENSIVE. FOR 10 YEARS MOST OF THE MATERIAL WAS IN DONOR'S GARAGE. HE USED IT TO TRY AND HELP PEOPLE TO DO FAMILY HISTORY/GENEALOGY. MOST OF HIS COLLECTION WAS OFFERED TO HIM BY PEOPLE WHO WERE AWARE OF THE DONOR'S INTEREST. DONOR DIDN'T WANT TO DISPOSE OF COLLECTION BY SELLING IT WHEN HE LEFT THE U OF L, BECAUSE HE FELT IT COULD BE USED IN AN EDUCATIONAL VENUE, SO IT WAS OFFERED TO THE MUSEUM. DONOR WAS BORN AND RAISED IN STIRLING/RAYMOND; GRADUATED FROM RAYMOND HIGH SCHOOL IN 1970. HE WORKED FOR THE TREASURY BRANCH, WHICH SENT DONOR TO N.A.I.T. FOR TRAINING AS A PROGRAMMER, SO THAT HE COULD MODIFY PROGRAMS AND WORK AS AN ACCOUNT OFFICE MANAGER. HE LEFT THE BANK IN 1979. DONOR WENT ON TO PURSUE A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE DURING WHICH TIME HE WORKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY'S CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM IN HOME COMPUTER COURSES (STUDENTS TOOK COMPUTERS HOME). HE COMPLETED HIS B. ED. IN 1983. DONOR THEREAFTER BECAME A COMPUTING BUSINESS INSTRUCTOR IN MARWAYNE, ALBERTA AND WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALBERTA'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAVELLING TO SCHOOLS TO TALK TO TEACHERS ABOUT THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN CLASSROOMS. IN 1988, THE DONOR RETURNED TO THE U OF L TO TEACH FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT. HE TAUGHT HARDWARE MAINTENANCE & MULTI-MEDIA. U OF L WAS THE FIRST TO USE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO TEACH LABS. DONOR LEFT FACULTY TO WORK AS AN ASSOCIATE REGISTRAR (1998-99) AFTER WHICH HE WENT TO ARIZONA TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR WITH THE NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE. DONOR CURRENTLY TRAVELS TO ARIZONA COLLEGE'S DISTANCE CENTERS TEACHING CLASSES.

Catalogue Number

P19990101004

Acquisition Date

2003-07

Collection

Museum

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