Before the NES, Nintendo released the Color TV-Game in Japan, a series of five home dedicated consoles. A total of three million units of the first four models, and half a million units of each of the next two models, were sold. These models have the highest sales figures of the first generation of video game consoles, and can run on C batteries or an AC adapter.
Nintendo’s first home console that was designed in-house, the Color TV-Game 6, was built in collaboration with the Mitsubishi Company after the car maker’s deal with Systek fell through after their company dissolved. How did it all go down? Well, Mitsubishi went to Nintendo’s president Hiroshi Yamauchi in hopes of striking a deal, and the rest is history. Yamauchi understand that this console had to be priced fairly, since the other systems on the market failed due to their high prices. This paid off handsomely, as over 350,000 people in the country purchased a Color TV Game 6.
- Limited-edition design featuring elements inspired by Mario. Available while supplies last!
- Local co-op*, local wireless*, and online multiplayer**
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
Every Color TV-Game 6 unit sold actually lost Nintendo money, and in order to generate a profit, the company had to sell the system for 12,000 yen. So, that’s how the Color TV-Game 15 came about, which sold around twice the amount (700,000 units) at exactly that price point. The Color TV-Game 15 featured nine more games, detachable controllers and a sleeker design, thus enabling the company to reduce the price of the Color TV-Game 6 to just 5,000 yen and also include an AC adapter.
