The Philips Videopac G7000 or simply Videopac is the European version of Magnavox Odyssey2, as Philips acquired Magnavox that year. In 1983, another version of Videopac will be released with a built-in CRT monochrome display, the G7200.
Six years after the presentation of the first game console in history, Magnavox Odyssey, specifically in the summer of 1978, the successor Odyssey2 was released, in order to face the mighty, from 1977, Atari VCS. Odyssey2 had a similar technology to Atari's console, except that it also incorporated a membrane keyboard, expanding the software it could accept, especially with educational titles. Magnavox's gaming machine was based entirely on Intel and more specifically on the 8-bit micro-controller 8048, in the role of central processor and Intel 8045, specially designed for Odyssey2, in the role of Video Display Controller (VDC).
Odyssey2 may not have been able to approach the sales of the Atari VCS and acquired just 50 gaming titles in its lifetime, but it did make a decent commercial run in the European market. The first edition of Odyssey2 in Europe has been released under the Philips brand, owned by Magnavox. The Philips Videopac G7000, more commonly known simply as the Videopac, entered the European market at Christmas 1978. Videopac was identical to the Odyssey2, except for the modifications to the European PAL/SECAM TV system. This even caused some minor inconsistencies, especially in the colors, of some games designed for the American NTSC.
In sales, Videopac managed to reach one million, while Philips tried to extend its life in the 80's with another version. Launched in early 1983, the G7200 was nothing more than a G7000 with a built-in single-color CRT display, with a 9-inch diagonal. This console, despite its unique fullness, did not achieve anything special in the market, as its technology was now completely outdated, already counting more than five years of life. In fact, in the G7200 the color incompatibilities with some games of the American version of Odyssey2 were even more intense.
Videopac has been released exclusively in European markets under various names, depending on the country. These include the Philips Videopac C52, Radiola Jet 25, Schneider 7000 and Siera G7000.
In 1983 Videopac G7400 was released in limited quantities only in Europe. It can play all normal G7000 games, special G7000 games with additional high-res background graphics that would appear only when played on the G7400 and G7400-only games with high-res sprites and backgrounds.