Philips Tele-Game series

Series of first-generation home video game consoles

Philips Tele-Game seriesType| Series of dedicated home video game consoles

|

Generation| First generation
Lifespan| Late 1975–1978
Introductory price| ES 2201: 150 DM (converted 61 Euro)/400 Franc
Power| ES 2208 Las Vegas: 9 V DC power supply
Mass| ES 2208 Las Vegas: c. 800 g
Predecessor| Philips Odyssey series
Successor| Philips Videopac G7000

The Philips Tele-Game series was a series of six dedicated first-generation home video game consoles manufactured, released and marketed between 1975 and 1978 by Dutch company Philips.

All Philips Tele-Game consoles have the contraction "ES" which stands for "elektronisches Spiel" (German for "electronic game").[1][2] The systems are named differently depending on the country (Tele-Spiel in Germany, Tele-Game in the United Kingdom, Tele-Peli in Finland, and Tele-Spel in the Netherlands). In all countries, the name means tele game. The Philips Tele-Game consoles were some of the first European video game consoles ever to be released.[3][4]

## Models

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### ES 2201

[edit]

Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2201 was the first console of the Philips Tele-Game series and was sold from late 1975 to 1976 for 150 Deutsche Mark (DM)[5] (converted 61 Euro)[4] or 400 Franc.[3] The score is not displayed on screen, hence there are two sliders for the score on the case ranging from 0 to 15.[4] It can only output black and white.[4]

#### Games

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Games available for the Philips Tele-Game ES-2201

Nr.  | English name[3] | German name[3][6] | Cartridge model[3][6]
1  | Badminton  | Federball  | ES-2211
2  | Pelota  | Trainingswand  | ES-2212
3  | Skeet Shooting  | Tontaubenschiessen  | ES-2213
4  | Racing  | Autoslalom  | ES-2214
5  | Ghostchaser  | Phantomjagd  | ES-2215

Five games were available for the system in form of cartridges: Badminton, Pelota, Skeet Shooting, Racing and Ghostchaser. All of those games (except Badminton which was in the delivery[3]) were sold for 25 DM[5] or 45 Franc.[3] On these cartridges isn't a program, there are just a few wires that connect electrically a few parts of the intern console hardware so that a game appears on the screen.[4]

### ES 2203 Las Vegas

[edit]

Philips Tele-Spiel 2203 in packaging

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2203 Las Vegas is the second console in the Philips Tele-Game series. It was released in 1977[7] and has six integrated games instead of four commercially available games through the built-in Pong video game circuit AY-3-8500; Pong, soccer, squash, practice and two shooting games that can be played with a separately available light gun.[7] Otherwise, the device is identical to the previous console ES 2201. The console was not a success due to its high price, which is why it was later reissued with the Philips Tele-Game ES 2207 Travemünde in a cheaper version in the same year.

### ES 2204 Las Vegas

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Philips Tele-Spiel 2204 in packaging

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2204 Las Vegas, released in 1977,[7] is the third console in the series and uses an AY-3-8500.[7][8] Otherwise the system is identical to the model ES 2203.

### ES 2207 Travemünde

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Philips Tele-Spiel 2207 in packaging

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2207 Travemünde is a cheaper new edition of the ES 2203.[9][10] It was released in 1977[9] and also uses an AY-3-8500.[10] It is powered by a power supply (7,6 V/260 mA).[9]

### ES 2208 Las Vegas

[edit]

Philips Tele-Spiel 2208 in packaging

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2208 Las Vegas is the fifth console in the Philips Tele-Game series and was released in 1977.[11] For the first time, the system's joysticks offer 2-dimensional instead of 1-dimensional movements. It uses an AY-3-8550 and therefore can output color[11] and has a mass of ca. 800 g.[8] It is powered by a 9 V DC power supply.[11] Otherwise, the system is identical to the model ES 2204.

### ES 2218 Las Vegas

[edit]

Philips Tele-Spiel 2218 in packaging

The Philips Tele-Game ES 2218 Las Vegas is the sixth and last console in the Philips Tele-Game series. It was released in 1977.[1] For the first time, it offers eight instead of just six integrated games.[1] The device is otherwise identical to the model ES 2208 Las Vegas, with the only difference that it has an integrated AY-3-8600 chip.[12] This console was also available as a self-building kit with the designation EB 7601.[2]

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Philips Tele-Spiel.

* Philips Tele-Spiel series on www.pong-story.com
* Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201 at www.old-computers.com
* Cover from the German newspaper "Das Spielzeug" with the Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201 from September 1975
* German newspaper article about the Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201 from April 1975
* Commercial for the Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201
* Instruction manual for the Philips-Tele-Spiel ES 2201 (in German)

## References

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1. ^ a b c "RetroMO ...a real video game and computer collector | Meine Sammlung | my collection | Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201 und ES 2218 Las Vegas". www.retro-mo.de. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
2. ^ a b "Spiele, Spielzeug: Philips/Schuco Experimentiersystem". norbert.old.no. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
3. ^ a b c d e f g "Pong-Story : Philips Tele-Spiel". www.pong-story.com. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
4. ^ a b c d e "Tele-Spiel ES 2201". www.old-computers.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
5. ^ a b "Philips Tele-Spiel ES 2201 (zum Zweiten)". Bundesrepublik Pong (in German). 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
6. ^ a b See page 8 of the instruction manual: https://archive.org/stream/1stGenPong/Discrete Consoles/Philips_Tele-Spiel_ES2201(german)#mode/2up
7. ^ a b c d "Pong-Story : Philips Tele-Spiel ES-2203 and ES-2204". www.pong-story.com. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
8. ^ a b "Philips ES-2207". www.silicium.org. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
9. ^ a b c "Philips Tele-Spiel Travemünde ES 2207 [BINARIUM]". binarium.de. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
10. ^ a b "Philips Travemünde ES2207". www.cbmhardware.de. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
11. ^ a b c "Las Vegas ES 2208". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
12. ^ "Pong-Story - David Winter's Pong Rarity List and Price Guide". www.pong-story.com. Retrieved 2020-07-21.

*[c.]: circa