Epoch Electrotennis (Japan's 1st Video Game)

[Japan-Games.com]

Hey guys

Pretty cool rarity here.... It's a pong system released by Epoch in 1975. It's commonly known as Japan's first video game console.

You hook up the antenna to the UHF ports on back of the TV and choose a channel between 25 and 30. You then use the fine tuning knob on the console to "tune in" to the exact frequency. There's a built in speaker but the score calculation is manual. One player or two.

You can see a video of it HERE.

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[ave]

Really interesting, thanks a lot for posting. :)
Do you have more pictures of the box interiors? Came it with a manual? And do you mind telling us where the hell you got it from, particularly in such a breathtaking condition? :O

[Yakumo]

Yahoo Auctions :p: You have to look hard to find stuff like that and quite frequently as well because they hardly ever turn up, especially in such good condition.

Yakumo

[ave]

How much do these old consoles go for? I remember only an old Epoch device I once observed out of interest and it went for over 70k.

[Importaku]

Im suprised that thing isnt now illegal, they are pretty strict about stuff that transmits its own signal nowdays.

I must admit im shocked at the condition, 33 years old & it still looks as good as the day it was made.

[Alchy]

Stunning condition, as others have said. Will you be selling it?

[port187]

Man that's really cool and I didn't know it was commenly known as the first console in japan! thanks for sharing!

[Japan-Games.com]

I added a picture of the inside. The model I got didn't have instructions, just the registration card. Yeah, it's for sale right now on eBay....everything I get goes up for sale. I just like taking pictures and documenting it.

It took me forever to figure out how to hook it up. If the dial on top hadn't been labeled "channel 25-30" there's no way I would have figured it out...

[Jamtex]

it is a cool system as it was one of the first systems to feature a one player mode that didn't use hundred of 74LS chips. However it's not the first video game system released in Japan as Nintendo did distribute the Magnavox Odyssey earlier in the year (have you ever seen / managed to get hold of one of these? According to Ralph Baer he estimates Nintendo sold somewhere in the very low thousands) and a few companies did import the Atari / Sears Pong console (although in tiny numbers).

It is the first system made in Japan, although it is not a 100% Japanese design although they did improve, make neater and add one player mode to basically was the Magnavox Odyssey 100 design.

[AchtBit]

That is an amazing share. Thanks a lot!

[Ryusui]

Epoch? As in, Sylvanian Families Epoch? Made Japan's first Pong game?

...Whoa. O_O;

[XxHennersXx]

wonderful! I always love seeing this kind of stuff :love:

[Japan-Games.com]

However it's not the first video game system released in Japan as Nintendo did distribute the Magnavox Odyssey earlier in the year (have you ever seen / managed to get hold of one of these? According to Ralph Baer he estimates Nintendo sold somewhere in the very low thousands) and a few companies did import the Atari / Sears Pong console (although in tiny numbers).

It's all so very confusing.... It's pieced together information over the years but there are holes and some conflicting information.

Magnavox Odyssey (1972).... I've seen 2 websites in Japan that say it was never released in Japan. I've never seen one, either. I've seen it referenced on one other site but just the US release and saying nothing about Japan. I've never seen a Japanese release date or a price in Japanese yen.

Atari Pong (1975)... I've yet to see an actual month or day for the release. On sites where the Pong and Electrotennis are on a list the Pong is always listed first. Price was 24,800 yen. One site says it was marketed by Sega Japan. Another site says it was marketed by Nakamura company and released in 1977...? I've never actually seen one before.

Epoch Electrotennis (1975) I think I've seen a date of September, 1975.

Fairchild Channel F (1976)... I believe I've seen a Japanese version of one of these.

[Ryusui]

Well, all those dates agree that it was the first game console designed by a Japanese company, so...

[Jamtex]

Well the Magnavox Odyssey was distributed outside of America, where it didn't sell too well, the biggest market being Germany. I have it on good authority (as in someone who worked closely with Magnavox) that Nintendo did distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan, again it sold poorly but they couldn't remember the date exactly but it was around late 74.

Atari Pong didn't come out until 1976, but the machine was released as the Sears Telegames in late 1975, looking at my notes it probably was around the same time as the Electrotennis.

Epoch signed a technology deal with Magnavox in early 1975 and used an early design of the Magnavox Odyssey 100 (if you compare the Tennis games they are basically identical), you are correct in saying September as that is the date that Epoch have on their website under history. They also say its Japans first domestic video games machine, which is true it was built in Japan and used a different design for the final Magnavox Odyssey 100.

Although I am still trying to work out what the first 100% designed Japanese console was, as a lot of the early pong consoles did use a generic IC(s).

[graciano1337]

Awesome! I've never seen a console that big. I nominate this thread, "Thread of the Month". :)

[Japan-Games.com]

Although I am still trying to work out what the first 100% designed Japanese console was, as a lot of the early pong consoles did use a generic IC(s).

Well....between the Electrotennis in 1975 and Nintendo's TV-Game in 1977 there are probably 50+ pong consoles released by various companies in Japan that were never heard from again... I can't imagine that even the Japanese collectors will be able to sort through them all...

[ave]

I managed to acquire a unit that was sold to me as brand-new. It's the best-conditioned unit I have ever seen on pictures, let alone for sale.



This unit still has the very fragile outer cardboard slipcase that was used to protect it when it was shipped to the toyshops I believe. It has an EPOCH-branded shipping label on it with the address of the toyshop it was sent to.


The box.


Interiors - It seems very new, but the plastic bag is slightly creased albeit it fits very tightly with the styrofoam. If this unit had been used at all, I think it was only for demonstrational purposes within the toyshop.


The outer slipcase, box, console, antenna, manual, warranty card.


Picture of part of the instruction manual. This page shows how the wireless antenna works with a UHF-capable TV.

Thought this may interest some people. Prior and shortly after my purchase, I googled my ass off to search for more pictures of the console, but except for Japan Games's pictures and a nice blog called "Super Gaijin Gamer", nobody ever really took detailed pictures of this console. And there are NO pictures of the outer cardboard slipcase whatsoever, so this is a premiere I believe ;)


Sorry for the dominant watermarks, but I have some bad experiences with people just using my pictures for banners and the like, so I decided to watermark everything from now on.