Atari Advert - 6th April 1981
From 2000AD
Three Atari Video Computer Systems Must Be Won!
Here's a nice competition advert which featured in a March or April edition of the comic 2000AD, and which offered the chance to win one of three Atari VCS2600 (sometimes known as "Woody") game consoles, with a Space Invaders cartridge thrown in.
Although not the first - that honour went to the Fairchild Channel F, followed by the Magnavox Odyssey - the Atari VCS2600 was by far the most popular of the early general-purpose video game machines, selling around 30 million units between its launch in 1977 and its discontinuation in 1992[1].
In 1981 there were still very few truly "home" computers around. The UK had the monochrome and lo-res Sinclair ZX80 and the ZX81, whilst Atari's own better 400 and 800 models - with colour - were also around, but were expensive.
Meanwhile, the colourful and relatively cheap Commodore VIC-20 wasn't launched until September, so a video game console - even one that was already four years old - would have been a much more sensible choice to base a competition on.
The prize bundle was worth an advertised £130 (the console plus 1 cartridge) - which is about £620 in 2024 money.
Sources
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