The Atari 2600 was a home video games console developed by Atari and released in 1977. Most importantly, it was one of the first home game consoles to feature interchangeable game cartridges. This was a monumental development in the world of home gaming as people could now play a multitude of games on one console. Additionally, the cartridge system allowed third-party developers such as Activision to create games that could be played on the Atari 2600. The Atari 2600 saw a rapid increase in popularity over time as new games were created on cartridges for the console.

Besides being an important technological innovation of the time, the interchangeable game cartridge system featured on the Atari 2600 made video games more accessible and a larger part of people’s everyday lives. Video games were becoming mainstream and, subsequently, people began developing a culture around them.