'Perfect Storm'

The Atari Video Computer System was among the first commercial products to use swappable cartridges. That means players were no longer limited to hardware that could access only a limited number of pre-installed games.

Also known as the Atari 2600, the system made its debut as more youngsters were being introduced to video games through arcades and as microprocessors became more advanced.

"It was the right thing at the right time," Bushnell said.