Answer: The Atari 2600

First introduced in 1977, the Atari 2600 was, by far and away, the Atari corporation’s greatest success. The second-generation video game console was primitive by modern standards and had quite a steep price tag ($199 MSRP, which is a little over $800 when adjusted for inflation), but the system was impressive for its day and Atari sold them hand over fist.

In fact the wide range of titles and widespread adoption of the Atari 2600 proved to be a success that Atari could neither recreate nor let go of. Despite releasing updates to the platform and subsequently more powerful consoles, the public simply wouldn’t let go of the original.

While serious gamers weren’t actively purchasing the device very long after it was replaced by third-generation consoles (like the Nintendo Entertainment System) and later fourth-generation consoles (like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis), budget-conscious gamers loved the platform. When faced with the high cost of newer consoles (both from Atari and other companies), many people simply purchased the 2600 and enjoyed the multitude of inexpensive games already on the market. This trend held steady for so long that Atari didn’t discontinue the Atari 2600 line until 1992: 15 years after the initial release of the console.