The NES at 40: Employees reveal there were plans for a woodgrain veneer model to rival the Atari 2600

Former Nintendo of America employees revealed during a panel discussion at the Video Game History Foundation event that there were plans for a woodgrain veneer model of the NES to compete with the Atari 2600. The NES, launched in the U.S. in 1985, had a different design from the Japanese Famicom due to the aftermath of the Video Game Crash of 1983. The panelists shared their dislike for the Famicom design and discussed the decisions that led to the NES's successful launch in North America. The NES's impact on the video game industry was significant, leading to the success of subsequent consoles like the Sega Master System and SNES.