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The '''OMNI Entertainment System''' was an [[electronic]] stand alone game system produced by the MB Electronics division of the [[Milton Bradley Company]], released in 1980.
The '''OMNI Entertainment System''' was an [[electronic]] stand alone game system produced by the MB Electronics division of the [[Milton Bradley Company]], released in 1980.


The system, which played primarily [[trivia]] question games, used [[8-track]] [[tape cassette]]s for game cartridges. The game system function was entirely self-contained with its own [[Monaural]] speaker and four 2-character [[seven segment display]]s to show points as well as when the game required input. Up to four Players each interacted with the game with a row of 11 mechanical buttons. Buttons were primarily labelled 0-9 with the final button showing an asterisk-like symbol as an Enter key. Each button was also labelled with colours in rainbow order fading from yellow, to red, to blue, to green, as well as with clusters of letters. Button zero on the left doubled as the "Go" button. The system heavily leveraged the audio format of the 8-track cassette for gameplay, but additionally included binary encoded data containing information on scoring and the correct answers on non-audible channels, making the Omni a programmable system. The system could freely change between playing audio (or reading data) from either the left or right audio channel. The system could also play regular music 8-track cassettes, although not in stereo.
The system, which played primarily [[trivia]] question games, used [[8-track]] [[tape cassette]]s for game cartridges. The game system function was entirely self-contained with its own [[Monaural]] speaker and four 2-character [[LED]] displays to display points. Up to four Players each interacted with the game with a row of mechanical buttons on each side which had individual number values and clusters of letters as well as a "Go" and an Enter key.


The games had audio components, and the system could play regular music 8-track cassettes, but not in stereo.
==Gameplay==

Each track of the 8-track tape contained one game program, and the system featured a channel selector dial on the top to chose program. After inserting a tape and adjusting volume via a slider on top next to the channel selector, each player participating would need to press enter. Subsequently, players would be asked questions played back from the tape. Players would then be asked to answer as quickly as possible (indicated by dashes on the display), by selecting the correct colour, number, or spelling out a word and pressing Enter. Players were then awarded typically between 1 and 4 points, with typically the first player receiving an additional point for answering first. The Jeopardy cartridge varied from this scoring system, following along the lines of the [[Jeopardy!#First_two_rounds|Jeopardy scoring system]] from the first rounds of a game. After all players answered, the correct answer would be revealed and the points on the displays updated. At the end of the game the winning player would be indicated. Occasional music interludes (such as in the Password Plus game) would occur while the tape played to the correct location to continue gameplay. Occasionally the display of the player with the leading score would also flash.


==Released game cartridges==
==Released game cartridges==
* ''For the fun of it''
* ''Games hosted by [[Big Bird]] and other [[Sesame Street]] friends'' - licensed from the [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]]
* ''Jeopardy'' - licensed from the producers of the [[Jeopardy!|TV game show]]
* ''Jeopardy'' - licensed from the producers of the [[Jeopardy!|TV game show]]
* ''Music Quiz''
* ''Music Quiz''
* ''Password Plus''
* ''Password Plus''
* ''[[Pat Summerall]]'s Baseball 0uiz''
* ''[[Pat Summerall]]'s Football Quiz''
* ''[[Pat Summerall]]'s Sports Quiz''
* ''Re·action Quiz''
* ''The Variety Programmed Game Cartridge''
* ''The Variety Programmed Game Cartridge''
* ''[[Vincent Price]]'s Movie Trivia''
* ''[[Vincent Price]]'s Movie Trivia''
* ''[[Vincent Price]]'s TV Trivia''
* ''Words - Words - Words''
* ''Words - Words - Words''


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* [http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2017/8/5/mb-omni-entertainment-system-the-8-track-games-machine-from.html Techmoan]
* [http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2017/8/5/mb-omni-entertainment-system-the-8-track-games-machine-from.html Techmoan]
* [http://www.8trackheaven.com/archive/omni.html 8-Track Heaven]
* [http://www.8trackheaven.com/archive/omni.html 8-Track Heaven]
* [http://imgur.com/gallery/xHrAi A closer look at the Milton Bradley Entertainment System]


[[Category:Electronic games]]
[[Category:Electronic games]]

Revision as of 14:38, 6 August 2017

The OMNI Entertainment System was an electronic stand alone game system produced by the MB Electronics division of the Milton Bradley Company, released in 1980.

The system, which played primarily trivia question games, used 8-track tape cassettes for game cartridges. The game system function was entirely self-contained with its own Monaural speaker and four 2-character LED displays to display points. Up to four Players each interacted with the game with a row of mechanical buttons on each side which had individual number values and clusters of letters as well as a "Go" and an Enter key.

The games had audio components, and the system could play regular music 8-track cassettes, but not in stereo.

Released game cartridges

  • Jeopardy - licensed from the producers of the TV game show
  • Music Quiz
  • Password Plus
  • The Variety Programmed Game Cartridge
  • Vincent Price's Movie Trivia
  • Words - Words - Words