the first console with a thumb-pad directional controller and tile-based playfields with vertical and horizontal scrolling. The system's initial production run sold out shortly after its national launch in 1980. Early cartridges were 4 kilobyte ROMs, which grew to 24 kilobytes for later games. The Intellivision introduced several new features to the second generation. It was the first home console to use a 16-bit microprocessor and offer downloadable content through the PlayCable service. It also provided real-time human voices during gameplay. It was the first console to pose a serious threat to Atari's dominance. A series of TV advertisements featuring George Plimpton were run. They used side-by-side game comparisons to show the improved graphics and sound compared with those of the Atari 2600. It sold over 3 million units before being discontinued in 1990. ColecoVision The ColecoVision was introduced by toy manufacturer Coleco in August 1982. It was more powerful than previous consoles, providing an experience that was closer to Arcades than what the 2600 could provide. The console launched with several arcade ports, including Sega's Zaxxon, and later saw third-party support from many developers such as Activision and even their competitor Atari. The ColecoVision is notable for its Atari 2600 expansion module, which enabled the console to play 2600 games, resulting in a lawsuit from Atari. The ColecoVision was a victim of the video game crash, ultimately being discontinued in 1985. Vectrex The Vectrex was released in 1982. It was unique among home systems of the time in featuring vector graphics and its own self-contained display. At the time, many of the most popular arcade games used vector displays. Through a licensing deal with Cinematronics, GCE was able to produce high-quality versions of arcade games such as Space Wars and Armor Attack. Despite a strong library of games and good reviews, the Vectrex was ultimately a commercial failure. It was on the market for less than two years. Comparison Sales standings The best-selling console of the second generation was the Atari 2600 at 30 million units. As of 1990, the Intellivision had sold 3 million units. This is around 1 million higher than the Odyssey² and ColecoVision sales and eight times the number of purchases for the Fairchild Channel F, which was 350,000 units. Other consoles Handheld systems Microvision The Microvision, manufactured and sold by Milton-Bradley. was released in 1979. It was the first handheld game console that used