alternatehistory.com

The Vectrex was released by General Consumer Electronics in 1982. Upon release, it was praised by many electronics magazines as innovative, but didn't sell many units compared to the other home arcades at the time. GCE would be acquired by Milton Bradley in 1983, and Milton Bradley's marketing appeal would result in a price drop and more widespread availability, driving up Vectrex sales significantly. Milton Bradley was seen by some as the "fifth pillar" alongside RCA, Atari, Mattel, and Coleco, while others saw it as a niche product with a cult following. Bandai released the Vectrex in Japan, but the Famicom and SG-1000 would dwarf it in sales there.
In 1984, Milton Bradley was bought out by Hasbro, which continued to use the MB name on the Vectrex and other board games. By this time, the Vectrex seemed to be growing in popularity, even outselling the Atari VCS, RCA Studio 2, and the Intellivision during the holiday season of 1984. Hasbro continues to support the Vectrex, and a new Vectrex model is currently in the works as of New Year's Day 1985.