1970s in video games

Video game-related events in 1970s thumb|1976 flyer advertising the racing game Fonz The 1970s were the first decade in the history of the video game industry. The 1970s saw the development of some of the earliest video games, primarily in the arcade game industry, as well as several for the earliest video game consoles and personal computers. Notable games released in the 1970s included Computer Space, The Oregon Trail, Pong, Maze, Tank, Colossal Cave Adventure, Death Race, Sea Wolf, Breakout, Zork, Combat, Space Invaders, Lunar Lander, Galaxian, and Asteroids. Arcade history History of arcade video games History of arcade games Notable early arcade video games of the early-to-mid-1970s include Computer Space (1971), Galaxy Game (1971), Pong (1972), Space Race (1973), Gotcha (1973), Tank (1974), Speed Race (1974), Gun Fight (1975), Heavyweight Champ (1976), Fonz (1976), Night Driver (1976), Breakout (1976), Death Race (1976), Sea Wolf (1976), and Space Wars (1977). Golden age of arcade video games (1978–1979) Golden age of arcade video games Classic arcade games of the late 1970s include Space Invaders (1978), Galaxian (1979), Asteroids (1979), Barrier (1979), Speed Freak (1979), Warrior (1979), Tail Gunner (1979), and Lunar Lander (1979). Consoles of the 1970s First-generation consoles (1972–1979) First generation of video game consoles thumb|Polistil VG2 Pong clone (1978), made in Italy The first generation of consoles were on sale between 1972 and 1980 and included the Magnavox Odyssey, Telstar, Home Pong, and Color TV-Game. Typical characteristics of the first generation of consoles: Discrete transistor-based digital game logic. Games were native components of consoles rather than based on external or removable media. Entire game playfield occupies only one screen. Players and objects consist of very basic lines, dots or blocks. Colour graphics are basic (mostly black and white or other dichromatic combination; later games may display three or more colors). Either single-channel or no audio. Games had a high score based system. Lacked features of second generation consoles, such as microprocessor logic, ROM cartridges, flip-screen playfields, sprite-based graphics, and multi-color graphics. Second-generation consoles (1976–1983) Second generation of video game consoles thumb|Atari 2600 (1977) The second generation of consoles, on sale between 1976 and 1988, made several leaps forward technologically. Consoles first available in the late 1970s included the Fairchild Channel F, Atari 2600, Bally Astrocade, and Magnavox Odyssey². The first handheld console, the Microvision, was released in 1979. Typical characteristics of the second generation of consoles: Microprocessor-based game logic. AI simulation of computer-based opponents, allowing for single-player gaming. ROM cartridges for storing games, allowing any number of different games to be played on one console. Game playfields able to span multiple flip-screen areas. Blocky and simplistic-looking sprites, with a screen resolution of around 160 × 192 pixels. Basic color graphics, generally between 2-color (1-bit) and 16-color (4-bit). Up to three channel audio. Lacked features of third-generation consoles, such as scrolling tile-based playfields. Notable video game franchises established in the 1970s Arcade 30em * 280 ZZZAP (1976) The Amazing Maze Game (1976) Anti-Aircraft (1975) Asteroids (1979) Astro Fighter (1979) Barrier (1979) Blockade (1976) Breakout (1976) Canyon Bomber (1977) Circus (1977) Computer Space (1971) Crash 'N Score (1975) Death Race (1976) Destruction Derby (1975) F-1 (1976) Fire Truck (1978) Fonz (1976) Football (1978) Galaxian (1979) Galaxy Wars (1979) Gee Bee (1978) Gotcha (1973) Gran Trak 10 (1974) Gun Fight (1975) Head On (1979) Heavyweight Champ (1976) Hi-way (1975) Indy 4 (1976) Indy 800 (1975) Jet Fighter (1975) LeMans (1976) Lunar Lander (1979) Night Driver (1976) Pong (1972) Rebound (1974) Sea Wolf (1976) Shark Jaws (1975) Sheriff (1979) Space Invaders (1978) Space Race (1973) Space Wars (1977) Speed Freak (1979) Speed Race (1974) Sprint (1976) Star Fire (1978) Steeplechase (1975) Stunt Cycle (1976) Super Breakout (1978) Super Bug (1977) Tank (1974) Tail Gunner (1979) Warrior (1979) Home computers and console 30em Battlestar Galactica1 (1978) Combat (1977) Empire (1977) dnd (1975) Flight Simulator (1979) The Oregon Trail (1971) Sargon (1978) Superman1 (1979) Star Trek1 (1979) Star Wars1 (1979) Zork (1977) Notes: 1 Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises. Financial performance Best-selling arcade games of the decade The following titles were the best-selling arcade games of each year in the 1970s. Year Region(s) Type Title Cabinet sales Revenue Inflation Developer Manufacturer(s) Genre Ref Reference(s) 1979Worldwide rowspan="2" Space Invaders 750,000 $1,000,000,000+ US 1000000000 1978 -8 no+ Taito Taito / Midway Shoot 'em up After Pong ACE 4 February 1988 6 (March 1988) 29–32 (29) https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_06_1988-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n28/mode/1upSullivan George The First Big Hits Screen Play: The Story of Video Games 1983 F. Warne 978-0-7232-6251-0 38–47 (40) https://archive.org/details/ScreenPlaytheStoryofVideoGames/page/n49 1978 1977 Japan Electro-mechanical F-1 Namco Namco Racing 結果ベスト3 Best 3 Results Game Machine 90 Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1978 2–3 ja https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19780215p.pdf#page=2調査対象5年間のベスト1 Best 1 of the 5 Years Surveyed Game Machine 159 Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1981 1 ja https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19810215p.pdf Medal game EVR Race NintendoNintendoVideo game Speed Race DX Taito Taito US Sea Wolf 10,000 rowspan="2" rowspan="2" Dave Nutting Associates Midway Shooter Top Arcade Games Play Meter November 1977Profit Chart RePlay October 1976The first quarter: a 25-year history of video games Steven L. Kent BWD Press 2000 0-9704755-0-0 https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ 2011-04-09 83 Sea Wolf, which was another creation of Dave Nutting, did solid business, selling more than 10,000 machines.) 1976 US Japan Electro-mechanical F-1 Namco Namco Racing 本紙アンケー 〜 ト調査の結果 Paper Questionnaire: Results of the Survey Game Machine 65 Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1977 2–3 ja https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19770201p.pdf#page=2 Medal game EVR Race Nintendo Nintendo Video game Ball Park (Tornado Baseball) Midway Manufacturing Taito Sports 1975 US Video game Wheels / Wheels II (Speed Race) 10,000 Taito Midway Racing Baer Ralph H. Ralph H. Baer Videogames: In the Beginning 2005 Rolenta Press 978-0-9643848-1-1 10–3 https://archive.org/details/VideogamesInTheBeginningRalphH.Baer/page/n31/mode/2up 1974 US Video game Tank 10,000 Kee Games Kee Games / Atari Maze 1973 US Video game Pong 8,000 $11,000,000 US 11000000 1973 -6 no Atari, Inc. Atari, Inc. Sports Barack Lauren In Blast From the Past, Atari Video Games Plan a Return https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/334044141.html?dids=334044141:334044141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+08%2C+2003&author=Lauren+Barack&pub=New+York+Post&desc=IN+BLAST+FROM+THE+PAST%2C+ATARI+VIDEO+GAMES+PLAN+A+RETURN&pqatl=google https://web.archive.org/web/20120512045136/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/334044141.html?dids=334044141:334044141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+08%2C+2003&author=Lauren+Barack&pub=New+York+Post&desc=IN+BLAST+FROM+THE+PAST%2C+ATARI+VIDEO+GAMES+PLAN+A+RETURN&pqatl=google 2012-05-12 New York Post 8 May 2003 34 Its first hit game, "Pong," launched in 1972, made $11 million in revenue in just one year. 1972 USVideo game Computer Space 200 Syzygy Engineering Nutting Associates Space combat Best-selling home systems of the decade Rank System Release Manufacturer Type Generation Sales As of Ref Reference1Nintendo Color TV Game1977NintendoConsoleFirst2,000,0001979Horowitz Ken Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games 2020-07-30 McFarland & Company 978-1-4766-4176-8 27 Video Killed the Electromechanical Star https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27 2Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS)1977Atari, Inc.ConsoleSecond1,550,0001979Rubin Michael Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution 2006 Triad Publishing Company 978-0-937404-67-6 291-314 (293-4) Eighteen: A Hole in the Desert [1982–1983] https://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051221/Droidmaker.Ch18.pdf#page=9 3Coleco Telstar1976ColecoConsoleFirst1,000,0001976Herman Leonard https://books.google.com/books?id=duITAQAAIAAJ Phoenix: the fall & rise of videogames Rolenta Press 1997 0-9643848-2-5 2nd Union, NJ 20 Coleco released Telstar in 1976. Like Pong, Telstar could only play video tennis but it retailed at an inexpensive $50 that made it attractive to most families that were on a budget. Coleco managed to sell over a million units that year. 16 February 20124TRS-801977Texas InstrumentsComputer8-bit450,0001979Reimer Jeremy 2005-12-15 Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/12/total-share/ live 2021-11-27 Ars Technica en-us https://web.archive.org/web/20120607023023/http://arstechnica.com:80/features/2005/12/total-share/ 2012-06-07 Jeremy Reimer 2012-12-07 Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010 https://jeremyreimer.com/rockets-item.lsp?p=137 Jeremy Reimer5Magnavox Odyssey1972MagnavoxConsoleFirst367,0001975They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry 1: 1971 – 1982 Smith Alexander CRC Press November 27, 2019 978-1-138-38990-8 207–96Fairchild Channel F1976Fairchild Camera and InstrumentConsoleSecond350,0001979Edwards Benj January 22, 2015 The Untold Story Of The Invention Of The Game Cartridge https://www.fastcompany.com/3040889/the-untold-story-of-the-invention-of-the-game-cartridge July 29, 2020 Fast Company7Epoch TV Baseball1978Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst230,0001979昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？ How many old (1970s) video games sold? https://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20140109231757/http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html 2014-01-09 16 April 2021 Classic Videogame Station Odyssey ja8Epoch TV Game System 101977Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst200,00019799Home Pong1975Atari, Inc.ConsoleFirst150,0001975Ellis David Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games Random House 2004 0-375-72038-3 33–36 Dedicated Consoles https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/33NEC PC-80011979NECComputer8-bit150,0001979West Joel January 1996 Moderators of the Diffusion of Technological Innovation: Growth of the Japanese PC Industry https://escholarship.org/content/qt7qn582kq/qt7qn582kq.pdf#page=14 Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations University of California, Irvine 9–10 alternate url Hardware timeline The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 1970s. References 1970s Video games video games Category:Video games by decade