Wiki English 2024
EnglishJapaneseVietnamese

1970s in video games

(Redirected from 1970s in video gaming)

The 1970s was the first decade in the history of the video game industry. The 1970s saw the development of some of the earliest video games, chiefly in the arcade game industry, but also several for the earliest video game consoles and personal computers.

1970s in video games . 1980s
Other topics: Anthropology . Comics . Fashion . Music . Science and technology . Sociology . Television
1976 flyer advertising the racing game Fonz.

Notable games released in the 1970s included Computer Space, The Oregon Trail, Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Galaxian, Combat, Breakout, Lunar Lander, Sea Wolf, and Zork.

Arcade history

edit
See also: History of arcade video games and History of arcade games

Notable early arcade video games of the early-to-mid-1970s include Computer Space (1971), Pong (1972), Space Race (1973), Gotcha (1973), 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)

edit
Main article: 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

edit

First-generation consoles (1972–1979)

edit
Main article: First generation of video game consoles
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.

Second-generation consoles (1976–1983)

edit
Main article: Second generation of video game consoles

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:

Notable video game franchises established in the 1970s

edit

Arcade

edit

Home computers and console

edit

Notes:

  • 1 Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises.

Financial performance

edit

Best-selling arcade games of the decade

edit

The following titles were the best-selling arcade games of each year in the 1970s.

YearRegion(s)TypeTitleCabinet salesRevenueInflationDeveloperManufacturer(s)GenreRef
1979Worldwide—Space Invaders750,000$1,000,000,000+$4,700,000,000+TaitoTaito / MidwayShoot 'em up[1][2]
1978
1977JapanElectro-mechanicalF-1Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownNamcoNamcoRacing[3][4]
Medal gameEVR RaceUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownNintendoNintendo
Video gameSpeed Race DXUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownTaitoTaito
US—Sea Wolf10,000Un­knownUn­knownDave Nutting AssociatesMidwayShooter[5][6][7]
1976US—
JapanElectro-mechanicalF-1Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownNamcoNamcoRacing[8][4]
Medal gameEVR RaceUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownNintendoNintendo
Video gameBall Park (Tornado Baseball)Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownMidway ManufacturingTaitoSports
1975USVideo gameWheels / Wheels II (Speed Race)10,000Un­knownUn­knownTaitoMidwayRacing[9]
1974USVideo gameTank10,000Un­knownUn­knownKee GamesKee Games / AtariMaze
1973USVideo gamePong8,000$11,000,000$75,000,000Atari, Inc.Atari, Inc.Sports[9][10]
1972USVideo gameComputer Space200Un­knownUn­knownSyzygy EngineeringNutting AssociatesSpace combat[9]

Best-selling home systems of the decade

edit
RankSystemReleaseManufacturerTypeGenerationSalesAs ofRef
1Nintendo Color TV Game1977NintendoConsoleFirst2,000,0001979[11]
2Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS)1977Atari, Inc.ConsoleSecond1,550,0001979[12]
3Coleco Telstar1976ColecoConsoleFirst1,000,0001976[13]
4TRS-801977Texas InstrumentsComputer8-bit450,0001979[14]
5Magnavox Odyssey1972MagnavoxConsoleFirst367,0001975[15]
6Fairchild Channel F1976Fairchild Camera and InstrumentConsoleSecond350,0001979[16]
7Epoch TV Baseball1978Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst230,0001979[17]
8Epoch TV Game System 101977Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst200,0001979[17]
9Home Pong1975Atari, Inc.ConsoleFirst150,0001975[18]
NEC PC-80011979NECComputer8-bit150,0001979[19]

Hardware timeline

edit

The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 1970s.

References

edit
  1. ^ "After Pong". ACE. No. 6 (March 1988). 4 February 1988. pp. 29-32 (29).
  2. ^ Sullivan, George (1983). "The First Big Hits". Screen Play: The Story of Video Games. F. Warne. p. 38-47 (40). ISBN 978-0-7232-6251-0.
  3. ^ "結果ベスト3" [Best 3 Results] (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 90. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1978. pp. 2–3.
  4. ^ a b "調査対象5年間のベスト1" [Best 1 of the 5 Years Surveyed] (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 159. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1981. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Top Arcade Games". Play Meter. November 1977.
  6. ^ "Profit Chart". RePlay. October 1976.
  7. ^ Steven L. Kent (2000), The first quarter: a 25-year history of video games, BWD Press, p. 83, ISBN 0-9704755-0-0, retrieved 2011-04-09, Sea Wolf, which was another creation of Dave Nutting, did solid business, selling more than 10,000 machines.)
  8. ^ "本紙アンケー 〜 ト調査の結果" [Paper Questionnaire: Results of the Survey] (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 65. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1977. pp. 2–3.
  9. ^ a b c Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. pp. 10–3. ISBN 978-0-9643848-1-1.
  10. ^ Barack, Lauren (8 May 2003). "In Blast From the Past, Atari Video Games Plan a Return". New York Post. p. 34. Archived from the original on 2012-05-12. Its first hit game, "Pong," launched in 1972, made $11 million in revenue in just one year.
  11. ^ Horowitz, Ken (2020-07-30). "Video Killed the Electromechanical Star". Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8.
  12. ^ Rubin, Michael (2006). "Eighteen: A Hole in the Desert [1982–1983]" (PDF). Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution. Triad Publishing Company. pp. 291-314 (293-4). ISBN 978-0-937404-67-6.
  13. ^ Herman, Leonard (1997). Phoenix: the fall & rise of videogames (2nd ed.). Union, NJ: Rolenta Press. p. 20. ISBN 0-9643848-2-5. Retrieved 16 February 2012. 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.
  14. ^ Reimer, Jeremy (2005-12-15). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  15. ^ Smith, Alexander (November 27, 2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry. Vol. 1: 1971 – 1982. CRC Press. pp. 207–9. ISBN 978-1-138-38990-8.
  16. ^ Edwards, Benj (January 22, 2015). "The Untold Story Of The Invention Of The Game Cartridge". Fast Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？" [How many old (1970s) video games sold?]. Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  18. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Dedicated Consoles". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. pp. 33–36. ISBN 0-375-72038-3.
  19. ^ West, Joel (January 1996). "Moderators of the Diffusion of Technological Innovation: Growth of the Japanese PC Industry" (PDF). Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations. University of California, Irvine. pp. 9–10. alternate url
Retrieved from "https:https://www.how.com.vn/wiki/index.php?lang=en&q=1970s_in_video_games&oldid=1215126105"
🔥 Top keywords: Akademia e Shkencave e RPS te ShqiperiseAlexandria Ocasio-CortezBilderberg GroupCristiano RonaldoDong XiaowanMinecraftOperation GladioPrimal cutRiot FestStrictly Come Dancing (series 7)Main PageSpecial:SearchWikipedia:Featured picturesKalki 2898 ADUEFA Euro 2024Project 2025.xxxKarel deLeeuw2024 Copa AméricaA Quiet Place: Day OneCleopatraDeaths in 2024Jack Draper (tennis)House of the DragonNikki HiltzDiogo CostaJuiceroOpinion polling for the 2024 United Kingdom general electionUEFA European ChampionshipTheodore StreleskiCristiano RonaldoYouTubeKlay ThompsonCopa AméricaThe Bear (TV series)Elias YmerJoe Biden2024 French legislative electionMerih DemiralMoney in the Bank (2024)Zac EfronBad Boys: Ride or DieInside Out 2Gladiator IIArda GülerKevin OrtegaMemphis DepayMarko ArnautovićCody Gakpo