- August
- Fairchild Camera and Instrument of California introduces the Fairchild VES home video game system, the first system using programmable ROM plug-in cartridges for games. The system is later renamed Fairchild Channel F. The system features 1.79MHz CPU, 64 bytes RAM, full color (8 colors) and sound through a television connection. Price is US$149.95 for the system unit, plus US$19.95 for plug-in cartridges. (A total of 26 games are released for the system.) [12] [86.67] [89.104] [124.142] [269.80] [270.93] [969] [1273.97] [1460.xii,98] (Fairchild Video Entertainment System [282.70])
- October
- Warner Communications buys the Atari company for US$28 million. Nolan Bushnell remains as chairman of the company. [2] [18.14] [19.6] [27.D8] [50.7] [51.F29] [56.D6] [94.106] [124.142] [128.S3.9] [156.D2] [273.98] [371.67] [1377.5] [1444.225] [1460.105] (sold for US$30 million [92.C11]) (sold for US$32 million [89.11])
- The Federal Communications Commission approves a video game system made by Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation for use with home televisions. [86.67]
- (month unknown)
- Exidy introduces the Death Race coin-operated video game. The object of the game is to run down "gremlins". (The National Safety Council calls it "sick, morbid, and insidious", and the CBS TV show 60 Minutes airs a segment showing the protests about the game. Total sales: 1000 units.) [87.12] [89.16] [1460.xii] [1460.90]
- Year
- Total sales of video games during the year: 3 million. [38.4]
1977
- January
- RCA introduces the Studio II video game system, with interchangeable cartridges. [89.104] [270.93] [1460.107]
- June
- At the Summer CES, Atari shows the Video Computer System, with four games ready. [1460.183]
- (month unknown)
- Alpex Computer is granted patent 4,026,555 in the US for video game technology enabling on-screen characters to move and interact. [239.41] [264.D2]
- In Japan, Nintendo unveils the Color TV Game 6 video game system. It plays six versions of paddle and ball games. Price is 9800 yen. (One million units sell over its lifetime. The sequel, Color TV Game 15 (price 15,000 yen) also sells one million copies.) [124.27] [1391.36]
- Coleco Industries releases the Telstar Arcade home video game system. Price is US$125 including one cartridge; extra game cartridges cost US$20 each. [270.93]
- Exidy Games releases the Death Race II arcade game. [1460.92]
- October 17
- Atari introduces the Atari Video Computer System (VCS) in North America. Code name during development was Stella. Price is US$199 with one cartridge (Combat), two joysticks, and two paddles; extra game cartridges cost US$20 each. Titles for sale are: Street Racer, Air-Sea Battle, Surround, Blackjack, Basic Math, Indy 500, Video Olympics, Starship. [12] [32.178] [270.93] [956.76] [1340.15] [1460.107] (June [89.51,104]) (October 14 [1371.24])
- November
- Atari begins shipping the Atari VCS to stores. [89.104]
- Year
- Atari sales: $77 million. [1460.185]
1978
- February 5
- In Japan, Toshihiro Nishikado completes the Space Invaders arcade game. [1448.22]
- March
- Nintendo releases its first arcade game: Computer Othello. [865.128] [1460.xiii]
- (month unknown)
- Midway Manufacturing calls Taito of Japan, seeking to license a game design to manufacture. (The result is the Space Invaders video game.) [89.20]
- June 5
- Taito releases the Space Invaders video game, in Japan. Original name was Space Monsters, created by Toshihiro Nishikado. (Over 350,000 machines are sold world-wide over its lifetime.) [4.46] [22.34] [89.xvi] [94.109] [297.36] [1343.193] [1460.116]
- (month unknown)
- Nintendo releases the Computer Othello arcade game. [1391.37]
- Bally Manufacturing begins shipping its Bally Professional Arcade home video game system. The unit uses plug-in cartridges for games. Price is US$299, which includes two games built-in, and a calculator on the console. Extra game cartridges cost U$20 each. [4.50] [12] [89.104] [270.93]
- Milton Bradley develops a TV-connected game system, but does not market it, due to considering such systems an overpriced fad. [287.110]
- APF Electronics introduces the MP-1000 video game unit. Price is US$180 with one cartridge; extra game cartridges cost US$20 each. [6.38] [270.93]
- Nintendo releases the Color TV Game Racing 112 video game system in Japan. It features 112 variations of car racing for one player with wheel or two players with paddles. Price is 12,500 yen. [1391.36]
- Entreprex releases the Apollo 2001 game system, featuring tennis, hockey, and handball. [190.1-4]
- Atari releases the Outlaw video game for the Atari 2600 in the US. [683.150]
- Coleco Industries releases the Telstar Marksman game system, featuring tennis, hockey, handball, jai alai, target, and skeet. [190.1-4]
- Atari releases the Pinball game system, featuring pinball, basketball, and Breakout. [190.1-4]
- At Atari, Al Alcorn begins designing a game console called Cosmos, with LED display instead of TV, and 4x5-inch mylar transparencies for storage of games, and 3D holograms on mylar for backgrounds. [1460.124]
- Magnavox releases the Odyssey2 cartridge-based console game system. [12] [273.102] [278.55] [1460.xiii,107]
- Philips releases the Videopac G7000 video game system. [1091.94]
- October
- Midway releases the Space Invaders arcade video game in the US. [389.94] [1447.90] [1460.117]
- (month unknown)
- The annual Amusement and Music Operators Association convention is held. Cinematronics unveils Space Wars, the first coin-operated video game with vector-generated graphics. The game, created by Larry Rosenthal, is a duplication of the original Spacewar video game of 1962. Rosenthal received several patents for the technology. [89.7,16]
- Cinematronics releases the Space Wars video game to arcades. The game is a vector graphics adaptation of Spacewars. [16.68] [1460.xiii,129]
- Year
- Sales of video arcade games during the year: US$50 million. [281.39]
- Sales of Midway coin-operated video games in the USA: $21.5 million. [1447.90]
- Market share of coin-operated games: Atari 70 percent. [89.20]
- Cinematronics makes US$6 million for the year, from sales of 10,000 Space Wars machines. [89.18]
1979
- April
- At Namco headquarters in Japan, employee Toru Iwatani conceives the Pac-Man idea. [1460.140]
- (month unknown)
- Atari develops the Asteroids computer game. [9.78]
- Atari founder Nolan Bushnell resigns from the company. As part of his severance package, he is not allowed to compete with Atari for seven years. [89.80] [94.106] [104.8] [124.144]
- June
- Warren Robinett finishes writing the Adventure video game for Atari. [960.22]
- (month unknown)
- Taito of Japan opens its own US operation, ceasing leasing games to Midway. [1460.64]
- Milton Bradley releases the Microvision handheld video game system, first of its kind. It features a small LCD screen, playing games on cartridges. Price is US$100. [685.132] [1460.xiii]
- Milton Bradley produces game cartridge versions of Yahtzee and Hangman board games for the Gamevision system by Texas Instruments. [287.114]
- Kenzo Tsujimoto founds Capcom, to produce arcade video games. [234.D6]
- Nintendo releases the Color TV Game Block Kuzushi video game system in Japan. It features 6 variations of paddle/ball/brick games. Price is 13,500 yen. [1391.36]
- Atari releases the Lunar Lander arcade video game, first vector-graphics game for Atari. [89.20]
- October 1
- Alan Miller, David Crane, Bob Whitehead, Jim Levy, and Larry Kaplan found Activision, to produce game cartridges for the Atari 2600 game system. [89.50] (September [105.43])
- October 15
- Namco releases the Galaxian arcade game in Japan. [1340.15]
- November 14
- At Atari, Jed Margolin proposes Warp Speed, a 3D perspective graphics first-person space war game played against either a person at a linked machine, or a computer-controlled enemy player. The proposal is approved. (It is later released as the Star Wars arcade game.) [1343.69]
- (month unknown)
- The annual Amusement and Music Operators Association convention is held. Atari delivers the Asteroids video game. (100,000 units are sold world-wide over its lifetime.) [9.78] [89.23] [94.109] [274.58] [1460.132]
- Atari releases the Adventure video game for the Atari 2600 in the US. This is the first game to contain an "easter egg", something hidden by the programmer that is not a normal part of the game. A secret room displays the programmer's name. (One million copies are sold.) [746.66] [960.x] [1202.125]
- Bally Manufacturing announces a Videocade and Computer System for US$499. [36.141]
- Year
- During the year, about US$930,000 is spent in coins on coin-operated video games. [94.S6.101]
- Sales of Midway coin-operated video games in the USA: $60.8 million. [1447.90]
- Sales of Atari video games: $80 million. [1447.90]
- Sales of video game systems and cartridges in the US during the year: about US$400 million. [167.D23]
1980
- January
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, the Consumer Electronics Show is held. Mattel Electronics releases the Intellivision home video game system. Price is US$300. Intellivision is short for "Intelligent Television". Specifications of the system: General Instruments CP1610 894-kHz 16-bit processor,7kB internal ROM, 1325 bytes RAM, 2 controllers with 12-button numerica keypads, 4 action buttons, and 16-direction movement disc, 3-part harmony sound, 64 8x8-pixel moveable images, 192x160 video resolution. Mattel also announces it will create a Keyboard Component for the Intellivision Master Component, turning the system into a full home computer. Estimated retail price of Keyboard Component: US$700. (Over 850,000 Intellivision units are sold over its lifetime.) [89.107] [1444.229] (end of 1979 [12]) (October 1979 [11.132])
- (month unknown)
- Midway Manufacturing releases Namco's Galaxian video game. (Over 50,000 units sell in two years.) [89.24]
- February
- At Williams Electronics, Eugene Jarvis is assigned to Project Defender, to create a side-scrolling space attack/rescue video game. [89.26,60] [1460.144]
- Mattel Electronics begins shipping the game component of the Intellivision. [5.48]
- April
- Activision opens operations. [1460.193]
- Minoru Awakawa sets up Nintendo of America in New York. [1460.155]
- May
- The Puck-Man game is first tested in public in Japan. [1460.141]
- (month unknown)
- Namco of Japan contacts Midway Manufacturing with the game Puck-Man. Bally (parent of Midway) president Robert Mullane advises against it, but Midway makes an agreement to license the game, as Pac-Man. [89.40] [109.D14] [374.292]
- Nintendo of America releases the Radarscope arcade game. (1000 units are sold, leaving another 200 units unsold.) [1460.156]
- Universal introduces the Space Panic video game. [89.29]
- Milton Bradley ceases distribution of game cartridges for the Gamevision game system. [287.114]
- Nintendo releases the Computer TV Game, which incorporates a complete arcade board of the Computer Othello game. Price is 48,000 yen. [1391.37]
- At Atari, Al Alcorn completes a prototype game console called Cosmos, with LED display and mylar transparencies for storage of games. [1460.124]
- In the case of Aladdin's Castle arcade versus the city of Mesquite, Texas, the US Federal Appeals Court for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans rules that playing arcade video games is an activity protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. City council of Mesquite had issued an ordinance barring players under age 17 without parents to play video games. [55.C8] [106.7] [111.A15]
- Nintendo releases the first Game & Watch handheld video game, Ball, in Japan. [1444.178]
- July
- Namco releases Puck Man arcade game in Japan. [1444.28] [1460.141]
- Atari releases the Missile Command video game to arcades in the USA. [1341.97]
- October
- The annual Amusement and Music Operators Association convention is held. Gremlin shows Nichibutsu's Moon Cresta video game. Taito of America introduces Stratovox, the first talking video game. Centuri releases Amstar's Phoenix and Eagle video games. Midway Manufacturing introduces Namco's Pac-Man and Rally-X video games. Williams Electronics introduces the Defender video game. [89.24] [113.D4] [1460.142,144,147]
- Midway Manufacturing introduces the Pac-Man video game. The game was created at Namco by Toru Iwatani. (Within a year, 100,000 machines are sold for US$200 million in revenue, with the machines taking in US$1 billion in quarters. Over seven years, 293,822 units are sold. In 2005, the game is added to the Guiness Book of World Records book as "most successful coin operated game" in history.) [89.43] [95.S3.21] [305.37] [456.S3.21] [597] [682.77] [1460.143]
- (month unknown)
- New young members of US Congress are referred to as Atari Democrats, as being more conscious of the tech industry. [1447.90]
- November
- Atari sponsors the First National Space Invaders Competition, in New York. Bill Heineman of Whittier, California, scores 165,200 to win an Asteroids Table Top Video Game. [4.44]
- Atari releases the Battle Zone arcade game. [667.182] [1444] [1460.148]
- (month unknown)
- Bally Manufacturing sells its Consumer Products Division to Astrovision. [4.50] [89.112] [97.12]
- December
- Nintendo of Japan begins exporting coin-operated video games to the United States. [273.102]
- Year
- During the year, Mattel Electronics ships 200,000 Intellivision units. [89.108] [273.102] (100,000 [1460.196])
- Unit sales of Atari video game players during the year: 1.25 million. [273.102]
- Unit sales of coin-operated video games in the United States during the year: US$500 million. [273.98]
- During the year in the US, US$3.8 billion in coins is spent on coin-operated video games. [89.xix] (US$2.8 billion [94.S6.101])
- Sales of video game systems and cartridges in the US during the year: about US$500 million. [167.D23] (US$350 million [273.98])
- Sales of Atari video games: $415 million. [1447.90]
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