1978 in video gaming
| List of years in video gaming (table) |
|---|
| ... 1968 . 1969 . 1970 . 1971 . 1972 . 1973 . 1974 ... 1975 1976 1977 -1978- 1979 1980 1981 ... 1982 . 1983 . 1984 . 1985 . 1986 . 1987 . 1988 ... |
| Art . Archaeology . Architecture . Literature . Music . Philosophy . Science +... |
Events
Business
- July - SNK is founded.
- July - Koei is founded by Yōichi Erikawa (also known as Kou Shibusawa) and his wife Keiko Erikawa.
- The American arcade game market earns a revenue of $1 billion[1] (equivalent to $3.62 billion in 2015).
- The American home video game market is worth $200 million.[2]
Journalism
- Consumer-oriented video game journalism begins with the golden age of arcade video games, soon after the success of Space Invaders, leading to hundreds of favourable articles and stories about the emerging video game medium being aired on television and printed in newspapers and magazines.[3]
- In North America, the first regular consumer-oriented column about video games, “Arcade Alley” in Video magazine, is penned by the late Bill Kunkel along with Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley.[4]
Notable releases
Games
- Arcade
- June - Taito releases Tomohiro Nishikado's arcade game Space Invaders in Japan. The worldwide success of Space Invaders marks the beginning of the golden age of arcade video games. It sets the template for the shoot 'em up genre,[5] and influences most subsequent shooters.[6]
- October - Midway gives Space Invaders a wide release in North America.[7]
- October - Namco releases their first arcade video game, Gee Bee, in Japan.
- Nintendo releases their first arcade video game, Computer Othello.
- Cinematronics releases the Space Wars vector graphics arcade game.
- Konami Corporation releases their first arcade video game, Block Game.
- Atari popularizes the trak-ball controller with the arcade game Football.
- Computer
- BASIC Computer Games, microcomputer edition, was released to capitalize on gaming for home computers.
Hardware
- Computer
- Elektor releases the TV Games Computer.
- Console
- APF Electronics, Inc. releases the APF-M1000 home console.
- Bally/Midway releases the Bally Professional Arcade home console.
- Entreprex releases the Apollo 2001 home console.
- Interton releases the VC 4000 home console.
- Magnavox releases the Odyssey² (G7000 Videopac) home console.
- Nintendo releases the Color TV Game 15 home console.
- Warner Communications' Atari releases the Pinball Game System home console.
References
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20071222225649/http://www.replaymag.com/history.htm
- ↑ Yuko Aoyama & Hiro Izushi (2003), Hardware gimmick or cultural innovation? Technological, cultural, and social foundations of the Japanese video game industry, Research Policy 32: 423-44
- ↑ "Players Guide To Electronic Science Fiction Games". Electronic Games 1 (2): 35–45 [36]. March 1982. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ Kohler, Chris (September 6, 2011). "Bill Kunkel, Original Gaming Journalist, Dies at 61". Wired. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "Essential 50: Space Invaders". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
- ↑ Edwards, Benj. "Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Space Invaders". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ↑ Space Invaders (Midway) at the Arcade History database
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