1978 in video gaming
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Events
- 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.[1]
- In North America, the first regular consumer-oriented column about video games, “Arcade Alley” in Video magazine, is penned by Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz, and Joyce Worley.[2]
Business
- New companies: Adventure International, Automated Simulations (later Epyx), Koei, Muse, SNK, Supersoft, Synergistic
- The American arcade game market earns a revenue of $1 billion[3] (equivalent to $3.63 billion in 2016).
- The American home video game market is worth $200 million.[4]
Notable releases
Games
- Arcade
- June - Taito releases 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.
- Atari popularizes the trackball controller with Football.
- Atari releases Super Breakout, Fire Truck, Canyon Bomber, and Avalanche. Avalanche was the inspiration for Activision's Kaboom!
- Konami Corporation releases their first arcade video game, Block Game.
- Nintendo releases their first arcade video game, Computer Othello.
- Computer
- The book BASIC Computer Games, microcomputer edition, was released.
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.
- Atari releases the Pinball Game System home console.
References
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "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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