1978 in video gaming

Events

 * Golden age of arcade video games begins.
 * In the Japanese arcade game market, Taito has earned $600 million (equivalent to $ in 2024) from 100,000 Space Invaders machines.
 * The US arcade game market's revenues increase to $1 billion in 1978 (equivalent to $ in 2024).

Notable Releases

 * June - Taito releases Space Invaders, the first blockbuster arcade video game, responsible for starting the golden age of arcade video games. It also sets the template for the shoot 'em up genre, and influences nearly every shooter game released since then. It introduced the concept of a difficulty curve, with the aliens moving faster as the player kills more of them, making the game more difficult as it progresses. It also popularized the concept of achieving a high score, by saving the player's score. Targets could also fire back at the player, and it featured multiple lives, taking cover using destructible barriers, and a dynamic background soundtrack.
 * June - SEGA releases Space Ship, an early vector graphics space combat game.
 * July - Taito America gives Space Invaders a limited release in the United States.
 * August - SEGA releases Secret Base, featuring two-player co-operative gameplay.
 * Atari popularizes the trak-ball controller (inspired by its use in a Taito football/soccer arcade sports game) with the arcade game Football.