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 $2.18 billion in 2022) from 100,000 Space Invaders machines.^[1]
The US arcade game market's revenues increase to $1 billion in 1978^[2] (equivalent to $3.63 billion in 2022).

Notable Releases[]

June - Taito releases Space Invaders, the first blockbuster arcade video game,^[3] responsible for starting the golden age of arcade video games. It also sets the template for the shoot 'em up genre,^[4] and influences nearly every shooter game released since then.^[5] 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.^[6] It also popularized the concept of achieving a high score,^[7]^[8] by saving the player's score.^[9]^[9] Targets could also fire back at the player,^[10] and it featured multiple lives,^[11] taking cover using destructible barriers,^[12] and a dynamic background soundtrack.^[13]
June - SEGA releases Space Ship,^[14] an early vector graphics space combat game.^[15]
July - Taito America gives Space Invaders a limited release in the United States.^[16]
August - SEGA releases Secret Base,^[17]^[18] featuring two-player co-operative gameplay.^[19]
Atari popularizes the trak-ball controller (inspired by its use in a Taito football/soccer arcade sports game) with the arcade game Football.

References[]

↑ http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/electronic_games/electronic_games_winter81.pdf#page=31
↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20071222225649/http://www.replaymag.com/history.htm
↑ Chris Kohler (2005). Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life. BradyGames. p. 18. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
↑ Essential 50: Space Invaders. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-26
↑ Edwards, Benj. Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Space Invaders. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-11
↑ http://www.cracked.com/article_19262_6-glitches-that-accidentally-invented-modern-gaming.html
↑ Kevin Bowen. The Gamespy Hall of Fame: Space Invaders. GameSpy. Retrieved on January 27, 2010
↑ Craig Glenday, ed (March 11, 2008). "Record Breaking Games: Shooting Games Roundup". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Geddes, Ryan (December 10, 2007). IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games. IGN. Retrieved on July 11, 2008
↑ "Players Guide To Electronic Science Fiction Games". Electronic Games 1 (2): 34–45 [44]. March 1982. http://www.archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1982-03/Electronic_Games_Issue_02_Vol_01_02_1982_Mar#page/n42/mode/1up. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
↑ Brian Ashcraft & Jean Snow (2008). Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers. Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-3078-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wX8kAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved May 1, 2011. "Space Invaders offered a novelty: players had three lives. Those who got good at the game could play for as long as they could keep from being blown to bits."
↑ Brian Ashcraft (January 20, 2010). How Cover Shaped Gaming's Last Decade. Kotaku. Retrieved on March 26, 2011
↑ Karen Collins (2008). From Pac-Man to pop music: interactive audio in games and new media. Ashgate. p. 2. ISBN 0-7546-6200-4. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lFEYAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
↑ Space Ship at the Gaming-History database
↑ Space Ship at Museum of the Game
↑ Space Invaders (Taito America) at the Gaming-History database
↑ Secret Base at the Gaming-History database
↑ 1978 in video gaming at Allgame via the Wayback Machine
↑ Secret Base at Museum of the Game

Video game releases[]

Name	Release Date	Category	Region(s)	Platform(s)
3-D Tic-Tac-Toe	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
A Game of Concentration	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Alien Invaders Plus	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Alto Trek	1978	Video Game	North America	Xerox Alto
Android Nim	1978	Video Game	North America	TRS-80
Armored Encounter!/Sub Chase!	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Atari Football	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Avalanche	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Baseball!	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Baseball!	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Basketball (1978)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Blasto	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Bowling!/Basketball!	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Bowling!/Basketball!	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Brain Games	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Canyon Bomber	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Casino (1978)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Casino Slot Machine	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Clowns	1978	Video Game	International	Arcade
Codebreaker	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Computer Golf	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Computer Golf	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Computer Intro!	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Computer Othello (1978)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Cosmic Conflict	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Cosmic Raiders	1978	Video Game	North America	Bally Astrocade
Fairchild Channel F Videocart 16	1978	Video Game	North America	Fairchild Channel F
Fairchild Channel F Videocart-17	1978	Video Game	North America	Fairchild Channel F
Fairchild Channel F Videocart-18	1978	Video Game	North America	Fairchild Channel F
Fire Truck	1978	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Flag Capture	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Football (1978)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Football (Magnavox Odyssey 2)	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Football (Magnavox Odyssey 2)	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Football: Real Sports Soccer	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Frogs	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Fun with Numbers (1978)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Gee Bee	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Gun Fight	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Hangman	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Home Run	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Human Cannonball	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Hunt & Score	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Invaders from Hyperspace	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Las Vegas Blackjack	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Las Vegas Blackjack	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Match-Maker!/Buzzword!/Logix!	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Match-Maker!/Buzzword!/Logix!	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Math-A-Magic!/Echo!	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Math-A-Magic!/Echo!	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Maze Craze	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Maze Mania	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Othello	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Outlaw	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Ozma Wars	December, 1978	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Pocket Billiards	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Race: Course De Voitures	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey²
Sky Diver	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Slot Racers	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Space Invaders	1978	Video Game	International	Arcade
Speedway/Spin-Out/Crypto-Logic	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Speedway/Spin-Out/Crypto-Logic	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Street Racer	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Super Breakout	1978	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Superman (Atari 2600)	1978	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Surround	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Take the Money and Run	1978	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Take the Money and Run	1978	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Take the Money and Run	1978	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
The Amazing Spider-Man (pinball)	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Video Checkers	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Video Chess	1978	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined

Hardware releases[]

Name	Release Date	Category	Region(s)
Color TV-Game 15	1978	Dedicated Console	Japan
Color TV-Game Racing 112	1978	Dedicated Console	Japan
Magnavox Odyssey²	1978	Home Console	North America
Telstar Arcade	1978	Home Console	North America
Telstar Colortron	1978	Dedicated Console	North America

[1] ttp://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/electronic_games/electronic_games_winter81.pdf#page=31

[replaymag-2] ttp://web.archive.org/web/20071222225649/http://www.replaymag.com/history.htm

[3] Chris Kohler (2005). Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life. BradyGames. p. 18. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 2011-03-27.

[1UP-50-4] Essential 50: Space Invaders. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-26

[1UP-10things-5] Edwards, Benj. Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Space Invaders. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-11

[6] ttp://www.cracked.com/article_19262_6-glitches-that-accidentally-invented-modern-gaming.html

[GS-SI-Hall-7] Kevin Bowen. The Gamespy Hall of Fame: Space Invaders. GameSpy. Retrieved on January 27, 2010

[GWR08-2-8] Craig Glenday, ed (March 11, 2008). "Record Breaking Games: Shooting Games Roundup". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3.

[IGN-10-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Geddes, Ryan (December 10, 2007). IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games. IGN. Retrieved on July 11, 2008

[10] "Players Guide To Electronic Science Fiction Games". Electronic Games 1 (2): 34–45 [44]. March 1982. http://www.archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1982-03/Electronic_Games_Issue_02_Vol_01_02_1982_Mar#page/n42/mode/1up. Retrieved February 1, 2012.

[11] Brian Ashcraft & Jean Snow (2008). Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers. Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-3078-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wX8kAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved May 1, 2011. "Space Invaders offered a novelty: players had three lives. Those who got good at the game could play for as long as they could keep from being blown to bits."

[12] Brian Ashcraft (January 20, 2010). How Cover Shaped Gaming's Last Decade. Kotaku. Retrieved on March 26, 2011

[13] Karen Collins (2008). From Pac-Man to pop music: interactive audio in games and new media. Ashgate. p. 2. ISBN 0-7546-6200-4. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lFEYAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved April 8, 2011.

[14] Space Ship at the Gaming-History database

[15] Space Ship at Museum of the Game

[16] Space Invaders (Taito America) at the Gaming-History database

[17] Secret Base at the Gaming-History database

[18] 1978 in video gaming at Allgame via the Wayback Machine

[19] Secret Base at Museum of the Game

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1978 in video gaming

Contents

Events[]

Notable Releases[]

References[]

Video game releases[]

Hardware releases[]

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