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List of best-selling video games for older computers

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Older computers[]

This section lists the sales of video games released for older personal computer platforms such as the Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit and Atari ST; BBC Micro, Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore 64; FM-7 and FM Towns; MSX, NEC PC-88 and PC-98; and the Sharp X1 and X68000. The computer game industry was much smaller when these platforms were active, but gradually increasing; the best-selling computer game up until June 1982 sold 35,000 copies,[1] a major hit in 1983 would have sold around 50,000 copies, and a major hit in 1985 would have sold around 150,000 copies.[2] As such, the threshold is at least 35,000 sales for titles released up until 1982, 50,000 for titles released in 1983, and at least 100,000 sales for titles released from 1984 onwards.

Title Release year Sales
(units) 		Sales as of Revenue
(million USD)
(without inflation) 		Revenue
(million USD)
(2014 inflation)[3] 		Reference(s)
The Last Ninja 1987 2 million 2008 56 116.6 [4][5]
Prince of Persia
(incl. console versions) 		1989 2 million 1993 79.9 144.7 [6]
Thexder 1985 1 million 1990 69.1 152 [7][8]
Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II 1985 1 million 1985 65 143 [9][10][11][12]
The Death Trap 1984 500,000 1990 41 93.4 [13][14]
Karateka
(incl. console versions) 		1985 500,000 1993 14.5 31.9 [15]
Sokoban 1982 400,000 1988 16 39.2 [16][17]
Zork 1980 378,987 1986 13.6 29.4 [18][19]
Skyfox 1984 317,545 1986 8.89 19.2 [20][21]
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985 300,000 1990 11.4 20.6 [22][23]
The Bard's Tale 1985 300,000 2003 6.9 12.5 [24][25]
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1984 254,249 1986 4.8 10.4 [18][26]
OutRun 1987 250,000+ 1987 11.32 23.6 [27][28]
J.B. Harold Series #2: Manhattan Requiem 1988 200,000 2010 19.2 38.4 [29]
Door Door 1983 200,000 1985 7.4 17.6 [30][31]
Gauntlet 1986 200,000 1987 5.6 11.7 [32][33]
Wizardry 1981 200,000 1984 [34]
Zork II 1981 173,204 1986 2.6 5.6 [18][35]
Chessmaster 2000 1986 160,000 1987 3.68 7.7 [36][37]
The Black Onyx 1984 150,000 1986 8.4 19.1 [38][39]
The Seven Cities of Gold 1984 150,000 2003 3.45 6.2 [40][41]
Deadline 1982 140,719 1986 2.11 4.6 [18][42]
Zork III 1982 129,232 1986 1.94 4.2 [18][43]
Ultima III: Exodus 1983 120,000 2008 4.56 8.3 [44][45]
Pac-Man 1987 100,000+ 1987 2 4.2 [46][47]
Alpha 1986 100,000+ 1988 4.9 10.6 [48]
Will: The Death Trap II 1985 100,000+ 1988 4.8 10.6 [49][50]
Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer 1987 100,000 1987 [51]
Suspended 1983 99,956 1986 [18]
Starcross 1982 90,315 1986 [18]
Mystery House 1980 80,000 2003 [52]
Choplifter 1982 60,000 1983 [53]
Wizard and the Princess 1980 60,000 2010 [54]
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress 1982 50,000 1990 [55]
Ultima 1981 50,000 1990 [56]
Temple of Apshai 1979 40,000 1982 [11]
K-razy Shoot-Out 1982 35,000 1982 [1]

Footnotes[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "List of Top Sellers". Computer Gaming World 2 (5): 2. September-October 1982. 
  2. ↑ Katz, Arnie (January 1985). "1984: The Year That Shook Electronic Gaming". Electronic Games 3 (35): 30–31 [30]. http://www.archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1985-01/Electronic_Games_Issue_35_Vol_03_11_1985_Jan#page/n29/mode/2up. Retrieved 2 February 2012. 
  3. ↑ CPI Inflation Calculator. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on 2012-02-22
  4. ↑ Rosenberg, Adam (June 4, 2008). Ninjas in Games. UGO Networks. Retrieved on 25 December 2011
  5. ↑ The Last Ninja revenue: 2 million copies at £14.99 ($28) each
  6. ↑ 2 million units [1][2] at $39.95 each
  7. ↑ "Back Cover", Fire Hawk: Thexder The Second Contact (Game Arts & Sierra On-Line), 1990, http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1790158784.jpg, retrieved 2012-02-10 
  8. ↑ Thexder sales revenue:
  9. ↑ http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/070501_sol_int/070501_sol_int_01.shtml
  10. ↑ Xanadu Next home page. Retrieved on 2008-09-08 (Translation)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Hendricks, Fayyaad (22 December 2011). A complete history of role-playing videogames: Part 2. EL33TONLINE. Retrieved on 25 December 2011
  12. ↑ Xanadu revenue: 1 million units at ¥7800 ($64.47) each
  13. ↑ Love, War and Fantasy: The Life of Square, Kombo
  14. ↑ The Death Trap revenue: 500,000 copies at ¥9800 ($81) each
  15. ↑ 500,000 copies [3] [4] [5] at ₣149 ($29) each
  16. ↑ Green, W., ed (1988). "Made in Japan". InCider 6: 158. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=M2NRAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 27 January 2012. 
  17. ↑ Sokoban revenue: 400,000 copies at ¥4800 ($39.67) each
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 Carless, Simon (2008-09-20). Great Scott: Infocom's All-Time Sales Numbers Revealed. GameSetWatch. Think Services. Retrieved on 2008-09-23
  19. ↑ Zork revenue: 378,987 copies at £15 ($36) each
  20. ↑ Tobey, Ray. Skyfox. Ray Tobey. Retrieved on 14 January 2012
  21. ↑ Skyfox revenue: 317,545 copies at £14.95 ($28) each
  22. ↑ The Official Book of Ultima, second edition, by Shay Addams, page 56
  23. ↑ Ultima IV revenue: 300,000 copies at ₣250 ($38) each
  24. ↑ Wilson, Rusel DeMaria; Johnny L. (2003). High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games (2. ed. ed.). New York [u.a.]: McGraw-Hill/Osborne. p. 209. ISBN 0-07-223172-6. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HJNvZLvpCEQC. 
  25. ↑ The Bard's Tale revenue: 300,000 copies at £14.95 ($23) each
  26. ↑ Hitchhiker's revenue: 254,249 copies at £9.99 ($19) each
  27. ↑ "License To Thrill?". ACE (10): 31. July 1988. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=ACE/Issue10/Pages/ACE1000031.jpg. Retrieved 7 February 2012. 
  28. ↑ OutRun revenue: 250,000 copies at £24.95 ($45.26) each
  29. ↑ 200,000 copies at ¥7800 ($96) each
  30. ↑ Fujii, Daiji (2003). Entrepreneurial Choices of Strategic Options in Japan's RPG Development (PDF). Archived from the original on 2008-12-30 Retrieved on 2006-08-12
  31. ↑ Door Door' revenue: 200,000 copies at [translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%82%A2%E3%83%89%E3%82%A2 ¥5800] ($37) each
  32. ↑ "Out Run". Crash (49): 22–23. February 1988. ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/magazines/Crash/Issue49/Pages/. Retrieved 5 February 2012. 
  33. ↑ Gauntlet revenue: 200,000 copies at £14.99 ($28) each
  34. ↑ Maher, Jimmy (2014-06-25). Of Wizards and Bards. The Digital Antiquarian. Retrieved on 11 July 2014
  35. ↑ 173,204 copies at £9.99 ($15) each
  36. ↑ "Games That Grownups Play". Time 130: 196. 1987. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bjwnAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
  37. ↑ 160,000 copies at £14.95 ($23) each
  38. ↑ Edge Staff (2008-03-06). THE MAKING OF... Japan's First RPG (englisch). nex-gen.biz. Retrieved on 2011-04-08
  39. ↑ 150,000 copies at ¥6800 ($56) each
  40. ↑ Wilson, Rusel DeMaria; Johnny L. (2003). High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games (2. ed. ed.). New York [u.a.]: McGraw-Hill/Osborne. p. 176. ISBN 0-07-223172-6. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HJNvZLvpCEQC. 
  41. ↑ 150,000 copies at £14.95 ($23) each
  42. ↑ 140,719 copies at £9.99 ($15) each
  43. ↑ 129,232 copies at £9.99 ($15) each
  44. ↑ Barton, Matt (May 26, 2008). Book Extract: Dungeons and Desktops: 'The Silver Age'. Gamasutra. Retrieved on 14 January 2012
  45. ↑ 120,000 copies at £24.95 ($38) each
  46. ↑ J.F. Archibald, J. Haynes, ed (1988). "Video Games Are Back". The Bulletin (5609-5616): 134. http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=rcolT8jYCoOh0QXF8ZnOCg&id=yCMYAQAAIAAJ&q=%22sold+more+than+100000+copies+of+Pac+Man+for+the+PC%22. Retrieved 29 January 2012. "Mindscape, a software company based in Northbrook, sold more than 100,000 copies of Pac Man for the PC last December alone." 
  47. ↑ Over 100,000 copies at £9.95 ($19) each
  48. ↑ Over 100,000 copies at ¥5900 ($49) each
  49. ↑ Fujii, Daiji (2003). Entrepreneurial Choices of Strategic Options in Japan's RPG Development (PDF). Archived from the original on 2008-12-30 Retrieved on 2006-08-12
  50. ↑ 100,000 copies at ¥5800 [6] [7] ($48)
  51. ↑ "Yeager Leads Video Games Resurgence". Press-Courier. December 13, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P8RdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PF4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6327,2360145. Retrieved 5 March 2012. 
  52. ↑ Wilson, Rusel DeMaria; Johnny L. (2003). High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games (2. ed. ed.). New York [u.a.]: McGraw-Hill/Osborne. p. 135. ISBN 0-07-223172-6. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HJNvZLvpCEQC. 
  53. ↑ "Games". InfoWorld 5 (14): 4. 4 April 1983. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8y8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
  54. ↑ Levy, Steven (2010). Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution (1st ed. ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media. p. 259. ISBN 1-4493-8839-6. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mShXzzKtpmEC&pg=259. Retrieved 14 January 2012. 
  55. ↑ The Official Book of Ultima, second edition, by Shay Addams, page 23
  56. ↑ The Official Book of Ultima, second edition, by Shay Addams, page 16
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