The 1970s were the first decade in the history of the video game industry. The 1970s saw the development of some of the earliest video games, primarily in the arcade game industry, as well as several for the earliest video game consoles and personal computers.
Notable games released in the 1970s included Computer Space, The Oregon Trail, Pong, Maze, Tank, Colossal Cave Adventure, Death Race, Sea Wolf, Breakout, Zork, Combat, Space Invaders, Lunar Lander, Galaxian, and Asteroids.
Arcade history
Notable early arcade video games of the early-to-mid-1970s include Computer Space (1971), Galaxy Game (1971), Pong (1972), Space Race (1973), Gotcha (1973), Tank (1974), Speed Race (1974), Gun Fight (1975), Heavyweight Champ (1976), Fonz (1976), Night Driver (1976), Breakout (1976), Death Race (1976), Sea Wolf (1976), and Space Wars (1977).
Golden age of arcade video games (1978–1979)
Classic arcade games of the late 1970s include Space Invaders (1978), Galaxian (1979), Asteroids (1979), Barrier (1979), Speed Freak (1979), Warrior (1979), Tail Gunner (1979), and Lunar Lander (1979).
Consoles of the 1970s
First-generation consoles (1972–1979)
The first generation of consoles were on sale between 1972 and 1980 and included the Magnavox Odyssey, Telstar, Home Pong, and Color TV-Game.
Typical characteristics of the first generation of consoles: Discrete transistor-based digital game logic. Games were native components of consoles rather than based on external or removable media. Entire game playfield occupies only one screen. Players and objects consist of very basic lines, dots or blocks. Colour graphics are basic (mostly black and white or other dichromatic combination; later games may display three or more colors). Either single-channel or no audio. Games had a high score based system. Lacked features of second generation consoles, such as microprocessor logic, ROM cartridges, flip-screen playfields, sprite-based graphics, and multi-color graphics.
Second-generation consoles (1976–1983)
The second generation of consoles, on sale between 1976 and 1988, made several leaps forward technologically. Consoles first available in the late 1970s included the Fairchild Channel F, Atari 2600, Bally Astrocade, and Magnavox Odyssey². The first handheld console, the Microvision, was released in 1979.
Typical characteristics of the second generation of consoles: Microprocessor-based game logic. AI simulation of computer-based opponents, allowing for single-player gaming. ROM cartridges for storing games, allowing any number of different games to be played on one console. Game playfields able to span multiple flip-screen areas. Blocky and simplistic-looking sprites, with a screen resolution of around 160 × 192 pixels. Basic color graphics, generally between 2-color (1-bit) and 16-color (4-bit). Up to three channel audio. Lacked features of third-generation consoles, such as scrolling tile-based playfields.
Notable video game franchises established in the 1970s
Arcade
Home computers and console
Notes: Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises.
Financial performance
Best-selling arcade games of the decade The following titles were the best-selling arcade games of each year in the 1970s.
Year Region(s) Type Title Cabinet sales Revenue Inflation Developer Manufacturer(s) Genre 1979Worldwide rowspan="2" Space Invaders 750,000 $1,000,000,000+ + Taito Taito / Midway Shoot 'em up 1978 1977 Japan Electro-mechanical F-1 Namco Namco Racing Medal game EVR Race NintendoNintendoVideo game Speed Race DX Taito Taito US Sea Wolf 10,000 rowspan="2" rowspan="2" Dave Nutting Associates Midway Shooter 1976 US Japan Electro-mechanical F-1 Namco Namco Racing Medal game EVR Race Nintendo Nintendo Video game Ball Park (Tornado Baseball) Midway Manufacturing Taito Sports 1975 US Video game Wheels / Wheels II (Speed Race) 10,000 Taito Midway Racing 1974 US Video game Tank 10,000 Kee Games Kee Games / Atari Maze 1973 US Video game Pong 8,000 $11,000,000 Atari, Inc. Atari, Inc. Sports 1972 USVideo game Computer Space 200 Syzygy Engineering Nutting Associates Space combat
Best-selling home systems of the decade Rank System Release Manufacturer Type Generation Sales As of 1Nintendo Color TV Game1977NintendoConsoleFirst2,000,0001979 2Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS)1977Atari, Inc.ConsoleSecond1,550,0001979 3Coleco Telstar1976ColecoConsoleFirst1,000,00019764TRS-801977Texas InstrumentsComputer8-bit450,00019795Magnavox Odyssey1972MagnavoxConsoleFirst367,00019756Fairchild Channel F1976Fairchild Camera and InstrumentConsoleSecond350,00019797Epoch TV Baseball1978Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst230,00019798Epoch TV Game System 101977Epoch Co.ConsoleFirst200,00019799Home Pong1975Atari, Inc.ConsoleFirst150,0001975NEC PC-80011979NECComputer8-bit150,0001979 alternate url
Hardware timeline The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 1970s.
References