1975 in video games

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1975 saw several critical influences in the history of video games, including the first commercial games utilizing large-scale integrated circuits and microprocessors, as well as the first role-playing video games.

Contents

On the back end of the Pong boom, the coin-operated video game industry achieved new expressions of gameplay and animation in arcade games. Racing games and competitive shooting games became particularly popular. Local multiplayer games accommodating more than four players were released by Atari, featuring advanced implementations of transistor-transistor logic hardware. Several games utilizing microprocessors debuted, including the influential Gun Fight from Midway Mfg.

The console industry saw its first competitive environment in the United States as Magnavox, Atari, and smaller competitors introduced systems utilizing advanced circuit designs. Atari’s Pong home console featured a sophisticated custom chip made in-house by the company. European dedicated consoles remained isolated to specific regions, but offered some of the first console lines. Japan’s first native console was developed and released by toy company Epoch.

Computer networks saw a mass proliferation of game variants written in the BASIC programming language which influenced the emerging field of microcomputers. Games introduced in publications like People’s Computer Company and 101 BASIC Computer Games were frequently played via teletypes on time-sharing connected terminals; some were distributed via the remote connected ARPANET. The PLATO network also experienced a massive uptick in titles following the popularity of Empire and Spasim . Midwestern universities connected to the PLATO system were early recipients of the spread of Dungeons & Dragons , which prompted several student groups to develop the earliest computer RPGs.

Events

Financial performance

United States

Arcade

Total unit sales: 50,000–79,000. [6] [7] [Note 1]

Total Revenue (machine sales): $68–76 million. [7] [Note 2]

Title Arcade cabinet units (Estimates)ManufacturerDeveloperGenre
Gun Fight 8,600 [8] Midway Manufacturing Dave Nutting Associates Multi-directional shooter
Wheels 7,000 [9] [Note 3]

2,400 [10]

Midway Manufacturing Taito Corp Racing
Wheels II3,000 [9] Midway Manufacturing Taito Corp Racing
PT 1091,500 [9] Mirco Games Mirco Games Action
Avenger1,200 [9] Electra GamesUniversal Research Laboratories Fixed shooter
Tank II1,000 [9] Kee Games Atari Inc. Multi-directional shooter
Super Flipper538 [11] Chicago Coin Model Racing Sports
Crash 'N Score 500 [9] Atari Inc. Atari Inc. Racing
Jet Fighter 500 [9] Atari Inc. Atari Inc. Multi-directional shooter
Shark Jaws 500 [9] Atari Inc. Atari Inc. Action
Steeplechase500 [9] Atari Inc. Atari Inc. Racing

RePlay magazine published its first popularity chart for coin-operated games in the United States in March 1976, covering games of the previous year. The lists were based on polling operators on their opinions of games receiving the most attention in their locations. [12] RePlay's charts were based only on a subset of operators and not on imperial metrics such as earnings reports, but they give a strong indication of games which were of the most value to arcades and street locations.

The RePlay rankings included both video and electro-mechanical games which ran in close competition through the 1970s until video games became dominant. Outside of the top twenty ranked in order, forty-eight other games were also listed. [12]

Rank Arcade video games
TitleGenreManufacturer
1 Tank / Tank II Multi-directional shooter Kee Games
2 Wheels / Wheels II Racing Midway Manufacturing
3 Gun Fight Multi-directional shooter Midway Manufacturing
4 Indy 800 Racing Kee Games
5 Gran Trak 10 / Gran Trak 20 Racing Atari Inc.
6Twin Racer Racing Kee Games
7BiPlane Multi-directional shooter Atari Inc.
8Racer Racing Midway Manufacturing
9 Demolition Derby Racing Chicago Coin
10Street Burners Racing Allied Leisure Industries

Home consoles

Total unit sales: 250,000-400,000 consoles. [7] [13]

Total revenue (retail): $32-40 million. [13] [14]

TitleGame console units (1975)ManufacturerDeveloper
Odyssey 80,000 [9] Magnavox Sanders Associates/Magnavox
Odyssey 100 / Odyssey 200100,000 [9] Magnavox Sanders Associates/Texas Instruments
Pong85,000 [14] Atari Inc. MOS Sorcery/Atari Inc. [2]

Notable releases

Publications

Arcade games

Computer games

Games

Business

Notes

  1. ↑ The Frost & Sullivan estimate totals 53,000 games with traditional arcade cabinets and 26,000 for those under the new cocktail table presentation.
  2. ↑ The Frost & Sullivan estimate totals $58 million in games with traditional arcade cabinets and $18 million for those under the new cocktail table presentation.
  3. ↑ Ralph Baer's numbers compiled in April 1976 are mostly estimates without direct access to sales figures.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Zemo, Gini (February 14, 1975). "Toymakers Await Holidays". Asbury Park Press. pp. A–15.
  2. 1 2 Goldberg, Marty; Vendel, Curt (2012). Atari Inc.: Business is Fun. Syzygy Press. ISBN   978-0985597405.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith, Alexander (2020). They create worlds: the story of the people and companies that shaped the video game industry. Boca Raton, [Florida] London New York, [New York]: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis group. ISBN   978-1-138-38990-8.
  4. ↑ "Complaint For Patent Infringement". Magnavox Company v. Sears, Roebuck and Co. US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. September 22, 1974. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  5. ↑ "V/TMG Visits the Displays at MOA Expo". Vending Times. 15 (11): 74–76. November 1975.
  6. ↑ Kerwin, Robert (June 6, 1976). "Put Another Quarter In...". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. Sunday Examiner & Chronicle 24.
  7. 1 2 3 The Coin Operated and Home Electronic Games Market. Frost & Sullivan Inc. 1976.
  8. ↑ Jarrell, Timothy (November 1976). "Like Old Man River Midway Sales Go Rollin' Along". Play Meter. 2 (12): 50–52.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. ISBN   978-0-9643848-1-1.
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  11. ↑ Neven, John F. (July 11, 1977). "Notice of Motion". Magnavox Company v. Chicago Dynamic Industries, et al. US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "The Nation's Top Arcade Games". RePlay. 1 (22): 26. March 1976.
  13. 1 2 Electronic Games & Personal Computers. Predicasts Inc. February 1979.
  14. 1 2 The Electronic Games Market in the U.S. Frost & Sullivan Inc. 1983.
  15. ↑ "New Kee game has chills, spills, enough for eight". Play Meter. 1 (6): 55. May 1975.
  16. ↑ "Go out in the traffic and play!". Vending Times. 15 (4): 59. April 1975.
  17. ↑ "Bullet Mark Another First From Sega". RePlay. 1 (1): 41. October 1975.
  18. ↑ "Maneater from PSE". RePlay. 1 (1): 28. October 1975.
  19. ↑ "Starshine". Cash Box: C7. October 18, 1975.
  20. ↑ "Electra Intro's 'Avenger' At MOA Expo; 1-Plyr. W/3 Plays For 2 Quarters Pricing". Cash Box: C9. October 18, 1975.
  21. ↑ "New Midway's 'Gun Fight' – 'Old West' Thrills". Cash Box: 39. November 8, 1975.
  22. ↑ "It's Chicago Coin's Game with a Brain". RePlay. 1 (10): 7. December 20, 1975.
  23. ↑ "Major Manufacturing's Kinsel Hails Fascination". Vending Times. 15 (10): 95. October 1975.
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  25. ↑ Peterson, Jon (2012). Playing at the world: a history of simulating wars, people and fantastic adventures, from chess to role-playing games. San Diego, CA: Unreason Press. ISBN   978-0-615-64204-8.
  26. ↑ Bollingbroke, Chester (November 11, 2013). "The CRPG Addict: Game 123: Orthanc (1975)". The CRPG Addict. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  27. ↑ Daglow, Don L. (August 1988). "The Changing Role of Computer Game Designers" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 50. p. 18. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
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  29. ↑ Herman, Leonard (April 29, 2020). "THE NINTENDO ODYSSEY". The Game Scholar. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Plays on Your Home TV". The Los Angeles Times. May 23, 1975. pp. Part IV 34.
  31. ↑ "Electronic Video Games". Focus Japan: 22. February 1977.
  32. ↑ "Philips tele-spel". elektuur (147): 1206. December 1975.
  33. ↑ "Philips Tele-Spel". Radio Bulletin: A18. December 1975.
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