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in: Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Pages containing cite templates with deprecated parameters, Video games by year

1970s

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1970s 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979
1980s 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989
1990s 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999
2000s 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009
2010s 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019
2020s 2020 · 2021 · 2022

The 1970s was the first decade in the history of the video game industry. The 1970s saw the development of the earliest commercial video games, chiefly in the arcade game industry where they gradually displaced electro-mechanical games (EM games) by the end of the decade. The 1970s also saw the introduction of the first video game consoles, personal computers and handheld electronic games.

The highest-grossing video game of the decade was Space Invaders, released by Taito for arcades in 1978. Space Invaders remains the all-time highest-grossing video game adjusted for inflation. The best-selling home system of the decade was Nintendo's Color TV-Game home console, despite only releasing in Japan.

Financial performance[]

The following table lists the worldwide annual sales and revenue generated by the electronic games industry in the 1970s. It lists the annual revenue for the wider electronic games industry, including video games and electro‑mechanical games, while separately listing the annual revenue for video games only. See individual 1970s year articles (1970 to 1979) for breakdown of sales and revenue estimates.

Year Electronic games (est.) Video games (est.) Ref
Units Revenue Inflation Units Revenue Inflation
1970 — $395,000,000 $3,100,000,000 — — — [1]
1971 — $423,000,000 $3,200,000,000 — $1,000,000 $7,500,000 [2]
1972 69,000+ $547,500,000 $4,000,000,000 69,000+ $11,500,000 $84,000,000 [3]
1973 359,000+ $589,000,000 $4,000,000,000 159,000 $161,000,000 $1,100,000,000 [4]
1974 245,000+ $904,300,000 $5,600,000,000 185,000 $261,300,000 $1,600,000,000 [5]
1975 895,000+ $1,428,130,000 $8,100,000,000 895,000 $193,130,000 $1,100,000,000 [6]
1976 4,854,000+ $1,331,300,000 $7,100,000,000 4,854,000+ $874,000,000 $4,700,000,000 [7]
1977 15,300,000+ $1,729,390,000 $8,700,000,000 8,300,000+ $929,190,000 $4,700,000,000 [8]
1978 19,187,000+ $4,777,000,000 $22,000,000,000 7,507,000+ $2,572,000,000 $12,000,000,000 [9]
1979 22,030,200+ $8,931,000,000 $37,000,000,000 6,830,200+ $5,696,000,000 $24,000,000,000 [10]

The following table lists the worldwide annual sales and revenue generated by the arcade and console markets in the 1970s. The arcade market includes arcade video games and electro‑mechanical games, while the console market includes home consoles and game cartridges. See individual 1970s year articles for breakdown of sales and revenue estimates.

Year Arcade games (est.) Console games (est.) Ref
Cabinets Revenue Inflation Units Revenue Inflation
1970 — $361,000,000 $2,800,000,000 — — — [1]
1971 — $423,000,000 $3,200,000,000 — — — [2]
1972 — $547,500,000 $4,000,000,000 69,000 $5,500,000 $40,000,000 [3]
1973 200,000+ $582,000,000 $4,000,000,000 158,000 $7,000,000 $48,000,000 [4]
1974 100,000+ $893,000,000 $5,500,000,000 287,000 $11,300,000 $70,000,000 [5]
1975 79,000+ $1,387,000,000 $7,900,000,000 816,000 $41,130,000 $230,000,000 [6]
1976 54,000+ $1,087,300,000 $5,800,000,000 4,800,000 $244,000,000 $1,300,000,000 [7]
1977 50,000+ $1,261,390,000 $6,300,000,000 8,250,000 $375,000,000 $1,900,000,000 [8]
1978 177,000+ $4,140,000,000 $19,000,000,000 7,330,000 $442,000,000 $2,100,000,000 [9]
1979 880,200+ $8,195,000,000 $34,000,000,000 6,150,000 $317,900,000 $1,300,000,000 [10]

Highest-grossing games[]

Space Invaders was the highest-grossing video game worldwide in the 1970s.[11] The following table lists the highest-grossing electronic games worldwide in the 1980s, including video games (VG) and electro-mechanical games (EM games) across arcades and homes. See sections below and individual 1970s year articles for breakdown of revenue estimates.

Rank Title Year Company Gross revenue (est.) Genre Type Platform
Nominal Inflation
1 Space Invaders 1978 Taito $5,300,000,000 $22,000,000,000 Shmup VG Arcade
2 EVR Race 1975 Nintendo $270,000,000 $1,100,000,000 Medal EM
3 Galaxian 1979 Namco $250,000,000 $1,000,000,000 Shmup VG
4 Monaco GP 1979 Sega $230,000,000 $970,000,000 Racing
Speed Race (Wheels) 1974 Taito $230,000,000 $970,000,000
6 F-1 [n 1] 1976 Namco $210,000,000 $880,000,000 Racing EM
7 IPM Invader 1979 IPM (Irem) $200,000,000 $840,000,000 Shmup VG
8 Western Gun (Gun Fight) 1975 Taito $150,000,000 $630,000,000 Shooter VG
9 Super Speed Race 1977 Taito $140,000,000 $600,000,000 Racing
10 Breakout 1976 Atari $130,000,000 $610,000,000 Block
11 Sea Wolf 1976 Midway $130,000,000 $590,000,000 Shooter
12 Head On 1979 Sega $110,000,000 $460,000,000 Maze
13 Indy 500 (Speedway) 1968 Kasco $97,000,000 $710,000,000 Racing EM
14 Piccadilly Circus 1976 Konami $95,000,000 $400,000,000 Medal
15 Harness Race 1974 Sega $93,000,000 $390,000,000 Medal
16 EVR Basketball 1976 Nintendo $80,000,000 $340,000,000
17 Air Hockey 1972 Brunswick $74,000,000 $310,000,000 Sports
18 Pong 1972 Atari $70,000,000 $400,000,000 Pong VG Multi-plat
19 Mogura Taiji 1975 TOGO $70,000,000 $330,000,000 Mole EM Arcade
20 Sprint 2 1976 Atari $70,000,000 $290,000,000 Racing VG
21 Beam Gun 1970 Nintendo $68,000,000 $360,000,000 FPS EM Handheld
22 Tank / Tank II 1974 Kee Games $64,000,000 $180,000,000 Maze VG Arcade
23 Scratch 1977 Universal $58,000,000 $270,000,000 Block
24 Color TV-Game 15 1977 Nintendo $56,000,000 $260,000,000 Sports VG Console
25 Ball Park / Tornado Baseball 1976 Taito / Midway $52,000,000 $260,000,000 Sports VG Arcade

Arcade games[]

Highest-grossing arcade games[]

The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games in the 1970s, including video games (VG) and electro-mechanical games (EM games). See individual 1970s year articles (1970 to 1979) for breakdown of revenue estimates.

Rank Title Year Company Gross revenue (est.) Genre Ref Type
Nominal Inflation
1 Space Invaders 1978 Taito $5,300,000,000 $22,000,000,000 Shmup [9][10] VG
2 EVR Race 1975 Nintendo $270,000,000 $1,100,000,000 Medal [13] EM
3 Galaxian 1979 Namco $250,000,000 $1,000,000,000 Shmup [10] VG
4 Monaco GP 1979 Sega $230,000,000 $970,000,000 Racing [10]
Speed Race (Wheels) 1974 Taito $230,000,000 $970,000,000 Racing [6][13]
6 F-1 [n 2] 1976 Namco $210,000,000 $880,000,000 Racing [13] EM
7 IPM Invader 1979 IPM (Irem) $200,000,000 $840,000,000 Shmup [15][16] VG
8 Western Gun (Gun Fight) 1975 Taito $150,000,000 $630,000,000 Shooter [6][13]
9 Super Speed Race 1977 Taito $140,000,000 $600,000,000 Racing [8][9][10]
10 Breakout 1976 Atari $130,000,000 $610,000,000 Block [7][8][9]
11 Sea Wolf 1976 Midway $130,000,000 $590,000,000 Shooter [13]
12 Head On 1979 Sega $110,000,000 $460,000,000 Maze [10]
13 Indy 500 (Speedway) 1968 Kasco $97,000,000 $710,000,000 Racing [17][2][3] EM
14 Piccadilly Circus 1976 Konami $95,000,000 $400,000,000 Medal [8][9][10]
15 Harness Race 1974 Sega $93,000,000 $390,000,000 Medal [13]
16 EVR Basketball 1976 Nintendo $80,000,000 $340,000,000
17 Block Out 1978 IPM (Irem) $77,000,000 $320,000,000 Block [15][18] VG
18 Air Hockey 1972 Brunswick $74,000,000 $310,000,000 Sports [19][6][10] EM
19 Mogura Taiji (Whac-A-Mole) 1975 TOGO $70,000,000 $330,000,000 Mole [13]
20 Sprint 2 1976 Atari $70,000,000 $290,000,000 Racing [13] VG
21 Tank / Tank II 1974 Kee Games $64,000,000 $180,000,000 Maze [5][6][8]
22 Scratch 1977 Universal $58,000,000 $270,000,000 Block [8][9]
23 Ball Park / Tornado Baseball 1976 Taito / Midway $52,000,000 $260,000,000 Sports [7][8]
24 Black Jack 1976 Sega $49,000,000 $230,000,000 Medal [7][8][9] EM
25 Periscope 1965 Namco / Sega $48,000,000 $340,000,000 FPS [17][2][3]
26 Night Driver 1976 Atari $47,000,000 $200,000,000 Racing [13] VG
27 Kentucky Derby 1975 Universal $46,000,000 $190,000,000 Medal EM
28 Space Wars 1977 Cinematronics $45,000,000 $190,000,000 Shooter [9][10]
29 King of Kings 1977 Universal $44,000,000 $190,000,000 Medal [8][9][10] EM
30 Shoot Away 1977 Namco $42,000,000 $200,000,000 FPS [8][9] EM
31 Paddle Battle 1973 Allied Leisure $40,000,000 $270,000,000 Pong [4] VG
32 Indy 800 1975 Atari $40,000,000 $210,000,000 Racing [6][7]
32 Sky Fighter (F-114) 1970 Taito $39,000,000 $250,000,000 FPS [20] EM
33 Group Skill Diga 1976 Sega $39,000,000 $160,000,000 Crane [7][8][10]
35 Gran Trak 10 / Gran Trak 20 1974 Atari $32,000,000 $180,000,000 Racing [5][6][8] VG
36 Heavyweight Champ 1976 Sega $32,000,000 $160,000,000 Boxing [7][8]
37 LeMans 1976 Atari $31,000,000 $170,000,000 Racing [7][8]
38 Faro 1974 Sega $31,000,000 $160,000,000 Medal [7][8][10] EM
39 TV Poker[n 3] 1978 Sigma[n 4] $31,000,000 $100,000,000 Medal [9][10]
40 Pong 1972 Atari $30,000,000 $210,000,000 Pong [3][4] VG
41 Datsun 280 ZZZAP 1977 Taito $30,000,000 $130,000,000 Racing
42 Sprint 1 1977 Atari $30,000,000 $130,000,000 Racing [9][10]
43 Sea Wolf II 1978 Midway $30,000,000 $130,000,000 Shooter [9][10]
44 Pachipot 100[n 5] 1977 Apollo[n 6] $29,000,000 $140,000,000 Medal [8][9] EM
45 TV 21 1976 Jatre $29,000,000 $120,000,000 Medal [13]
46 Indy 4 1976 Atari $27,000,000 $140,000,000 Racing [7][8] VG
47 Circus 1977 Exidy $27,000,000 $130,000,000 Block [8][9]
48 Winner 1973 Midway $25,000,000 $140,000,000 Pong [4]
49 Super Road 7 (Daytona 500) 1970 Taito $25,000,000 $130,000,000 Racing [7][8] EM
50 Demolition Derby 1975 Exidy $25,000,000 $130,000,000 Racing [6][7][8] VG
51 Death Race 1976 Exidy $25,000,000 $130,000,000 Racing [7][8]
52 Comotion 1976 Sega $25,000,000 $120,000,000 Snake [8][9]
53 Galaxy Wars (Star Wars) 1979 Universal $24,000,000 $100,000,000 Action [10]
Space Chaser 1979 Taito $24,000,000 $100,000,000 Shmup
Space Stranger 1978 Hoei $24,000,000 $100,000,000
Special Dual 1979 Sega $24,000,000 $100,000,000
57 Super Breakout 1978 Atari $23,000,000 $120,000,000 Block [9][10]
58 Space Intruders 1979 Subelectro $23,000,000 $97,000,000 Shmup [10]
59 Flim-Flam 1974 Meadows $22,000,000 $116,000,000 Pong [21]
60 Shooting Trainer 1976 Nintendo $22,000,000 $110,000,000 FPS [8] EM
61 The Derby 1975 Sigma[n 7] $21,000,000 $88,000,000 Medal [8][9][10]
62 Bi-Plane 1975 Fun Games $20,000,000 $110,000,000 Shooter [7] VG
63 Heiankyo Alien 1979 Denki $20,000,000 $84,000,000 Maze [10]
Sheriff (Bandido) 1979 Nintendo $20,000,000 $84,000,000 Shooter
65 Drag Race 1977 Atari $19,000,000 $89,000,000 Racing [8][9] VG
66 Super Bug 1977 Atari $19,000,000 $80,000,000 Racing
67 Laser Clay 1973 Nintendo $18,000,000 $91,000,000 FPS [7][8] EM
68 Cosmic Monsters 1978 Universal $18,000,000 $84,000,000 Shmup [9] VG
69 Star Fire 1978 Exidy $18,000,000 $76,000,000 Shooter [9][10]
70 Atari Football 1978 Atari $17,000,000 $71,000,000 Sports [10]
71 Asteroids 1979 Atari $17,000,000 $71,000,000 Shmup [10]
72 Sky Hawk 1976 Nintendo $16,000,000 $80,000,000 FPS [7][8] EM
73 Faro II 1977 Sega $16,000,000 $75,000,000 Medal [9]
74 Fire Truck 1978 Atari $16,000,000 $74,000,000 Racing [9][10] VG
75 Space Invaders Part II 1979 Taito $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Shmup [10] VG
Astro Fighter 1979 Data East $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Shmup [10]
The Driver[n 8] 1979 Kasco $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Driving [10] EM
Udezumō[n 9] 1979 Komaya $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Sports
The Super Car[n 10] 1979 Fuji[n 11] $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Medal
Lunar Lander 1979 Atari $16,000,000 $67,000,000 Space [10] VG
81 F-1 Mach 1977 Namco $15,000,000 $75,000,000 Racing [8] EM
82 Super Star 1975 Universal $15,000,000 $71,000,000 Medal [7][8][9]
83 Starship 1 1977 Atari $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Shooter [9] VG
Laguna Racer 1977 Midway $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Racing
Robot Bowl 1977 Exidy $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Sports
Destroyer 1977 Atari $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Shooter
M-79 1977 Ramtek $15,000,000 $70,000,000
Sprint 4 1977 Atari $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Racing
Double Play 1977 Midway $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Sports
90 Clowns 1978 Midway $15,000,000 $70,000,000 Block
91 Crash 1979 Exidy $15,000,000 $63,000,000 Maze [10]
Star Hawk 1979 Cinematronics $15,000,000 $63,000,000 Shooter
Video Pinball 1979 Atari $15,000,000 $63,000,000 Pinball
Atari Baseball 1979 Atari $15,000,000 $63,000,000 Sports
Speed Freak 1979 Vectorbeam $15,000,000 $63,000,000 Racing
96 Gee Bee 1978 Namco $14,000,000 $59,000,000 Action [9][10] VG
Submarine 1978 Namco $14,000,000 $59,000,000 FPS [9] EM
98 Bombs Away 1975 Meadows $13,000,000 $65,000,000 Shooter [7][8] VG
Trivia 1975 Ramtek $13,000,000 $65,000,000 Quiz
100 VTR Race[n 12] 1976 Fuji[n 13] $13,000,000 $55,000,000 Medal [7][8][9] EM

Best-selling arcade games[]

The following titles were the best-selling arcade games in the 1970s, in terms of the reported number of arcade cabinets sold. The list includes both video games and electro-mechanical games.

Worldwide
Rank Title Release Company Sales Genre Ref Type Generation
1 Space Invaders 1978 Taito 750,000 Shmup [22] Video 8-bit
2 Galaxian 1979 Namco 50,000 Shmup [23][24] Video 8-bit
3 IPM Invader 1979 IPM (Irem) 50,000 Shmup [15] Video 8-bit
4 Speed Race (Wheels) 1974 Taito 40,212 Racing [25][7] Video Discrete
5 Breakout 1976 Atari 40,000 Block [26]
6 Block Out 1978 IPM (Irem) 35,000 Block [15]
7 Air Hockey 1972 Brunswick 33,000 Sports [27] Electro-mechanical
8 Monaco GP 1979 Sega 20,000 Racing [10] Video Discrete
9 Pong 1972 Atari 19,000 Pong [28]
10 Paddle Battle 1973 Allied Leisure 17,000 Pong [29]
11 Tank 1974 Kee Games 15,000 Maze [30]
12 F-1 1976 Namco 14,000+ Racing [31][10] Electro-mechanical
13 EVR Race 1975 Nintendo 13,000+ Medal [32][33]
14 Indy 500 (Speedway) 1968 Kasco 12,000 Racing [34]
15 Atari Football 1978 Atari 11,306 Sports [18] Video 8-bit
16 Flim-Flam 1974 Meadows 11,200 Pong [30] Video Discrete
17 Demolition Derby 1975 Exidy 11,200 Racing [30]
18 Sea Wolf 1976 Midway 10,000 Shooter [35] Video 8-bit
19 Space Wars 1977 Cinematronics 10,000 Shooter [36] Video Discrete
20 Head On 1979 Sega 10,000 Driving [10] Video 8-bit
21 Super Speed Race V 1978 Taito 10,000 Racing [10] Video Discrete
22 Asteroids 1979 Atari 10,000 Shmup [37][38] Video 8-bit
Gun Fight (Western Gun) 1975 Taito 10,000 Shooter [39][10]
Piccadilly Circus 1976 Konami 10,000 Medal [10] Electro-mechanical
25 Sprint 2 1976 Atari 8,200 Racing [18] Video 8-bit
United States
Rank Title Release Company Sales Genre Ref Type Generation
1 Space Invaders 1978 Taito 66,000 Shmup [10] Video 8-bit
2 Air Hockey 1972 Brunswick 33,000 Sports [27] Electro-mechanical
3 Pong 1972 Atari 19,000 Pong [28] Video Discrete
4 Paddle Battle 1973 Allied Leisure 17,000 Pong [29]
5 Tank 1974 Kee Games 15,000 Maze [30]
6 Atari Football 1978 Atari 11,306 Sports [18] Video 8-bit
7 Flim-Flam 1974 Meadows 11,200 Pong [30] Video Discrete
8 Demolition Derby 1975 Exidy 11,200 Racing [30]
9 Breakout 1976 Atari 11,000 Block [18]
10 Wheels (Speed Race) 1974 Taito 10,212 Racing [7] Video Discrete
11 Speedway (Indy 500) 1968 Kasco 10,000 Racing [34] Electro-mechanical
12 Sea Wolf 1976 Midway 10,000 Shooter [35] Video 8-bit
13 Space Wars 1977 Cinematronics 10,000 Shooter [36] Video Discrete
14 Asteroids 1979 Atari 10,000 Shmup [37][38] Video 8-bit
15 Gun Fight (Western Gun) 1975 Taito 8,600 Shooter [39]
16 Sprint 2 1976 Atari 8,200 Racing [18]
17 Pro Tennis 1973 Williams 7,500 Pong [30] Video Discrete
18 Winner 1973 Midway 7,000
19 Formula K 1974 Kee Games 6,000 Racing [30]
20 Periscope 1965 Namco / Sega 5,000 FPS [1] Electro-mechanical
21 Super Soccer 1973 Allied Leisure 5,000 Pong [30] Video Discrete
22 Tennis Tourney 1973 Allied Leisure 5,000
23 TV Tennis 1973 Chicago Coin 5,000
24 Lunar Lander 1978 Atari 4,830 Sim [18] Video 8-bit
25 Super Breakout 1978 Atari 4,805 Block [18]
26 Gran Trak 20 1974 Atari 4,500 Racing [30] Video Discrete
27 Computer Quiz 1968 Nutting 4,400 Quiz [40] Electro-mechanical
28 I.Q. Computer 1969 Nutting 3,600
29 F-1 1976 Namco 4,200 Racing [10]
30 Sea Wolf II 1978 Midway 4,000 Shooter [41] Video 8-bit
31 Space Race (Asteroid) 1973 Atari / Midway 3,500 Racing [30] Video Discrete
32 Clean Sweep 1974 Ramtek 3,500 Block
33 Starship 1 1977 Atari 3,500 Shooter [18] Video 8-bit
34 Super Bug 1977 Kee Games 3,500 Racing
35 TV Ping Pong 1973 Chicago 3,300 Pong [42] Video Discrete
36 Gotcha 1973 Atari 3,000 Maze [30]
37 Video Action / Robot Valley 1975 URL / Venture 3,000 Pong [43]
38 Night Driver 1976 Atari 2,100 Racing [18] Video 8-bit
39 Computer Space 1971 Syzygy 2,000 Shooter [44][45] Video Discrete
40 Drag Race 1977 Kee Games 1,900 Racing [18] Video 8-bit
41 Video Pinball 1979 Atari 1,505 Pinball
42 PT-109 1975 Mirco Games 1,500 Shooter [30] Video Discrete
43 TV Basketball 1974 Taito 1,400 Sports [46]
44 Rally 1973 For-Play 1,200 Pong [47]
45 Avenger 1975 Electra 1,200 Shooter [30]
46 Trivia 1975 Ramtek 1,100 Quiz
47 Atari Baseball 1979 Atari 1,050 Sports [18] Video 8-bit
48 Hockey 1973 Ramtek 1,000 Pong [30] Video Discrete
TV Hockey 1973 Chicago Coin 1,000
Volley 1973 Ramtek 1,000
Leader 1974 Midway 1,000
TV Flipper 1974 Midway 1,000
Tank II 1975 Kee Games 1,000 Maze
Death Race 1976 Exidy 1,000 Racing [48]

Annual[]

The following titles were the best-selling and highest-grossing arcade games of each year in the 1970s, including video games (VG) and electro-mechanical games (EM games).

Year Type Top game Company Cabinet sales Gross revenue (est.) Genre Ref
Annual Cume Gross Inflation
1970 EM Speedway Kasco Unknown 9,000 $47,000,000 $370,000,000 Racing [1]
1971 EM Sky Fighter II Taito 3,000 3,000 $20,000,000 $150,000,000 FPS [2]
VG Computer Space Syzygy 500 500 $1,000,000 $7,500,000 Shooter
1972 EM Speedway Kasco 1,000 10,000 $10,000,000 $73,000,000 Racing [3]
VG Pong Atari 2,000 2,000 $5,000,000 $36,000,000 Pong
1973 VG Paddle Battle Allied 17,000 17,000 $40,000,000 $270,000,000 Pong [4]
1974 VG Tank Kee Games 10,000 10,000 $24,000,000 $150,000,000 Maze [5]
1975 VG Speed Race Taito 10,000 10,000 $34,000,000 $190,000,000 Racing [6]
1976 EM EVR Race Nintendo — — $100,000,000 $540,000,000 Medal [7]
VG Speed Race Taito 10,000 30,000 $78,000,000 $420,000,000 Racing [7][25]
1977 EM F-1 Namco — 10,000 $93,000,000 $470,000,000 Racing [8][31]
VG Speed Race DX Taito — — $64,000,000 $320,000,000 [8]
1978 VG Space Invaders Taito 118,000 118,000 $1,340,000,000 $6,300,000,000 Shmup [9]
1979 VG Space Invaders Taito 632,000 750,000 $3,920,000,000 $16,000,000,000 Shmup [10]

Home market[]

Best-selling systems[]

Rank System Release Company Type Generation Sales Ref As of
1 Color TV-Game 1977 Nintendo Console First 2,031,000 [49] 1979
2 Atari VCS (Atari 2600) 1977 Atari Console Second 1,550,000 [50]
3 Color TV-Racing 112 1978 Nintendo Console First 500,000 [51]
4 Color TV-Block Kuzushi 1979 Nintendo Console First 500,000
5 TRS-80 1977 Tandy Computer 8-bit 450,000 [52]
6 Magnavox Odyssey 1972 Magnavox Console First 367,000 [53] 1975
7 Fairchild Channel F 1976 Fairchild Console Second 350,000 [54] 1979
8 Coleco Telstar 1976 Coleco Console First 300,000 [55]
9 Epoch TV Baseball 1978 Epoch Console First 230,000 [56]
10 Home Pong 1975 Atari Console First 203,000 [49] 1975
11 TV Game System 10 1977 Epoch Console First 200,000 [56] 1979
12 TV Fun Model 401 1976 APF Console First 200,000 [49] 1977
TV Fun Model 402 1976 APF Console First 200,000
14 NEC PC-8001 1979 NEC Computer 8-bit 150,000 [57] 1979
15 Odyssey 100 / 200 1975 Magnavox Console First 133,000 [49] 1975
16 Atari 400 / 800 1979 Atari Computer 8-bit 100,000 [52] 1979
17 TV Tennis Electrotennis 1975 Epoch Console First 90,000 [49] 1977
18 Commodore PET 1977 Commodore Computer 8-bit 79,000 [52] 1979
19 APF-MP1000 1978 APF Console Second 50,000 [58]
20 Apple II 1977 Apple Computer 8-bit 43,200 [52]
21 Takatoku TUG 1977 Takatoku Toys Console First 30,000 [59] 1977
22 TV-Game Sportstron 1977 Fuji Electric Console First 25,000 [60] 1977
Altair 8800 1975 MITS Computer 8-bit 25,000 [52] 1978
24 Sharp Color TV Game 1977 Sharp Console First 20,000 [61] 1978
Shooting Gallery 1972 Nintendo Console First 20,000 [49] 1975

Best-selling games[]

Rank Title Year Company Sales Gross revenue Ref Platform Type
Nominal Inflation
1 Beam Gun 1970 Nintendo 2,000,000 $68,000,000 $360,000,000 [62][63] Handheld EM
2 Color TV-Game 15 1977 Nintendo 1,000,000 $56,000,000 $260,000,000 [49][8][9] Console Video
3 Color TV-Game 6 1977 Nintendo 1,000,000 $36,000,000 $170,000,000
4 Combat 1977 Atari 1,000,000 $20,000,000 $84,000,000 [64][65] Atari VCS
5 Simon 1978 Milton 750,000 $19,000,000 $89,000,000 [9] Handheld Audio
6 Touch Me 1979 Atari 745,664 $8,900,000 $37,000,000 [10] Handheld LED
7 Mattel Football 1977 Mattel 600,000 $15,000,000 $70,000,000 [66][67]
8 Color TV-Block Kuzushi 1979 Nintendo 500,000 $31,000,000 $130,000,000 [10] Console Video
9 Color TV-Racing 112 1978 Nintendo 500,000 $18,000,000 $84,000,000 [9]
10 Computer Perfection 1979 Lakeside 500,000 $15,000,000 $63,000,000 [10] Handheld LED
11 Magnavox Odyssey 1972 Magnavox 367,000 $30,000,000 $170,000,000 [53][68] Console Video
12 Hockey 1976 Fairchild 350,000 $7,000,000 $29,000,000 [54][69] Channel F
Tennis 1976 Fairchild 350,000 $7,000,000 $29,000,000
14 Coleco Telstar 1976 Coleco 300,000 $15,000,000 $80,000,000 [55] Console Video
15 Bandai Baseball 1978 Bandai 300,000 $9,000,000 $42,000,000 [70] Handheld LED
16 Epoch TV Baseball 1978 Epoch 230,000 $20,000,000 $93,000,000 [9] Console Video
17 Home Pong 1975 Atari 203,000 $40,000,000 $230,000,000 [49][71]
18 TV Game System 10 1977 Epoch 200,000 $12,000,000 $60,000,000 [8]
19 TV Fun Model 401 1976 APF 200,000 $18,000,000 $96,000,000 [49]
TV Fun Model 402 1976 APF 200,000 $18,000,000 $96,000,000
21 Odyssey 100 / 200 1975 Magnavox 133,000 $13,000,000 $74,000,000 [6]
22 TV Tennis Electrotennis 1975 Epoch 90,000 $6,000,000 $30,000,000 [49]
23 Microchess 1976 Micro-Ware 50,000 $1,100,000 $5,000,000 [72][73] Computers Video
24 Takatoku TUG 1977 Takatoku Toys 30,000 $3,000,000 $15,000,000 [49] Console Video
25 TV-Game Sportstron 1977 Fuji Electric 25,000 $1,000,000 $5,000,000 [60][49]
26 Sharp Color TV Game 1977 Sharp 20,000 $700,000 $3,000,000 [61][49]
Shooting Gallery 1972 Nintendo 20,000 $500,000 $2,000,000 [49]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Released in June 1976.[12]
  2. ↑ Released in June 1976.[14]
  3. ↑ TV ポー カー TV Pōkā
  4. ↑ シグマ Shiguma
  5. ↑ パチポット100 Pachipotto 100
  6. ↑ アポロ Aporo
  7. ↑ シグマ Shiguma
  8. ↑ ザ・ドライバー Za Doraibā
  9. ↑ 腕相撲, "Arm Wrestling"
  10. ↑ スーパーカー Sūpā Kā
  11. ↑ 富士電子工業 Fuji Denshi Kōgyō
  12. ↑ VTR レース VTR Rēsu
  13. ↑ 富士電子工業 Fuji Denshi Kōgyō

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1970
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 1971
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 1972
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 1973
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 1974
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 1975
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 1976
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 1977
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 9.25 9.26 9.27 9.28 9.29 9.30 9.31 9.32 9.33 1978
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20 10.21 10.22 10.23 10.24 10.25 10.26 10.27 10.28 10.29 10.30 10.31 10.32 10.33 10.34 10.35 10.36 10.37 10.38 10.39 10.40 10.41 10.42 1979
  11. ↑ "After Pong". ACE (6): 29-32 (29). 4 February 1988. March 1988. https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_06_1988-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n28/mode/1up.
  12. ↑ https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-3-number-1-january-1977/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%203%2C%20Number%201%20-%20January%201977/page/n47
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
  14. ↑ https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-3-number-1-january-1977/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%203%2C%20Number%201%20-%20January%201977/page/n47
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 "Tsujimoto — Capcom's "Toy Maker" — Talks About Video Business & Video Philosophy". RePlay 11 (3): 85-90. December 1985. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8d/RePlay_US_Volume_11_No._03.pdf#page=85.
  16. ↑ Koyama, Yusuke (2023-06-02). History of the Japanese Video Game Industry. Springer Nature. p. 21. ISBN 978-981-99-1342-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=uITCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA21. "The price of the first monochrome version of the table cabinet was 460,000 yen (580,000 yen for the color version released later), but in a single day, it generated 20,000–30,000 yen. In less than a month, game center can make their investment money back, and the rest will be all cash income."
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 1970
  18. ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 Production Numbers. Atari Games (1999). Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved on 19 March 2012.
  19. ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-01-11.pdf#page=18
  20. ↑ 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977
  21. ↑ 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
  22. ↑ "After Pong". ACE (6): 29-32 (29). 4 February 1988. March 1988. https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_06_1988-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n28/mode/1up.
  23. ↑ "In the Matter of: Coin-Operated Audio-Visual Games And Components Thereof (Investigation No. 337-TA-87)". ITC Publication. United States International Trade Commission. June 25, 1981. p. 27. https://books.google.com/books?id=FFBFAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA7-PA27.
  24. ↑ Stone, Andrea (December 1982). "The House That Pac Built: Midway Manufacturing is king of the coin-op hill and loving it!". Video Games (Pumpkin Press) 1 (3): 53-55 (54). https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_03_1982-12_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n53.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 スピードレース
  26. ↑ Goldberg, Marty (2012). Atari Inc. Business Is Fun. Carmel, NY: Syzygy Co.. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-9855974-0-5. https://archive.org/details/atariincbusiness0000gold/page/210.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Oh, the shape we're in (September 1979)
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Ashley S. Lipson & Robert D. Brain (2009), Computer and Video Game Law: Cases and Materials, Carolina Academic Press, p. 9, ISBN 1-59460-488-6, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IxNDAQAAIAAJ, retrieved 2011-04-11, "Atari eventually sold more than 19,000 Pong machines, giving rise to many imitations. Pong made its first appearance in 1972 at "Andy Capp's," a small bar in Sunnyvale, California, where the video game was literally "overplayed" as eager customers tried to cram quarters into an already heavily overloaded coin slot."
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 What Was The Best-Selling U.S. Arcade Video Game Prior to Space Invaders?, The Golden Age Arcade Historian
  30. ↑ 30.00 30.01 30.02 30.03 30.04 30.05 30.06 30.07 30.08 30.09 30.10 30.11 30.12 30.13 30.14 Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. pp. 10–3. ISBN 978-0-9643848-1-1. https://archive.org/details/VideogamesInTheBeginningRalphH.Baer/page/n31/mode/2up.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Shimizu, Hiroshi (February 2019). Tohru Iwatani, Oral History (2nd, 2): Game Development at Namco in the early days of Video Game History (Japanese). Hermes-IR: Research & Education Resources. Hitotsubashi University. “販売さんが、「これは 5 千台売れる」とか「1 万台売れる」とか、あるいは営業のほうで、「ひとつのロケーションに何台入れようか？」とか、そんなような形で決まってくると (If the salesperson says, "This will sell 5,000 units," or "This will sell 10,000 units," or the sales person says, "How many units should we put in one location?" and so on.)
    その年によって、例えば『F-1』が出ているときは『F-1』がものすごい稼いでいましたが、まだそのときはナムコでビデオゲームを作ってない。 (Depending on the year, for example, when "F-1" was released, "F-1" was making a lot of money, but at that time Namco wasn't making video games yet.)”
  32. ↑ "本紙アンケー 〜 ト調査の結果". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (65): 2–3. 1 February 1977. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19770201p.pdf#page=2.
  33. ↑ Smith, Alexander (2019-11-19). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982. CRC Press. pp. 191. ISBN 978-0-429-75261-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT191.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age: Former Kansai Seisakusho Staff Interview. Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (2001). Archived from the original on 2016.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Steven L. Kent (2000), The first quarter: a 25-year history of video games, BWD Press, p. 83, ISBN 0-9704755-0-0, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ, retrieved 2011-04-09, "Sea Wolf, which was another creation of Dave Nutting, did solid business, selling more than 10,000 machines."
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Bloom, Steve (1982). Video Invaders. Arco Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-668-05520-8. https://archive.org/details/book_video_invaders/page/n38.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 The Marketing Information Guide, Volumes 8-9. p. 21. https://books.google.com/books?id=n2QtAQAAMAAJ. "Now, with Asteroids production outdoing any other game in Coin-Ops ' history"
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Special Feature: Marketing the World's Hottest Game". RePlay. April 1979. https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/11/video-game-myth-busters-space-invaders.html.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Smith, Alexander (19 November 2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982. CRC Press. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-429-75261-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT262.
  40. ↑ Donovan, Tristan (April 20, 2010). Replay: The History of Video Games. Yellow Ant. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4. https://archive.org/details/replayhistoryofv0000dono/page/19.
  41. ↑ Steven L. Kent (2000). The first quarter: a 25-year history of video games. BWD Press. p. 83. ISBN 0-9704755-0-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ.
  42. ↑ "Stern Electronics, Inc.". 1977-07-11 Notice Of Motion. 1977-07-11. https://archive.org/details/19770711NoticeOfMotion/page/n10.
  43. ↑ https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/11/urls-video-action-first-us-consumer.html
  44. ↑ "Battle Of Video Buffs Starts Today". Sarasota Herald-Tribune: p. 5-C. 29 October 1981. https://books.google.com/books?id=VZ0cAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA31&article_id=6780,6921569.
  45. ↑ "Atari: From Starting Block To Auction Block". InfoWorld (InfoWorld Media Group) 6 (32): 52. 6 August 1984. ISSN 0199-6649. https://books.google.com/books?id=HC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52.
  46. ↑ Smith, Keith (2013-11-22). The Golden Age Arcade Historian: Video Game Firsts??. Allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.co.uk.
  47. ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-09-01.pdf#page=43
  48. ↑ Steven L. Kent (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Prima. p. 91. ISBN 9780761536437. https://books.google.com/books?id=C2MH05ogU9oC. "According to Kauffman, Exidy sold only 1,000 Death Race machines, just a fraction of the number of Sea Wolf and Gun Fight machines Midway placed that same year, but Death Race stirred up protests and was even discussed on CBS's 60 Minutes."
  49. ↑ 49.00 49.01 49.02 49.03 49.04 49.05 49.06 49.07 49.08 49.09 49.10 49.11 49.12 49.13 First generation of video games
  50. ↑ Rubin, Michael (2006). "Eighteen: A Hole in the Desert [1982–1983"]. Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution. Triad Publishing Company. pp. 291-314 (293-4). ISBN 978-0-937404-67-6. https://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051221/Droidmaker.Ch18.pdf#page=9.
  51. ↑ Sheff, David; Eddy, Andy (1999), Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World, GamePress, p. 27, ISBN 978-0-9669617-0-6, "Nintendo entered the home market in Japan with the dramatic unveiling of Color TV Game 6, which played six versions of light tennis. It was followed by a more powerful sequel, Color TV Game 15. A million units of each were sold. The engineering team also came up with systems that played a more complex game, called "Blockbuster," as well as a racing game. Half a million units of these were sold."
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 Reimer, Jeremy (2005-12-15). Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures. Ars Technica.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Smith, Alexander (November 27, 2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry. 1: 1971 – 1982. CRC Press. pp. 207–9. ISBN 978-1-138-38990-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT204.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Edwards, Benj (January 22, 2015). The Untold Story Of The Invention Of The Game Cartridge. Fast Company.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 "Toy Industry Anticipates High Sales". The Windsor Star: p. 23. 12 February 1979. https://books.google.com/books?id=3FU_AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&article_id=3848,3907810. "Coleco first introduced its Telstar game computer in June, 1976, before other toy companies had turned to electronics. About 300,000 Telstar units have been sold since, Clarke said."
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？ (ja). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey.
  57. ↑ West, Joel (January 1996). Moderators of the Diffusion of Technological Innovation: Growth of the Japanese PC Industry. Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations 9-10. University of California, Irvine. alternate url
  58. ↑ "The Imagination Machine - Georgia State University News -". Georgia State News Hub. 15 March 2018. https://news.gsu.edu/2018/03/15/the-imagination-machine/.
  59. ↑ The Ultimate Chronological Table of Japanese Home Videogame Systems (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2013-07-13).
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 The Ultimate Chronological Table of Japanese Home Videogame Systems (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2013-07-13).
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 The Ultimate Chronological Table of Japanese Home Videogame Systems (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2013-07-13).
  62. ↑ Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. Indianapolis, IN: BradyGames. pp. 30-1. ISBN 978-0-7440-0424-3. https://archive.org/details/poweruphowjapane0000kohl/page/30/mode/2up.
  63. ↑ https://darkzero.co.uk/game-articles/the-history-of-nintendo/
  64. ↑ Second generation of video games
  65. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=Tk80AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA74
  66. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010803064542/www.forbes.com/2001/08/02/0802tentech.html
  67. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=oK3D4i5ldKgC&pg=PA86
  68. ↑ 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
  69. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=MJwcAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA95
  70. ↑ 昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？ (How many old (1970s) video games sold?) (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2014-01-09). Archived from the original on 2023-11-02.
  71. ↑ The Video Game Industry Year by Year: 1973-1975
  72. ↑ "Personal Software Introduces Backgammon & Checkers Programs". Intelligent Machines Journal: pp. 10. January 21, 1980. https://books.google.com/books?id=Lz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  73. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=y5c_AQAAIAAJ&dq=Microchess

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