Which was the first video game ever sold to arcades?
The dawn of the video game era, marked by the creation of the first arcade games, revolutionized the entertainment industry. Among the many milestones in this journey, Computer Space, released in 1971, stands out as the first commercially sold arcade video game. Developed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, before they founded Atari, it paved the way for the creation of the first commercially successful arcade game, Pong.
Early Days of Arcade Gaming
In the early 1970s, the concept of video games was still in its infancy. Nolan Bushnell, a pioneer in the field, was working at Ampex, a company that produced audio equipment, when he met Ted Dabney, an electrical engineer. They decided to leave Ampex and form their own company, Atari, Inc., in 1972.
Computer Space: The First Arcade Game
Computer Space was the first arcade game ever sold, and it marked a significant milestone in the development of the video game industry. The game was a space combat game where players controlled a spaceship and engaged in dogfights with alien spaceships. Computer Space was not a commercial success, but it laid the foundation for future innovations in the field.
Pong: The First Commercially Successful Arcade Game
In 1972, Atari released Pong, a tennis-like game played on a television set. Pong was a huge commercial success, and it brought the idea of arcade gaming to a broader audience. Pong was the first game to be released in coin-operated machines, allowing people to play for a short period of time and earning money for the operator.
Key Features of Pong
• Simple gameplay: Pong was a simple game with minimal graphics and sound effects. Players controlled a paddle using buttons, and the objective was to hit the ball back and forth.
• Coin-operated: Pong was the first game to be released in coin-operated machines, allowing people to play for a short period of time and earning money for the operator.
• Popularity: Pong became a huge commercial success, with over 8,000 units sold in the first year alone.
Evolution of Arcade Gaming
The success of Pong led to the development of more complex and sophisticated arcade games. Asteroids (1979), Space Invaders (1978), and Pac-Man (1980) became cultural phenomenons, further cementing the popularity of arcade gaming.
Notable Arcade Games
• Asteroids: Released in 1979, Asteroids was a space-themed shooter where players controlled a spaceship and destroyed asteroids while avoiding alien spaceships.
• Space Invaders: Released in 1978, Space Invaders was a space-themed shooter where players controlled a spaceship and destroyed alien spaceships while avoiding laser beams.
• Pac-Man: Released in 1980, Pac-Man was a maze game where players controlled Pac-Man, a character who had to eat pellets while avoiding ghosts.
Conclusion
Computer Space, released in 1971, was the first commercially sold arcade video game. While it was not a commercial success, it laid the foundation for future innovations in the field. Pong, released in 1972, was the first commercially successful arcade game, and it brought the idea of arcade gaming to a broader audience. The evolution of arcade gaming has continued to this day, with new games and genres emerging, but the pioneering spirit of Computer Space and Pong remains an essential part of the industry’s history.