Wikipedia
1974 in video games
1974 had new titles such as Speed Race, Gran Trak 10, Tank and TV Basketball. The year's best-selling arcade game was Tank by Kee Games.
Best-selling arcade video games in the United States edit
The following titles were the best-selling arcade video games of 1974 in the United States, according to annual arcade cabinet sales estimates provided by Ralph H. Baer.[1]
| Rank | Title | Arcade cabinet sales | Developer | Manufacturer | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tank | 10,000 | Kee Games | Kee Games | Maze |
| 2 | Formula K (Gran Trak 10) | 5,000 | Atari, Inc. | Kee Games | Racing |
| 3 | Clean Sweep | 3,500 | Ramtek | Ramtek | Block breaker |
| 4 | Flim-Flam | 1,500 | Meadows Games | Meadows Games | Pong |
| 5 | Leader | 1,000 | Midway Manufacturing | Midway Manufacturing | |
| TV Flipper | 1,000 | Midway Manufacturing | Midway Manufacturing | Pinball | |
| 7 | Gran Trak 20 | 500 | Atari, Inc. | Atari, Inc. | Racing |
| Robot | 500 | Allied Leisure | Allied Leisure | Pong | |
| TV Basketball | 500 | Taito | Midway Manufacturing | Sports | |
| TV Pinball | 500 | Chicago Coin | Chicago Coin | Pinball |
Events edit
- Namco acquires the Japanese division of Atari, Inc. and formally enters the video arcade game market.[2]
- Atari acquires Kee Games. Atari will continue to use the "Kee Games" title as a brand name until 1978.[2]
Notable releases edit
Magazines edit
- Play Meter, the first magazine devoted to coin-operated amusements (including arcade games), publishes its first issue.[2]
Arcade games edit
- February – Taito releases Basketball,[3] an early example of sprite graphics, used to represent baskets and player characters,[4] making it the first video game with human figures.[3] The same month, Midway licenses the game for a North American release under the title TV Basketball, making it the first Japanese game licensed for North American release.[3]
- July 24 – Atari releases Gran Trak 10, the first car-racing video game, to video arcades.[5]
- November – Taito releases Tomohiro Nishikado's Speed Race,[6] the second car-racing video game. It introduces scrolling sprite graphics with collision detection,[7] and uses a racing wheel controller.[8] Midway releases it as Wheels and Racer in the United States.[7]
- November 5[9] – Prior to their acquisition by Atari, Kee Games releases Tank to video arcades.[2]
- Date Unknown - Nintendo releases Wild Gunman and Shooting Trainer in Japan. Outside of trade show demonstrations, the two games remain exclusive to the region until Sega releases them internationally in April 1976.[10]
Computer games edit
- Jim Bowery develops Spasim for the PLATO system. Two versions are released, the first in March and the second in July.[11] It is also recognized as an ancestor of the first-person shooter genre.
- Gary Whisenhunt and Ray Wood develop dnd, the first game with a boss, and arguably the first role-playing video game, for the PLATO system.[12] Development continued into 1975; it is unclear at what point the game became playable.
Video game consoles edit
- Magnavox reissues the Odyssey and releases it in Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, and Venezuela.[13]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. pp. 10–3. ISBN 978-0-9643848-1-1.
- ^ a b c d Thomas, Donald A. Jr. (2005). . ICWhen.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2006.
- ^ a b c "The Golden Age Arcade Historian: Video Game Firsts??". November 22, 2013. from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ Basketball at the Killer List of Videogames
- ^ Cassidy, William (2003). . GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2006.
- ^ "Speed Race, Arcade Video game by Taito (1974)". from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ a b Bill Loguidice & Matt Barton (2009), Vintage games: an insider look at the history of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the most influential games of all time, p. 197, Focal Press, ISBN 0-240-81146-1
- ^ Speed Race at the Killer List of Videogames
- ^ "Tank, Arcade Video game by Kee Games (1974)". from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ "SEGA Introduces Two New Games" (PDF). Cashbox. April 24, 1976. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Bowery, Jim (2010). . Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2006.
- ^ Koster, Raph (February 17, 2002). "Online World Timeline". Raph Koster's Website. from the original on January 17, 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ Gegan, Shaun and David Winter (2003). "Magnavox Odyssey FAQ version 2.9.1" (text). from the original on February 13, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2006.