1977 in video games

1977 had sequels such as Super Speed Race and Datsun 280 ZZZAP as well as several new titles such as Space Wars. The year's highest-grossing arcade games were F-1 and Speed Race DX in Japan, and Sea Wolf and Sprint 2 in the United States. The year's best-selling home system was Nintendo's Color TV-Game, which was only sold in Japan.

Financial performance

=Highest-grossing arcade games=

==Japan==

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1977, according to the second annual Game Machine chart. Both arcade video games and electro-mechanical games (EM games) are listed on the same arcade chart. Namco's EM racing game F-1 was the highest-grossing overall arcade game for the second year in a row, followed by Taito's racing video game Speed Race DX (its predecessor Speed Race was distributed as Wheels by Midway Manufacturing in North America).{{cite magazine|title=結果ベスト3|trans-title=Best 3 Results |magazine=Game Machine|issue=90|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 February 1978|pages=2–3|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19780215p.pdf#page=2}}{{cite magazine|title=調査対象5年間のベスト1|trans-title=Best 1 of the 5 Years Surveyed|magazine=Game Machine|issue=159|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 February 1981|page=1|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19810215p.pdf}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="6" \|Arcade electro-mechanical games (EM games) ! colspan="6" \| Arcade video games
Rank ! Title ! #1 ! #2 ! #3 ! Points ! Rank ! Title ! #1 ! #2 ! #3 ! Points
1 \| F-1 \| 12 \| 6 \| 5 \| {{#expr:(123)+(62)+5}} \| 1 \| Speed Race DX \| 8 \| 5 \| 8 \| {{#expr:(83)+(52)+8}}
2 \| Mogura Taiji (Whac-A-Mole) \| 5 \| 1 \| 3 \| {{#expr:(53)+(12)+3}} \| 2 \| Breakout \| 3 \| 6 \| 4 \| {{#expr:(33)+(62)+4}}
3 \| Shoot Away \| 4 \| 3 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(43)+(32)+0}} \| 3 \| Scratch \| 2 \| 5 \| 3 \| {{#expr:(23)+(52)+3}}
4 \| {{Nihongo foot\|Flipper (Pinball)\|フリッパー\|Furippā\|group=lower-alpha}} \| 3 \| 0 \| 3 \| {{#expr:(33)+(02)+3}} \| 4 \| Circus \| 0 \| 2 \| 3 \| {{#expr:(03)+(22)+3}}
5 \| F-1 Mach \| 0 \| 5 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(03)+(52)+0}} \| 5 \| Road Champion \| 1 \| 1 \| 1 \| {{#expr:(13)+(12)+1}}
6 \| Shooting Trainer \| 1 \| 2 \| 1 \| {{#expr:(13)+(22)+1}} \| 6 \| Superbowl \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(13)+(12)+0}}
7 \| Laser Clay \| 2 \| 0 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(23)+(02)+0}} \| rowspan="2" \| 7 \| Sprint 2 \| 1 \| 0 \| 1 \| {{#expr:(13)+(02)+1}}
8 \| {{Nihongo foot\|Block Cut\|ブロック・カット\|Burokku Katto\|group=lower-alpha}} \| 0 \| 2 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(03)+(22)+0}} \| Super High-Way \| 0 \| 2 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(03)+(22)+0}}
9 \| Dead Line \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(13)+(02)+0}} \| rowspan="3" \| 9 \| Gran Trak 10 \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(13)+(02)+0}}
rowspan="2" \|10 \| Heli-Shooter \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| {{#expr:(03)+(02)+2}} \| Man T.T. \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(13)+(02)+0}}
{{Nihongo foot\|Crane\|クレーン\|Kurēn\|group=lower-alpha}} \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| {{#expr:(03)+(12)+0}} \| Super Speed Race \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| {{#expr:(13)+(02)+0}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

! colspan="6" |Arcade electro-mechanical games (EM games)

! colspan="6" | Arcade video games

Rank

! Title

! #1

! #2

! #3

! Points

! Rank

! Title

! #1

! #2

! #3

! Points

| F-1

| 12

| 6

| 5

| {{#expr:(12*3)+(6*2)+5}}

| 1

| Speed Race DX

| 8

| 5

| 8

| {{#expr:(8*3)+(5*2)+8}}

| Mogura Taiji (Whac-A-Mole)

| 5

| 1

| 3

| {{#expr:(5*3)+(1*2)+3}}

| 2

| Breakout

| 3

| 6

| 4

| {{#expr:(3*3)+(6*2)+4}}

| Shoot Away

| 4

| 3

| 0

| {{#expr:(4*3)+(3*2)+0}}

| 3

| Scratch

| 2

| 5

| 3

| {{#expr:(2*3)+(5*2)+3}}

| {{Nihongo foot|Flipper (Pinball)|フリッパー|Furippā|group=lower-alpha}}

| 3

| 0

| 3

| {{#expr:(3*3)+(0*2)+3}}

| 4

| Circus

| 0

| 2

| 3

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+3}}

| F-1 Mach

| 0

| 5

| 0

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(5*2)+0}}

| 5

| Road Champion

| 1

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(1*2)+1}}

| Shooting Trainer

| 1

| 2

| 1

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(2*2)+1}}

| 6

| Superbowl

| 1

| 0

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(1*2)+0}}

| Laser Clay

| 2

| 0

| {{#expr:(2*3)+(0*2)+0}}

| rowspan="2" | 7

| Sprint 2

| 1

| 0

| 1

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+1}}

| {{Nihongo foot|Block Cut|ブロック・カット|Burokku Katto|group=lower-alpha}}

| 0

| 2

| 0

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+0}}

| Super High-Way

| 0

| 2

| 0

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+0}}

| Dead Line

| 1

| 0

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}

| rowspan="3" | 9

| Gran Trak 10

| 1

| 0

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}

rowspan="2" |10

| Heli-Shooter

| 0

| 2

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(0*2)+2}}

| Man T.T.

| 1

| 0

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}

| 0

| 2

| {{#expr:(0*3)+(1*2)+0}}

| Super Speed Race

| 1

| 0

| {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}

Note: Medal games are listed on a separate chart, with Nintendo's EVR Race being the highest-grossing medal game for the second year in a row.

==United States==

In the United States, Play Meter magazine began publishing annual lists of top-grossing arcade games in 1977. The following titles were the top ten highest-earning arcade video games of the year on the annual Play Meter and RePlay charts. Lifetime arcade cabinet sales are also given in a separate column.

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

! Rank

! Play Meter{{cite magazine |title=Top Arcade Games |magazine=Play Meter |date=November 1977}}

! RePlay{{cite magazine |title=Profit Chart |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1977}}

! Lifetime cabinet sales

| colspan="2" | Sea Wolf

| 10,000{{citation|author=Steven L. Kent|title=The first quarter: a 25-year history of video games|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ|page=83|year=2000|publisher=BWD Press|isbn=0-9704755-0-0|quote=Sea Wolf, which was another creation of Dave Nutting, did solid business, selling more than 10,000 machines. (A later color version sold an additional 4000 units.)|access-date=2011-04-09}}

| colspan="2" | Sprint 2

| 8,200{{cite book|url=http://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|title=Product: Total Build|publisher=Atari Games|year=1999|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-date=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510143012/http://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|url-status=dead}}

| colspan="2" | Breakout

| 11,000

| LeMans

| Drag Race

| rowspan="8" {{Unknown}}

| Gun Fight (Western Gun)

| Starship 1

| Night Driver

| Double Play

| Death Race

|Night Driver

| Tornado Baseball

| Bazooka

| Datsun 280 ZZZAP

| Robot Bowl

rowspan="2" | 10

| Blockade

| rowspan="2" | Datsun 280 ZZZAP

Indy 4

= Best-selling home systems =

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

!Rank

!System(s)

!Manufacturer(s)

!Type

!Generation

!Sales

! class="unsortable" |{{Abbr|Ref|Reference}}

|800,000

|{{cite web|title=昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？|trans-title=How many old (1970s) video games sold?|url=https://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109231757/http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html|archive-date=2014-01-09|access-date=16 April 2021|website=Classic Videogame Station Odyssey|language=ja}}

|Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS)

|Atari, Inc.

|Console

|Second

|250,000

|{{Cite book|last=Rubin|first=Michael|url=|title=Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution|date=2006|publisher=Triad Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-937404-67-6|pages=291-314 (292)|chapter=Eighteen: A Hole in the Desert [1982–1983]|chapter-url=https://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051221/Droidmaker.Ch18.pdf#page=8}}

|Personal computer (PC)

|Various

|Computer

|{{N/A}}

|150,000

|TRS-80

|Tandy Corporation

|Computer

|8-bit

|100,000

|{{Cite web|last=Reimer|first=Jeremy|date=2005-12-15|title=Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures|url=https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/12/total-share/ |access-date=2021-11-27|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}

{{cite web |author=Jeremy Reimer |date=2012-12-07 |title=Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010 |url=https://jeremyreimer.com/rockets-item.lsp?p=137 |website=Jeremy Reimer}}

|Altair 8800

|MITS

|Computer

|8-bit

|10,000

|Commodore PET

|Commodore International

|Computer

|8-bit

|4,000

|Apple II

|Apple Inc.

|Computer

|8-bit

|600

Events

Agnes Kim opens the first Electronics Boutique, a kiosk at the King of Prussia mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania selling transistor radios and calculators.{{

cite web

|author=Fischer, John

|year=2002

|title=Famous Philadelphians – Nine Richest Philadelphians

|url=http://philadelphia.about.com/cs/neighborhoods/a/rich_in_philly_2.htm

|work=About.com – Greater Philadelphia / South Jersey

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060329212643/http://philadelphia.about.com/cs/neighborhoods/a/rich_in_philly_2.htm

|archive-date=March 29, 2006

|url-status=live

}}

Atari opens the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater (later Chuck E. Cheese's), a combination video arcade/pizzeria conceived by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell. In June, Bushnell purchases the rights to Pizza Time Theater back from Atari for $500,000 USD.{{

cite web

|author=Thomas, Donald A. Jr

|year=2005

|title=–1977–

|url=http://www.icwhen.com/book/the_1970s/1977.shtml

|work=ICWhen.com

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060312080809/http://www.icwhen.com/book/the_1970s/1977.shtml

|archive-date=March 12, 2006

|url-status=dead

}}

Nakamura Manufacturing Ltd. formally changes its name to Namco (which it has employed as a brand name since 1971), and establishes Namco Enterprises Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong, its first subsidiary based outside Japan.{{

cite web

|title=Namco History (English summary)

|year=2001

|url=http://www.namco.co.jp/eg/history.html

|work=NAMCO WonderPage

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060110100500/http://www.namco.co.jp/eg/history.html

|archive-date=January 10, 2006

|url-status=dead

}}

Notable releases

File:Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.jpg.]]

=Video game consoles=

In January, RCA Corporation releases the Studio II video game console.{{

cite web

|author=Miller, Michael

|year=2005

|title=A History of Home Video Game Consoles > First Generation: 1972–1977

|url=http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=378141

|work=InformIT

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012152258/http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=378141

|archive-date=October 12, 2007

}}

In September, Atari releases the Atari Video Computer System (later known as the VCS or Atari 2600) video game console alongside nine launch titles in the USA.{{

cite web

|year=2006

|title=Atari 2600 History

|url=http://www.atariage.com/2600/history.html

|work=AtariAge

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219101823/http://www.atariage.com/2600/history.html

|archive-date=February 19, 2006

|url-status=live

}}

Coleco releases a number of new models of the Telstar series: the Telstar Alpha, the Telstar Colormatic, the Telstar Regent, the Telstar Ranger, the Telstar Galaxy, and the Telstar Combat. Most of these systems feature only minor variations on the original Telstar model, such as new controller types (for example, the Ranger featured a light gun, while the Galaxy included joysticks).{{

cite web

|author=Goldberg, Martin

|year=2003

|title=Museum of Home Video Gaming

|url=http://www.classicgaming.com/gamingmuseum/museum.html

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211022344/http://www.classicgaming.com/gamingmuseum/museum.html

|archive-date=February 11, 2006

|df=mdy

|access-date=February 18, 2006

}}

Groupe SEB releases the Telescore 750 dedicated home video game console.{{Cite web|url=http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=772|title=OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum|website=www.old-computers.com|access-date=2019-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031130143125/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=772|archive-date=November 30, 2003|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.system-cfg.com/detailconsole.php?ident=45|title=Seb - Telescore (mod.750)|website=www.system-cfg.com|access-date=2019-08-16}}{{Cite web|url=http://serious.gameclassification.com/EN/machines/114-Seb-Telescore-750--751--752/index.html|title=Serious Game Classification : Seb Telescore 750 / 751 / 752 (1977)|website=serious.gameclassification.com|access-date=2019-08-16}}
Nintendo releases the Color TV-Game 6 dedicated home video game console, featuring six variations of Light Tennis (a Pong clone). Nintendo's partner, Mitsubishi, produces most of the system's hardware components.{{

cite web

|title=Color TV Game 6

|url=http://www.nindb.net/game/color-tv-game-6.html

|work=NinDB

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5j5HJvJbk?url=http://www.nindb.net/color-tv-game-6.html

|archive-date=August 17, 2009

|url-status=dead

}}

Philico releases the Telejogo dedicated home video game console, featuring three pre-installed games.
Bally releases the Bally Home Library Computer (Astrocade) home video game console through mail order retailer JS&A National Sales Group. Delays in production of the system, however, mean that none of the units actually ship until the following year.{{

cite web

|author=Squire, Lance F.

|year=2005

|title=The Bally/Astrocade FAQ version h2.8

|url=http://www.alteeve.com/~lance/Ballyfaq.html

|work=Lance F. Squire Homepage

|access-date=February 19, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207091032/http://www.alteeve.com/~lance/Ballyfaq.html

|archive-date=February 7, 2006

|url-status=dead

}}

=Home computers=

June 10 – Apple Computer releases the Apple II.
August 3 – Tandy releases the TRS-80 Model I.
October – Commodore releases the Commodore PET.
Intelligent Systems releases the Compucolor II.

=Games=

Cinematronics releases Larry Rosenthal's Space Wars, the first vector graphics arcade game.{{

cite web

|author=Hunter, William

|year=2005

|title=Player 2 Stage 1: The Coin Eaters

|url=http://www.thedoteaters.com/p2_stage1.php

|work=The Dot Eaters

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231000817/http://www.thedoteaters.com/p2_stage1.php

|archive-date=December 31, 2007

}}

Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, the future founders of Infocom, develop the first version of Zork on a PDP-10 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science.{{

cite web

| title=History of Infocom

| url=http://www.infocom-if.org/company/company.html

| work=Infocom – The Master Storytellers

| access-date=February 18, 2006

}}

While studying for a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia, Kelton Flinn begins developing a text-based aerial combat game called Air, an early precursor to 1987's Air Warrior, the first massively multiplayer online game.{{

cite web

|author=Koster, Raph

|year=2002

|title=Online World Timeline

|url=http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/mudtimeline.shtml

|work=Raph Koster's Website

|access-date=February 18, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060214010936/http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/mudtimeline.shtml

|archive-date=February 14, 2006

|url-status=live

}}

Notes

References

Category:Video games by year

1977 in video games

Financial performance

=Highest-grossing arcade games=

==Japan==

==United States==

= Best-selling home systems =

Events

Notable releases

=Video game consoles=

=Home computers=

=Games=

See also

Notes

References