1984 in video games

1984 saw many sequels and prequels along with new titles such as 1942, Boulder Dash, Cobra Command, Jet Set Willy, Karate Champ, Kung-Fu Master, Yie Ar Kung-Fu and Punch-Out!! The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Pole Position in the United States, for the second year in a row, and Track & Field in the United Kingdom. The year's best-selling home system was Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom), which was only sold in Japan at the time.

Financial performance

In the United States, home video game sales fall to {{US$|800 million|long=no}}{{cite book |last1=Lindner |first1=Richard |title=Video Games: Past, Present and Future; An Industry Overview |date=1990 |publisher=Nintendo of America |location=United States |url=https://archive.org/details/06Kahle001551}} ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|0.8|1984|r=1}} billion|long=no}} adjusted for inflation).

=Highest-grossing arcade games=

==Japan==

In Japan, the following titles were the top-grossing arcade video games of each month on the Game Machine charts in 1984.

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="2" \| Month ! colspan="2" \| Table arcade cabinet ! colspan="2" \| Upright/cockpit cabinet ! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" \| {{Abbr\|Ref\|Reference(s)}}
Title ! Points ! Title ! Points
{{dts	January

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

! rowspan="2" | Month

! colspan="2" | Table arcade cabinet

! colspan="2" | Upright/cockpit cabinet

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref|Reference(s)}}

Title

! Points

! Title

! Points

{{dts

January

}

| Hyper Olympic (Track & Field)

| {{#expr:6.81+7.73}}

| rowspan="4" | TX-1

| {{#expr:9.27+8.92}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=228|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 January 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840115p.pdf#page=16}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=229|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 February 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840201p.pdf#page=15}}

| {{dts||February|}}

|10-Yard Fight

| {{#expr:8.09+7.55}}

| {{#expr:8.6+8.35}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=230|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 February 1984|page=27|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840215p.pdf#page=14}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=231|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 March 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840301p.pdf#page=15}}

| {{dts||March|}}

| rowspan="2" | Vs. Tennis

| {{#expr:7+7}}

| {{#expr:7.81+8.44}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=232|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 March 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840315p.pdf#page=16}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=233|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 April 1984|page=27|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840401p.pdf#page=14}}

| {{dts||April|}}

| {{#expr:6.85+6.38}}

| {{#expr:8+7.56}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=234|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 April 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840415p.pdf#page=15}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=235|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 May 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840501p.pdf#page=15}}

| {{dts||May|}}

| Gaplus

| {{#expr:7.55+7.11}}

| rowspan="4" | Thunder Storm (Cobra Command)

| {{#expr:8+7.83}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=236|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 May 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840515p.pdf#page=15}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=237|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 June 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840601p.pdf#page=15}}

| {{dts||June|}}

| Vs. Baseball

| {{#expr:7.88+6.91}}

| {{#expr:8.13+7.63}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=238|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 June 1984|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840615p.pdf#page=13}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=239|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 July 1984|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840701p.pdf#page=13}}

| {{dts||July|}}

| Crowns Golf

| {{#expr:7.6+7.48}}

| {{#expr:7.64+7.8}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=240|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 July 1984|page=37|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840715p.pdf#page=19}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=241|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 August 1984|page=27|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840801p.pdf#page=14}}

| {{dts||August|}}

| Karate Champ

| {{#expr:8.19+7.39}}

| {{#expr:7.39+7.56}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=242|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 August 1984|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840815p.pdf#page=13}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=243|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 September 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840901p.pdf#page=15}}

| {{dts||September}}

| Jan Oh (Jang-Oh)

| {{#expr:9+7.89}}

| rowspan="3" | TX-1 V8

| {{#expr:8.67+9.33}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=244|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 September 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840915p.pdf#page=16}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=245|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 October 1984|page=35|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841001p.pdf#page=18}}

| {{dts||October}}

| Night Gal

| {{#expr:8+7}}

| {{#expr:8+7.67}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=246|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 October 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841015p.pdf#page=16}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=247|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 November 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841101p.pdf#page=16}}

| {{dts||November}}

| Jan Oh (Jang-Oh)

| {{#expr:7.91+6.77}}

| {{#expr:8.67+8.25}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=248|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 November 1984|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841115p.pdf#page=13}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=249|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 December 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841201p.pdf#page=16}}

| {{dts||December}}

| Night Gal

| {{#expr:7.17+7.19}}

| Super Don Quix-ote

| {{#expr:9+8}}

| {{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=250|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 December 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19841215p.pdf#page=15}}{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=251|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 January 1985|page=37|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19850101p.pdf#page=19}}

==United Kingdom and United States==

The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1984 in the United Kingdom and United States.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="3" \| Rank ! colspan="2" \| United Kingdom ! colspan="6" \| United States
rowspan="2" \|Title ! rowspan="2" \|Manufacturer ! rowspan="2" \| RePlay{{cite magazine\|date=March 1987\|title=Top Hits of Last 5 Years\|magazine=RePlay}} ! colspan="3" \| AMOA{{cite magazine \|title=Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards \|magazine=Cash Box \|date=September 8, 1984 \|page=28 \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-09-08.pdf#page=28}} ! colspan="2" \|Play Meter{{cite magazine \|title=Top 20 Performing Video Games of 1984 \|magazine=Play Meter \|date=1 November 1984 \|volume=10 \|issue=20 \|page=47 \|url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-20-november-1st-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2020%20-%20November%201st%201984/page/47}}
Arcade ! Route/Street ! Video ! Title ! Points
1 \| Track & Field{{cite magazine\|date=January 1986\|title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune\|url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53\|magazine=Your Sinclair\|issue=1\|page=54}} \|Konami \| Pole Position II \| colspan="3" \| Pole Position{{cite magazine \|title=Michael Jackson Sweeps AMOA Awards; 'Pole Position' Wins In Games Division \|magazine=Cash Box \|date=November 10, 1984 \|pages=31, 33 \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-11-10.pdf#page=31}} \| Dragon's Lair \| {{#expr:11.9*42}}
2 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| Pole Position \| rowspan="4" \| Track & Field, Spy Hunter, M.A.C.H. 3, Punch-Out!! \| rowspan="4" \| Elevator Action, Spy Hunter, Pole Position II, Punch-Out!! \| rowspan="4" \| Spy Hunter, Ms. Pac-Man, Track & Field, Punch-Out!! \| Pole Position \| {{#expr:10.2*45}}
3 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| Track & Field \| {{#expr:10.9*34}}
4 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| M.A.C.H. 3 \| {{#expr:12.2*23}}
5 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| Spy Hunter \| {{#expr:13.5*19}}
6 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| colspan="3" {{N/A}} \| Star Wars \| {{#expr:12.1*17}}
7 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| colspan="3" {{N/A}} \| Space Ace \| {{#expr:10.7*18}}
8 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| colspan="3" {{N/A}} \| Punch-Out!! \| {{#expr:13.7*14}}
9 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| colspan="3" {{N/A}} \| Vs. Tennis \| {{#expr:12.2*14}}
10 \| colspan="2" {{Unknown}} \| {{Unknown}} \| colspan="3" {{N/A}} \| Astron Belt \| {{#expr:10.6*13}}

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

! rowspan="3" | Rank

! colspan="2" | United Kingdom

! colspan="6" | United States

rowspan="2" |Title

! rowspan="2" |Manufacturer

! rowspan="2" | RePlay{{cite magazine|date=March 1987|title=Top Hits of Last 5 Years|magazine=RePlay}}

! colspan="3" | AMOA{{cite magazine |title=Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards |magazine=Cash Box |date=September 8, 1984 |page=28 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-09-08.pdf#page=28}}

! colspan="2" |Play Meter{{cite magazine |title=Top 20 Performing Video Games of 1984 |magazine=Play Meter |date=1 November 1984 |volume=10 |issue=20 |page=47 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-20-november-1st-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2020%20-%20November%201st%201984/page/47}}

Arcade

! Route/Street

! Video

! Title

! Points

| Track & Field{{cite magazine|date=January 1986|title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune|url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53|magazine=Your Sinclair|issue=1|page=54}}

|Konami

| Pole Position II

| colspan="3" | Pole Position{{cite magazine |title=Michael Jackson Sweeps AMOA Awards; 'Pole Position' Wins In Games Division |magazine=Cash Box |date=November 10, 1984 |pages=31, 33 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-11-10.pdf#page=31}}

| Dragon's Lair

| {{#expr:11.9*42}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| Pole Position

| rowspan="4" | Track & Field,
Spy Hunter,
M.A.C.H. 3,
Punch-Out!!

| rowspan="4" | Elevator Action,
Spy Hunter,
Pole Position II,
Punch-Out!!

| rowspan="4" | Spy Hunter,
Ms. Pac-Man,
Track & Field,
Punch-Out!!

| Pole Position

| {{#expr:10.2*45}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| Track & Field

| {{#expr:10.9*34}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| M.A.C.H. 3

| {{#expr:12.2*23}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| Spy Hunter

| {{#expr:13.5*19}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| colspan="3" {{N/A}}

| Star Wars

| {{#expr:12.1*17}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| colspan="3" {{N/A}}

| Space Ace

| {{#expr:10.7*18}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| colspan="3" {{N/A}}

| Punch-Out!!

| {{#expr:13.7*14}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| colspan="3" {{N/A}}

| Vs. Tennis

| {{#expr:12.2*14}}

| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}

| {{Unknown}}

| colspan="3" {{N/A}}

| Astron Belt

| {{#expr:10.6*13}}

=Best-selling home systems=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="2" \| Rank ! rowspan="2" \|System(s) ! rowspan="2" \| Manufacturer ! rowspan="2" \| Type ! rowspan="2" \| Generation ! colspan="2" \|Sales
Japan !Worldwide
1 \| Family Computer \| Nintendo \|Console \| Third \|2,940,000{{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}} \|2,940,000
2 \|Commodore 64 (C64) \|Commodore \|Computer \|8-bit \|{{N/A}} \|2,500,000{{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/\|url-status=live\|access-date=2021-11-27\|website=Ars Technica\|language=en-us \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607023023/http://arstechnica.com:80/features/2005/12/total-share/ \|archive-date=June 7, 2012}} {{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}}
3 \|IBM Personal Computer (PC) \|IBM \|Computer \|8-bit / 16-bit \|{{N/A}} \|2,000,000
4 \|TI-99/4A \|Texas Instruments \|Computer \|16-bit \|{{N/A}} \|1,000,000+{{Cite magazine\|last=Mace\|first=Scott\|date=2 April 1984\|title=Speaker at conference predicts software shakeout\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16\|magazine=InfoWorld\|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.\|volume=6\|issue=14\|page=16\|issn=0199-6649}}
5 \|Apple II \|Apple Inc. \|Computer \|8-bit \|{{N/A}} \|1,000,000
6 \|PC-88 / PC-98 \|NEC \|Computer \|8-bit / 16-bit \|{{#expr:(917+279)0.39 round -1}},000{{Cite journal\|last1=Methe\|first1=David\|last2=Mitchell\|first2=Will\|last3=Miyabe\|first3=Junichiro\|last4=Toyama\|first4=Ryoko\|date=January 1998\|title=Overcoming a Standard Bearer: Challenges to NEC's Personal Computer in Japan\|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5160396\|journal=Research Papers in Economics (RePEc)\|page=35\|via=ResearchGate}}{{Cite book\|last1=Juliussen\|first1=Egil\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxVNAQAAIAAJ\|title=The Computer Industry Almanac 1991\|last2=Juliussen\|first2=Karen\|publisher=Pearson P T R\|year=1990\|isbn=978-0-13-155748-2\|pages=10-47, 10-48}} \|{{#expr:(917+279)0.39 round -1}},000+
7 \|Mac \|Apple Inc. \|Computer \|16-bit \|{{N/A}} \|370,000
8 \|MSX \|ASCII Corporation \|Computer \|8-bit \|350,000{{Cite magazine\|date=1985\|title=ElectronicsWeek\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMMpAQAAMAAJ\|magazine=ElectronicsWeek\|publisher=McGraw-Hill\|volume=58\|issue=13–23\|page=41\|quote=The home computer market in Japan consumed 1.1 million machines last year and is growing modestly in 1985, but it remains essentially a game market. (...) The two largest producers of home computers in Japan—NEC Corp., which claims a 40% market share, and Sharp Corp., which claims 20%—do not use the MSX (Microsoft Extended Basic) system that Microsoft Corp. developed and has licensed to 18 other Japanese companies. Total MSX sales last year are estimated at 350,000 units. But NEC's best-selling 8801-MII is used mostly by university students and small businesses for bookkeeping or document filing; MSX users are overwhelmingly 15 years of age or younger—game fanatics.}} \|350,000+
9 \|Adam \|Coleco \|Computer \|8-bit \|{{N/A}} \|{{formatnum:{{#expr:350000-95000}}

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

! rowspan="2" | Rank

! rowspan="2" |System(s)

! rowspan="2" | Manufacturer

! rowspan="2" | Type

! rowspan="2" | Generation

! colspan="2" |Sales

Japan

!Worldwide

| Family Computer

| Nintendo

|Console

| Third

|2,940,000{{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}}

|2,940,000

|Commodore 64 (C64)

|Commodore

|Computer

|8-bit

|{{N/A}}

|2,500,000{{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/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-27|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607023023/http://arstechnica.com:80/features/2005/12/total-share/ |archive-date=June 7, 2012}}

{{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}}

|IBM Personal Computer (PC)

|IBM

|Computer

|8-bit / 16-bit

|{{N/A}}

|2,000,000

|TI-99/4A

|Texas Instruments

|Computer

|16-bit

|{{N/A}}

|1,000,000+{{Cite magazine|last=Mace|first=Scott|date=2 April 1984|title=Speaker at conference predicts software shakeout|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16|magazine=InfoWorld|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|volume=6|issue=14|page=16|issn=0199-6649}}

|Apple II

|Apple Inc.

|Computer

|8-bit

|{{N/A}}

|1,000,000

|PC-88 / PC-98

|NEC

|Computer

|8-bit / 16-bit

|{{#expr:(917+279)*0.39 round -1}},000{{Cite journal|last1=Methe|first1=David|last2=Mitchell|first2=Will|last3=Miyabe|first3=Junichiro|last4=Toyama|first4=Ryoko|date=January 1998|title=Overcoming a Standard Bearer: Challenges to NEC's Personal Computer in Japan|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5160396|journal=Research Papers in Economics (RePEc)|page=35|via=ResearchGate}}{{Cite book|last1=Juliussen|first1=Egil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxVNAQAAIAAJ|title=The Computer Industry Almanac 1991|last2=Juliussen|first2=Karen|publisher=Pearson P T R|year=1990|isbn=978-0-13-155748-2|pages=10-47, 10-48}}

|{{#expr:(917+279)*0.39 round -1}},000+

|Mac

|Apple Inc.

|Computer

|16-bit

|{{N/A}}

|370,000

|MSX

|ASCII Corporation

|Computer

|8-bit

|350,000{{Cite magazine|date=1985|title=ElectronicsWeek|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMMpAQAAMAAJ|magazine=ElectronicsWeek|publisher=McGraw-Hill|volume=58|issue=13–23|page=41|quote=The home computer market in Japan consumed 1.1 million machines last year and is growing modestly in 1985, but it remains essentially a game market. (...) The two largest producers of home computers in Japan—NEC Corp., which claims a 40% market share, and Sharp Corp., which claims 20%—do not use the MSX (Microsoft Extended Basic) system that Microsoft Corp. developed and has licensed to 18 other Japanese companies. Total MSX sales last year are estimated at 350,000 units. But NEC's best-selling 8801-MII is used mostly by university students and small businesses for bookkeeping or document filing; MSX users are overwhelmingly 15 years of age or younger—game fanatics.}}

|350,000+

|Adam

|Coleco

|Computer

|8-bit

|{{N/A}}

|{{formatnum:{{#expr:350000-95000}}

}{{Cite news|last=Adams|first=Jane Meredith|date=1985-01-03|title=Adam Just Couldn't Deliver on Promises|page=41|work=The Boston Globe}}

| 10

| SG-1000

| Sega

|Console

| Third

|240,000{{cite book|last1=Tanaka|first1=Tatsuo|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/info/meetings/iaos/pdf/tanaka.pdf#page=2|title=Network Externality and Necessary Software Statistics|date=August 2001|publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan|page=2}}

| 240,000+

=Best-selling home video games in the United Kingdom=

In the United Kingdom, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home computer games of 1984, according to N.O.P. Market Research.{{cite book|title=The Year's Top 10 Games|work=Computer and Video Games 1985 Yearbook|publisher=EMAP|page=88|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1783&page=88|access-date=April 11, 2021|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808183520/https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1783&page=88|url-status=dead}}

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

! Rank

! Title

! Publisher

!Genre

! Platform

| Jet Set Willy

| Software Projects

|Platform

| rowspan="9" | ZX Spectrum

| Fighter Pilot

| Digital Integration

|Combat flight sim

| Manic Miner

| Bug-Byte/Software Projects

|Platform

| Atic Atac

| Ultimate Play the Game

|Action-adventure

| Chequered Flag

| Psion

|Racing

| Hunchback

| Ocean

|Platform

| Sabre Wulf

| Ultimate Play the Game

|Action-adventure

| Night Gunner

| Digital Integration

| rowspan="2" |Shoot 'em up

| Jetpac

| Ultimate Play the Game

| Manic Miner

| Software Projects

|Platform

| Commodore 64

Major awards

The fifth Arcade Awards are held, for games released during 1982–1983. Pole Position wins Coin-Op Game of the Year, Ms. Pac-Man and Lady Bug win console Videogames of the Year, Lode Runner wins Computer Game of the Year, and Q*bert wins dedicated Stand-Alone Game of the Year.1984 Arcade Awards – Electronic Games January 1984, pages 68–81.
In the second Golden Joystick Awards (held in 1985) for best home computer games, Knight Lore takes Game of the Year.

Business

New companies: Accolade, Elite Systems, Gremlin Graphics, Kemco, New World Computing, Novagen, Ocean, Psygnosis, Sculptured Software
Defunct companies: Astrocade, Human Engineered Software, Imagine, Sirius, Starpath.
Hasbro, Inc. acquires Milton Bradley Company.
Management Sciences America acquires Edu-Ware Services.
Broderbund acquires 8-bit gaming competitor Synapse Software.
Atari shuts down the Atari Program Exchange, which sold notable "user written" games such as Eastern Front (1941) and Dandy.
Warner Communications sells the Atari, Inc. home video game and home computer intellectual properties, including the Atari logo and trademark, inventories of home video game and home computer hardware and software, as well as certain international subsidiaries to Tramel Technology, but retains the arcade games division, which becomes Atari Games.{{cite web |last1=Current |first1=Michael |title=A History of WCI Games / Atari / Atari Games / Atari Holdings |url=https://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/wci_games.html#1984 |website=Atari History Timelines |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925180557/https://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/wci_games.html#1984 |url-status=live }} Tramel Technology is promptly renamed to Atari Corporation.{{cite web |last1=Current |first1=Michael |title=A History of Tramel Technology / Atari |url=https://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/tramel_technology.html |website=Atari History Timelines |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925182046/https://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/tramel_technology.html |url-status=live }}
Sega and CSK merge to form Sega Enterprises Ltd.
Mattel sells its video game assets, including the M Network and Intellivision hardware and software intellectual property, to a group led by a former Mattel Electronics executive that becomes INTV Corporation. Mattel Electronics closes their game development offices in California and Taiwan.{{cite web |title=M Network Titles for Computers |url=http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/computers.shtml#comments |website=Intellivision Lives |publisher=Intellivision Productions |access-date=25 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110083256/http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/computers.shtml#comments |archive-date=January 10, 2007 |url-status=usurped }} The games development office in France is sold to investors and renamed Nice Ideas.{{cite web |title=Where Are They Now? |url=http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/people/companies.html |website=Intellivision Lives |access-date=September 25, 2018 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727162236/http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/people/companies.html |archive-date=July 27, 2017}}
The largest video game retailer in the world, GameStop was founded (then known as Babbage's) in Dallas, Texas.

Notable releases

= Games =

== Arcade ==

February 17 - Nintendo launches the initial version of boxing game Punch-Out!!.
April – Namco releases Gaplus, the sequel to Galaga.
June – Atari releases "I, Robot", the first polygonal 3D game.
July – Data East releases Technōs Japan's Karate Champ, laying the foundations for the one-one-one fighting game genre.
July 20 – Namco releases action role-playing game The Tower of Druaga.
October – Namco releases Pac-Land and lays the foundations for horizontally-scrolling platform games.
November 1 – Namco releases Grobda, a spin-off from Xevious.
December – Namco releases Super Xevious and Dragon Buster, the latter of which is one of the first games to feature a life bar.
December – Capcom releases 1942.
December – Irem releases Kung-Fu Master and lays the foundations for the beat 'em up genre.
December – Atari Games releases Marble Madness, their first game written in the C programming language and to use a 68000-family microprocessor.
Bally/Midway releases Demolition Derby, which features a damage bar and the ability to join a game in progress.

== Computer ==

January - Bullet-Proof Software releases The Black Onyx on the PC-8801, which helps popularize turn-based role-playing games in Japan.
June - Ultimate Play the Game releases Sabre Wulf on the ZX Spectrum.
September 20 – Elite, an influential wireframe 3D space trading game offering a then-unique open-ended design, is published by Acornsoft.
October – Nihon Falcom releases action role-playing game Dragon Slayer.
October - Automata UK releases Deus Ex Machina on the ZX Spectrum.
December – T&E Soft releases Hydlide, an early action role-playing game that features a health regeneration mechanic and anticipates elements of The Legend of Zelda and Ys series.{{cite web|author=Kurt Kalata & Robert Greene|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm|title=Hydlide|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=May 1, 2011|archive-date=April 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429001619/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm|url-status=live}}
December 7 – Knight Lore by Ultimate Play the Game is released for the ZX Spectrum (and later ported to the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Famicom Disk System). It is the third title in the Sabreman series, but the first to use the isometric Filmation engine.
Broderbund releases The Ancient Art of War by Dave and Barry Murry. It is a real-time tactics game and a precursor to the real-time strategy genre.
Broderbund releases Karateka for the Apple II.
The Lords of Midnight, a strategy adventure game by Mike Singleton, is released.
Infocom releases The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Sorcerer, Cutthroats, and Seastalker.
First Star releases Boulder Dash, which inspired enough clones to create the rocks-and-diamonds genre.
Epyx releases Impossible Mission for the Commodore 64.
Electronic Arts releases Adventure Construction Set.
Sierra On-Line releases King's Quest I for the PCjr.
Synapse releases the Atari 8-bit game Dimension X, over 9 months after running magazine ads showing features that were not present in the final game.{{cite book|last1=Hague|first1=James|title=Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers|date=1997|url=http://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/HALES.HTM|access-date=November 13, 2015|archive-date=May 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527065131/http://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/HALES.HTM|url-status=live}}
Software Projects releases platform game Jet Set Willy on the ZX Spectrum.
First Star Software releases Spy vs. Spy for the Commodore 64.
Game Gems releases Flyer Fox for the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64.

== Console ==

March 30 - Activision releases H.E.R.O. for the Atari 2600.
June 4 – Nintendo releases a conversion of their own Donkey Kong 3 for the Famicom.
October 5 - Nintendo releases Devil World on the Famicom in Japan.
December 17 – Nintendo releases Ice Climber and Balloon Fight for the Famicom.
Activision releases Pitfall II: Lost Caverns, one of the last major titles for the Atari 2600. Each cartridge contains a custom chip allowing improved visuals and 4-voice sound.

== Hardware ==

January 24 – Apple Inc. announces the original, 128K, floppy disc-only, Macintosh 128K.
March – IBM releases the IBM PCjr in an attempt to enter the home computer market. It has improved sound and graphics over the original, business-oriented IBM PC, but is a commercial failure.
Atari, Inc. announces the Atari 7800, a next-gen console that's compatible with Atari 2600 cartridges, but capable of greatly improved visuals. It is shelved until 1986 due to the sale of the company and legal issues.
Discontinued systems: Atari 5200, Magnavox Odyssey², Vectrex

References

Category:Video games by year

1984 in video games

Financial performance

=Highest-grossing arcade games=

==Japan==

==United Kingdom and United States==

=Best-selling home systems=

=Best-selling home video games in the United Kingdom=

Major awards

Business

Notable releases

= Games =

== Arcade ==

== Computer ==

== Console ==

== Hardware ==

See also

References