Timeline Of Video Arcade Game History
Since its commercial start as a technical curiosity at a science fair in the 1950s, arcade games has flourished into one of the most successful entertainment companies in the world. Currently, the industry generates more revenue than the other mainstays of the entertainment sector, such as music and movies. And it has not yet been able to satisfy its need.
The Foundation of Arcade Gaming
To cash in on the rising popularity of video games in the late 1970s, some restaurant chains throughout the United States began installing them in their establishments. Due to the nature of the games, participants engaged in healthy rivalry. Since players could initiate their high scores, they were motivated to go up the leaderboard and claim their place at the top. At this point, the only option for multiplayer gaming was to have players compete against each other on the same screen.
- 1972- Pong, the first video game to be financially successful, was released by Atari, Inc. in 1972. In addition, it is the first arcade sports video game.
- 1974- Taito releases the racing video game Speed Race. It is the first game to use scrolling sprite graphics and has a racing wheel controller.
- 1975- Midway MFG releases Gun Fight. It is an adaptation of Taito’s Western Gun and the first arcade video game to utilize a microprocessor.
- 1976- Moto-Cross, developed and published by Sega, has haptic feedback, which causes the handlebars to shake whenever a collision occurs.
- 1988-NARC, developed by Williams, is the first commercially sold game that uses a 32-bit CPU. The game was launched.
- 1989- Released by Gottlieb, the video game Exterminator is notable for being the first of its kind to use entirely digitized images in every facet of the gameplay experience.
- 1990-Pit-Fighter is the first ever fighting game to utilize completely digitized visuals. It was produced by Atari Games and was the first of its kind.
- 1991- The introduction of Street Fighter II by Capcom marks a watershed moment in the history of competitive play in arcades. It serves as a blueprint for subsequent fighting games.
- 1992- Mortal Kombat, a violent video game released by Midway Games, is known for its gore and fatalities.
- 1998- Dance Dance Revolution is an arcade game developed and published by Konami.
- 1999- The last arcade game to wear the Atari Games logo was launched, and it was Rush 2049.
- 2000- Capcom has published Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, developed by Sega, and runs on the NAOMI technology.
- 2001- Tekken 4, the first talking video game, is released by Namco.
- 2002- Arctic Thunder Special Edition is the last arcade game developed by Midway Games.
- 2020- The Covid-19 outbreak that swept Japan in 2020 and 2021 forced the closure of many arcades.
Conclusion
It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the modern gaming industry, as we know it today, got its start. But even before then, the industry was open to a great deal of experimentation, and a handful of commercial achievements eventually introduced gaming to the public.