1970s | 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 |
1980s | 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 |
1990s | 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 |
2000s | 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 |
2010s | 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 |
2020s | 2020 · 2021 · 2022 |
In 1975, the video game industry was in decline following the 1974 crash and but began recovering with the release of new arcade titles such as Western Gun (Gun Fight)[1] as well as Pong clone consoles.
In the United States, the best-selling and highest-grossing video game was Atari's Home Pong console. The year's best-selling and highest-grossing arcade game was Taito's Speed Race, released as Wheels and Racer in North America.
Financial performance[]
The following table lists the annual sales and revenue generated by the electronic games industry this year, including video games and electro‑mechanical games. See sections below for breakdown of revenue estimates.
Industry | Products | Market | Unit sales | Annual revenue (est.) | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominal | Inflation | |||||
Electronic games | Japan | 11,000+ | $481,000,000 | $2,700,000,000 | ||
United States | 879,000 | $287,000,000 | $1,600,000,000 | |||
Arcade | Arcade games | Worldwide | 79,000+ | $1,387,000,000 | $7,900,000,000 | |
Arcade | Arcade games | United Kingdom | — | $660,000,000 | $3,700,000,000 | [2] |
Japan | — | $480,000,000 | $2,700,000,000 | [3] | ||
United States | 79,000+ | $247,000,000 | $1,400,000,000 | [4][5] | ||
Arcade | Electro‑mechanical games | Worldwide | $795,000,000 | $4,500,000,000 | ||
Arcade | Electro‑mechanical games | United Kingdom | — | $400,000,000+ | $2,300,000,000 | [2] |
Japan | — | $300,000,000+ | $1,700,000,000+ | [3][6] | ||
United States | — | $95,000,000 | $270,000,000 | |||
Video games | Worldwide | 895,000 | $193,130,000 | $1,100,000,000 | ||
Arcade | Arcade video games | United States | 79,000 | $152,000,000 | $860,000,000 | [5] |
Console | Video game consoles | United States | 800,000 | $40,000,000 | $230,000,000 | [7][5] |
Japan | 11,000 | $1,000,000 | $6,000,000 | [8] | ||
Canada | 5,000 | $130,000 | $1,000,000 | [9] | ||
Worldwide | 816,000 | $41,130,000 | $230,000,000 | |||
Video games | United States | 879,000 | $192,000,000 | $1,100,000,000 | [5] | |
Electronic games | Worldwide | 895,000+ | $1,428,130,000 | $8,100,000,000 |
Highest-grossing games in the United States[]
The following titles were the highest-grossing electronic games in the United States during 1976, including both video games (VG) and electro-mechanical games (EM games) across arcades and homes. See sections below for breakdown of revenue estimates.
Rank | Title | Company | Gross revenue (est.) | Genre | Type | Platform | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominal | Inflation | ||||||
1 | Home Pong | Atari / Sears | $40,000,000 | $230,000,000 | Pong | VG | Console |
2 | Speed Race | Taito | $34,000,000 | $190,000,000 | Racing | VG | Arcade |
3 | Tank / Tank II | Kee Games | $30,000,000 | $170,000,000 | Maze | ||
4 | Gun Fight | Taito | $20,000,000 | $110,000,000 | Shooter | ||
5 | Odyssey 100 | Magnavox | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Pong | VG | Console |
Super Shifter | Allied | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Racing | EM | Arcade | |
7 | Indy 800 | Atari | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Racing | VG | Arcade |
8 | Air Hockey | Brunswick | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Sports | EM | |
9 | Wizard | Bally | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Pinball | ||
10 | Gran Trak 10 / 20 | Atari | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Racing | VG | |
11 | Magnavox Odyssey | Magnavox | $6,300,000 | $36,000,000 | Pong | VG | Console |
12 | Odyssey 200 | Magnavox | $6,000,000 | $34,000,000 | |||
13 | Skee Ball | PTC | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Sports | EM | Arcade |
14 | F-114 (Sky Fighter) | Taito | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | FPS | ||
15 | Twin Racer | Kee Games | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | VG | |
16 | BiPlane | Fun Games | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Shooter | ||
17 | Demolition Derby | Chicago Coin | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Driving | ||
18 | OXO | Williams | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Pinball | EM | |
19 | Rifle Range | Midway | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Gun | ||
20 | Street Burners | Allied | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | VG |
Arcade games in the United States[]
The "paddle game" trend came to an end in arcades around 1975, with the arcade video game industry entering a period of stagnation in the "post paddle game era" over the next several years up until 1977.[10]
Best-selling arcade video games[]
The following titles were the best-selling arcade video games of 1975 in the United States.
Rank | Title | Developer | Cabinet sales[11] | Genre | Generation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual | Cume | |||||
1 | Wheels (Speed Race) | Taito | 10,000 | 10,000 | Racing | Discrete |
2 | Gun Fight (Western Gun) | Taito | 8,000[12] | 8,000 | Shooter | 8-bit |
3 | Tank | Kee Games | 5,000 | 15,000 | Maze | Discrete |
4 | Flim-Flam | Meadows Games | 4,000 | 6,000 | Pong | |
Gran Trak 20 | Atari | 4,000 | 4,500 | Racing | ||
6 | Video Action / Robot Valley | URL / Venture | 3,000 | 3,000[13] | Pong | |
7 | PT-109 | Mirco Games | 1,500 | 1,500 | Shooter | |
8 | Avenger | Electra Games | 1,000 | 1,000 | ||
Tank II | Kee Games | 1,000 | 1,000 | Maze | ||
10 | Crash 'N Score | Atari | 500 | 500 | Driving | Discrete |
Jet Fighter | Atari | 500 | 500 | Shooter | ||
Shark Jaws | Atari | 500 | 500 | Action | ||
Steeplechase | Atari | 500 | 500 | Racing | ||
14 | Demolition Derby | Chicago Coin / Exidy | 400 | 400 | Driving | Discrete |
Heavy Traffic | Digital Games | 300 | 300 | Racing | ||
16 | Inca TV Cocktail Table | PMC Electronics | 250 | 250 | Pong | |
Knock Out | Digital Games | 250 | 250 | |||
Combo | Digital Games | 250 | 250 | |||
19 | Indy 800 | Atari | 200 | 200 | Racing | |
Shark | US Billiards | 200 | 200 | Maze | ||
TV Cocktail Table | US Billiards | 200 | 200 | Pong | ||
Maneater | Project Support | 200 | 200 | Action |
Highest-grossing arcade games[]
In the United States, RePlay magazine published the first annual chart of top-grossing arcade games in March 1976, listing both video games (VG) and electro-mechanical games (EM games) on the same chart for the previous year. The following were the highest-grossing arcade games of the previous year, in terms of arcade earnings.
Rank | Title[14] | Company | Release | Gross revenue (est.) | Genre | Type | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominal[11][15] | Inflation | Ref | ||||||
1 | Tank / Tank II | Kee Games | 1974-11[16] | $30,000,000 | $170,000,000 | [16] | Maze | VG |
2 | Wheels (Speed Race) | Taito | 1975-03[17] | $29,000,000 | $150,000,000 | [18] | Racing | |
3 | Gun Fight | Taito | 1975-10[19] | $20,000,000 | $110,000,000 | [12][20] | Shooter | VG |
4 | Super Shifter | Allied | 1974[21] | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Racing | EM | |
5 | Indy 800 | Atari | 1975-04[16] | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Racing | VG | |
6 | Air Hockey | Brunswick | 1972 | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Sports | EM | |
7 | Wizard | Bally | 1975-05[22] | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | Pinball | ||
8 | Gran Trak 10 / 20 | Atari | 1974[16] | $10,000,000 | $57,000,000 | [23] | Racing | VG |
9 | Skee Ball | PTC | 1947[24] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Sports | EM | |
10 | F-114 (Sky Fighter) | Taito | 1975-06[25] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | FPS | ||
11 | Twin Racer | Kee Games | 1974-07[16] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | VG | |
12 | BiPlane | Fun Games | 1975-12 | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Shooter | ||
13 | Racer (Speed Race) | Taito | 1975-02[17] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | ||
14 | Demolition Derby | Chicago Coin | 1975-12[26] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Driving | ||
15 | OXO | Williams | 1973-08[27] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Pinball | EM | |
16 | Rifle Range | Midway | 1963[28] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Gun | ||
17 | Street Burners | Allied | 1975-05[29] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | VG | |
18 | Crown Basketball | Taito | 1968-03[30] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Sports | EM | |
19 | Amigo | Bally | 1974-05[31] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Pinball | ||
20 | Grand Prix | Sega | 1969-08[32] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | ||
21 | Gun Fight | Sega | 1969[33] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Shooter | EM | |
Helicopter | Sega | 1968-07[34] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Simulation | |||
Moto Champ | Sega | 1973[35] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Racing | |||
Periscope | Namco / Sega | 1968-03[36] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | [37] | FPS | ||
Winner | Midway | 1973-04[38] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | Pong | VG | ||
26 | Flim-Flam | Meadows | 1974-03[39] | $5,000,000 | $28,000,000 | [40] | Pong | VG |
27 | Space Race | Atari | 1973-07[41] | $3,000,000 | $21,000,000 | Racing | ||
28 | Avenger | Electra Games | 1975-11[42] | $2,000,000 | $11,000,000 | [43] | Shooter | |
29 | Road Runner | Bally | 1971-08[44] | $1,000,000 | $6,000,000 | Racing | EM | |
Destruction Derby | Exidy | 1975-11[45] | $1,000,000 | $6,000,000 | [46] | Racing | VG |
Best-selling home systems[]
Rank | Console | Company | Unit sales | Gross revenue (est.) | Type | Generation | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominal | Inflation | |||||||
1 | Home Pong | Atari / Sears | 200,000 | $40,000,000 | $230,000,000 | Console | First | [11][15] |
2 | Odyssey 100 / 200 | Magnavox | 133,000 | $13,000,000 | $74,000,000 | Console | First | [47] |
3 | Magnavox Odyssey | Magnavox | 80,000 | $6,400,000 | $36,000,000 | [48][49] | ||
4 | Electrotennis | Epoch | 10,000 | $700,000 | $4,000,000 | [47] | ||
5 | Altair 8800 | MITS | 5,000 | $2,000,000 | $11,000,000 | Computer | 8-bit | [50] |
6 | Tennis Game Machine | Packel[n 1] | 1,000 | $440,000 | $2,500,000 | Console | First | [47] |
Notes[]
- ↑ パッケル測器 Pakkeru Sokki
References[]
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/Winners_Book_of_Video_Games/page/n265/mode/2up
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Amusement Trade Fair - Colour. British Movietone (February 8, 1976).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 情報メディア白書 [Information Media White Paper]. Dentsu Institute. 2010. p. 293. https://books.google.com/books?id=fSFNAQAAIAAJ. "産業興行収入市場規模営業収入営業収入全体ビデオゲームアーケードゲーム中短波 FM (Box office revenue, Market size, Operating revenue, Total operating revenue, Video games, Arcade games, Medium and shortwave FM) ... 1965 755 152 713 1,090 4,843 1966 758 174 752 1,266 5,760 1967 789 214 788 1,530 6,793 1968 820 254 792 1,736 7,843 1969 838 323 0 848 2,206 9,305 1970 825 398 13 921 2,691 10,802 1971 793 430 17 1,010 2,893 12,649 1972 770 482 1,100 3,333 14,828 1973 927 580 235 24 1,187 4,018 17,344 1974 1,171 628 46 1,258 4,442 19,171 1975 1,308 683 52 1,314 4,856 21,555 1976 1,457 790 65 1,915 5,809 25,714 1977 1,524 892 83 2,091 6,512 34,784 1978 1,605 1,006 97 2,141 7,362 37,058 1979 1,582 1,164 115 2,191 8,326 39,255 1980 1,659 1,263 131 2,714 8,687 41,008 1981 1,633 1,347 143 2,816 9,284 42,625 1982 1,695 2,780 4,500 1,391 180 2,877 9,967 44,611 1983 1,863 3,860 4,570 1,450 237 2,926 10,713 46,915"
- ↑ Annual Survey of Manufactures: 1975-1976. U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. May 1979. p. 2-30. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=l1DUjcEedFkC&pg=SA2-PA30.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Video Game Sales: 1972-1999. Gaming Alexandria (June 7, 2021).
- ↑ https://shmuplations.com/kasco/
- ↑ 昔(1970年代)のテレビゲームは何台売れた? (How many old (1970s) video games sold?) (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2014-01-09). Archived from the original on 2023-11-02.
- ↑ See Epoch Electrotennis and Tennis Game Machine in Best-selling home systems section below
- ↑ "Home video games still hot selling item". The Leader-Post: p. 25. 10 January 1977. https://books.google.com/books?id=nkpVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA25&article_id=2981,1792627.
- ↑ "Special Report: Tom Petit (Sega Enterprises)". RePlay 16 (4): 80, 82. January 1991. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-16-issue-no.-4-january-1991-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2016%2C%20Issue%20No.%204%20-%20January%201991/page/44.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. pp. 10–3. ISBN 978-0-9643848-1-1. https://archive.org/details/VideogamesInTheBeginningRalphH.Baer/page/n31/mode/2up.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wills, John (2019). Gamer Nation. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-2869-7. https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/11237/gamer-nation.
- ↑ https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/11/urls-video-action-first-us-consumer.html
- ↑ "The Nation's Top Arcade Games". RePlay. March 1976. https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2014/03/more-bronze-age-video-game-popularity.html.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Video Game Industry Year by Year: 1973-1975
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Production Numbers. Atari Games (1999). Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved on 19 March 2012.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Akagi, Masumi (1971-2005). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition). Japan: Amusement News Agency (published 13 October 2006). p. 124. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n125.
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-11-13.pdf#page=85
- ↑ "Over 4100 Attend MOA Expo ’75; Record 226 Booths, 94 Exhibitors". Cash Box: 45-8. November 1, 1975. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-11-01.pdf#page=45.
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-04-02.pdf#page=55
- ↑ https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=super-shifter&page=detail&id=14502
- ↑ https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/wizard
- ↑ Production Numbers. Atari (1999). Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved on 19 March 2012.
- ↑ https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=skee-ball&page=detail&id=33903
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-1-number-7-june-july-1975-600dpi/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%201%2C%20Number%207%20-%20June-July%201975%20%28Compressed%29/page/21
- ↑ "California Clippings". Cash Box: 36. December 20, 1975. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-12-20.pdf#page=36.
- ↑ https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1733
- ↑ https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=17501
- ↑ Akagi, Masumi (1971-2005). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition). Japan: Amusement News Agency (published 13 October 2006). p. 109. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n110.
- ↑ "Munves' Southern Tour Reveals High Earnings For Several Games At Tampa Fair". Cash Box (Cash Box Pub. Co.): 61. 9 March 1968. https://archive.org/details/cashbox29unse_31/page/61.
- ↑ https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=71
- ↑ https://segaretro.org/Grand_Prix
- ↑ https://segaretro.org/Gun_Fight
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-01-05.pdf#page=30
- ↑ https://segaretro.org/Moto_Champ
- ↑ https://segaretro.org/Periscope
- ↑ https://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com/2015/06/08/historical-interlude-the-history-of-coin-op-part-6-a-technological-revolution/
- ↑ https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=winner&page=detail&id=4750
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-03-09.pdf#page=56
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-04-05.pdf#page=30
- ↑ Production Numbers. Atari Games (1999). Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved on 19 March 2012.
- ↑ Akagi, Masumi (1971-2005). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition). Japan: Amusement News Agency (published 13 October 2006). pp. 116-7. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n117/mode/2up.
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-07-22.pdf#page=51
- ↑ https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=road-runner-model-914&page=detail&id=12655
- ↑ https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=destruction-derby&page=detail&id=3384
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-11-06.pdf#page=53
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 First generation of video games
- ↑ Smith, Alexander (November 27, 2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry. 1: 1971 – 1982. CRC Press. pp. 207–9. ISBN 978-1-138-38990-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT204.
- ↑ How Many Units Were Sold? Playing the Numbers Game with Video Games. The History of How We Play (2020-03-20).
- ↑ Reimer, Jeremy (2005-12-15). Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures (en-us). Ars Technica.
- Jeremy Reimer (2012-12-07). Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010. Jeremy Reimer.