ATARI-COIN-OP-TIMELINE

Transcription

1 ATARICOINOPTIMELINE Compiled by Kevin Williams KWP Limited (V.4.3) Pong Barrel Pong first Atari game, 12,000 sold by Atari alone, first success, first to have sequel, game built on royalties of Computer Space, Atari sues by Magnavox over concept Company founded form an investment of $250, by Nolan Bushnell, Al Alcorn and Ted Dabney Bushnell (wanted to call company Syzgy, but name already taken) Space Race Pong Double prone to difficulties first 4 player game Kee Games formed as secretly controlled competition to Atari 4 Coup Davis Europe release Pong Double 5 6 Gotcha Eliminator (Kee) first arcade maze game first Kee Games product Atari sells Pong rights to Bally / Midway Super Pong 8 Rebound same as Spike 9 Spike (Kee) 10 Quadra Pong 11 Gran Trak 10 first car race game, first gear and peddle Formula K (Kee) World Cup was released in France as Coupe du Monde Atari Inc. merges! with Kee Games to control success of Tank 14 TouchMe rare cabinet 15 Twin Racer (Kee) 16 Trak 10

2 17 Gran Trak Pin Pong 19 Coupe Franc French only release, sequel to Pong Double 20 Volleyball (Kit) 21 Pong Cocktail 22 Trak Dr. Pong 24 Tank (Kee) 25 Tank Cocktail (Kee) 26 Qwak! first nonmounted gun game Puppy Pong (doctors offices) Color Quadrapong 10 units made 1975 Compugraph Foto not a video game, first photo capture machine 27 Dodgeball Jan 28 Pursuit Jan 29 Indy 800 (Kee) first 8 player game 30 HiWay first cockpit driver 31 Crossfire (Kee) 32 Tank II (Kee) first ROM graphics 33 Anti Aircraft 34 Goal IV Shark Jaws (Horror Games) Steeple Chase first animated characters, made under false name Horror Games started to protect Atari if sued by film company over Shark Jaws 37 Crash N Score 38 Jet Fighter (Kee) Stunt Cycle Jan first cycle handles 40 Outlaw 41 Tank 8 (Kee) first bill acceptor, full color Motorola 6800 microprocessor

3 42 Quiz Show (Kee) first microprocessor Breakout Breakout Cocktail Indy 4 15,000 sold, feud with Jobs and Wozniak Atari sells Japanese rights for Breakout to Namco (Namco makes knockoff after short supplies) 46 Cops N Robbers 47 Flyball (Kee) Le Mans Night Driver Sprint 2 (Kee) first driving simulator, first First Person Perspective 8,200 sold, first competitive, first AI, built on Pong royalty Bushnell sells Atari Inc. to Warner Communication for $28million ($15m for Nolan) 51 F1 (Namco) first Namco license, first projector game Atarians, The Pin Atari s first pinball, first widebody playing field Breakout Deluxe Cannon Ball Dominos Jan 53 Triple Hunt Sprint 8 Pool Shark Drag Race (Kee) Atari opens Pizza Time Theatre concept, originated by Nolan as part of Atari (full title Chuck E. Cheese s Pizza Time Theater) Time 2000 Pin 57 Starship I first cockpit space game, first grow motion technology 58 Super Bug (Kee) 59 Two Game Module Airborne Avenger Pin 350 produced 60 Destroyer 61 Canyon Bomber 62 Sprint 4 Dec Dirt Bike Boxing copied by Activision 1978

4 63 Sprint 1 Jan first CPU 64 UltraTank (Kee) Middle Earth Pin 65 Sky Raider first vertical scroller 66 Tournament Table 67 Avalanche Fire Truck Sky Diver first cooperative 2 player Nolan buys back Pizza Time Theatre concept from Warner for $500, Smokey Joe Super Breakout Space Rider Atari Football Pin first sports, first trackball, horizontal playing patent Bushnell fired from Atari position as Chairman of the Board, company changes from R&D to Sales keting; launches home division 73 Orbit first game continuation feature Cosmo Asteroids Captain Seahawk Tube Chase Atari Wolf Pack Mini Golf Video Pinball Superman Pin 75 Atari Basketball first Atari Sports title 76 Subs first two separate screens Hercules Pin biggest pinball ever manufactured, last Pin 77 Atari Baseball 78 Lunar Lander first vector, first game with continue coin feed option 79 Atari 4 Player Football 80 Asteroid first high score entry, Atari best seller 70,000 Dec On the opening of Showbiz Pizza Place, Bushnell sued Brock and Topeka Inn Management over breach of contract

5 Orion XIV Solar War sequel to Video Pinball Road Runner pinball Sebring Atari Soccer 82 Monte Carlo 83 Missile Command 84 Battlezone first First Person Perspective battle simulator Monza pinball Warlords 86 Asteroids Deluxe 87 Red Baron first 3D flight simulator 88 Centipede 50,000 sales second most successful 89 Tempest first color vector Cannon Ball Battlezone Trainer military project Tunnel Hunt Force Field Space Shoot Thogs Time Traveler Neutron Star pinball Hyperspace Space Duel first simultaneous vector 2 players Dig Dug (Namco) Kangaroo (Sun) first license from Namco, advertised in theatres Atari and Bally, both make equity investments in Namco Ltd., called goodwill gestures intended to bring the companies closer in their

6 93 Gravitar worst selling game, Move Over Gravitar Replay licensing relationships Fast Freddie (Kaneko) Popeye (Nintendo) Atari files law suit against copies of Dig Dug. 96 Millipede 97 Liberator 98 Quantum 99 Pole Position (Namco) first driving game in Atari cockpit Pat 900 testing station for games Missile Command II (Deluxe) Luna Battle prototype of Gravitar Nightmare Super Centipede Akka Arrh (Target Outpost) Amazing Adventure Heist Interchange Maze Invaders Onslaught Parking Lot Power Gem Star Trap Warp Speed later became Star Wars Heart of Ice Dragon Raider QWAK Tube Chase licensed to Centuri as Tunnel Hunt Xevious (Namco) first vertical scroller, first computer rendered sprites 101 Mazer Blazer (Stern) 102 Black Widow Namco acquires

7 Food Fight Arabian (Namco) appearance of Chuck E. Cheese character Japanese manufacturing division of Atari 105 Star Wars first film license 106 Crystal Castles 107 Major Havoc 108 Dragons Lair (Magicom) 109 Space Ace (Magicom) 110 Pole Position II (Namco) first game to store high score Cloud 9 (Weather War) Alpha 1 prototype for Major Havoc Runaway Warp Speed 4x4 pinball Firebeast (Dragon Master) Hare Scare Heist Interchange Tomcat Firefox Jan first laser disk TX1 SD (Tatsumi/Namco) Cloak & Dagger (Kit) I, Robot Empire Strikes Back (Kit) first three screen, first checkpoint continue film deal first 3D game, first view changer option Jack Trammel buys Atari Inc. home computer division calling it Atari Corporation, Warner retains 24%, and owns arcade division of Inc. renamed Atari Games Inc. / Tengen 116 ble Madness Dec Last StarFighter Malibu Grand Prix BattleStar Galactica Road Runner 1985

8 117 Dragon Buster (Namco) Return of the Jedi Paperboy Peter Pack Rat Temple of Doom Atari Corp., closes Ireland (Limerrick City) corporate headquarters leaving only (Tipperary Town) Atari Games Ireland Ltd. coinop manufacturing. 122 Gauntlet first game under Atari Games Inc., label 123 Indiana Jones Air Race Atari Jammin first rhythm game Super Sprint Road Runner Atari Games acquires the arcade chain Barrel of Fun Gauntlet II Championship Sprint 720 Dec Sound track released Namco buys 43.8% in Atari Games, taking charge of Atari Japanese operation 1987 Vs. Atari RBI Baseball VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses 129 Rolling Thunder (Namco) 130 Roadblaster first toy license 131 Dunk Shot (Sega) 132 A.P.B. 133 Dragon Spirit (Namco) 134 RBI Baseball (Namco) 135 Xybots 136 PacMania (Namco) Dec 1988 Vs. Gauntlet VS. Nintendo release of game 137 Blasteroids 138 Galaga 88 (Namco)

9 139 Vindicators 140 Pot Shot 141 Final Lap (Namco) first network game 142 Toobin 143 Assault (Namco) first special Grow Motion hardware 144 Cyberball 145 Final Lap U/R (Namco) 146 Vindicator Part II (Kit) Accelerator Blasteroids (With Heads) Tetris 148 Hard Drivin first polygon driver, first force feedback, first drive sim 149 Splatterhouse (Tecmo/Sharp) 150 Escape from the Planet Tournament Cyberball S.T.U.N. Runner 153 Skull & Crossbones 154 Four Tax (Namco) Dec Street Drivin Guts n Glory 1990 Vs. Cyberball VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses 155 Badlands Jan 156 KLAX 157 Vindicators II Hydra Gumball Rally Thunderjaws Mad Dog McCree (ALG) Redemption, not video game Namco America Inc., sells their 43.8% shares in Atari to management, but acquires Atari Operations, Inc., and keeps ownership of Atari Games Ireland Ltd.

10 Pit Fighter Race Drivin Shuuz first Rotoscope game Rampart 165 Batman 166 Race Drivin Panorama hardware used later by AGC 167 Road Riot 4WD first rump thump effect 168 Who Shot Johnny Rock (ALG) 169 Steel Talons 170 Off the Wall BMX Heat ble Man: MM Relief Pitcher 172 Guardian of the Hood 173 Moto Frenzy 174 Space Lord 175 Gallaghers Gallery (ALG) 176 Space Pirates (ALG) Danger Express Atari Classic: Missile Command II Atari Classic: Super Centipede Road Riot 4WD (Revenge) Dr. Sparkz Lab Fish n Freezy Mad Dog II (ALG) 178 Knuckle Bash (Toaplan) AGC Simulation Products launched, breakaway from Atari, turning Hard Drivin into

11 179 World Rally (Gaelco) police training system 180 Crime Patrol (ALG) 181 Drug Wars (ALG) CyberStorm Freeze: The Cat Hard Drivin Airborne 10 units made BeatHead Street Drivin Last Bounty Hunter (ALG) TMek Primal Rage COPS (a) Warner Communications and Time Life merge to form TimeWarner. Atari Games / Tengen folded into new Time Warner Interactive. Die Alien Scum! 3 on 3 Basketball Metal Maniax Area 51 first Time Warner Interactive game, first harddisk based on Atari Jaguar console hardware Atari losses ALG distribution contract Hoop It Up not a video game Primal Rage 2 Beavis & Butthead 3DO hardware Fishin Frenzy Wayne Gretzky s 3D Hockey San Francisco RUSH first game released after Midway purchase Dec first 3Dfx architecture Atari Corp., sold to harddrive marker JTS in 'reverse merger' worth $50million regarding remaining debts. TimeWarner Interactive (Atari Games Inc.) sold to WMS (Midway) for an estimated $23.8million

12 Vicious Circle MACE: The Dark Age Maximum Force RUSH The Rock first WaveNet SNK agrees to sell Atari products in Japan. 192 Surf Planet (Gaelco) Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo Californian Speed Gauntlet Legend Midway designed project Hasbro Interactive acquires Atari Corp., and the rights to 75 ( ) classic titles from JTS for $5million in cash 196 Radikal Bikers (Gaelco) 197 Area 51: Site Vapor TRX 10 th Degree Mean Streak WAR Road Burner Atari signs patent agreement with Sega Enterprises (force feedback) 201 RUSH 2049 LAST Arcade game by Atari Namco closes Atari Games Ireland Ltd. ust Midway takes charge of Atari s sales, marketing and manufacture. WAR: Tournament Edition RUSH: HotRod (Hot Rod Rebels) Blood Lust gle Rat Remaining Atari development is transferred to Midway (staying in California at the newly named Midway Games West offices), but is eventually closed as Midway moves from the Arcade industry in Midway Games West office closed 2003 Midway acquired by Warner 2009.

13 Credits: The Atari Timeline based on that was compiled and created by Kevin Williams of KWP Limited in 2004 for an article in the amusement trade journal all copyright & IP retained by their respective owners the compiled work retained by KWP ( ). END