Timeline of computer and video games

· releases the Amiga CD32 multimedia home console

Hollenshead

· releases the Doom video game

· is acquired by the Carlyle Group

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Star Fox video game (the 1st game to use the Super FX Chip)

Panasonic

· releases the 3DO home console

Pioneer

· releases the Laseractive multimedia home console

Sega Corporation

· releases the Virtua Fighter (by Yu Suzuki) arcade game, that the Smithsonian Institution now has on permanent display in Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation, at the Museum of American History

· releases the Night Trap video game for the Sega CD console

Tandy

· releases the Video Information System (VIS) multimedia internet home console

1992

Atari Inc.

· Atari Games Corp. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.

JVC

· releases the Wondermega console

Midway Home Entertainment Inc.

· releases the Mortal Kombat arcade game

Philips (Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)

· releases the CD-I multimedia home console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.

Sega Corporation

· releases the Sega CD home console

· releases the Virtua Racing arcade game

· releases the Game Gear handheld console

Taito Corp.

· creates the Wowow home console (unreleased)

TTI (Turbo Technologies Inc.)

· releases the Turboduo home console

1991

Fujitsu

· releases the FM Towns Marty home console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· New York State vs Nintendo lawsuit: the state attorney general sues Nintendo over the monopoly of the video game industry. Nintendo loses the suit and offers customers a $5 rebate on Nintendo games

Sega

· releases the Sonic The Hedgehog (by Yuji Naka) video game

1990

Camerica

· releases the Game Genie adapter in Canada (1991 in the USA)

Eidos Interactive

· is established

NEC

· releases the TurboExpress handheld console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Super Mario 3 video game

· releases the SNES (Super Nintendo/Super Famicom) 16-bit console

· Nintendo vs Color Dreams lawsuit: Nintendo sues Color Dreams over unlicensed production of Nintendo video games

SNK

· releases the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) home console

Sega

· releases the R-360 arcade game, the first 3D-360° gameplay

1980s

1989

Atari Inc.

· releases the Lynx handheld console

Hasbro, Inc.

· acquires the assets of bankrupt Coleco Industries, Inc.

Mattel, Inc.

· releases the Power Glove controller for the NES home console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Game Boy (GB) (by Gunpei Yokoi) handheld console

· Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Tengen lawsuit: Nintendo sues Tengen over the Tetris video game copyrights. Tengen loses and recalls all its Tetris games.

· Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Tengen lawsuit: Nintendo sues Tengen over production of unlicensed Nintendo games. Nintendo loses

· Nintendo v. Camerica Ltd. lawsuit: Nintendo sues Camerica over patent violations of the Game Genie for the NES console. Camerica wins the suit.

Sega Corporation

· releases the Genesis home console

Tengen

· releases an unlicensed version of the Tetris video game

1988

Atari Inc.

· establishes the Tengen division

Coleco Industries Inc.

· files bankruptcy

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Nintendo Power magazine

· Nintendo vs Camerica Ltd. lawsuit: Nintendo sues Camerica over the clone production of an Advantage joystick controller for the NES console

1987

Atari Inc.

· releases the XE Game System (XEGS) home console

Konami Corporation

· releases the Castlevania video game

NEC

· releases the Turbografx-16 console

Taito Corp.

· releases the Double Dragon arcade game

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· Nintendo of America, Inc. vs Blockbuster Entertainment lawsuit: Nintendo sues Blockbuster for photocopying complete NES manuals for its rental games. Nintendo wins the suit, and Blockbuster includes original manuals with its rentals.

· Nintendo of America, Inc. vs Blockbuster Entertainment lawsuit:

1986

Atari Inc.

· releases the Atari 7800 home console

Majesco Sales Inc.

· is established

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Metroid video game

· releases the Famicom Disk Drive System home console in Japan only

· releases the Legend Of Zelda (by Shigeru Miyamoto) video game

Sega Corporation

· releases the Sega Master System (SMS) home console

· releases the Outrun arcade game

Sharp

· releases the Twin Famicom home console

Taito Corp.

· releases the Bubble Bobble arcade game

· releases the Arkanoid arcade game

1985

Alex Pajitnov

· creates the Tetris video game

Atari Inc.

· releases the Gauntlet arcade game (by Ed Logg)

· releases the Amiga 1000 home console

INTV Corp.

· releases the INTV III home console

· creates the Xevious arcade game

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Super Mario Bros. video game

· releases the Robotic Operating Buddy (ROB) robot and video game for the NES home console

RDI Systems

· files bankruptcy

Sears (Tele-Games)

· releases the Dina home console

1984

Activision

· releases the Pitfall video game (by David Crane)

Astrocade Inc.

· files bankruptcy

Atari Inc.

· releases the I, Robot arcade game

Hasbro, Inc.

· acquires Milton Bradley

Milton Bradley Company

· distributes the Vectrex home console

RDI Systems

· releases the Halcyon laser-disc home console

· releases the Thayer's Quest arcade game

Sega Corporation

· Sega Enterprises and CSK merge to form Sega Enterprises Ltd.

Warner Communications (AOL Time Warner)

· sells Atari

1983

Video game crash of 1983: Console and home video game sales plummet

Atari Inc.

· releases the Star Wars arcade game

· Atari, Inc. v. Coleco

· releases the Spy Hunter arcade game

· releases the Colecovision home console

· releases the Adam home console/computer

· releases the Commodore 64 (C-64) home console

Electronic Arts

· releases the One-On-One arcade game

Gottlieb

· releases the Mad Planets arcade game

Infogrames Entertainment SA

· is established

Magicom (formerly Starcom)

· creates the Space Ace laser-disc arcade game (Cinematronics manufactures & markets it)

Mattel, Inc.

· releases the Aquarius home console

· releases the Intellivision II home console

Mystique

· releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Famicom (NES) home console in Japan (1985 in the US)

· MCA vs Nintendo lawsuit: MCA sues Nintendo over the title resemblance of the Donkey Kong video game to the King Kong movie. MCA loses the case

Q*Bert

· released on Atari 2600, Commodore 64, ColecoVision, and Intellivision.

Starcade

· the video game tv game show

Starcom (later Magicom)

· creates the Dragon's Lair laser-disc arcade game (Cinematronics manufactures & markets it)

Williams Electronics

· releases the Blaster arcade game

1982

Astrocade Inc. (formerly Astrovision)

· releases the Astrocade console

Atari Inc.

· releases the Quantum arcade game

· releases the Atari 5200 home console

· releases the Tron arcade game before the movie

· releases the Gemini home console

· releases the VIC-20 home console

Electronic Arts

· is established

Emerson

· releases the Arcadia 2001 home console

Entrex

· releases the Adventure Vision home console

GCE (General Consumer Electronics)

· releases the Vectrex home console

Gottlieb

· releases the QBert arcade game

Midway

· releases the Ms. Pac-Man arcade game

Milton Bradley

· releases the Microvision home console

· releases the Pole Position racing arcade game

· releases the Dig Dug arcade game (licenses it to Atari)

Sega Corporation

· releases the Zaxxon arcade game

Williams Electronics

· releases the Joust arcade game

· releases the Robotron: 2084 arcade game

1981

APF Electronics Inc.

· files bankruptcy

Astrovision Inc.

· distributes the Bally Computer System after buying the rights from Bally/Midway

Atari Inc.

· releases the Centipede arcade game (by Ed Logg & Dona Bailey)

· releases the Warlords arcade game

· releases the Tempest color vector arcade game

· releases the Gorf arcade game

· releases the Total Control 4 home console

Konami Corporation

· creates the Frogger video game

· releases the Galaga arcade game

Nelsonic

· releases the Space Attacker watch LCD game

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Donkey Kong arcade game (by Shigeru Miyamoto)

Sega Corporation

· test markets the SG-1000 home console

Texas Instruments

· releases the TI-99/4A home computer

Williams Electronics

· releases the Stargate arcade game

1980

Activision

· is established

APF Electronics Inc.

· releases the Imagination Machine computer

Apple

· releases the Zork video game for the Apple II computer

· releases the Akalabeth video game for the Apple Iie computer

Atari Inc.

· releases the Missile Command arcade game

· releases the Battlezone arcade game (it is later enhanced for the US Army for military training)

· releases the Pac-Man arcade game (by Toru Iwatani)

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Radarscope arcade game

· releases the Game & Watch handheld LCD game (by Gunpei Yokoi)

Stern Electronics (a subsidiary of Universal Research Laboratories)

· releases the Berzerk arcade game

Texas Instruments

· releases the TI-99/4 home console

Williams Electronics

· releases the Defender arcade game

1970s

1979

Atari Inc.

· releases the Adventure arcade game

· creates the Cosmos handheld (unreleased)

· releases the Lunar Lander arcade game

· releases the Asteroids arcade game (by Ed Logg & Lyle Rains)

Bally

· releases the Videocade & Computer System home console

Capcom Inc.

· is established

Cinematronics

· releases the Warrior arcade game

Mattel, Inc.

· releases the Intellivision console

Milton Bradley

· releases the Microvision handheld

Sega Corporation

· releases the Monaco GP arcade game

Texas Instruments

· releases the Gamevision home console

1978

APF Electronics Inc.

· releases the MP-1000 home console

Atari Inc.

· releases the Pinball Game System home console

· releases the Football arcade game (the first to use a trackball controller)

· releases the Bally Professional Arcade home console

Cinematronics

· releases the Space Wars vector arcade game

Entreprex

· releases the Apollo 2001 home console

Konami Corporation

· releases the Block Game arcade game

· releases the Odyssey 2 (G7000 Videopac) home console

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Color TV Game 15 home console

· releases the Computer Othello arcade game

SNK

· is established

Taito Corp.

· releases the Space Invaders arcade game

1977

Apple

· releases the Apple II personal computer

Atari Inc.

· releases the Video Computer System (VCS) (Atari 2600) home console

· releases the Bally Home Library Computer home console

· is renamed from Nakamura Manufacturing Ltd.

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

· releases the Color TV Game 4 home console

· releases the Color TV Game 6 home console

1976

Atari Inc.

· releases the Breakout arcade game

Apple Computer Inc.

· is established

· releases the Telstar home console

Exidy

· releases the controversial Death Race arcade game

Fairchild Camera & Instrument Corp.

· releases the Video Entertainment System (Channel F) home cartridge console

Midway Home Entertainment Inc.

· releases the Sea Wolf arcade game

Radolfin

· releases the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System home console

RCA

· releases the Studio II home console

Warner Communications (AOL Time Warner)

· acquires Atari

1975

Atari Inc.

· releases the Pong home console

· releases the Odyssey 4000 home console

Microsoft Corporation

· is established

Midway Home Entertainment Inc.

· releases the Gunfight arcade game

1974

Atari Inc.

· releases the Gran Trak arcade racing game featuring a steering wheel

Exidy company

· is established

Kee Games

· releases the Tank arcade game

Philips (Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)

· acquires Magnavox (Philips Consumer Electronics)

1973

Atari Inc.

· releases the Got'Cha arcade game

Midway Home Entertainment Inc.

· releases the Winner arcade game

Williams Electronics

· releases the Paddle-Ball arcade game

1972

Atari Inc.

· company is established

· releases the Pong arcade game (by Al Alcorn)

Hunt The Wumpus video game

· is developed by Gregory Yob while at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

· releases the Odyssey home console

Namco

· is renamed from Nakamura Manufacturing Ltd.

1971