1984_in_video_gaming

1984 in video games

1984 in video games

Overview of the events of 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 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.

Quick Facts List of years in video games ...

Financial performance

In the United States, home video game sales fall to $800 million[1] ($2.3 billion 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.

More information Month, Table arcade cabinet ...

United Kingdom and United States

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

More information Rank, United Kingdom ...

Best-selling home systems

More information Rank, System(s) ...

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.[39]

More information Rank, Title ...

Major awards

Business

Births

May

Notable releases

Games

Arcade
Computer
Console

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

See also


References

  1. Lindner, Richard (1990). Video Games: Past, Present and Future; An Industry Overview. United States: Nintendo of America.
  2. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 228. Amusement Press, Inc. January 15, 1984. p. 31.
  3. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 229. Amusement Press, Inc. February 1, 1984. p. 29.
  4. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 230. Amusement Press, Inc. February 15, 1984. p. 27.
  5. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 231. Amusement Press, Inc. March 1, 1984. p. 29.
  6. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 232. Amusement Press, Inc. March 15, 1984. p. 31.
  7. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 233. Amusement Press, Inc. April 1, 1984. p. 27.
  8. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 234. Amusement Press, Inc. April 15, 1984. p. 29.
  9. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 235. Amusement Press, Inc. May 1, 1984. p. 29.
  10. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 236. Amusement Press, Inc. May 15, 1984. p. 29.
  11. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 237. Amusement Press, Inc. June 1, 1984. p. 29.
  12. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 238. Amusement Press, Inc. June 15, 1984. p. 25.
  13. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 239. Amusement Press, Inc. July 1, 1984. p. 25.
  14. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 240. Amusement Press, Inc. July 15, 1984. p. 37.
  15. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 241. Amusement Press, Inc. August 1, 1984. p. 27.
  16. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 242. Amusement Press, Inc. August 15, 1984. p. 25.
  17. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 243. Amusement Press, Inc. September 1, 1984. p. 29.
  18. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 244. Amusement Press, Inc. September 15, 1984. p. 31.
  19. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 245. Amusement Press, Inc. October 1, 1984. p. 35.
  20. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 246. Amusement Press, Inc. October 15, 1984. p. 31.
  21. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 247. Amusement Press, Inc. November 1, 1984. p. 31.
  22. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 248. Amusement Press, Inc. November 15, 1984. p. 25.
  23. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 249. Amusement Press, Inc. December 1, 1984. p. 31.
  24. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 250. Amusement Press, Inc. December 15, 1984. p. 29.
  25. "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 251. Amusement Press, Inc. January 1, 1985. p. 37.
  26. "Top Hits of Last 5 Years". RePlay. March 1987.
  27. "Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards" (PDF). Cash Box. September 8, 1984. p. 28.
  28. "Top 20 Performing Video Games of 1984". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 20. November 1, 1984. p. 47.
  29. "Commando: Soldier of Fortune". Your Sinclair. No. 1. January 1986. p. 54.
  30. "昔(1970年代)のテレビゲームは何台売れた?" [How many old (1970s) video games sold?]. Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  31. Reimer, Jeremy (December 15, 2005). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  32. Methe, David; Mitchell, Will; Miyabe, Junichiro; Toyama, Ryoko (January 1998). "Overcoming a Standard Bearer: Challenges to NEC's Personal Computer in Japan". Research Papers in Economics (RePEc): 35 via ResearchGate.
  33. Juliussen, Egil; Juliussen, Karen (1990). The Computer Industry Almanac 1991. Pearson P T R. pp. 10–47, 10–48. ISBN 978-0-13-155748-2.
  34. "ElectronicsWeek". ElectronicsWeek. Vol. 58, no. 13–23. McGraw-Hill. 1985. p. 41. 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.
  35. Adams, Jane Meredith (January 3, 1985). "Adam Just Couldn't Deliver on Promises". The Boston Globe. p. 41.
  36. The Year's Top 10 Games. EMAP. p. 88. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  37. 1984 Arcade Awards – Electronic Games January 1984, pages 68–81.
  38. Current, Michael. "A History of WCI Games / Atari / Atari Games / Atari Holdings". Atari History Timelines. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  39. Current, Michael. "A History of Tramel Technology / Atari". Atari History Timelines. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  40. "M Network Titles for Computers". Intellivision Lives. Intellivision Productions. Archived from the original on January 10, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  41. "Where Are They Now?". Intellivision Lives. Archived from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  42. Kurt Kalata & Robert Greene. "Hydlide". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  43. Hague, James (1997). Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2015.

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