Computer space

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Computer space
Computer Space-Early arcade games machines.jpg
Studio Nutting Associates
Publisher Nutting Associates
Senior Developer Nolan Bushnell
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 1971
genre Shoot 'em up
Game mode 1 player (basic version)
control 4 buttons
casing Special
Arcade system Discrete logic, decoder chips, no CPU
Sound CPU: -
Sound chips: -
monitor Grid , 15-inch, black and white
information First commercial arcade game
Computer Space control panel

Computer Space was the first commercial, coin-operated arcade game . It was manufactured by Nutting Associates in 1971 . The inventor was Nolan Bushnell , who later founded Atari . Galaxy Game was released two months earlier .

Game description

The player has to steer a spaceship, shoot two UFOs and avoid their projectiles. The playing field consists mainly of many stars.

Four keys were used for input, two for control, one for acceleration and one for shooting. Originally the player could only play against the computer, later there was a version for two players, also with joysticks.

The game was inspired by Spacewar! (1961).

Hardware / design

The case was curvy and rounded, which was considered very futuristic in the 1970s. There were different colors, e.g. B. yellow, blue, red; more rarely gold, white, silver. The material was fiberglass , the colors mostly metallic.

The monitor was a 15-inch black and white General Electrics television.

Each of the three circuit boards controlled a spaceship. Microprocessors were not used in arcade devices until 1975 ( Gun Fight ). Here are logic circuits of the '74 series ( TTL ) (decoder chip) used. RAM and ROM modules did not exist yet either.

The control panel bore the inscription Syzygy Engineered, as the Atari company was originally to be called.

Movies

The game can be seen in the films Soylent Green , Sleeper and Jaws .

meaning

Computer Space is often billed as the very first arcade game. It was also widely used, but not very successful. A short time later there was pong . Galaxy Game (09/1971, a Spacewar -extremely) was also coin-operated, but only at the Stanford University present.

See also

Web links

Commons : Computer Space  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files