ATARI-COIN-OP-TIMELINE
Compiled by Kevin Williams- KWP Limited
(V.4.3)1972
1
2
Pong
Barrel Pong
Nov - 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
Nov
Jun - 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)
1973
2 3 4 5 6 Space Race Pong Double Coup Davis Gotcha Eliminator (Kee)Jul - prone to difficulties Sep - first 4 player game
Sep - Europe release Pong Double Oct - first arcade maze game Oct - first Kee Games product
Jun - Kee Games formed as secretly controlled competition to Atari
Oct - Atari sells Pong rights to Bally / Midway
1974
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Super Pong Rebound Spike (Kee) Quadra Pong Gran Trak 10 Formula K (Kee) World Cup Touch-MeTwin Racer (Kee)
Trak 10
Feb
Feb - same as Spike Mar
Mar
Mar - first car race game, first gear and peddle Apr
Apr - was released in France as Coupe du Monde
Jun - rare cabinet Jul
Jul
Apr - Atari Inc. merges! with
Kee Games to control success of Tank
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Gran Trak 20 Pin Pong Coupe Franc Volleyball (Kit) Pong Cocktail Trak 20 Dr. Pong Tank (Kee)
Tank Cocktail (Kee)
Qwak!
Sep Sep
Sep - French only release, sequel to Pong Double Aug Aug Aug Oct Nov Nov
Nov - first non-mounted gun game
Puppy Pong (doctors’ offices) Color Quadrapong Prototypes - 10 units made
1975
- 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Compugraph Foto Dodgeball Pursuit Indy 800 (Kee) Hi-Way Crossfire (Kee) Tank II (Kee) Anti Aircraft Goal IVShark Jaws (Horror Games)
Steeple Chase
Crash ‘N Score Jet Fighter (Kee)
- not a video game, first photo capture machine Jan
Jan
Apr - first 8 player game Apr - first cockpit driver May
May - first ROM graphics Jun
Jul
Sep - first animated characters, made under false name Oct
Oct Oct
Sep - Horror Games started to protect Atari if sued by film company over Shark Jaws
1976
39 40 41 Stunt Cycle Outlaw Tank 8 (Kee)Jan - first cycle handles Mar
42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 -
Quiz Show (Kee)
Breakout Breakout Cocktail Indy 4 Cops N’ Robbers Flyball (Kee) Le Mans Night Driver Sprint 2 (Kee) F-1 (Namco) Atarians, The
Apr - first microprocessor
Apr - 15,000 sold, feud with Jobs and Wozniak Apr
May Jul Jul Aug
Oct - first driving simulator, first ‘First Person Perspective’ Nov - 8,200 sold, first competitive, first AI, built on Pong royalty Nov - first Namco license, first projector game
Nov - Pin - Atari’s first pinball, first wide-body playing field
Apr - Atari sells Japanese rights for Breakout to Namco (Namco makes knock-off after short supplies)
Oct - Bushnell sells Atari Inc.
to Warner Communication for $28million ($15m for Nolan)
Breakout Deluxe Cannon Ball Prototypes
1977
52 53 54 55 56 - 57 58 59 - 60 61 62 Dominos Triple Hunt Sprint 8 Pool SharkDrag Race (Kee)
Time 2000
Starship I
Super Bug (Kee)
Two Game Module
Airborne Avenger Destroyer Canyon Bomber Sprint 4 Jan Apr May Jun Jun Jun - Pin -
Jul - first cockpit space game, first grow motion technology Sep
Sep
Sep - Pin - 350 produced Oct
Nov Dec
May - Atari opens Pizza Time Theatre concept, originated by Nolan as part of Atari (full title
Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater) Dirt Bike Boxing Prototypes - copied by Activision
1978
63 64 - 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 - 72 73 Sprint 1 Ultra-Tank (Kee) Middle Earth Sky Raider Tournament Table Avalanche Fire Truck Sky Diver Smokey Joe Super Breakout Space Rider Atari Football Orbit
Jan - first CPU Feb
Feb - Pin -
Mar - first vertical scroller Mar
Apr
Jun - first co-operative 2 player Jun
Jul Sep Sep - Pin –
Oct - first sports, first trackball, horizontal playing patent Nov - first game continuation feature
Jun - Nolan buys back Pizza Time Theatre concept from Warner for $500,000
Nov - Bushnell fired from Atari position as Chairman of the Board, company changes from R&D to Sales Marketing; launches home division
Cosmo - Asteroids Captain Seahawk Tube Chase Atari Wolf Pack Mini Golf Prototypes
1979
74 - 75 76 - 77 78 79 80 Video Pinball Superman Atari Basketball Subs Hercules Atari Baseball Lunar LanderAtari 4 Player Football
Asteroid
Feb Mar - Pin -
May - first Atari Sports title May - first two separate screens
May - Pin - biggest pinball ever manufactured, last Pin Jun
Aug - first vector, first game with continue coin feed option Apr
Nov - 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
Orion XIV Solar War
Road Runner - pinball Sebring
Prototypes - sequel to Video Pinball
1980
81 82 83 84 Atari Soccer Monte Carlo Missile Command Battlezone Apr Apr JunNov - first ‘First Person Perspective’ battle simulator
Monza - pinball Prototypes
1981
85 86 87 88 89 Warlords Asteroids Deluxe Red Baron Centipede Tempest Apr AprMay - first 3D flight simulator
Jun - 50,000 sales second most successful Oct - first color vector
Cannon Ball Battlezone Trainer Tunnel Hunt Force Field Space Shoot Thogs Time Traveler Neutron Star - pinball Hyperspace Prototypes - military project
1982
90 91 92 Space DuelDig Dug (Namco)
Kangaroo (Sun)
Feb - first simultaneous vector 2 players
Mar - first license from Namco, advertised in theatres Jun
- Atari and Bally, both make equity investments in Namco Ltd., called ‘goodwill gestures’ intended to bring the companies closer in their
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 - Gravitar
Fast Freddie (Kaneko)
Popeye (Nintendo)
Millipede
Liberator
Quantum
Pole Position (Namco)
Pat 900
Aug - worst selling game, “Move Over Gravitar”- Replay Oct
Oct Nov Nov Nov
Nov - first driving game in Atari cockpit Nov - testing station for games
licensing relationships.
- Atari files law suit against copies of Dig Dug.
Missile Command II (Deluxe) Luna Battle
Nightmare Super Centipede
Akka Arrh (Target Outpost) Amazing Adventure Heist Interchange Maze Invaders Onslaught Parking Lot Power Gem Star Trap Warp Speed Heart of Ice Dragon Raider QWAK Tube Chase Prototypes - prototype of Gravitar
- later became Star Wars
- licensed to Centuri as Tunnel Hunt
1983
100 101 102
Xevious (Namco)
Mazer Blazer (Stern)
Black Widow
Feb - first vertical scroller, first computer rendered sprites Feb
Feb
103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 Food Fight Arabian (Namco) Star Wars Crystal Castles Major Havoc
Dragons Lair (Magicom)
Space Ace (Magicom)
Pole Position II (Namco)
Mar - appearance of Chuck E. Cheese character May
May - first film license Jul
Nov Nov Nov
Nov - first game to store high score
Japanese manufacturing division of Atari
Cloud 9 (Weather War) Alpha 1
Runaway Warp Speed 4x4 - pinball
Firebeast (Dragon Master) Hare Scare
Heist Interchange Tomcat
Prototypes - prototype for Major Havoc
1984
111 112 113 114 115 116 Firefox TX-1 SD (Tatsumi/Namco)Cloak & Dagger (Kit)
I, Robot
Empire Strikes Back (Kit)
Marble Madness
Jan - first laser disk
Mar - first three screen, first check-point continue Mar - film deal
Jun - first 3D game, first view changer option Sep
Dec
Jul - 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
Last StarFighter Malibu Grand Prix BattleStar Galactica Road Runner
Prototypes
117 118 119 120 121 122 123
Dragon Buster (Namco)
Return of the Jedi
Paperboy
Peter Pack Rat
Temple of Doom Gauntlet Indiana Jones Feb Mar Apr Jul Jul
Oct - first game under Atari Games Inc., label Oct
May - Atari Corp., closes Ireland (Limerrick City) corporate head-quarters leaving only (Tipperary Town)
Atari Games Ireland Ltd. coin-op manufacturing.
Air Race Atari Jammin’
Prototypes
- first rhythm game
1986
124 125 126 127 128 Super Sprint Road Runner Gauntlet II Championship Sprint 720 Apr Jul Aug SepDec - Sound track released
- Atari Games acquires the arcade chain Barrel of Fun
Oct - Namco buys 43.8% in Atari Games, taking charge of Atari Japanese operation
1987
- 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136Vs. Atari RBI Baseball
Rolling Thunder (Namco)
Roadblaster
Dunk Shot (Sega)
A.P.B.
Dragon Spirit (Namco)
RBI Baseball (Namco)
Xybots
Pac-Mania (Namco)
- VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses Feb
Mar - first toy license Jun Jul Jul Nov Nov Dec
1988
- 137 138 Vs. Gauntlet Blasteroids Galaga ’88 (Namco)- VS. Nintendo release of game Feb
139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 Vindicators Pot Shot
Final Lap (Namco)
Toobin
Assault (Namco)
Cyberball
Final Lap U/R (Namco)
Vindicator Part II (Kit)
Apr May
May - first network game Jun
Aug - first special ‘Grow Motion’ hardware Sep
Oct Oct
Accelerator
Blasteroids (With Heads)
Prototypes
1989
147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 Tetris Hard Drivin’ Splatterhouse (Tecmo/Sharp)Escape from the Planet...
Tournament Cyberball 2072
S.T.U.N. Runner
Skull & Crossbones
Four Tax (Namco)
Feb
Feb - first polygon driver, first force feedback, first drive sim Feb Jun Aug Sep Nov Dec Street Drivin’ Guts n’ Glory Prototypes
1990
- 155 156 157 158 - 159 160 Vs. Cyberball Badlands KLAX Vindicators II Hydra Gumball Rally ThunderjawsMad Dog McCree (ALG)
- VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses Jan
Feb May Jun
Jun - Redemption, not video game Jul
Jul
Jun - 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.
161 162 163 Pit Fighter Race Drivin’ Shuuz
Aug - first Rotoscope game Aug Nov
1991
164 165 166 167 168 169 170 Rampart BatmanRace Drivin’ Panorama Road Riot 4WD
Who Shot Johnny Rock (ALG)
Steel Talons
Off the Wall
Feb Apr
May – hardware used later by AGC Jun - first rump thump effect Jun Aug Oct BMX Heat Marble Man: MM2 Prototypes
1992
171 172 173 174 175 176 Relief PitcherGuardian of the Hood
Moto Frenzy
Space Lord
Gallaghers Gallery (ALG)
Space Pirates (ALG)
Apr Jun Jul Nov Nov Nov Danger Express
Atari Classic: Missile Command II Atari Classic: Super Centipede Road Riot 4WD (Revenge) Dr. Sparkz Lab Fish ‘n Freezy Prototypes
1993
177 178Mad Dog II (ALG)
Knuckle Bash (Toaplan)
Feb
Mar Mar - AGC Simulation Products launched, breakaway from Atari, turning Hard Drivin’ into
179 180 181
World Rally (Gaelco)
Crime Patrol (ALG)
Drug Wars (ALG)
Mar Jun Nov
police training system
CyberStorm Freeze: The Cat Hard Drivin’ Airborne BeatHead Street Drivin’ Prototypes - 10 units made
1994
182 183 184 185Last Bounty Hunter (ALG)
T-Mek Primal Rage COPS (Nova) Feb Jul May Oct
Apr - Warner Communications and Time Life merge to form
Time-Warner. Atari Games / Tengen folded into new Time-Warner Interactive.
Die Alien Scum! 3 on 3 Basketball Metal Maniax Prototypes
1995
186 - Area 51 Hoop It UpMay - first Time Warner Interactive game, first hard-disk based on Atari Jaguar console hardware
Sep - not a video game
Apr - Atari losses ALG distribution contract
Primal Rage 2 Beavis & Butthead Fishin’ Frenzy Prototypes - 3DO hardware
1996
187 188Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey San Francisco RUSH
Oct - first game released after Midway purchase Dec - first 3Dfx architecture
Jun - Atari Corp., sold to hard-drive marker JTS in 'reverse merger' worth $50million regarding remaining debts.
Nov - Time-Warner Interactive
(Atari Games Inc.) sold to WMS (Midway) for an estimated $23.8million
Vicious Circle Prototypes
1997
189 190 191 192MACE: The Dark Age
Maximum Force
RUSH The Rock
Surf Planet (Gaelco)
May Jun
Mar - first WaveNet Oct
Jun - SNK agrees to sell Atari products in Japan.
1998
193 194 195 196 197 198Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo
Californian Speed
Gauntlet Legend
Radikal Bikers (Gaelco)
Area 51: Site 4
Vapor TRX
Feb
Mar - Midway designed project Mar
May Oct Oct
Feb - Hasbro Interactive acquires Atari Corp., and the rights to 75 (1972-1984) classic titles from JTS for $5million in cash 10th Degree Mean Streak Prototypes
1999
199 200 201 WAR Road Burner RUSH 2049 Mar MarJun - LAST Arcade game by Atari
Mar - Atari signs patent agreement with Sega Enterprises (force feedback)
May - Namco closes Atari Games Ireland Ltd.
August - Midway takes charge of Atari’s sales, marketing and manufacture.
WAR: Tournament Edition RUSH: HotRod (Hot Rod Rebels)
Blood Lust Jungle Rat
Prototypes
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 2001. Midway Games West office closed 2003 – Midway acquired by Warner 2009.