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==Impact and legacy==
==Impact and legacy==
After the first few months following its release in Japan, the game became very popular.<ref name="1UP-10things"/> Specialty [[Video arcade|arcades]] opened with nothing but ''Space Invaders'' cabinets,<ref name="GI-177"/><ref name="1UP-10things"/> and within two years by 1980,<ref name="Peterson-175">{{citation|title=Genesis II, creation and recreation with computers|author=[[Dale Peterson]]|publisher=[[Prentice Hall|Reston Publishing]]|year=1983|isbn=0835924343|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DL1YAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-05-01|page=175|quote=By 1980, some 300,000 Space Invader video arcade games were in use in Japan, and an additional 60,000 in the United States.}}</ref> Taito had sold over 300,000 ''Space Invaders'' arcade machines in Japan<ref>{{citation|title=Asia Pacific perspectives, Japan|volume=1|author=Jiji Gaho Sha, inc.|year=2003|publisher=[[University of Virginia]]|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CTRWAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-09|page=57|quote=At that time, a game for use in entertainment arcades was considered a hit if it sold 1000 units; sales of Space Invaders topped 300,000 units in Japan and 60,000 units overseas.}}</ref> and 60,000 machines in the United States,<ref name="Peterson-175"/><ref name="PriceGuide">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| page = 345| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> where prices ranged from $2000 to $3000 for each machine.<ref>{{citation|title=Video arcades rival Broadway theatre and girlie shows in NY|work=[[InfoWorld]]|date=April 12, 1982|volume=4|issue=14|issn=0199-6649|page=15|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15|accessdate=2011-05-01}}</ref> The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items with the cocktail and [[Arcade cabinet#Mini cabinets|cabaret]] versions being the rarest.<ref name="PriceGuide2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| pages = 411–412| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> A shortage of 100-[[Japanese yen|yen]] coins—and subsequent production increase—in Japan is attributed to the game.<ref name="GI-177"/><ref name="GWR08-2">{{cite book| editor= Craig Glenday| title= Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008| series= [[Guinness World Records]]| date= 2008-03-11| publisher= Guinness| isbn= 978-1-904994-21-3| pages= 106–107| chapter= Record Breaking Games: Shooting Games Roundup}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite web| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2005/jul/24/games.shopping| title=A life through video games| publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|work=The Observer |location=UK| author=Richards, Giles |date=2005-07-24| accessdate=2008-05-22}}</ref> By mid-1981, more than four billion [[Quarter (United States coin)|quarters]], or $1&nbsp;billion, had been grossed from ''Space Invaders'' machines,<ref>{{citation|title=Visual Programming Environments: Applications and Issues|first=Ephraim P.|last=Glinert|publisher=[[IEEE Computer Society Press]]|year=1990|isbn=0818689749|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NMtWAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-10|page=321|quote=As of mid-1981, according to Steve Bloom, author of ''Video Invaders'', more than four billion quarters had been dropped into Space Invaders games around the world}}</ref> and it would continue to gross an average of $600 million a year<ref>{{citation|title=Video Warriors on the Screen|work=[[New Scientist]]|date=August 5, 1982|volume=95|issue=1317|issn=0262-4079|page=377|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MdyCKvgw4ksC&pg=PA377|accessdate=2011-05-01|quote=But this is 1982, and the game ''Space Invaders'' – as the Disney handout enviously reminds us – grosses over $600 million a year.}}</ref> through to 1982, by which time it had grossed $2&nbsp;billion in quarters<ref name="CBC-1982">{{cite web|title=Making millions, 25 cents at a time|work=[[The Fifth Estate]]|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=November 23, 1982|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/media/clips/15869/|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref><ref name="Executive">{{citation|title=Space Invaders vs. Star Wars|work=Executive|volume=24|publisher=Southam Business Publications|year=1982|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-KwTAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-30|page=9|quote=According to TEC, Atari's arcade game Space Invaders has taken in $2&nbsp;billion, with net recipts of $450 million.}}</ref> (equivalent to $4.6&nbsp;billion in 2011),<ref name="Inflation">{{cite web|title=CPI Inflation Calculator|publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]]|url=http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm|accessdate=2011-03-22}}</ref> with a [[net profit]] of $450&nbsp;million<ref name="Executive"/> (equivalent to $1&nbsp;billion in 2011).<ref name="Inflation"/> This made it the [[List of best-selling video games|best-selling video game]] and highest-grossing entertainment product of its time,<ref name="CBC-1982"/> with comparisons made to the then [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film]] ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'',<ref name="CBC-1982"/><ref name="Executive-SW"/> which had grossed $486&nbsp;million<ref name="Executive-SW"/> in [[Ticket (admission)|movie tickets]] (costing $2.25 each on average)<ref name="CBC-1982"/> with a net profit of $175&nbsp;million.<ref name="Executive-SW">{{citation|title=Space Invaders vs. Star Wars|work=Executive|volume=24|publisher=Southam Business Publications|year=1982|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-KwTAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-30|page=9|quote=They compare this to the box office movie top blockbuster Star Wars, which has taken in only $486 million, for a net of $175 million.}}</ref> By 2007,<ref name="GI-177"/> ''Space Invaders'' had earned Taito profits of over $.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Gamespy Hall of Fame: Space Invaders|work=[[GameSpy]]|author=Kevin Bowen|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/spaceinvaders.shtm|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref> The 1980 [[Atari 2600]] version was the first official [[License|licensing]] of an arcade game and became the first "[[killer app]]" for video game consoles by quadrupling the system's sales,<ref name="RG-41"/><ref name="Ultimate">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 190| publisher = [[Three Rivers Press]]| isbn = 0761536434| year = 2001}}</ref> with the game selling over a million units on the console.<ref name="atari30year">{{cite news|url=|title=A 30-year Odyssey for Home Video Games|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=2003-02-16|accessdate= 2008-01-01}}</ref>Other official ports of the game were made for the Atari 8-bit computer line and Atari 5200 console. Taito released it for the NES in 1985 (Japan only). Numerous unofficial clones were made as well.
After the first few months following its release in Japan, the game became very popular.<ref name="1UP-10things"/> Specialty [[Video arcade|arcades]] opened with nothing but ''Space Invaders'' cabinets,<ref name="GI-177"/><ref name="1UP-10things"/> and within two years by 1980,<ref name="Peterson-175">{{citation|title=Genesis II, creation and recreation with computers|author=[[Dale Peterson]]|publisher=[[Prentice Hall|Reston Publishing]]|year=1983|isbn=0835924343|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DL1YAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-05-01|page=175|quote=By 1980, some 300,000 Space Invader video arcade games were in use in Japan, and an additional 60,000 in the United States.}}</ref> Taito had sold over 300,000 ''Space Invaders'' arcade machines in Japan<ref>{{citation|title=Asia Pacific perspectives, Japan|volume=1|author=Jiji Gaho Sha, inc.|year=2003|publisher=[[University of Virginia]]|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CTRWAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-09|page=57|quote=At that time, a game for use in entertainment arcades was considered a hit if it sold 1000 units; sales of Space Invaders topped 300,000 units in Japan and 60,000 units overseas.}}</ref> and 60,000 machines in the United States,<ref name="Peterson-175"/><ref name="PriceGuide">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| page = 345| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> where prices ranged from $2000 to $3000 for each machine.<ref>{{citation|title=Video arcades rival Broadway theatre and girlie shows in NY|work=[[InfoWorld]]|date=April 12, 1982|volume=4|issue=14|issn=0199-6649|page=15|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15|accessdate=2011-05-01}}</ref> The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items with the cocktail and [[Arcade cabinet#Mini cabinets|cabaret]] versions being the rarest.<ref name="PriceGuide2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| pages = 411–412| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> A shortage of 100-[[Japanese yen|yen]] coins—and subsequent production increase—in Japan is attributed to the game.<ref name="GI-177"/><ref name="GWR08-2">{{cite book| editor= Craig Glenday| title= Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008| series= [[Guinness World Records]]| date= 2008-03-11| publisher= Guinness| isbn= 978-1-904994-21-3| pages= 106–107| chapter= Record Breaking Games: Shooting Games Roundup}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite web| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2005/jul/24/games.shopping| title=A life through video games| publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|work=The Observer |location=UK| author=Richards, Giles |date=2005-07-24| accessdate=2008-05-22}}</ref> By mid-1981, more than four billion [[Quarter (United States coin)|quarters]], or $1&nbsp;billion, had been grossed from ''Space Invaders'' machines,<ref>{{citation|title=Visual Programming Environments: Applications and Issues|first=Ephraim P.|last=Glinert|publisher=[[IEEE Computer Society Press]]|year=1990|isbn=0818689749|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NMtWAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-10|page=321|quote=As of mid-1981, according to Steve Bloom, author of ''Video Invaders'', more than four billion quarters had been dropped into Space Invaders games around the world}}</ref> and it would continue to gross an average of $600 million a year<ref>{{citation|title=Video Warriors on the Screen|work=[[New Scientist]]|date=August 5, 1982|volume=95|issue=1317|issn=0262-4079|page=377|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MdyCKvgw4ksC&pg=PA377|accessdate=2011-05-01|quote=But this is 1982, and the game ''Space Invaders'' – as the Disney handout enviously reminds us – grosses over $600 million a year.}}</ref> through to 1982, by which time it had grossed $2&nbsp;billion in quarters<ref name="CBC-1982">{{cite web|title=Making millions, 25 cents at a time|work=[[The Fifth Estate]]|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=November 23, 1982|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/media/clips/15869/|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref><ref name="Executive">{{citation|title=Space Invaders vs. Star Wars|work=Executive|volume=24|publisher=Southam Business Publications|year=1982|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-KwTAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-30|page=9|quote=According to TEC, Atari's arcade game Space Invaders has taken in $2&nbsp;billion, with net recipts of $450 million.}}</ref> (equivalent to $4.6&nbsp;billion in 2011),<ref name="Inflation">{{cite web|title=CPI Inflation Calculator|publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]]|url=http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm|accessdate=2011-03-22}}</ref> with a [[net profit]] of $450&nbsp;million<ref name="Executive"/> (equivalent to $1&nbsp;billion in 2011).<ref name="Inflation"/> This made it the [[List of best-selling video games|best-selling video game]] and highest-grossing entertainment product of its time,<ref name="CBC-1982"/> with comparisons made to the then [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film]] ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'',<ref name="CBC-1982"/><ref name="Executive-SW"/> which had grossed $486&nbsp;million<ref name="Executive-SW"/> in [[Ticket (admission)|movie tickets]] (costing $2.25 each on average)<ref name="CBC-1982"/> with a net profit of $175&nbsp;million.<ref name="Executive-SW">{{citation|title=Space Invaders vs. Star Wars|work=Executive|volume=24|publisher=Southam Business Publications|year=1982|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-KwTAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2011-04-30|page=9|quote=They compare this to the box office movie top blockbuster Star Wars, which has taken in only $486 million, for a net of $175 million.}}</ref> By 2007,<ref name="GI-177"/> ''Space Invaders'' had earned Taito profits of over $.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Gamespy Hall of Fame: Space Invaders|work=[[GameSpy]]|author=Kevin Bowen|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/spaceinvaders.shtm|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref> The 1980 [[Atari 2600]] version was the first official [[License|licensing]] of an arcade game and became the first "[[killer app]]" for video game consoles by quadrupling the system's sales,<ref name="RG-41"/><ref name="Ultimate">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 190| publisher = [[Three Rivers Press]]| isbn = 0761536434| year = 2001}}</ref> with the game selling over a million units on the console.<ref name="atari30year">{{cite news|url=|title=A 30-year Odyssey for Home Video Games|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=2003-02-16|accessdate= 2008-01-01}}</ref> Other official ports of the game were made for the Atari 8-bit computer line and Atari 5200 console. Taito released it for the NES in 1985 (Japan only). Numerous unofficial clones were made as well.


Game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] considered ''Space Invaders'' a game that revolutionized the [[video game industry]]; he was never interested in video games before seeing it.<ref name="Shigeru">{{cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1645158,00.html|work=Time| title=10 Questions for Shigeru Miyamoto| date=2007-07-19| author=Sayre, Carolyn| accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> Several publications ascribed the expansion of the video game industry from a novelty into a global industry to the success of the game. [[Edge (magazine)|''Edge'' magazine]] attributed the shift of video games from bars and arcades to more mainstream locations like restaurants and department stores to ''Space Invaders''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.next-gen.biz/features/30-defining-moments-gaming| title = The 30 Defining Moments in Gaming| publisher = [[Future plc]]| work = [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]| author= Edge Staff| date = 2007-08-13| accessdate = September 18, 2008}}</ref> Technology journalist Jason Whittaker credited the game's success to ending the [[video game crash of 1977]], which had earlier been caused by ''[[Pong]]'' clones flooding the market, and beginning the [[golden age of video arcade games]].<ref name="Whittaker-122">{{cite book|title=The Cyberspace Handbook|first=Jason|last=Whittaker|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2004|isbn=041516835X|page=122}}</ref> According to ''[[The Observer]]'', the home console versions were popular and encouraged users to learn programming; many who later became industry leaders.<ref name="guardian"/> [[1UP.com]] stated that ''Space Invaders'' showed that video games could compete against the major entertainment media at the time: movies, music, and television.<ref name="1UP-10things"/> [[IGN]] attributed the launch of the arcade phenomenon in North America in part to ''Space Invaders''.<ref name="10ShootEmUp">{{cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/865/865346p1.html| title = Top 10 Classic Shoot 'Em Ups| author = Buchanan, Levi| date = 2008-04-08| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-09-07}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' considered it, along with ''[[Pac-Man]]'', one of the most popular arcade games that tapped into popular culture and generated excitement during the golden age of arcades.<ref name="GI-178">{{Cite journal| month= February | year= 2008| title= Classic GI: King of the Hill| journal= [[Game Informer]]| publisher= Cathy Preston|issue= 178| page= 108}}</ref> IGN listed it as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Games" in 2007, citing the source of inspiration to video game designers and the impact it had on the shooting genre.<ref name="IGN-10"/> 1UP ranked it at #3 in its list of "The 60 Most Influential Games of All Time," stating that, in contrast to earlier arcade games which "were attempts to [[Simulation video game|simulate]] already-existing things," ''Space Invaders'' was "the first video game as a video game, instead of merely a playable electronic representation of something else."<ref>{{cite web|last=Kaiser|first=Rowan|title=The 60 Most Influential Games of All Time|url=http://www.1up.com/features/most-influential-games?pager.offset=12|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=25 December 2011|page=13|date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> In 2008, [[Guinness World Records]] listed it as the top-rated arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact.<ref name="GWR08-3"/>
Game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] considered ''Space Invaders'' a game that revolutionized the [[video game industry]]; he was never interested in video games before seeing it.<ref name="Shigeru">{{cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1645158,00.html|work=Time| title=10 Questions for Shigeru Miyamoto| date=2007-07-19| author=Sayre, Carolyn| accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> Several publications ascribed the expansion of the video game industry from a novelty into a global industry to the success of the game. [[Edge (magazine)|''Edge'' magazine]] attributed the shift of video games from bars and arcades to more mainstream locations like restaurants and department stores to ''Space Invaders''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.next-gen.biz/features/30-defining-moments-gaming| title = The 30 Defining Moments in Gaming| publisher = [[Future plc]]| work = [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]| author= Edge Staff| date = 2007-08-13| accessdate = September 18, 2008}}</ref> Technology journalist Jason Whittaker credited the game's success to ending the [[video game crash of 1977]], which had earlier been caused by ''[[Pong]]'' clones flooding the market, and beginning the [[golden age of video arcade games]].<ref name="Whittaker-122">{{cite book|title=The Cyberspace Handbook|first=Jason|last=Whittaker|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2004|isbn=041516835X|page=122}}</ref> According to ''[[The Observer]]'', the home console versions were popular and encouraged users to learn programming; many who later became industry leaders.<ref name="guardian"/> [[1UP.com]] stated that ''Space Invaders'' showed that video games could compete against the major entertainment media at the time: movies, music, and television.<ref name="1UP-10things"/> [[IGN]] attributed the launch of the arcade phenomenon in North America in part to ''Space Invaders''.<ref name="10ShootEmUp">{{cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/865/865346p1.html| title = Top 10 Classic Shoot 'Em Ups| author = Buchanan, Levi| date = 2008-04-08| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-09-07}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' considered it, along with ''[[Pac-Man]]'', one of the most popular arcade games that tapped into popular culture and generated excitement during the golden age of arcades.<ref name="GI-178">{{Cite journal| month= February | year= 2008| title= Classic GI: King of the Hill| journal= [[Game Informer]]| publisher= Cathy Preston|issue= 178| page= 108}}</ref> IGN listed it as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Games" in 2007, citing the source of inspiration to video game designers and the impact it had on the shooting genre.<ref name="IGN-10"/> 1UP ranked it at #3 in its list of "The 60 Most Influential Games of All Time," stating that, in contrast to earlier arcade games which "were attempts to [[Simulation video game|simulate]] already-existing things," ''Space Invaders'' was "the first video game as a video game, instead of merely a playable electronic representation of something else."<ref>{{cite web|last=Kaiser|first=Rowan|title=The 60 Most Influential Games of All Time|url=http://www.1up.com/features/most-influential-games?pager.offset=12|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=25 December 2011|page=13|date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> In 2008, [[Guinness World Records]] listed it as the top-rated arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact.<ref name="GWR08-3"/>
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===Remakes and sequels===
===Remakes and sequels===
{{Main|List of Space Invaders video games}}
{{Main|List of Space Invaders video games}}
''Space Invaders'' has been remade on numerous platforms and spawned many sequels. Re-releases include [[Porting|ported]] and updated versions of the original arcade game. Ported versions generally feature different graphics and additional gameplay options—for example, moving defense bunkers, zigzag shots, invisible aliens, and two-player cooperative gameplay.<ref name="RG-41"/> Ports on earlier systems like the Atari home consoles featured simplified graphics, while later systems such as the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] featured updated graphics. Later titles include several modes of gameplay and integrate new elements into the original design. For example, ''[[Space Invaders Extreme]]'', released on the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[PlayStation Portable]], integrated musical elements into the standard gameplay.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://psp.ign.com/articles/863/863894p1.html| title = Space Invaders Extreme Set for US| publisher = [[IGN]]| author = Hatfield, Daemon| date = 2008-04-02| accessdate = 2008-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| month= May | year= 2008| journal = [[Official Nintendo Magazine]]| title = Space Invaders| issue= 29| page= 46}}</ref> A spin-off for [[WiiWare]], ''[[Space Invaders Get Even]]'', allows players to control the aliens instead of the laser cannon.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://wii.ign.com/articles/882/882265p1.html| title = Space Invaders Set for WiiWare| publisher = [[IGN]]| author = IGN Staff| date = 2008-06-17| accessdate = 2008-08-19}}</ref> In 1980, Bally Midway released a pinball version of the game. However, few elements from the original game are included, and the aliens instead resemble the [[Alien (Alien franchise)|xenomorphs]] from the film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''; Bally Midway was later sued over the game's resemblance to designs by [[H. R. Giger]].<ref name="RG-45Pinball">{{Cite journal| date= January 2008| title= A Whole Different Ball Game| journal= [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher= [[Imagine Publishing]]|issue= 45| page= 47}}</ref> Different ports have been met with mixed receptions; the Atari 2600 version was very successful while the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] version was poorly received.<ref name="RG-41"/>
''Space Invaders'' has been remade on numerous platforms and spawned many sequels. Re-releases include [[Porting|ported]] and updated versions of the original arcade game. Ported versions generally feature different graphics and additional gameplay options—for example, moving defense bunkers, zigzag shots, invisible aliens, and two-player cooperative gameplay.<ref name="RG-41"/> Ports on earlier systems like the Atari home consoles featured simplified graphics, while later systems such as the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] featured updated graphics. Later titles include several modes of gameplay and integrate new elements into the original design. For example, ''[[Space Invaders Extreme]]'', released on the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[PlayStation Portable]], integrated musical elements into the standard gameplay.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://psp.ign.com/articles/863/863894p1.html| title = Space Invaders Extreme Set for US| publisher = [[IGN]]| author = Hatfield, Daemon| date = 2008-04-02| accessdate = 2008-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| month= May | year= 2008| journal = [[Official Nintendo Magazine]]| title = Space Invaders| issue= 29| page= 46}}</ref> A spin-off for [[WiiWare]], ''[[Space Invaders Get Even]]'', allows players to control the aliens instead of the laser cannon.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://wii.ign.com/articles/882/882265p1.html| title = Space Invaders Set for WiiWare| publisher = [[IGN]]| author = IGN Staff| date = 2008-06-17| accessdate = 2008-08-19}}</ref> In 1980, Bally Midway released a pinball version of the game. However, few elements from the original game are included, and the aliens instead resemble the [[Alien (Alien franchise)|xenomorphs]] from the film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''; Bally Midway was later sued over the game's resemblance to designs by [[H. R. Giger]].<ref name="RG-45Pinball">{{Cite journal| date= January 2008| title= A Whole Different Ball Game| journal= [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher= [[Imagine Publishing]]|issue= 45| page= 47}}</ref> Different ports have been met with mixed receptions; the Atari 2600 version was very successful while the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] version was poorly received.<ref name="RG-41"/> The game's immense popularity led to


Taito has released several arcade sequels that built upon the basic design of the original. The first was ''Space Invaders Part II'' in 1979;<ref>{{cite web|title=Space Invaders Part II|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1036|work=The Arcade Flyer Archive|publisher=[[Killer List of Videogames]]|accessdate=September 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Davies|first=Jonti|title=Space Invaders Pocket|url=http://uk.psp.gamespy.com/playstation-portable/space-invaders-pocket/614422p1.html|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=September 27, 2011|date=May 16, 2005}}</ref> it featured color graphics and new gameplay elements, and added an [[Cut scene|intermission between gameplay]].<ref name="klov_deluxe"/> According to the ''[[Killer List of Video Games]]'', this was the first video game to include an [[intermission]].<ref name="klov_deluxe">[http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=12743 Space Invaders Deluxe], klov.com. Accessed on line March 28, 2011.</ref><ref name=GWR08-2 /> The game also allowed the player with the top score to sign their name on the high score table.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Definitive Space Invaders|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/894697/the_definitive_space_invaders_part_1.html|work=NowGamer|accessdate=September 30, 2011|date=January 19, 2009}}</ref> This version was released in the United States as ''Deluxe Space Invaders'' (also known as ''Space Invaders Deluxe''), but featured a different graphical color scheme and a lunar-city background. Another arcade sequel, titled ''Space Invaders II'', was released exclusively in the United States. It was in a cocktail-table format and featured a competitive two-player mode. During the summer of 1985, ''Return of the Invaders'' was released with updated color graphics, and more complex movements and attack patterns for the aliens.<ref name="RG-41"/> Subsequent arcade sequels included ''Super Space Invaders '91'', ''Space Invaders DX'', and ''Space Invaders {{'}}95''. Each game introduced minor gameplay additions to the original design. Like the original game, several of the arcade sequels have become collector's items, though some are considered rarer.<ref name="PriceGuide2"/> In 2002, Taito released ''[[Space Raiders (video game)|Space Raiders]]'', a [[third-person shooter]] reminiscent of ''Space Invaders''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/spaceraiders/similar.html?mode=versions| title=Space Raiders: Release Summary| publisher=[[GameSpot]]| accessdate=2008-04-30}}</ref><ref name="JapaneseGameGraphics">{{cite book| editor = ed. Rico Komanoya| title = Japanese Game Graphics: Behind the Scenes of Your Favorite Games| year = 2004| publisher = Harper Design International| location = New York, NY| isbn = 0-06-056772-4| pages = 116–121| chapter = [[Space Raiders (video game)|Space Raiders]]}}</ref>
Taito has released several arcade sequels that built upon the basic design of the original. The first was ''Space Invaders Part II'' in 1979;<ref>{{cite web|title=Space Invaders Part II|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1036|work=The Arcade Flyer Archive|publisher=[[Killer List of Videogames]]|accessdate=September 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Davies|first=Jonti|title=Space Invaders Pocket|url=http://uk.psp.gamespy.com/playstation-portable/space-invaders-pocket/614422p1.html|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=September 27, 2011|date=May 16, 2005}}</ref> it featured color graphics and new gameplay elements, and added an [[Cut scene|intermission between gameplay]].<ref name="klov_deluxe"/> According to the ''[[Killer List of Video Games]]'', this was the first video game to include an [[intermission]].<ref name="klov_deluxe">[http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=12743 Space Invaders Deluxe], klov.com. Accessed on line March 28, 2011.</ref><ref name=GWR08-2 /> The game also allowed the player with the top score to sign their name on the high score table.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Definitive Space Invaders|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/894697/the_definitive_space_invaders_part_1.html|work=NowGamer|accessdate=September 30, 2011|date=January 19, 2009}}</ref> This version was released in the United States as ''Deluxe Space Invaders'' (also known as ''Space Invaders Deluxe''), but featured a different graphical color scheme and a lunar-city background. Another arcade sequel, titled ''Space Invaders II'', was released exclusively in the United States. It was in a cocktail-table format and featured a competitive two-player mode. During the summer of 1985, ''Return of the Invaders'' was released with updated color graphics, and more complex movements and attack patterns for the aliens.<ref name="RG-41"/> Subsequent arcade sequels included ''Super Space Invaders '91'', ''Space Invaders DX'', and ''Space Invaders {{'}}95''. Each game introduced minor gameplay additions to the original design. Like the original game, several of the arcade sequels have become collector's items, though some are considered rarer.<ref name="PriceGuide2"/> In 2002, Taito released ''[[Space Raiders (video game)|Space Raiders]]'', a [[third-person shooter]] reminiscent of ''Space Invaders''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/spaceraiders/similar.html?mode=versions| title=Space Raiders: Release Summary| publisher=[[GameSpot]]| accessdate=2008-04-30}}</ref><ref name="JapaneseGameGraphics">{{cite book| editor = ed. Rico Komanoya| title = Japanese Game Graphics: Behind the Scenes of Your Favorite Games| year = 2004| publisher = Harper Design International| location = New York, NY| isbn = 0-06-056772-4| pages = 116–121| chapter = [[Space Raiders (video game)|Space Raiders]]}}</ref>
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[[File:Vgltoronto.jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of an orchestra on a dimly lit stage. Above the group is a projection screen with a black, white, and green image of pixel art. The pixel art is of an oval object wearing headphones with eyes and four tentacles. Below the pixel art is the phrase "Video Games Live".|A [[Pixelation|pixelated]] alien graphic used at the concert event [[Video Games Live]]]]
[[File:Vgltoronto.jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of an orchestra on a dimly lit stage. Above the group is a projection screen with a black, white, and green image of pixel art. The pixel art is of an oval object wearing headphones with eyes and four tentacles. Below the pixel art is the phrase "Video Games Live".|A [[Pixelation|pixelated]] alien graphic used at the concert event [[Video Games Live]]]]


The game—and references to it—has appeared in numerous facets of popular culture. Multiple television series have aired episodes that either reference or parody the game and its elements; for example, ''[[Danger Mouse (TV Series)|Danger Mouse]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Custard| episodelink = List of Danger Mouse episodes#Series 2 (Spring 1982)| series = Danger Mouse| serieslink = Danger Mouse| credits = | network = ITV| airdate= 1982-01-04| season = 2| number = 12}}</ref> ''[[That '70s Show]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Donna's Story| episodelink = List of That '70s Show episodes#Season 4: 2001–2002| series = That '70s Show| serieslink = That '70s Show| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| airdate = 2001-11-20| number = 84}}</ref> ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'',<ref name="ScrubsEp">{{cite episode |title= [[My Bad Too]]|series= Scrubs|serieslink= Scrubs (TV series)|credits= |network= NBC|airdate= 2008-04-10|season= 7|number= 7}}</ref>, ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Spy to you| episodelink = List of Chuck episodes#Season 3: 2009| series = Chuck| serieslink = Chuck| network = nbc Network (US)| airdate = 2009-03-03| season = 3| number = 11}}</ref> and ''[[Robot Chicken]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Suck It| episodelink = List of Robot Chicken episodes#Season 2: 2006| series = Robot Chicken| serieslink = Robot Chicken| network = Cartoon Network (US)| airdate = 2006-04-02| season = 2| number = 1}}</ref> Elements are prominently featured in the "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" segment of "[[Anthology of Interest&nbsp;II]]", an episode of ''[[Futurama]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Anthology of Interest II| episodelink = Anthology of Interest II| series = Futurama| serieslink = Futurama| credits = | network = Fox Broadcasting Company| airdate= 2002-01-06| season = 3| number = 18}}</ref><ref name="GameLife">{{cite web| url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/video-games-fut.html| title=Videogames & Futurama, Part 1: Raiders of the Lost Arcade| author= Baker, Chris|work=[[Wired News]]| date= 2007-12-17| accessdate= 2008-05-12}}</ref> Many publications and websites use the [[Pixelation|pixelated]] alien graphic as an icon for video games in general, including video game magazine ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', technology website [[Ars Technica]], and concert event [[Video Games Live]].<ref name="1UP-10things"/>
The game—and references to it—has appeared in numerous facets of popular culture. Multiple television series have aired episodes that either reference or parody the game and its elements; for example, ''[[Danger Mouse (TV Series)|Danger Mouse]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Custard| episodelink = List of Danger Mouse episodes#Series 2 (Spring 1982)| series = Danger Mouse| serieslink = Danger Mouse| credits = | network = ITV| airdate= 1982-01-04| season = 2| number = 12}}</ref> ''[[That '70s Show]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Donna's Story| episodelink = List of That '70s Show episodes#Season 4: 2001–2002| series = That '70s Show| serieslink = That '70s Show| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| airdate = 2001-11-20| number = 84}}</ref> ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'',<ref name="ScrubsEp">{{cite episode |title= [[My Bad Too]]|series= Scrubs|serieslink= Scrubs (TV series)|credits= |network= NBC|airdate= 2008-04-10|season= 7|number= 7}}</ref>, ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Spy to you| episodelink = List of Chuck episodes#Season 3: 2009| series = Chuck| serieslink = Chuck| network = nbc Network (US)| airdate = 2009-03-03| season = 3| number = 11}}</ref> and ''[[Robot Chicken]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Suck It| episodelink = List of Robot Chicken episodes#Season 2: 2006| series = Robot Chicken| serieslink = Robot Chicken| network = Cartoon Network (US)| airdate = 2006-04-02| season = 2| number = 1}}</ref> Elements are prominently featured in the "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" segment of "[[Anthology of Interest&nbsp;II]]", an episode of ''[[Futurama]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Anthology of Interest II| episodelink = Anthology of Interest II| series = Futurama| serieslink = Futurama| credits = | network = Fox Broadcasting Company| airdate= 2002-01-06| season = 3| number = 18}}</ref><ref name="GameLife">{{cite web| url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/video-games-fut.html| title=Videogames & Futurama, Part 1: Raiders of the Lost Arcade| author= Baker, Chris|work=[[Wired News]]| date= 2007-12-17| accessdate= 2008-05-12}}</ref> Many publications and websites use the [[Pixelation|pixelated]] alien graphic as an icon for video games in general, including video game magazine ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', technology website [[Ars Technica]], and concert event [[Video Games Live]].<ref name="1UP-10things"/> ''Space Invaders'' was also the first game to attract [[Video game controversy|political controversy]], when a 1981 political bill called the "Control of Space Invaders (and other Electronic Games) Bill" drafted by British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] MP [[George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock|George Foulkes]] attempted to ban the game for its "[[Video game addiction|addictive properties]]" and for causing "deviancy"; the bill was debated and only narrowly defeated in parliament by 114 votes to 94 votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=30 Great Gaming World Records|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/207943/features/30-great-gaming-world-records/|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]]|accessdate=26 January 2012|date=14 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Electronic and Computer Games: The History of an Interactive Medium|journal=[[Screen (journal){{!}}Screen]]|year=1988|volume=29|issue=2|pages=52-73|doi=10.1093/screen/29.2.52|url=http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/2/52.extract|accessdate=25 January 2012|page=53|quote=In the UK, the Labour MP George Foulkes led a campaign in 1981 to curb the 'menace' of video games, maintaining that they had addictive properties. His 'Control of Space Invaders (and other Electronic Games) Bill' was put to the Commons and only narrowly defeated.}}</ref>


Musicians drew inspiration for their music from ''Space Invaders''. Video Games Live performed audio from the game as part of a special retro "Classic Arcade Medley".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html| title = Microsoft Brings Video Games Live to London| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| author = [[Microsoft]]| date = 2007-08-28| accessdate = 2008-09-07}}</ref> The Japanese pop group [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] reproduced ''Space Invaders'' sounds in its 1978 [[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|self-titled album]] and its hit single "Computer Game",<ref name="wire_2002">{{citation|title=The Wire, Issues 221–226|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|year=2002|page=44|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qyFMAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2011-05-25}}</ref> the latter selling over 400,000 copies in the United States.<ref name="Sarasota">{{cite journal|title=Computer rock music gaining fans|journal=[[Sarasota Journal]]|date=August 18, 1980|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7s4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h44EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4481,2128223|accessdate=2011-05-25|page=8}}</ref> Other pop songs based on ''Space Invaders'' soon followed, including "Disco Space Invaders" (1979) by Funny Stuff,<ref name="wire_2002"/> "Space Invaders" (1980) by Playback,<ref>{{Discogs release|807452|Playback – Space Invaders}}</ref> and the hit songs "[[Pretenders (album)|Space Invader]]" (1980) by [[Pretenders (band)|The Pretenders]]<ref name="wire_2002"/> and "Space Invaders" (1980) by Uncle Vic.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lovelace|first=Craven|title=Take a waka-waka-waka on the wild side|url=http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20100827/COMMUNITY_NEWS/100829973|work=Grand Junction Free Press|accessdate=July 15, 2011|month=August 27|year=2010}}</ref> In honor of the game's 30th anniversary, Taito produced an album titled ''Space Invaders 2008''. The album is published by [[Avex Trax]] and features music inspired by the game.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://spaceinvaders.jp/news/detail/1188686_1819.html| title = 30周年記念　スペシャルコンピレーションアルバム発売！| publisher = [[Taito Corporation]]| year = 2008| language = Japanese| accessdate = 2009-04-06}}</ref> Taito's store Taito Station also unveiled a ''Space Invaders'' themed music video.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://spaceinvaders.jp/blog/blog_detail/1186880_2321.html| language = Japanese| title = ź�舗限定で配信中のアニメーションPVを大公開しちゃいます！| author = 弓削| date = 2008-10-21| accessdate = 2009-04-06}}</ref>
Musicians drew inspiration for their music from ''Space Invaders''. Video Games Live performed audio from the game as part of a special retro "Classic Arcade Medley".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html| title = Microsoft Brings Video Games Live to London| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| author = [[Microsoft]]| date = 2007-08-28| accessdate = 2008-09-07}}</ref> The Japanese pop group [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] reproduced ''Space Invaders'' sounds in its 1978 [[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|self-titled album]] and its hit single "Computer Game",<ref name="wire_2002">{{citation|title=The Wire, Issues 221–226|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|year=2002|page=44|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qyFMAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2011-05-25}}</ref> the latter selling over 400,000 copies in the United States.<ref name="Sarasota">{{cite journal|title=Computer rock music gaining fans|journal=[[Sarasota Journal]]|date=August 18, 1980|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7s4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h44EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4481,2128223|accessdate=2011-05-25|page=8}}</ref> Other pop songs based on ''Space Invaders'' soon followed, including "Disco Space Invaders" (1979) by Funny Stuff,<ref name="wire_2002"/> "Space Invaders" (1980) by Playback,<ref>{{Discogs release|807452|Playback – Space Invaders}}</ref> and the hit songs "[[Pretenders (album)|Space Invader]]" (1980) by [[Pretenders (band)|The Pretenders]]<ref name="wire_2002"/> and "Space Invaders" (1980) by Uncle Vic.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lovelace|first=Craven|title=Take a waka-waka-waka on the wild side|url=http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20100827/COMMUNITY_NEWS/100829973|work=Grand Junction Free Press|accessdate=July 15, 2011|month=August 27|year=2010}}</ref> In honor of the game's 30th anniversary, Taito produced an album titled ''Space Invaders 2008''. The album is published by [[Avex Trax]] and features music inspired by the game.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://spaceinvaders.jp/news/detail/1188686_1819.html| title = 30周年記念　スペシャルコンピレーションアルバム発売！| publisher = [[Taito Corporation]]| year = 2008| language = Japanese| accessdate = 2009-04-06}}</ref> Taito's store Taito Station also unveiled a ''Space Invaders'' themed music video.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://spaceinvaders.jp/blog/blog_detail/1186880_2321.html| language = Japanese| title = ź�舗限定で配信中のアニメーションPVを大公開しちゃいます！| author = 弓削| date = 2008-10-21| accessdate = 2009-04-06}}</ref>

Revision as of 00:17, 26 January 2012

For other uses, see Space Invaders (disambiguation).
Space Invaders
A blue arcade cabinet with a screen surrounded by decals. The game controls sit below the screen, while the phrase "Space Invaders" is above the screen.
Japanese version of the Space Invaders arcade cabinet
Developer(s)Taito Corporation
Publisher(s)JPN Taito
NA Midway
Designer(s)Tomohiro Nishikado
Platform(s)Arcade
ReleaseJune 1978[1]
Genre(s)Fixed shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Space Invaders (スペースインベーダー, Supēsu Inbēdā) is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible. In designing the game, Nishikado drew inspiration from popular media: Breakout, The War of the Worlds, and Star Wars. To complete it, he had to design custom hardware and development tools.

It was one of the forerunners of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry (see golden age of video arcade games). When first released, Space Invaders was very successful and popular. Following its release, the game caused a temporary shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan, grossed US$2 billion in quarters by 1982, and by 2007 had earned Taito over $500 million in profits. Guinness World Records ranks it the top arcade game.

The game has been the inspiration for other video games, re-released on numerous platforms, and led to several sequels. The 1980 Atari 2600 version quadrupled the system's sales and became the first "killer app" for video game consoles. Space Invaders has been referenced and parodied in multiple television shows, and been a part of several video game and cultural exhibitions. The pixelated enemy alien has become a pop culture icon, often used as a synecdoche representing video games as a whole.

Gameplay

A vertical rectangular video game screenshot that is a digital representation of a battle between aliens and a laser cannon. The white aliens hover above four green, inverted U-shaped blocks. Below the blocks is a smaller horizontal block with a triangle on its top.
The player-controlled laser cannon shoots the aliens as they descend to the bottom of the screen.

Space Invaders is a two-dimensional fixed shooter game in which the player controls a laser cannon by moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen and firing at descending aliens. The aim is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens—some versions feature different numbers—that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. The player defeats an alien, and earns points, by shooting it with the laser cannon. As more aliens are defeated, the aliens' movement and the game's music both speed up. Defeating the aliens brings another wave that is more difficult, a loop which can continue indefinitely.[1][2][3][4]

The aliens attempt to destroy the cannon by firing at it while they approach the bottom of the screen. If they reach the bottom, the alien invasion is successful and the game ends. A special "mystery ship" will occasionally move across the top of the screen and award bonus points if destroyed. The laser cannon is partially protected by several stationary defense bunkers—the number varies by version—that are gradually destroyed by projectiles from the aliens and player.[1][2][3][4]

Development

Space Invaders was created by Tomohiro Nishikado, who spent a year designing the game and developing the necessary hardware to produce it.[5] The game's inspiration is reported to have come from varying sources, including an adaptation of the mechanical game Space Monsters released by Taito in 1972, and a dream about Japanese school children who are waiting for Santa Claus and are attacked by invading aliens.[1][6] However, Nishikado has cited Atari's arcade game Breakout as his inspiration. He aimed to create a shooting game that featured the same sense of achievement from completing stages and destroying targets, but with more complex graphics.[5][7] Nishikado used a similar layout to that of Breakout, but altered the game mechanics. Rather than bounce a ball to attack static objects, players are given the ability to fire projectiles at their own discretion to attack moving enemies.[8]

Early enemy designs included tanks, combat planes, and battleships.[5] Nishikado, however, was not satisfied with the enemy movements; technical limitations made it difficult to simulate flying.[5][9] Humans would have been easier to simulate, but Nishikado considered shooting them immoral.[9][10] After seeing a magazine feature about Star Wars, he thought of using a space theme.[5][7] Nishikado drew inspiration for the aliens from H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds—he had watched the 1953 film adaptation as a child—and created initial bitmap images after the octopus-like aliens.[5][7][9] Other alien designs were modeled after squids and crabs.[5][9] The game was originally titled Space Monsters, inspired by a popular song in Japan at the time ("Monster"), but was changed to Space Invaders by Nishikado's superiors.[5][7]

Hardware

Because microcomputers in Japan were not powerful enough at the time to perform the complex tasks involved in designing and programming Space Invaders, Nishikado had to design his own custom hardware and development tools for the game.[5][9] He created the arcade board using new microprocessors from the United States.[7] The game uses an Intel 8080 central processing unit, and features raster graphics on a CRT monitor and monaural sound generated by a combination of analogue circuitry and a Texas Instruments SN76477 sound chip.[10][11][12] Despite the specially developed hardware, Nishikado was unable to program the game as he wanted—the Control Program board was not powerful enough to display the graphics in color or move the enemies faster—and he considered the development of the hardware the most difficult part of the whole process.[5][9] While programming the game, Nishikado discovered that the processor was able to render the alien graphics faster the fewer were on screen. Rather than design the game to compensate for the speed increase, he decided to keep it as a challenging gameplay mechanic.[7][13]

A photograph of a close-up of an arcade screen. A video monitor rests at the bottom of the image, and the monitor's displayed graphics are reflected onto artwork of a grey moon surrounded by yellow and green colors. The reflected graphics display the phrase "Space Invaders".
Mirrored display and cardboard background of a Midway Space Invaders Deluxe arcade cabinet

Space Invaders was first released in a cocktail-table format with black and white graphics, while the Western release by Midway was in an upright cabinet format. The upright cabinet uses strips of orange and green cellophane over the screen to simulate color graphics. The graphics are reflected onto a painted backdrop of a moon against a space background. Later Japanese releases also used colored cellophane.[3] The cabinet artwork features large, humanoid monsters not present in the game. Nishikado attributes this to the artist basing the designs on the original title, Space Monsters, rather than referring to the in-game graphics.[5]

Impact and legacy

After the first few months following its release in Japan, the game became very popular.[10] Specialty arcades opened with nothing but Space Invaders cabinets,[5][10] and within two years by 1980,[14] Taito had sold over 300,000 Space Invaders arcade machines in Japan[15] and 60,000 machines in the United States,[14][16] where prices ranged from $2000 to $3000 for each machine.[17] The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items with the cocktail and cabaret versions being the rarest.[18] A shortage of 100-yen coins—and subsequent production increase—in Japan is attributed to the game.[5][19][20] By mid-1981, more than four billion quarters, or $1 billion, had been grossed from Space Invaders machines,[21] and it would continue to gross an average of $600 million a year[22] through to 1982, by which time it had grossed $2 billion in quarters[23][24] (equivalent to $4.6 billion in 2011),[25] with a net profit of $450 million[24] (equivalent to $1 billion in 2011).[25] This made it the best-selling video game and highest-grossing entertainment product of its time,[23] with comparisons made to the then highest-grossing film Star Wars,[23][26] which had grossed $486 million[26] in movie tickets (costing $2.25 each on average)[23] with a net profit of $175 million.[26] By 2007,[5] Space Invaders had earned Taito profits of over $.5 billion.[27] The 1980 Atari 2600 version was the first official licensing of an arcade game and became the first "killer app" for video game consoles by quadrupling the system's sales,[3][28] with the game selling over a million units on the console.[29] Other official ports of the game were made for the Atari 8-bit computer line and Atari 5200 console. Taito released it for the NES in 1985 (Japan only). Numerous unofficial clones were made as well.

Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto considered Space Invaders a game that revolutionized the video game industry; he was never interested in video games before seeing it.[30] Several publications ascribed the expansion of the video game industry from a novelty into a global industry to the success of the game. Edge magazine attributed the shift of video games from bars and arcades to more mainstream locations like restaurants and department stores to Space Invaders.[31] Technology journalist Jason Whittaker credited the game's success to ending the video game crash of 1977, which had earlier been caused by Pong clones flooding the market, and beginning the golden age of video arcade games.[32] According to The Observer, the home console versions were popular and encouraged users to learn programming; many who later became industry leaders.[20] 1UP.com stated that Space Invaders showed that video games could compete against the major entertainment media at the time: movies, music, and television.[10] IGN attributed the launch of the arcade phenomenon in North America in part to Space Invaders.[33] Game Informer considered it, along with Pac-Man, one of the most popular arcade games that tapped into popular culture and generated excitement during the golden age of arcades.[34] IGN listed it as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Games" in 2007, citing the source of inspiration to video game designers and the impact it had on the shooting genre.[35] 1UP ranked it at #3 in its list of "The 60 Most Influential Games of All Time," stating that, in contrast to earlier arcade games which "were attempts to simulate already-existing things," Space Invaders was "the first video game as a video game, instead of merely a playable electronic representation of something else."[36] In 2008, Guinness World Records listed it as the top-rated arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact.[2]

As one of the earliest shooting games, it set precedents and helped pave the way for future titles and for the shooting genre.[35][37] Space Invaders popularized a more interactive style of gameplay with the enemies responding to the player controlled cannon's movement,[7] and was the first video game to popularize the concept of achieving a high score,[1][19][35] being the first to save the player's score.[35] It was also the first game where players were given multiple lives,[38] had to repel hordes of enemies,[10] could take cover from enemy fire, and use destructible barriers,[39] in addition to being the first game to use a continuous background soundtrack, with four simple chromatic descending bass notes repeating in a loop, which was dynamic and changed pace during stages,[40] like a heartbeat sound that increases pace as enemies approached.[41] It also moved the gaming industry away from Pong-inspired sports games grounded in real-world situations towards action games involving fantastical situations.[42] Whittaker commented that Space Invaders helped action games become the most dominant genre on both arcades and consoles, through to contemporary times.[43] Guinness World Records considered Space Invaders one of the most successful arcade shooting games by 2008.[19] In describing it as a "seminal arcade classic", IGN listed it as the number eight "classic shoot 'em up".[33] Space Invaders set the template for the shoot 'em up genre,[42] inspiring the development of arcade games, such as Williams Electronics' Defender and Namco's Galaxian and Galaga, which were modeled after Space Invaders's gameplay and design,[44][45] an influence that extends to most shooting games released to the present day,[10] including first-person shooters such as Wolfenstein,[46][47] Doom,[48] Halo[49] and Call of Duty.[50] Space Invaders also had an influence on early computer dungeon crawl games such as Dungeons of Daggorath, which used similar heartbeat sounds to indicate player health.[41]

Remakes and sequels

Main article: List of Space Invaders video games

Space Invaders has been remade on numerous platforms and spawned many sequels. Re-releases include ported and updated versions of the original arcade game. Ported versions generally feature different graphics and additional gameplay options—for example, moving defense bunkers, zigzag shots, invisible aliens, and two-player cooperative gameplay.[3] Ports on earlier systems like the Atari home consoles featured simplified graphics, while later systems such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and PlayStation featured updated graphics. Later titles include several modes of gameplay and integrate new elements into the original design. For example, Space Invaders Extreme, released on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable, integrated musical elements into the standard gameplay.[51][52] A spin-off for WiiWare, Space Invaders Get Even, allows players to control the aliens instead of the laser cannon.[53] In 1980, Bally Midway released a pinball version of the game. However, few elements from the original game are included, and the aliens instead resemble the xenomorphs from the film Alien; Bally Midway was later sued over the game's resemblance to designs by H. R. Giger.[54] Different ports have been met with mixed receptions; the Atari 2600 version was very successful while the Nintendo Entertainment System version was poorly received.[3] The game's immense popularity led to

Taito has released several arcade sequels that built upon the basic design of the original. The first was Space Invaders Part II in 1979;[55][56] it featured color graphics and new gameplay elements, and added an intermission between gameplay.[57] According to the Killer List of Video Games, this was the first video game to include an intermission.[57][19] The game also allowed the player with the top score to sign their name on the high score table.[58] This version was released in the United States as Deluxe Space Invaders (also known as Space Invaders Deluxe), but featured a different graphical color scheme and a lunar-city background. Another arcade sequel, titled Space Invaders II, was released exclusively in the United States. It was in a cocktail-table format and featured a competitive two-player mode. During the summer of 1985, Return of the Invaders was released with updated color graphics, and more complex movements and attack patterns for the aliens.[3] Subsequent arcade sequels included Super Space Invaders '91, Space Invaders DX, and Space Invaders '95. Each game introduced minor gameplay additions to the original design. Like the original game, several of the arcade sequels have become collector's items, though some are considered rarer.[18] In 2002, Taito released Space Raiders, a third-person shooter reminiscent of Space Invaders.[59][60]

The game and its related games have been included in video game compilation titles. Space Invaders Anniversary was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and included nine Space Invader variants.[61] A similar title for the PlayStation Portable, Space Invaders Pocket, was released in 2005.[62] Space Invaders, Space Invaders Part II and Return of the Invaders are included in Taito Legends, a compilation of Taito's classic arcade games released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.[63][64] Super Space Invaders '91, Space Invaders DX and Space Invaders '95 were included in Taito Legends 2, a sequel compilation released in 2006.[65]

In popular culture

A photograph of an orchestra on a dimly lit stage. Above the group is a projection screen with a black, white, and green image of pixel art. The pixel art is of an oval object wearing headphones with eyes and four tentacles. Below the pixel art is the phrase "Video Games Live".
A pixelated alien graphic used at the concert event Video Games Live

The game—and references to it—has appeared in numerous facets of popular culture. Multiple television series have aired episodes that either reference or parody the game and its elements; for example, Danger Mouse,[66] That '70s Show,[67] Scrubs,[68], Chuck,[69] and Robot Chicken.[70] Elements are prominently featured in the "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" segment of "Anthology of Interest II", an episode of Futurama.[71][72] Many publications and websites use the pixelated alien graphic as an icon for video games in general, including video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly, technology website Ars Technica, and concert event Video Games Live.[10] Space Invaders was also the first game to attract political controversy, when a 1981 political bill called the "Control of Space Invaders (and other Electronic Games) Bill" drafted by British Labour Party MP George Foulkes attempted to ban the game for its "addictive properties" and for causing "deviancy"; the bill was debated and only narrowly defeated in parliament by 114 votes to 94 votes.[73][74]

Musicians drew inspiration for their music from Space Invaders. Video Games Live performed audio from the game as part of a special retro "Classic Arcade Medley".[75] The Japanese pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra reproduced Space Invaders sounds in its 1978 self-titled album and its hit single "Computer Game",[76] the latter selling over 400,000 copies in the United States.[77] Other pop songs based on Space Invaders soon followed, including "Disco Space Invaders" (1979) by Funny Stuff,[76] "Space Invaders" (1980) by Playback,[78] and the hit songs "Space Invader" (1980) by The Pretenders[76] and "Space Invaders" (1980) by Uncle Vic.[79] In honor of the game's 30th anniversary, Taito produced an album titled Space Invaders 2008. The album is published by Avex Trax and features music inspired by the game.[80] Taito's store Taito Station also unveiled a Space Invaders themed music video.[81]

In 2006, the game was one of several video game related media selected to represent Japan as part of a project compiled by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs.[82][83] In the same year, Space Invaders was included in the London Science Museum's Game On exhibition meant to showcase the various aspects of video game history, development, and culture.[84] The game is also a part of the Barbican Centre's traveling Game On exhibition.[85] At the Belluard Bollwerk International 2006 festival in Fribourg, Switzerland, Guillaume Reymond created a three minute video recreation of a game of Space Invaders as part of the "Gameover" project using humans as pixels.[86] The GH ART exhibit at the 2008 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, included an art game, Invaders!, based on Space Invaders's gameplay. The creator later asked for the game to be removed from the exhibit following criticism of elements based on the September 11 attacks in the United States.[87] A French street artist known as Invader made a name for himself by creating mosaic artwork of Space Invader aliens around the world.[10][88]

See also

References

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