1982 was the peak year for the

golden age of arcade video games The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...

as well as the

second generation of video game consoles In the history of video games, the second generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld video game consoles available from 1976 to 1992. Notable ''platforms'' of the second generation include the Fairchil ...

. Many games were released that would spawn franchises, or at least sequels, including ''

Dig Dug is a maze game, maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them unde ...

'', ''

Pole Position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...

'', ''

Mr. Do! is a 1982 maze game developed by Universal. It is the first arcade video game to be released as a conversion kit for other arcade machines; Taito published the conversion kit in Japan. The game was inspired by Namco's ''Dig Dug'' released earlier ...

'', ''

Zaxxon is an isometric shooter arcade game, developed and released by Sega in 1982, in which the player pilots a ship through heavily defended space fortresses. Japanese electronics company Ikegami Tsushinki is also credited for having worked on the d ...

'', ''

Q*bert ''Q*bert'' (also known as ''Qbert'') is an arcade video game developed and published for the North American market by Gottlieb in 1982. It is a 2D action game with puzzle elements that uses isometric graphics to create a pseudo-3D effect. The ...

'', ''

Time Pilot is a multidirectional shooter arcade game designed by Yoshiki Okamoto and released by Konami in 1982. It was distributed in the United States by Centuri, and by Atari Ireland in Europe and the Middle East. While engaging in aerial combat, the ...

'' and ''

Pitfall! ''Pitfall!'' is a platform video game designed by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and released by Activision in 1982. The player controls Pitfall Harry and is tasked with collecting all the treasures in a jungle within 20 minutes. The world con ...

'' The year's highest-grossing video game was

Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...

'', for the third year in a row, while the year's best-selling home system was the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...

(Atari VCS). Additional

game consoles A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...

added to a crowded market, notably the

ColecoVision ColecoVision is a second-generation home video-game console developed by Coleco and launched in North America in August 1982. It was released a year later in Europe by CBS Electronics as the CBS ColecoVision. The console offered a closer expe ...

and

Atari 5200 The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 5200' ...

. Troubles at

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

late in the year triggered the

video game crash of 1983 The video game crash of 1983 (known as the Atari shock in Japan) was a large-scale recession in the video game industry that occurred from 1983 to 1985, primarily in the United States. The crash was attributed to several factors, including ma ...

Financial performance

* The US

arcade video game An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arca ...

market is worth $4.3 billion, equivalent to $ adjusted for inflation. * The US home video game market is worth $3.8 billion, equivalent to $ adjusted for inflation. * The Japanese home video game market is approaching ¥300 billion, equivalent to $ adjusted for inflation.

Highest-grossing arcade games

The highest-grossing

of 1982 was ''

'', which had accumulated a total revenue of worldwide ( adjusted for inflation) by 1982.

Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing

s of 1982, according to the annual '' Game Machine'' chart.

United States

In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1982, according to ''RePlay'' and ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' magazines and the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA). The following table lists the top-grossing titles of each month in 1982, according to the ''RePlay'' and ''

Play Meter ''Play Meter'' (initially ''Coin Industry Play Meter'') was an American trade magazine focusing on the coin-op amusement arcade industry, including jukebox and arcade game machines. It was founded in December 1974 by publisher and editor Ralph C. ...

'' charts.

Best-selling home video games

The following titles were 1982's best-selling home video games.

Best-selling home systems

Events

* December 27 –

Starcade ''Starcade'' is an American game show where contestants competed against one another by playing arcade video games. The series originally aired on WTBS from 1982 to 1983, followed by a run in syndication for the following season. The series w ...

, a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

, debuts on TBS in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Major awards

* ''

Electronic Games An electronic game is a game that uses electronics to create an interactive system with which a player can play. Video games are the most common form today, and for this reason the two terms are often used interchangeably. There are other common ...

'' holds the third Arcade Awards, for games released during 1980–1981. ''

'' wins the best

award, ''

Asteroids An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

'' (

Atari VCS The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...

) wins the best

console game A console game is a type of video game consisting of images and often sounds generated by a video game console, which are displayed on a television or similar audio-video system, and that can be manipulated by a player. This manipulation usually ...

award, and ''

Star Raiders ''Star Raiders'' is a first-person space combat simulator for the Atari 8-bit family of computers. It was written by Doug Neubauer, an Atari employee, and released as a cartridge by Atari in March 1980. The game is considered the platform's kille ...

'' (

Atari 8-bit family The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, ...

) wins the best

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

award. * ''

'' wins the

Video Software Dealers Association The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $32 billion home entertainment industry. The Mission of EMA is to promote, to protect, and to p ...

's VSDA Award for Best Videogame.

Business

* Eidansha Boshu Service Center shortens its name to

Enix was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...

and in August establishes itself as a

publisher. * New companies: **

Argonaut The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', ...

** Artech **

Compile In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...

Cosmi Cosmi may refer to: * Cosmi Corporation Cosmi Corporation (COSMI) is an American computer software company based in Carson, California. Software publishing Cosmi Corporation was established in 1982, founded by George Johnson. The company publish ...

Data Age Data Age was a California-based video game company that developed and published titles for the Atari 2600 platform in the mid-1980s. Among their more well-known titles were '' Journey Escape'' (a tie-in with the band Journey) and ''Frankenstein's ...

Distinctive Software Distinctive Software Inc. (''DSI'') was a Canadian video game developer established in Burnaby, British Columbia, by Don Mattrick and Jeff Sember after their success with the game ''Evolution''. Mattrick (age 17) and Jeff Sember approached Sydney ...

Dragon Data Dragon Data Ltd. was a Welsh producer of home computers during the early 1980s. These computers, the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64, strongly resembled the Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer ("CoCo")—both followed a standard Motorola datasheet confi ...

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

English Software The English Software Company, later shortened to English Software, was a Manchester, UK-based video game developer and publisher that operated from 1982 until 1987. Starting with its first release, the horizontally scrolling shooter ''Airstrike ...

First Star Software First Star Software, Inc. was a Chappaqua, New York based video game development, publishing and licensing company, founded by Richard Spitalny (who remains the company's president), Billy Blake, Peter Jablon, and Fernando Herrera in 1982. It is ...

**Gamestar **

Imagine Software Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20. The company rose quickly to prominence and was noted for its polished, ...

** Llamasoft **

Lucasfilm Games Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as part of a large ...

Martech Martech Games was an early video game publisher based in Pevensey Bay between 1982 and 1989. It published a number of successful video games for the emerging home computer games marketplace, including BBC Micro, BBC Model B, ZX81, Sinclair ZX81, Z ...

MicroProse MicroProse is an American video game publisher and video game developer, developer founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the ''Civilization (series), Civilizatio ...

Richard Shepherd Software Richard Shepherd Software was a British software house active between 1982 and 1985. The company was mainly known for releasing text adventure games. These were programmed by Richard Shepherd himself and Pete Cooke. History Richard Shepherd ha ...

** System 3 **

Ultimate Play the Game Ashby Computers and Graphics Limited, trading as Ultimate Play the Game, was a British video game developer and publisher, founded in 1982, by ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper. Ultimate released a series of successful games for t ...

US Games U.S. Games Corporation was a video game company founded by Donald Yu, which originally produced handheld electronic sports games. It pivoted to focus exclusively on video game software in 1981, and was acquired by cereal company Quaker Oats in 19 ...

Notable releases

Games

Arcade

* January –

Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...

releases ''

'', which introduces

isometric graphics Isometric video game graphics are graphics employed in video games and pixel art that use a parallel projection, but which angle the viewpoint to reveal facets of the environment that would otherwise not be visible from a top-down perspective ...

and looks far more 3D than any other raster game at the time. * January 13 – Midway releases ''

Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is the first sequel to '' Pac-Man'' (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's ...

'' (despite it being copyrighted as 1981); it is (as the name suggests) the sequel to ''

'', but was created without

's authorization. They also release ''

Baby Pac-Man ''Baby Pac-Man'' is a hybrid maze and pinball game released in arcades by Bally Midway on October 11, 1982, nine months after the release of ''Ms. Pac-Man''. The cabinet consists of a 13-inch video screen seated above a shortened, horizontal pin ...

'' and ''

Pac-Man Plus ''Pac-Man Plus'' is an arcade game that was released by Bally Midway on March 13, 1982, and it is the third title in the '' Pac-Man'' series of games. Gameplay The gameplay in ''Pac-Man Plus'' is nearly identical to that of the original ''P ...

'' without Namco's authorization later in the year; the former is a pinball/video game hybrid. * April 19 –

releases ''

'', manufactured by

in North America. * August –

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

releases ''

Donkey Kong Jr. is a 1982 arcade platform game that was released by Nintendo. It is the sequel to ''Donkey Kong'', but with the roles reversed compared to its predecessor: Mario (previously named "Jumpman") is now the villain and Donkey Kong Jr. is trying to ...

'', the sequel to ''

Donkey Kong is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong and his clan of other Ape, apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of plat ...

''. * August –

Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...

releases parallax scroller ''

Jungle Hunt re-released as is a side-scrolling action game developed by Taito and released for arcades in 1982. It was originally distributed as ''Jungle King'', then quickly modified and re-released as ''Jungle Hunt'' due to a copyright dispute over the ...

''. * September 24 – Namco releases ''

'', one of the first games with

stereophonic Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

and

quadraphonic sound Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...

. Featuring a

pseudo-3D 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in a space that otherwise ...

, third-person, rear-view perspective, it becomes the most popular

racing game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...

of its time. * September –

releases maze game '' Pengo'', starring a cute penguin. * October – Namco releases ''

Super Pac-Man is a 1982 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Midway Games. ''Super Pac-Man'' is Namco's take on a sequel to the original ''Pac-Man''; Midway had previously released ''Ms. Pac-Man'', w ...

'', the third title in the ''Pac-Man'' series. * October – Universal releases ''

'' solely as a conversion kit, the first game in the series. * October –

Gottlieb Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.) was an American arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. History The main office and plant was located at 1140-50 N. Kostner Avenue until the early 1970s when a new modern plant and office was lo ...

releases ''

''. * November –

Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...

releases ''

''. *

Bally Bally may refer to: Places *Bally, a historical spelling of Bali *Bally (from the Irish ''baile'') or townland, a traditional division of land, as well as a common prefix in the names of settlements throughout Ireland *Bally, Bally-Jagachha, a c ...

/ Midway releases the ''

Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action-adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer a ...

'' arcade game before the movie. *

releases ''

Gravitar ''Gravitar'' is a color vector graphics multidirectional shooter arcade video game released by Atari, Inc. in 1982. Using the same "rotate-and-thrust" controls as ''Asteroids'' and ''Space Duel'', the game was known for its high level of diffic ...

'' which, though extraordinarily difficult, inspires a number of gravity-based home computer games. *

Williams Electronics WMS Industries, Inc. was an American electronic gaming and amusement manufacturer in Enterprise, Nevada. It was merged into Scientific Games in 2016. WMS's predecessor was the Williams Manufacturing Company, founded in 1943 by Harry E. Williams ...

releases ''

Joust Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponent w ...

'', '' Robotron: 2084'', and the second game of the year with parallax scrolling, Irem's ''

Moon Patrol is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Irem. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. The player controls a moon buggy which can jump over and shoot obstacles on a horizontally scrolling landscape as well as ...

''. ''Robotron'' popularizes the twin-stick control scheme for fast action games. *

Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. Its main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo. The Am ...

releases ''

BurgerTime originally released as in Japan, is a 1982 arcade game developed by Data East initially for its DECO Cassette System. The player is chef Peter Pepper, who must walk over hamburger ingredients located across a maze of platforms while avoiding c ...

''. *

releases ''

Front Line A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an armed force's personnel and equipment, usually referring to land forces. When a front (an intentional or uninte ...

'', which creates the blueprint for mid-80s, vertically scrolling, commando games. * Electro Sport releases ''Quarter Horse'', the first

Laserdisc video game An interactive film is a video game or other interactive media that has characteristics of a cinematic film. In the video game industry, the term refers to a movie game, a video game that presents its gameplay in a cinematic, scripted manner, ...

. * ''

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

'' is one of the first ''Donkey Kong''-inspired games to become popular in arcades. *

releases '' Reactor''.

Console

* February –

releases ''

Haunted House A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...

'' for the 2600, which is later considered one of the first survival horror games. * March –

version of ''

'' hits stores. * April –

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

releases ''

'', which goes on to sell 4 million copies. * May –

releases ''

Yars' Revenge ''Yars' Revenge'' is a video game released for the Atari 2600 in 1982. It was created by Howard Scott Warshaw and is Atari's best-selling original game for the 2600. Gameplay The player controls an insect-like creature called a Yar who must n ...

''. * August – Overlooked arcade games are revitalized as

launch titles, including ''

Cosmic Avenger is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Universal Entertainment Corporation and released in arcades by Universal in July 1981. It is one of the first shooters with forced X-axis scrolling along with Konami's ''Scramble'' released earl ...

'', ''

Mouse Trap A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch other s ...

'', '' Lady Bug'', and ''

Venture Venture may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *The Ventures, an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 *"A Venture", 1971 song by the band Yes *''Venture'', a 2010 EP by AJR Games * ''Venture'' (video game), a 1981 arcade gam ...

''. * October –

releases '' Swordquest: Earthworld'', the first title in a planned four-game contest. * December –

releases '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. Written in five and a half weeks, it's one of the games that sparks the

. *

releases ''

River Raid ''River Raid'' is a vertically scrolling shooter designed and programmed by Carol Shaw and published by Activision in 1982 for the Atari 2600 video game console. Over a million game cartridges were sold. Activision later ported the title to th ...

'', ''

Megamania ''Megamania'' is an Atari 2600 game by Steve Cartwright and published by Activision in 1982. Versions were released for the Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit family in 1983. ''Megamania'' is similar to Sega's 1981 arcade title ''Astro Blaster''. Both ...

'', ''

Barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...

'', ''

Chopper Command ''Chopper Command'' is a horizontally scrolling shooter released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in June 1982. It was written by Bob Whitehead. Gameplay In ''Chopper Command'', the player controls a military helicopter in a desert scenario pr ...

'', and ''

Starmaster ''Starmaster'' is a video game written for the Atari 2600 by Alan Miller (game designer), Alan Miller and published in June 1982 by Activision. The game is similar to Atari 8-bit family game ''Star Raiders''. ''Starmaster'' was not ported to ...

'' for the Atari 2600. ''River Raid'' becomes one of the all-time bestselling games for the system. *

Starpath Starpath was a U.S. company known for creating the Starpath Supercharger in August 1982. The company was founded under the name Arcadia Corporation in 1981 by Alan Bayley, Robert Brown, and Craig Nelson. It changed its name to Starpath shortly a ...

releases '' Dragonstomper'' (the only RPG for the Atari 2600) and ''

Escape From the Mindmaster ''Escape from the MindMaster'' was a video game for the Starpath Supercharger addon for the Atari 2600 published in 1982 in video gaming, 1982 by Starpath. ''Escape from the MindMaster'' utilizes a Compact Cassette, tape cassette through the Star ...

''. *

Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...

releases '' Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back'' for the Atari 2600, which is the first ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' video game. * Imagic releases ''Demon Attack'', ''Atlantis (video game), Atlantis'', ''Cosmic Ark'', and ''Dragonfire (video game), Dragonfire'' for the 2600. ''Atlantis'' sells over a million copies while ''Demon Attack'' doubles that.

Computer

* March 11 – Infocom releases their first non-Zork title, ''Deadline (video game), Deadline''. * August 24 – ''Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress'' is released. * November – ''History of Microsoft Flight Simulator#Flight Simulator 1.0, Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0'' is released for MS-DOS. It becomes a standard compatibility test for early PC clones. * Big Five Software releases the widely ported ''Miner 2049er'', a platform game with ten screens compared to the four of ''

''. * Broderbund releases ''Choplifter'' for the Apple II. * Edu-Ware releases ''The Prisoner (video game)#Prisoner 2, Prisoner 2'' for the Apple II,

, and IBM PC compatibles. * Koei releases ''History of Eastern role-playing video games#Japanese computer RPGs, The Dragon and Princess'', the earliest known History of Eastern role-playing video games, Japanese RPG, for NEC's PC-8000 Series, PC-8001 home computer platform.
Translation
It is an early example of Tactical role-playing game, tactical Turn-based tactics, turn-based combat in the Role-playing video game, RPG genre. * Koei releases ''Night Life (video game), Night Life'', the first erotic computer game (Eroge).Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier
Hardcore Gaming 101, reprinted from ''Retro Gamer'', Issue 67, 2009 The company also released the erotic title, , which was an early Role-playing video game, role-playing adventure game with color graphics, owing to the eight-color palette of the PC-8000 series, PC-8001 computer. It became a hit, helping Koei become a major software company. * Pony Canyon releases ''Spy Daisakusen'', another early Japanese RPG. Based on the ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' franchise, it replaces the traditional fantasy setting with a modern Stealth game, espionage setting. * Sir-Tech releases ''Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds'', the second scenario in the ''Wizardry'' series. * Sierra Entertainment, Sierra On-Line releases ''Time Zone (video game), Time Zone'' for the Apple II. Written and directed by Roberta Williams, the graphical adventure game shipped with 6 double-sided floppy disks and cost US$99. * Synapse Software, Synapse releases ''Necromancer (video game), Necromancer'' and ''Shamus (video game), Shamus'' for the

. * Hiroyuki Imabayashi's Sokoban is released for the PC-8800 Series, NEC PC-8801 and becomes an oft-cloned puzzle game concept. * Datamost releases the action/adventure game ''Aztec (video game), Aztec'' for the Apple II. * ''The Arcade Machine'' from Broderbund is one of the first general-purpose game creation kits.

Hardware

Arcade

* January – Sega releases the Sega Zaxxon, an arcade system board that introduces

. * September – Namco releases the Namco Pole Position, the first arcade system board to use 16-bit microprocessors, with two Zilog Z8000, Zilog Z8002 processors. It is capable of

, Sprite (computer graphics), sprite-scaling, and displays up to 3840 List of color palettes, colors.

Console

* May – Emerson Electric, Emerson releases the Arcadia 2001. * August – Starpath releases the Starpath Supercharger add-on for the

* August – Coleco launches

in North America, the first console with versions of ''

'' and Sega's isometric ''

''. * November – General Consumer Electronics releases the Vectrex with built-in vector monitor. * November – Atari renames the venerable Atari Video Computer System to the Atari 2600. * Atari releases the

, a lightly modified Atari 8-bit family, Atari 8-bit computer with analog joysticks and no keyboard. * Entex Industries, Entex releases the Entex Adventure Vision, Adventure Vision tabletop console.

Computer

* July – Timex Sinclair releases a modified ZX81 in the US as the Timex Sinclair 1000, TS1000. It's the first sub-$100 home computer. * Commodore International, Commodore Business Machines releases the Commodore 64 home computer, which would become one of the best-selling computers of all time. * NEC releases the NEC PC-9801, NEC PC-98, which would become the Japanese market leader and one of the best-selling computers of all time. It is released as the APC III, APC overseas. * Sharp Corporation, Sharp releases the X1 (computer), X1. * Sinclair Research releases the ZX Spectrum home computer, which would become Britain's best-selling computer. *

, initially a subsidiary of Mettoy, releases the Dragon 32 home microcomputer.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1982 In video games Video games by year 1982 in video gaming,

Financial performance

Highest-grossing arcade games

Japan

United States

Best-selling home video games

Best-selling home systems

Events

Major awards

Business

Notable releases

Games

Arcade

Console

Computer

Hardware

Arcade

Console

Computer

See also

Notes

References