ATARI-COIN-OP-TIMELINE Compiled by Kevin Williams- KWP Limited (V.4.3)

1972

1

2

Pong

Barrel Pong

Nov - first Atari game, 12,000 sold by Atari alone, first success,

first to have sequel, game built on royalties of Computer

Space, Atari sues by Magnavox over concept

Nov

Jun - Company founded form

an investment of $250, by

Nolan Bushnell, Al Alcorn and

Ted Dabney Bushnell (wanted

to call company Syzgy, but

name already taken)

1973

2

3

4

5

6

Space Race

Pong Double

Coup Davis

Gotcha

Eliminator (Kee)

Jul - prone to difficulties

Sep - first 4 player game

Sep - Europe release Pong Double

Oct - first arcade maze game

Oct - first Kee Games product

Jun - Kee Games formed as

secretly controlled competition

to Atari

Oct - Atari sells Pong rights to

Bally / Midway

1974

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Super Pong

Rebound

Spike (Kee)

Quadra Pong

Gran Trak 10

Formula K (Kee)

World Cup

Touch-Me

Twin Racer (Kee)

Trak 10

Feb

Feb - same as Spike

Mar

Mar

Mar - first car race game, first gear and peddle

Apr

Apr - was released in France as Coupe du Monde

Jun - rare cabinet

Jul

Jul

Apr - Atari Inc. merges! with

Kee Games to control success

of Tank

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Gran Trak 20

Pin Pong

Coupe Franc

Volleyball (Kit)

Pong Cocktail

Trak 20

Dr. Pong

Tank (Kee)

Tank Cocktail (Kee)

Qwak!

Sep

Sep

Sep - French only release, sequel to Pong Double

Aug

Aug

Aug

Oct

Nov

Nov

Nov - first non-mounted gun game

Puppy Pong (doctors’ offices)

Color Quadrapong

Prototypes

- 10 units made

1975

-

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

Compugraph Foto

Dodgeball

Pursuit

Indy 800 (Kee)

Hi-Way

Crossfire (Kee)

Tank II (Kee)

Anti Aircraft

Goal IV

Shark Jaws (Horror Games)

Steeple Chase

Crash ‘N Score

Jet Fighter (Kee)

- not a video game, first photo capture machine

Jan

Jan

Apr - first 8 player game

Apr - first cockpit driver

May

May - first ROM graphics

Jun

Jul

Sep - first animated characters, made under false name

Oct

Oct

Oct

Sep - Horror Games started to

protect Atari if sued by film

company over Shark Jaws

1976

39

40

41

Stunt Cycle

Outlaw

Tank 8 (Kee)

Jan - first cycle handles

Mar

Apr - first bill acceptor, full color Motorola 6800 microprocessor

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

-

Quiz Show (Kee)

Breakout

Breakout Cocktail

Indy 4

Cops N’ Robbers

Flyball (Kee)

Le Mans

Night Driver

Sprint 2 (Kee)

F-1 (Namco)

Atarians, The

Apr - first microprocessor

Apr - 15,000 sold, feud with Jobs and Wozniak

Apr

May

Jul

Jul

Aug

Oct - first driving simulator, first ‘First Person Perspective’

Nov - 8,200 sold, first competitive, first AI, built on Pong royalty

Nov - first Namco license, first projector game

Nov - Pin - Atari’s first pinball, first wide-body playing field

Apr - Atari sells Japanese

rights for Breakout to Namco

(Namco makes knock-off after

short supplies)

Oct - Bushnell sells Atari Inc.

to Warner Communication for

$28million ($15m for Nolan)

Breakout Deluxe

Cannon Ball

Prototypes

1977

52

53

54

55

56

-

57

58

59

-

60

61

62

Dominos

Triple Hunt

Sprint 8

Pool Shark

Drag Race (Kee)

Time 2000

Starship I

Super Bug (Kee)

Two Game Module

Airborne Avenger

Destroyer

Canyon Bomber

Sprint 4

Jan

Apr

May

Jun

Jun

Jun - Pin -

Jul - first cockpit space game, first grow motion technology

Sep

Sep

Sep - Pin - 350 produced

Oct

Nov

Dec

May - Atari opens Pizza Time

Theatre concept, originated by

Nolan as part of Atari (full title

Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time

Theater)

Dirt Bike

Boxing

Prototypes

- copied by Activision

1978

63

64

-

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

-

72

73

Sprint 1

Ultra-Tank (Kee)

Middle Earth

Sky Raider

Tournament Table

Avalanche

Fire Truck

Sky Diver

Smokey Joe

Super Breakout

Space Rider

Atari Football

Orbit

Jan - first CPU

Feb

Feb - Pin -

Mar - first vertical scroller

Mar

Apr

Jun - first co-operative 2 player

Jun

Jul

Sep

Sep - Pin –

Oct - first sports, first trackball, horizontal playing patent

Nov - first game continuation feature

Jun - Nolan buys back Pizza

Time Theatre concept from

Warner for $500,000

Nov - Bushnell fired from Atari

position as Chairman of the

Board, company changes from

R&D to Sales Marketing;

launches home division

Cosmo - Asteroids

Captain Seahawk

Tube Chase

Atari Wolf Pack

Mini Golf

Prototypes

1979

74

-

75

76

-

77

78

79

80

Video Pinball

Superman

Atari Basketball

Subs

Hercules

Atari Baseball

Lunar Lander

Atari 4 Player Football

Asteroid

Feb

Mar - Pin -

May - first Atari Sports title

May - first two separate screens

May - Pin - biggest pinball ever manufactured, last Pin

Jun

Aug - first vector, first game with continue coin feed option

Apr

Nov - first high score entry, Atari best seller 70,000

Dec - On the opening of

Showbiz Pizza Place, Bushnell

sued Brock and Topeka Inn

Management over breach of

contract

Orion XIV

Solar War

Road Runner - pinball

Sebring

Prototypes

- sequel to Video Pinball

1980

81

82

83

84

Atari Soccer

Monte Carlo

Missile Command

Battlezone

Apr

Apr

Jun

Nov - first ‘First Person Perspective’ battle simulator

Monza - pinball Prototypes

1981

85

86

87

88

89

Warlords

Asteroids Deluxe

Red Baron

Centipede

Tempest

Apr

Apr

May - first 3D flight simulator

Jun - 50,000 sales second most successful

Oct - first color vector

Cannon Ball

Battlezone Trainer

Tunnel Hunt

Force Field

Space Shoot

Thogs

Time Traveler

Neutron Star - pinball

Hyperspace

Prototypes

- military project

1982

90

91

92

Space Duel

Dig Dug (Namco)

Kangaroo (Sun)

Feb - first simultaneous vector 2 players

Mar - first license from Namco, advertised in theatres

Jun

- Atari and Bally, both make

equity investments in Namco

Ltd., called ‘goodwill gestures’

intended to bring the

companies closer in their

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

-

Gravitar

Fast Freddie (Kaneko)

Popeye (Nintendo)

Millipede

Liberator

Quantum

Pole Position (Namco)

Pat 900

Aug - worst selling game, “Move Over Gravitar”- Replay

Oct

Oct

Nov

Nov

Nov

Nov - first driving game in Atari cockpit

Nov - testing station for games

licensing relationships.

- Atari files law suit against

copies of Dig Dug.

Missile Command II (Deluxe)

Luna Battle

Nightmare

Super Centipede

Akka Arrh (Target Outpost)

Amazing Adventure

Heist

Interchange

Maze Invaders

Onslaught

Parking Lot

Power Gem

Star Trap

Warp Speed

Heart of Ice

Dragon Raider

QWAK

Tube Chase

Prototypes

- prototype of Gravitar

- later became Star Wars

- licensed to Centuri as Tunnel Hunt

1983

100

101

102

Xevious (Namco)

Mazer Blazer (Stern)

Black Widow

Feb - first vertical scroller, first computer rendered sprites

Feb

Feb

Mar - Namco acquires

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

Food Fight

Arabian (Namco)

Star Wars

Crystal Castles

Major Havoc

Dragons Lair (Magicom)

Space Ace (Magicom)

Pole Position II (Namco)

Mar - appearance of Chuck E. Cheese character

May

May - first film license

Jul

Nov

Nov

Nov

Nov - first game to store high score

Japanese manufacturing

division of Atari

Cloud 9 (Weather War)

Alpha 1

Runaway

Warp Speed

4x4 - pinball

Firebeast (Dragon Master)

Hare Scare

Heist

Interchange

Tomcat

Prototypes

- prototype for Major Havoc

1984

111

112

113

114

115

116

Firefox

TX-1 SD (Tatsumi/Namco)

Cloak & Dagger (Kit)

I, Robot

Empire Strikes Back (Kit)

Marble Madness

Jan - first laser disk

Mar - first three screen, first check-point continue

Mar - film deal

Jun - first 3D game, first view changer option

Sep

Dec

Jul - Jack Trammel buys Atari

Inc. home computer division

calling it Atari Corporation,

Warner retains 24%, and owns

arcade division of Inc. renamed

Atari Games Inc. / Tengen

Last StarFighter

Malibu Grand Prix

BattleStar Galactica

Road Runner

Prototypes

1985

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

Dragon Buster (Namco)

Return of the Jedi

Paperboy

Peter Pack Rat

Temple of Doom

Gauntlet

Indiana Jones

Feb

Mar

Apr

Jul

Jul

Oct - first game under Atari Games Inc., label

Oct

May - Atari Corp., closes

Ireland (Limerrick City)

corporate head-quarters

leaving only (Tipperary Town)

Atari Games Ireland Ltd. coin-

op manufacturing.

Air Race

Atari Jammin’

Prototypes

- first rhythm game

1986

124

125

126

127

128

Super Sprint

Road Runner

Gauntlet II

Championship Sprint

720

Apr

Jul

Aug

Sep

Dec - Sound track released

- Atari Games acquires the

arcade chain Barrel of Fun

Oct - Namco buys 43.8% in

Atari Games, taking charge of

Atari Japanese operation

1987

-

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

Vs. Atari RBI Baseball

Rolling Thunder (Namco)

Roadblaster

Dunk Shot (Sega)

A.P.B.

Dragon Spirit (Namco)

RBI Baseball (Namco)

Xybots

Pac-Mania (Namco)

- VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses

Feb

Mar - first toy license

Jun

Jul

Jul

Nov

Nov

Dec

1988

-

137

138

Vs. Gauntlet

Blasteroids

Galaga ’88 (Namco)

- VS. Nintendo release of game

Feb

Apr

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

Vindicators

Pot Shot

Final Lap (Namco)

Toobin

Assault (Namco)

Cyberball

Final Lap U/R (Namco)

Vindicator Part II (Kit)

Apr

May

May - first network game

Jun

Aug - first special ‘Grow Motion’ hardware

Sep

Oct

Oct

Accelerator

Blasteroids (With Heads)

Prototypes

1989

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

Tetris

Hard Drivin’

Splatterhouse (Tecmo/Sharp)

Escape from the Planet...

Tournament Cyberball 2072

S.T.U.N. Runner

Skull & Crossbones

Four Tax (Namco)

Feb

Feb - first polygon driver, first force feedback, first drive sim

Feb

Jun

Aug

Sep

Nov

Dec

Street Drivin’

Guts n’ Glory

Prototypes

1990

-

155

156

157

158

-

159

160

Vs. Cyberball

Badlands

KLAX

Vindicators II

Hydra

Gumball Rally

Thunderjaws

Mad Dog McCree (ALG)

- VS. Nintendo release of the original under licenses

Jan

Feb

May

Jun

Jun - Redemption, not video game

Jul

Jul

Jun - Namco America Inc.,

sells their 43.8% shares in Atari

to management, but acquires

Atari Operations, Inc., and

keeps ownership of Atari

Games Ireland Ltd.

161

162

163

Pit Fighter

Race Drivin’

Shuuz

Aug - first Rotoscope game

Aug

Nov

1991

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

Rampart

Batman

Race Drivin’ Panorama

Road Riot 4WD

Who Shot Johnny Rock (ALG)

Steel Talons

Off the Wall

Feb

Apr

May – hardware used later by AGC

Jun - first rump thump effect

Jun

Aug

Oct

BMX Heat

Marble Man: MM2

Prototypes

1992

171

172

173

174

175

176

Relief Pitcher

Guardian of the Hood

Moto Frenzy

Space Lord

Gallaghers Gallery (ALG)

Space Pirates (ALG)

Apr

Jun

Jul

Nov

Nov

Nov

Danger Express

Atari Classic: Missile Command II

Atari Classic: Super Centipede

Road Riot 4WD (Revenge)

Dr. Sparkz Lab

Fish ‘n Freezy

Prototypes

1993

177

178

Mad Dog II (ALG)

Knuckle Bash (Toaplan)

Feb

Mar

Mar - AGC Simulation Products

launched, breakaway from

Atari, turning Hard Drivin’ into

179

180

181

World Rally (Gaelco)

Crime Patrol (ALG)

Drug Wars (ALG)

Mar

Jun

Nov

police training system

CyberStorm

Freeze: The Cat

Hard Drivin’ Airborne

BeatHead

Street Drivin’

Prototypes

- 10 units made

1994

182

183

184

185

Last Bounty Hunter (ALG)

T-Mek

Primal Rage

COPS (Nova)

Feb

Jul

May

Oct

Apr - Warner Communications

and Time Life merge to form

Time-Warner. Atari Games /

Tengen folded into new Time-

Warner Interactive.

Die Alien Scum!

3 on 3 Basketball

Metal Maniax

Prototypes

1995

186

-

Area 51

Hoop It Up

May - first Time Warner Interactive game, first hard-disk based

on Atari Jaguar console hardware

Sep - not a video game

Apr - Atari losses ALG

distribution contract

Primal Rage 2

Beavis & Butthead

Fishin’ Frenzy

Prototypes

- 3DO hardware

1996

187

188

Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey

San Francisco RUSH

Oct - first game released after Midway purchase

Dec - first 3Dfx architecture

Jun - Atari Corp., sold to hard-

drive marker JTS in 'reverse

merger' worth $50million

regarding remaining debts.

Nov - Time-Warner Interactive

(Atari Games Inc.) sold to WMS

(Midway) for an estimated

$23.8million

Vicious Circle Prototypes

1997

189

190

191

192

MACE: The Dark Age

Maximum Force

RUSH The Rock

Surf Planet (Gaelco)

May

Jun

Mar - first WaveNet

Oct

Jun - SNK agrees to sell Atari

products in Japan.

1998

193

194

195

196

197

198

Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo

Californian Speed

Gauntlet Legend

Radikal Bikers (Gaelco)

Area 51: Site 4

Vapor TRX

Feb

Mar - Midway designed project

Mar

May

Oct

Oct

Feb - Hasbro Interactive

acquires Atari Corp., and the

rights to 75 (1972-1984) classic

titles from JTS for $5million in

cash

10th Degree

Mean Streak

Prototypes

1999

199

200

201

WAR

Road Burner

RUSH 2049

Mar

Mar

Jun - LAST Arcade game by Atari

Mar - Atari signs patent

agreement with Sega

Enterprises (force feedback)

May - Namco closes Atari

Games Ireland Ltd.

August - Midway takes charge

of Atari’s sales, marketing and

manufacture.

WAR: Tournament Edition

RUSH: HotRod (Hot Rod Rebels)

Blood Lust

Jungle Rat

Prototypes

Remaining Atari development

is transferred to Midway (staying in California at the newly named Midway Games

West offices), but is eventually closed as Midway moves from the Arcade industry in 2001.

Midway Games West office closed 2003 – Midway acquired

by Warner 2009.

Credits:

- The ‘Atari Timeline’ based on that was compiled and created by Kevin Williams of KWP Limited in 2004

for an article in the amusement trade journal – all copyright & IP retained by their respective owners – the

compiled work retained by KWP (2004-2012).

END