Space Invaders
Overview
Space Invaders is a classic arcade video game developed by Taito Corporation and released in 1978. It 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, Tomohiro 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.
Gameplay
The player controls a laser cannon, which is moved horizontally across the bottom of the screen and fires at descending aliens. The aim is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens—although some versions feature different numbers—that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. 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 also varies by version—that are gradually destroyed by projectiles from the aliens and player.
Development
Space Invaders was created by Tomohiro Nishikado, who spent a year designing the game and developing the necessary hardware to produce it. 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. Nishikado himself 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.
Impact and legacy
Space Invaders was an immediate commercial success; by 1982, it had grossed $3.8 billion, with a net profit of $450 million, making it the best-selling video game and highest-grossing "entertainment product" of its time. The game is considered one of the most successful arcade shooting games of all time. It was also the first game where players had to repel hordes of enemies, which would form a core mechanic of many subsequent games. The game's legacy has been attributed to its popularization of the fundamental concepts of the "shoot 'em up" genre, including its emphasis on achieving high scores, its influence on future video games, and its role in the development of gaming culture.