Space Invaders has come a long way since it first hit the market in 1978.
“My aim was to give players a shooting game the like of which they’d never experienced before,” says Nishikado, to the Guardian. “I did have the notion that I was introducing a new gameplay element, as the trend had been for only the player to shoot, but here the enemies fired back. More than that though, my focus was more on beginning software development for the microcomputer I used for the game, which was a new sensation given that games had been developed on hardware up until then.”
Since 1978, Space Invaders has had multiple different releases and updates. In 1980, the game was released in the US in coin-operated arcades, on the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since creation, there has been at least 9 arcade variations of the game.
Modern variations of the game include Taito's 'Arkinvaders' and 'Space Invaders Gigamax'. Both being showcased at this years Asian Attraction Expo in China, Arkinvaders is a mix between Space Invaders and Arkinvaders. This is a floor profected game, with players using their feet to fight off missiles and invaders. Gigamex is a giant wall projection of the original Space Invaders game, with 10 playing positions via table mounted joysticks. While significantly more technologically advanced, new variations of the original Space Invaders game continue to pull in money and interest.
Throughout its lifetime, Space Invaders has generated more than $500 million in revenue.
To read the full interview with Tomohiro Nishikado, visit The Guardian.
