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1977 had sequels such as Super Speed Race and Datsun 280 ZZZAP as well as several new titles such as Space Wars. The year's highest-grossing arcade games were F-1 and Speed Race DX in Japan, and Sea Wolf and Sprint 2 in the United States. The year's best-selling home system was Nintendo's Color TV-Game, which was only sold in Japan.

Financial performanceEdit

Highest-grossing arcade gamesEdit

JapanEdit

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1977, according to the second annual Game Machine chart. Both arcade video games and electro-mechanical games (EM games) are listed on the same arcade chart. Namco's EM racing game F-1 was the highest-grossing overall arcade game for the second year in a row, followed by Taito's racing video game Speed Race DX (its predecessor Speed Race was distributed as Wheels by Midway Manufacturing in North America).<ref name="GM90">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="GM159">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Arcade electro-mechanical games (EM games) Arcade video games
Rank Title #1 #2 #3 Points Rank Title #1 #2 #3 Points
1 F-1 12 6 5 {{#expr:(12*3)+(6*2)+5}} 1 Speed Race DX 8 5 8 {{#expr:(8*3)+(5*2)+8}}
2 Mogura Taiji (Whac-A-Mole) 5 1 3 {{#expr:(5*3)+(1*2)+3}} 2 Breakout 3 6 4 {{#expr:(3*3)+(6*2)+4}}
3 Shoot Away 4 3 0 {{#expr:(4*3)+(3*2)+0}} 3 Scratch 2 5 3 {{#expr:(2*3)+(5*2)+3}}
4 Template:Nihongo foot 3 0 3 {{#expr:(3*3)+(0*2)+3}} 4 Circus 0 2 3 {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+3}}
5 F-1 Mach 0 5 0 {{#expr:(0*3)+(5*2)+0}} 5 Road Champion 1 1 1 {{#expr:(1*3)+(1*2)+1}}
6 Shooting Trainer 1 2 1 {{#expr:(1*3)+(2*2)+1}} 6 Superbowl 1 1 0 {{#expr:(1*3)+(1*2)+0}}
7 Laser Clay 2 0 0 {{#expr:(2*3)+(0*2)+0}} 7 Sprint 2 1 0 1 {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+1}}
8 Template:Nihongo foot 0 2 0 {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+0}} Super High-Way 0 2 0 {{#expr:(0*3)+(2*2)+0}}
9 Dead Line 1 0 0 {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}} 9 Gran Trak 10 1 0 0 {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}
10 Heli-Shooter 0 0 2 {{#expr:(0*3)+(0*2)+2}} Man T.T. 1 0 0 {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}
Template:Nihongo foot 0 0 2 {{#expr:(0*3)+(1*2)+0}} Super Speed Race 1 0 0 {{#expr:(1*3)+(0*2)+0}}

Note: Medal games are listed on a separate chart, with Nintendo's EVR Race being the highest-grossing medal game for the second year in a row.<ref name="GM90"/><ref name="GM159"/>

United StatesEdit

In the United States, Play Meter magazine began publishing annual lists of top-grossing arcade games in 1977. The following titles were the top ten highest-earning arcade video games of the year on the annual Play Meter and RePlay charts. Lifetime arcade cabinet sales are also given in a separate column.

Rank Play Meter<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> RePlay<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Lifetime cabinet sales
1 Sea Wolf 10,000<ref name="Kent">Template:Citation</ref>
2 Sprint 2 8,200<ref name="Atari">Template:Cite book</ref>
3 Breakout 11,000<ref name="Atari"/>
4 LeMans Drag Race rowspan="8" Template:Unknown
5 Gun Fight (Western Gun) Starship 1
6 Night Driver Double Play
7 Death Race Night Driver
8 Tornado Baseball Bazooka
9 Datsun 280 ZZZAP Robot Bowl
10 Blockade Datsun 280 ZZZAP
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Best-selling home systemsEdit

Rank System(s) Manufacturer(s) Type Generation Sales Template:Abbr
1 Color TV-Game Nintendo Console First 800,000 citation CitationClass=web

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2 Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) Atari, Inc. Console Second 250,000 <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
3 Personal computer (PC) Various Computer Template:N/A 150,000 <ref name=":222" />
4 TRS-80 Tandy Corporation Computer 8-bit 100,000 citation CitationClass=web

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5 Altair 8800 MITS Computer 8-bit 10,000 <ref name=":222" />
6 Commodore PET Commodore International Computer 8-bit 4,000 <ref name=":222" />
7 Apple II Apple Inc. Computer 8-bit 600 <ref name=":222" />

EventsEdit

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  • Nakamura Manufacturing Ltd. formally changes its name to Namco (which it has employed as a brand name since 1971), and establishes Namco Enterprises Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong, its first subsidiary based outside Japan.<ref name="namco">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Notable releasesEdit

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The Atari Video Computer System was the most successful video game console of the second-generation era.

Video game consolesEdit

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  • Coleco releases a number of new models of the Telstar series: the Telstar Alpha, the Telstar Colormatic, the Telstar Regent, the Telstar Ranger, the Telstar Galaxy, and the Telstar Combat. Most of these systems feature only minor variations on the original Telstar model, such as new controller types (for example, the Ranger featured a light gun, while the Galaxy included joysticks).<ref name="mhvg">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Nintendo releases the Color TV-Game 6 dedicated home video game console, featuring six variations of Light Tennis (a Pong clone). Nintendo's partner, Mitsubishi, produces most of the system's hardware components.<ref name="colortvgame">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Philico releases the Telejogo dedicated home video game console, featuring three pre-installed games.
  • Bally releases the Bally Home Library Computer (Astrocade) home video game console through mail order retailer JS&A National Sales Group. Delays in production of the system, however, mean that none of the units actually ship until the following year.<ref name="bally">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Home computersEdit

GamesEdit

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See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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Template:History of video games