Who designed Space Invaders and when was it released?
Tomohiro Nishikado spent a year designing Space Invaders in 1978. The game debuted on the 19th of April 1978, in Japan.
Questions about Space Invaders
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What hardware components powered the original Space Invaders arcade machine?
The arcade machine used an Intel 8080 microprocessor to display graphics. Michiyuki Kamei created the sound circuitry using a Texas Instruments SN76477 chip.
How many Space Invaders units were installed worldwide by the end of 1979?
An estimated 750,000 units were installed worldwide by the end of 1979. Taito installed over 100,000 machines in Japan by the end of 1978 alone.
Did Space Invaders cause any health issues or legal restrictions in the early 1980s?
A condition called Space Invaders Wrist appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1981. George Foulkes proposed a Private Member's Bill in the UK Parliament in 1981 to restrict access but it failed by 114 votes to 94 votes.
When was Space Invaders inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame?
Space Invaders was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2016. Shigeru Miyamoto considers it the most revolutionary title in video game history.