List of years in video gaming       (table)
… 1969 .  1970 .  1971 .  1972  . 1973  . 1974  . 1975 … 1976 1977 1978 -1979- 1980 1981 1982 … 1983 .  1984 .  1985 .  1986  . 1987  . 1988  . 1989 …
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… 1976 . 1977 . 1978 - 1979 - 1980 . 1981 . 1982 … … 1940s . 1950s . 1960s -1970s- 1980s . 1990s . 2000s … … 19th century . 20th century . 21st century …
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Contents 1 Events 1.1 Notable releases 1.2 Hardware 1.3 Business

Events

Notable releases

• Richard Garriott creates Akalabeth, a computer role-playing game for the Apple IIe. It launches Garriott's career and is a precursor to his highly successful Ultima series.
• Namco releases Bomb Bee, the sequel to Gee Bee, Galaxian, the first true color arcade game, and Cutie Q, the second sequel to Gee Bee.
• Cinematronics releases the Warrior arcade game.
• SEGA releases the Monaco GP arcade game.
• Atari releases the Lunar Lander and Ed Logg & Lyle Rains' Asteroids arcade games.
• Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw create what is commonly recognized as the first playable MUD. (Note: Many say that this happened in 1978, though Bartle has stated 1979. [1])
• October - subLOGIC releases Flight Simulator for the Apple II. It is later released by Microsoft (1982).

Hardware

• Mattel test markets the Intellivision console in Fresno, California. It is released throughout the United States in 1980.
• Milton Bradley Company releases the Microvision handheld
• Texas Instruments releases the TI-99/4 home computer
• Warner Communications' Atari creates the Cosmos handheld (unreleased)

Business

• New companies:
  • Activision
  • Capcom Inc.
  • Infocom
  • Strategic Simulations, Inc.
  • Edu-Ware Services, Inc.