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Computer Space |
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Manufacturer:
Nutting Associates Year: 1971 Class: Wide Release Genre: Space Type: Videogame Conversion Class: unique Number of Simultaneous Players: 1 Maximum number of Players: 1 Gameplay: Single Control Panel Layout: Single Player Controls:
Sound: Amplified Mono (one channel) |
![]() Photo contributed by: Greg McLemore
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DescriptionThis is the first ever arcade video game. The game is a basic space-war type game where single players control a rocket ship and face off against two flying saucers or, in the two-player version, players battle each other.Know anything more about this game? Cabinet InformationThis game is housed in a fiberglass cabinet. Most of them had metalflake paint jobs of varying colors. The oneplayer and twoplayer cabinets differ slightly. The oneplayers control panel is offset, and the cabinet molded along a sweep to accompany it. The player controls are all buttons. The twoplayer cabinet has a Chevron shaped control panel, a vague V shape to the lower front of it, and uses both joysticks and buttons for the player controls. Both machines have a single coinslot in the control panel. In April 2007, we were able to find and obtain the only white Computer Space machine ever made. It was a prototype taken to a tradeshow back in 1971 to demonstrate the first created coinoperated videogame, and is the oldest coinoperated videogame known to exist.Game IntroductionThe game takes place in outer space. The player controls a rocket ship. The enemies in the game are a pair of flying saucers.Game PlayThe rocket ship controlled by the player can be manuevered through space using rotational buttons and a thrust button. The fire button is used to make the rocket ship fire missiles.When the two enemy flying saucers attack, they will fire missiles at the rocket ship. The player must have the rocket ship fire missiles at the flying saucers to destroy them. The object of the game is for the player to have the rocket ship to destroy the flying saucers more times than the flying saucers can destroy the rocket ship, the player must also try to have the rocket ship outscore the flying saucers in order to get extended play in hyperspace. If the player attains hyperspace the playfield will turn from black to white and feature a vision of daylight in outer space. The game will end if the flying saucers outscore the player's rocket ship and time has expired. MiscellaneousWWW httpwww.emuunlim.comdoteatersplay1sta1.htm PThe twoplayer cabinet uses a fourway joystick with a button on top that is used for firing. The play type is competitive rather than player vs. computer.PIn the twoplayer version of this game, one player controls a rocket ship and the other player controls a flying saucer. Also, in that version, one player tries to outscore the other player.Scarcity in collections (VAPS.org)Common - There are 22 known instances of this game owned by one of our 900 members. Of these, 22 of them are original dedicated machines, 0 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards have been placed in another game cabinet, and 0 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.Of the 42,694 video games (3,154 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game ranks a 9 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records. Wanted - There are 8 VAPS members currently looking for this game. Rarity is NOT necessarily an indication of value. Some common games show up as very rare here because collectors don't want them (they are common because arcade operatos might be sitting on tons of them in warehouses), while some fairly scarce games are grabbed by collectors every time they show up. Additionally, some games made in the last 5 years are still making money for operators and are thus not yet affordable to the typical collector. For a clue to value, compare how many people have this game vs. how many people want this game and then click on the eBay links to help determine an accurate price range. TriviaThis was the first arcade video game. Its creator, Nolan Bushnell, set forth the basic design that all dedicated arcade games would follow. A board or set of boards to run that particular game not a multipurpose computer, a display, controls, coin acceptor and separate power supply. The coinbox in this game was a paintthinner can.PAccording to one estimate, 1500 of the twoplayer cabinets were released.PA yellow IComputer SpaceI cabinet can be seen in the 1975 movie, Jaws, during the arcadebeach scene approximately 40 minutes from the beginning.PIComputer SpaceI also appears in the 1973 movie, Soylent Green, starring Charlton Heston. It appears briefly on screen being played by a woman while policeman Heston is visiting the apartments owner.eBay ListingsClick here to automatically search eBay's Arcade, Jukebox, and Pinball categories for the Computer Space Videogame machine and items related to it.Click here to automatically search eBay's Arcade, Jukebox, and Pinball categories for machines and parts made by Nutting Associates. Alternatively, check out the IAM/KLOV custom report of the hottest coin-op machines on eBay, powered by Ace.com (updated throughoutthe day).
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