Space Invaders (Atari 2600 video game)

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Space Invaders
Cover art, credited to "Norman"[1]
Developer(s)	Atari[2]
Publisher(s)	Atari[2]
Designer(s)	Rick Maurer
Series	Space Invaders
Platform(s)	Atari 2600
Release	March 10, 1980
Genre(s)	Fixed shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Space Invaders is a 1980 video game based on Taito's 1978 arcade game by the same name.^[a] It was developed and released by Atari, Inc. for its Atari 2600 home console, with design and development handled by Rick Maurer. Similar to the arcade game, the player operates a laser cannon to shoot incoming enemies from outer space. Maurer's version has unique graphics and offers gameplay variations. These include a two-player mode and options that allow for invisible enemies, moving shields, and for enemies shots to zig zag.

Prior to working at Atari, Maurer developed games at Fairchild Semiconductor. Impressed with the Space Invaders arcade game, he began developing an Atari 2600 version in his own time at Atari. The company staff showed little interest in the game until Ray Kassar saw how well Space Invaders was doing in arcades. Kassar obtained the rights to the game for the Atari 2600 and had Maurer complete his code.

Space Invaders was one of Atari's biggest hits in 1980, with Electronic Games magazine referring to it as a console seller for the system.^[4] It became one of the best-selling games for the Atari 2600 and has been described as the video game industry's first killer app. When Maurer was only compensated with an $11,000 bonus for the success of the game, he left the company and never developed another Atari 2600 game. The success of Space Invaders led to Atari seeking out games from other arcade companies such as Namco and Centuri.

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