FIGURE 1
ELECTRONIC GAMES U. S. PRODUCTION[1]
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1976
$242M
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1980
$524M
- ↑ Excludes Offshore Assembly
VIDEO LEADS COIN OPGames incorporating a video display, using a CRT, dominated 1976 production of commercial games, accounting for 69 percent of the total, or $57 million, as noted in Figure 2. Electronic pinball games also are finding wide acceptance. Electronic blackjack, stud, dice and other games are beginning to penetrate casino operations. Casino and pinball game production will expand slightly more rapidly than video skill games over the next four years. The overall production of commercial games will more than double, expanding at a 20 percent annual average to reach $172 million in 1980. Microprocessors will be widely used in these advanced games.
STAND ALONE HOME VIDEO TAKEOFFNearly all 1976 production of home video games consisted of add on kits for attachment to existing television receivers. This situation will shift drastically over the next four years, however. A rapidly increasing share of this market will be served by stand alone units which incorporate the basic TV receiver and a variety of games in the single home entertainment center. The stand alone share of the home video market will explode from a negligible 1976 position to 43 percent of production, $132 million, in 1980. These games typically will incorporate microprocessors, and will be designed for reprogramming by plugging in new printed circuit cards, tape cassettes or other media. The add on kit production will remain relatively constant in dollar value, increasing from $145 million in 1976 to $175 million in 1980, while the add on share of home video games drops to 57 percent, as noted in Figure 3. Stand alone home video games, in addition to entertainment
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