1978
| 1978 | |
| Products and events | See 1978 categories |
1978 was a year of continued expansion of the use of computers in multiple industries.
Computers
Systems
Sharp MZ-80K
Sharp released the 8-bit MZ-80K computer which was the first of the MZ-80K subset of the MZ-80 line which included a monitor and a keyboard in a single unit.
Internet
Throughout 1978, Unix-to-Unix Copy continued to be installed on AT&T Bell Laboratories computers, for a total of eighty-two installations by the end of the year.
Video games
First generation video game consoles
First generation video game consoles, or those that had games programmed into the system rather than on interchangeable media such as ROM cartridges, continued to be released. Most of these used variations of Pong clone processors.
1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
Interton released the Radofin 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System in Europe under the name VC 4000.
Color TV-Game Racing 112
Nintendo released the Color TV-Game Racing 112 video game console in Japan. It contained a driving game with switches on the side that allowed play of 112 variants of the game.
Tele-sports III
Audio Sonic and Radofin released the Radofin-designed Tele-Sports III in Europe.
Tele-sports IV
Audio Sonic, Acetronic, and Radofin released the Radofin-designed Tele-Sports IV in Europe.
SHG released the Tele-sports IV in Germany as the Blackpoint.
PrinzTronic released the Tele-sports IV in Europe and New Zealand as the Micro 5500.
Bodenfund released the Tele-sports IV in Europe as the Programmable Video System.
Second generation video game consoles
Second generation video game consoles, or those that had games programmed on interchangeable media such as ROM cartridges instead of programmed into the system, also continued to be released.
Atari Video Computer System CX2600
Atari released the Atari Video Computer System CX2600 in Europe and North America. Video games released for the console in 1978 included Basketball, Brain Games, Breakout, Codebreaker, Flag Capture ,Hangman, Home Run, Hunt & Score, Outlaw, Slot Racers, and Space War.
Motion pictures
Animation
The computer scientist, Charles Csuri of the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design at Ohio State University, released a short film titled On and Off at the Circus. It was the first polygonal film that contained a storyline.
Companies and organizations founded
In Spain, Aureac, a company that distributed video game consoles in the region, was formed.
In Germany, Bodenfund, a video game console manufacturer, was formed.
In the United States, Dean Witter & Co. merged with Reynolds Securities to become the Dean Reynolds Organization. At the time it was the largest securities merger in U.S. history.
In the U.S. state of New York, RKO General formed a subsidiary, RKO Pictures, which handled the co-production of feature films and television series.
In the U.S. state of Washington, Seattle Computer Products was founded by Rodney Maurice Brock.
In England, on December 31, T.E.L. Engineering began trading as Trolex Engineering.
Video games set in 1978
Art of Fighting by SNK was set in 1978.
