Talk:Space Invaders (Atari 2600 video game)

Created article

Space Invaders as an arcade game already has an established article. I decided to be bold and create one unique one for the Atari 2600 for a few reasons. The game has a unique documented development cycle, it has unique visuals and gameplay options, and is an important part of Atari's history (became a system seller, it is on of the best selling games for the system, etc.). I don't think this info should be squeezed into the arcade article as they each have their own unique history. I'll be re-arranging some links in the meantime. Andrzejbanas (talk) 00:01, 19 February 2024 (UTC)

GA review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Space Invaders (Atari 2600 video game)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Nominator: Andrzejbanas (talk · contribs) 18:13, 18 June 2025 (UTC)

Reviewer: Jaguar (talk · contribs) 22:00, 22 June 2025 (UTC)

Will review soon. Jaguar (talk) 22:00, 22 June 2025 (UTC)

Lead

• "and has been described as the video game industry's first killer app" - link killer application to this, and put it in quotes

• Done. Andrzejbanas (talk) 13:48, 23 June 2025 (UTC)

• The lead summarises the article and is well-written

Body

• Minor, but I would split the sources into two columns
• "...but he stopped working on the game and left Atari" - is it stated why he left Atari?

  So in one source, it says he left after Space Invaders upset at the industry. In another source, it suggests this might not be the case as he had clearly started working on another game and left in the middle of it. So there might be some partial truth the other one, but its not clear. One historian who has tried reaching out to him has no luck, and even went as far to suggest as he might not be alive anymore. So I left it at this even if it feels like there is some missing bits. Andrzejbanas (talk) 13:48, 23 June 2025 (UTC)

Clearly meeting the GA criteria, I see no alternative but to outright pass this. It is well-written and I feel is comprehensive enough to meet every aspect of the criteria. If you decide to take this to FAC, I would recommend an expansion. Jaguar (talk) 10:05, 23 June 2025 (UTC)

Thanks! A nice response to hear at the beginning of the week! Andrzejbanas (talk) 13:48, 23 June 2025 (UTC)

Requested move 24 June 2025

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: not moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) -- Maddy from Celeste (WAVEDASH) 20:39, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

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Space Invaders (Atari 2600 video game) → Space Invaders (1980 video game)Space Invaders (1980 video game) – Per WP:NCVGDAB. It doesn't seem like there is any game that was released in the same year by the same name. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 09:43, 24 June 2025 (UTC) — Relisting. CoconutOctopus talk 16:50, 1 July 2025 (UTC)

Do not move: While normally I believe this would be fine in standard versions, most people are not going to associate this game with when it was released, but the unique system it was for. Whenever I read anything about this specific version of the game for the article, it was either referred to as the Atari VCS/2600 version, or the Atari version. Similar to how we have had Tetris (NES video game) or Tetris (Game Boy video game). I think changing it to a year has a larger potential to confuse readers than help them. Andrzejbanas (talk) 10:45, 24 June 2025 (UTC)

This is also backed up by the reasoning at NCVGDAB, which states For platform-specific versions where using the year would remain ambiguous: disambiguate by appending "([platform] video game)" to the title (e.g., "Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS video game)". Andrzejbanas (talk) 10:47, 24 June 2025 (UTC)

"Most people" will maybe not be aware what an Atari 2600 even is. You're speaking from a retro gaming enthusiast standpoint, not a "general knowledge encyclopedia standpoint". ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 14:34, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

A good point, but also your point of that there does not seem to be another game that was released in the same year under the same name, the Atari 8-bit computer line version by Rob Fulop was also seemingly released in 1980 (discussion on that here). Which is also a unique version from this and the Arcade version. Andrzejbanas (talk) 21:43, 26 June 2025 (UTC)

If a page on that is created, this can be moved again. We're talking about what exists now, not WP:CRYSTALBALL. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 00:04, 2 July 2025 (UTC)

Maybe i'm missing it here, but the rule you suggested is about items that don't exist in real life yet (i.e: future products, future events, etc.). The game in question does exist in real life. I don't see any ruling here about what you are stating. Andrzejbanas (talk) 12:23, 3 July 2025 (UTC)

To follow-up, I've created a page on the game as I believe it has significant coverage. Space Invaders (Atari 8-bit video game). Andrzejbanas (talk) 11:55, 4 July 2025 (UTC)

• Oppose. I think Atari 2600 is the platform which makes the correct disambiguator. Under the guidelines that title wasn't the preferred format. Fade258 (talk) 12:11, 24 June 2025 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by JuniperChill talk 18:40, 18 July 2025 (UTC)

(

• Comment or view
• Article history

)

• ... that the Atari 2600 version of Space Invaders led to Atari rescheduling its entire release line-up?

• Source: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/atari-the-golden-years----a-history-1978-1981

• • ALT1: ... that Space Invaders was one of the best-selling Atari 2600 games? Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20120912021616/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/08/26/top-10-best-selling-atari-2600-games
  • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Thompson Seattle

Improved to Good Article status by Andrzejbanas (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 6 past nominations.

Andrzejbanas (talk) 10:42, 24 June 2025 (UTC).

• @Andrzejbanas: Wow. This is rated as a good article. It looks to be reliably sourced and the hook is an interesting fact about the game. Approved. Moondragon21 (talk) 15:20, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
Adequate sourcing: Neutral: Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook eligibility:

• Cited:
• Interesting:
• Other problems:

QPQ: Done.

Overall: