Space Invaders - BE@RBRICK
Space Invaders is a series so iconic its enemy sprites have come to represent the video game industry as a whole. Even players born after the golden age of arcade games have the chance to play the franchise in contemporary ports, remakes, and copycat games. Medicom Toy honors the game's classic imagery and pop culture influence in the "BE@RBRICK Space Invaders 400%" figure.
Brand/Creator and BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
Medicom Toy introduced Space Invaders licensed goods across their apparel and collectible lines in 2019.
Collaboration Planning and Launch History
In May 2019, Medicom Toy released the company's first Space Invaders licensed merchandise. The Space Invaders Series in the MLE brand included accessories, apparel, and home goods featuring design motifs from the game. In August of the same year, Space Invaders received a themed BE@BRICK in the 400% size.
BE@RBRICK Space Invaders 400%
This stylized graphic BE@RBRICK recreates a scene from playing the world's most influential video game, Space Invaders. The figure's base color is solid black, mimicking an arcade game screen. Gameplay imagery comes from the franchise's sequel Space Invaders II, or Space Invaders Deluxe. The sequel game's introduction of colorful sprites make for a striking, vintage electronic aesthetic. The player shooter can be seen on the BE@RBRICK's leg. A horde of enemies attack from above, decorating the figure's rounded belly. One enemy ship can be seen mid explosion while others attack the red barricades below. A large pink UFO adorns the BE@RBRICK's eye, giving the figure an implied face. The original series logo appears on the back of the figure.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK Space Invaders 400%
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted & articulated plastic figure
- Height (Approx.): 280mm | 11"
Space Invaders Background
Space Invaders is a 1978 shooter-style Japanese arcade game. The game was the first fixed shooter and served as the template for the shoot-'em-up genre. Space Invaders is largely credited for expanding the video game market from novelty to a global industry.
Space Invaders Background: History
Space Invaders was created by Japanese developer Tomohiro Nishikado in 1978. Nishikado spent a year not only designing the game but building the hardware necessary to produce it. He cited the Atari game Breakout as an early influence. Space Invaders uses a similar layout as Breakout but features moving rather than static enemies. Nishikado decided on the space theme after struggling to come up with a suitable enemy form. Taito released Space Invaders in July 1978 on both upright cabinet and table cabinet style machines. Midway released their own upright cabinet once the game reached high demand in North America. The original game featured black and white graphics. However, orange and green cellophane strips applied to the screen added color to parts of the image.
Space Invaders Background: Reception
Within months of its release, Space Invaders became immensely popular. By the end of 1978, the game grossed over $600 million in Japan alone. After one year, Taito produced between 200,000 to 300,000 machines. However, this failed to meet public demand, leading to Taito licensing overseas distribution rights to Midway. In 1979, the game had an average of eight million players per day. By 1982, the game grossed over $2 billion with a net profit of $450 million. This made it the highest-grossing "entertainment product" of its time, beating out the record set by Star Wars.
The game received its first home console version in 1980. Taito licensed the game for the Atari 2600 system, quadrupling the console's sales for the year. In its first year, the game sold two million cartridges, making it the first game to sell over one million cartridges. Taito later licensed ports for the Atari 8-bit computer line, Atari 5200, and Nintendo Famicom. After adjusting for inflation, Space Invaders remains the highest-grossing video game of all time.
Space Invaders received the title of Top Arcade Game in the Guinness World Records.
Space Invaders Background: Legacy
Space Invaders revolutionized almost every aspect of the gaming industry. Video game developers such as Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideo Kojima, and John Romero cite Space Invaders as their introduction to the industry. As a shooter game, Space Invaders set the precedent for future games in the genre. With a movable player component, the game also popularized interactive gameplay. Space Invaders introduced the concept of a high score by allowing players to save their score. The game also introduced many modern standards in gaming, such as multiple lives, enemy hordes, and continuous background soundtrack.
The game also has a profound influence on music both within and outside the gaming industry. Not only introducing a continuous soundtrack, but Space Invaders also created musical cues that responded to on-screen events. The music also changed in accordance with game stages, creating a sense of narrative in the soundtrack. These three main components became the basic foundation of video game music development.
Other Notable Releases and Collaborations
Space Invaders and its subsequent games and versions have been ported and licensed to numerous video game developers. However, the game's influence extends beyond video games into other forms of material media. Notable references and collaborations include songs by Japanese synth band Yellow Magic Orchestra and athletics company Puma. Space Invaders is now the name of an arachnid species, anti-tailgating campaign, and song by the Pretenders.
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