1980s
Battlezone
1980 · Tank Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Battlezone is a classic 1980s tank shooter game developed by Ed Rotberg for Arcade.
Deep Dive
Battlezone is a classic 1980s tank shooter game developed by Ed Rotberg for Arcade.
Developer Story
Battlezone was designed by Ed Rotberg at Atari and released in 1980. It used vector graphics to create a first-person 3D tank combat game — one of the earliest 3D games ever made. The US Army became interested in the technology and contracted Atari to create a military training version called the Bradley Trainer, which Rotberg worked on reluctantly. He later said the military application was the part of his career he was least comfortable with.
Did You Know?
- Battlezone was one of the first true 3D games — its vector graphics created genuine three-dimensional space that players navigated.
- The US Army commissioned a military training version called the Bradley Trainer, based on Battlezone's hardware and engine.
- Designer Ed Rotberg was uncomfortable with the military contract and has spoken publicly about his reluctance to work on it.
- A periscope-style viewfinder in the cabinet gave players the impression of looking through a tank sight.
- Battlezone's first-person 3D perspective directly influenced the entire FPS genre, from Wolfenstein 3D to Doom and beyond.