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Ever wanted to own a piece of arcade history? Well, now's your chance. David Perry (of Shiny Entertainment fame) is having a clear-out and is selling his rare 'Green Sparkle' two-player version of Computer Space on an auction site, giving players a chance to own the 1973 revision of "the first arcade video game ever created."
The original version of Computer Space, as you may already know, was launched in 1971 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney (under the name Syzygy Engineering), in collaboration with the manufacturer Nutting Associates.
It was designed as a variation on the 1962 computer title SpaceWar!, featuring space combat, but inevitably proved difficult to market as its controls were considered slightly too complex for the audiences at the time.
Originally released as a one-player game, a two-player variant was launched by Nutting in 1973, featuring joysticks on the cabinet, in place of the original rotational buttons, with this version being one in Perry's possession.
"I ran out of space and am selling my Computer Space arcade machine at auction (two-player)," writes Perry "It's probably the rarest arcade game in existence, found in museums."
The auction started at the end of last month and is expected to last until August 21st, 2026, with the highest bid currently being $6,748. As Perry says, the "more common" blue single-player version of the game previously sold for $69k, on the same site, which I've seen suggested came from the collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (though I couldn't confirm this). A similar green two-player version was apparently listed earlier this year for $37k, but reportedly sold to a museum for $20k.
"The cabinet is in fine condition with some slight scuffing and scratching to the body," says the listing. "The machine itself lights up, and the screen is functional."
It then continues, "Original working 2-player Computer Space arcades are practically unobtainable and very rarely offered for public sale, with this example all the more impressive for its immaculate cabinet and original parts."
You can follow the auction here.