1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁machines ▁and ▁gross ed ▁over ▁ 6 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁Japan ▁alone . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁T ait o ▁had ▁sold ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁ar cade ▁machines ▁in ▁Japan , ▁and ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁machines ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁within ▁one ▁year , ▁where ▁prices ▁r anged ▁from ▁$ 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁$ 3 0 0 0 ▁for ▁each ▁machine . ▁By ▁mid - 1 9 8 1 , ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁machines ▁had ▁gross ed ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁billion ▁qu arters , ▁or ▁$ 1   b ill ion , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁gross ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁$ 6 0 0 ▁million ▁a ▁year ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁by ▁which ▁time ▁it ▁had ▁gross ed ▁$ 2   b ill ion ▁in ▁qu arters ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁), ▁with ▁a ▁net ▁profit ▁of ▁$ 4 5 0   mill ion ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁). ▁This ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁best - s elling ▁video ▁game ▁and ▁highest - g ross ing ▁" ent ertain ment ▁product " ▁of ▁its ▁time , ▁with ▁compar isons ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁then ▁highest - g ross ing ▁film ▁Star ▁Wars , ▁which ▁had ▁gross ed ▁$ 4 8 6   mill ion , ▁with ▁a ▁net ▁profit ▁of ▁$ 1 7 5   mill ion . ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁earned ▁T