December 1982

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

The video game market crashes, Coinop is on the skids & Home computer competition heats up

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM

This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in December 1982. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Wouter, aka Wiedo, is our cohost. You can find his awesome twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/wiedo and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SW2_WXgbbo and https://redcircle.com/shows/newgameoldflame

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Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: E.T. Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-e-t-77361487 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game) https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/et-the-extra-terrestrial_ https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/et-the-extra-terrestrial-licensees

Corrections: November 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/november-1982-75944920 https://www.arcade-museum.com/manuf_detail.php?manuf_id=1703&orig_game_id=8767 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacewar! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Space August 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/august-1981-55291660 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game) https://www.retroplace.com/en/games/169330--radio-shack-tandyvision-one https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/activision-publishing-inc/offset,1475/so,1d/list-games/ Robert Kniskern - Gamemaster - https://www.patreon.com/posts/robert-kniskern-64771353 https://www.mobygames.com/game/pinball-construction-set/cover-art

1962 Arthur C Clarke predicts networked AI wiping us out https://www.nytimes.com/1962/12/09/archives/spark-of-the-second-industrial-revolution-it-is-the-electron-and.html?searchResultPosition=12

1972 Final Apollo mission lands on moon https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/08/archives/ronald-ellwin-evans.html?searchResultPosition=34 https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/06/archives/last-of-apollos-set-for-liftoff-to-moon-tonight.html?searchResultPosition=45 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

Laser Disc premieres https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93514522/first-public-showcase-of-discovision/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaserDisc

1982: NYT Timeline Our Crash Episodes: The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 1: Atari https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-75643983 The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 2: Everyone Else https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-76259421

Atari secures Destron licenses https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/03/business/briefs-073723.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://arcadeblogger.com/2017/06/02/gdis-slither-the-1-3-million-dollar-crash-burn/

Video Game Update newsletter bullish on CES https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_09.pdf

Games By Apollo files for bankruptcy https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/07/business/a-squeeze-in-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_by_Apollo

Warner announces earnings guidance adjustment https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/09/business/atari-relieves-executive-of-duties.html?searchResultPosition=5 https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/09/business/dow-loses-9.85-in-late-selloff.html?searchResultPosition=7

Atari sues Coleco over Module 1 https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/09/business/coleco-industries-is-sued-by-atari.html?searchResultPosition=9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColecoVision#Atari_2600_expansion

Atari stock plummets further https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/10/business/video-game-industry-is-jarred-anew.html?searchResultPosition=11 Mattel and Warner continue decline while others begin to recover https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/11/business/mattel-stock-buffeted-by-video-game-scare.html?searchResultPosition=13

Atari Announces 1200XL https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/14/business/a-new-computer-is-offered-by-atari.html?searchResultPosition=20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family#Models

Warner's problems not limited to Atari https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/19/business/a-myriad-of-problems-for-warner.html?searchResultPosition=25

Atari 's problems start at the head https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/19/business/the-game-turns-serious-at-atari.html?searchResultPosition=26 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1983/03/17/atari-to-tap-smart-phone-market/b90e4689-b038-41eb-8bed-bc27fca4366d/ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/02/09/Atari-transforms-video-game-into-home-computer/3105413614800/ https://www.technologizer.com/2012/02/12/atari-oddities/9/

Ray Kassar caught in insider trading investigation https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/24/business/warner-reports-atari-insider-case.html?searchResultPosition=29 Warner calls off Madison Fund purchase https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/25/business/madison-bid-halted-by-warner.html?searchResultPosition=32

Warner begins to recover https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/31/business/increase-in-broker-rate-pushes-dow-down-12.23.html?searchResultPosition=36

AMOA muted despite standouts Replay Dec. 1982 pg. 46 AMOA 1980 Special Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42756585 https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/qbert https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/joust https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/popeye https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/super-pac-man https://segaretro.org/Sega_LaserDisc_hardware https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/pole-position https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/buck-rogers-planet-of-zoom https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/front-line Dark Planet video - https://youtu.be/e74YU-pWtF4

Japan Amusement Machine Show muted Play Meter Dec. 15, 1982 pg. 44

Silco to bring home games to the arcades Replay Dec. 1982 pg. 43

Pizza Time Theatre opens 200th store https://showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_pizzatimes2-4.pdf Coke adds games to vending machines Replay Dec. 1982 pg. 105 https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Bandai/CatchACoke.htm

Replay editor goes hardcore Reagan Replay December 1982 pg. 3

Surgeon General warns against video games Replay Dec. 1982, pg. 15 https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/10/us/around-the-nation-surgeon-general-sees-danger-in-video-games.html https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n9

Pacman is keeping the kids off drugs Playmeter Dec. 1, 1982 pg. 16

Epileptic seizures caused by games https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputing1982-12/page/n11/mode/1up https://www.gamesdatabase.org/game/arcade/dark-warrior https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/video-games-and-seizure-safety

Atari Semiconductor Group founded Play Meter Dec. 15, 1982, pg. 42

Financial records broken Toy & Hobby World Dec. 1982 VentureVision enters VCS market https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n10/page/n2/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/company/venturevision https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,26573/

Zimag enters video game market https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_09.pdf https://www.mobygames.com/company/zimag

MysteryDisc brings Laser disc gaming dream to life https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n10/page/n2/mode/1up https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/39318/V-MD-82-001/MysteryDisc-1:-Murder-Anyone

Comdex shows both promise and problems of growing computer industry https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/04/business/winners-of-gamble-on-small-computer.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visi_On

The GUIs are coming! The GUIs are coming! https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/07/science/personal-computers-a-big-1983-expected-for-the-digital-mouse.html?searchResultPosition=6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visi_On

IBM sues over trade secrets https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/01/business/ibm-suit-on-secrets-is-settled.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://archive.org/details/InterfaceAge198212/page/n9/mode/1up

IBM buys 12% of Intel https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/23/world/in-unusual-step-ibm-buys-stake-in-big-supplier-of-parts.html?searchResultPosition=6 Atari licenses Donkey Kong for home computers https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n10

Artworx advertises Strip Poker https://archive.org/details/1982-12-compute-magazine/page/n46/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/game/strip-poker-a-sizzling-game-of-chance

Computer price wars continue https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputing1982-12/page/n13/mode/1up?view=theater

Mattel enters computer fray https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_09.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel_Aquarius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision#Entertainment_Computer_System_(ECS)

IBM rumored to be entering home market https://archive.org/details/1982-12-compute-magazine/page/n7/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PCjr

Commodore recalls C64s https://archive.org/details/1982-12-compute-magazine/page/n7/mode/1up

Sinclair dismantles US operations https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputing1982-12/page/n13/mode/1up Electron misses Xmas https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1982-12-02/page/n4/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_array https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Electron

British computer makers move to block imports https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1982-12-16/mode/1up?view=theater

The Source adopts NCBMS standard https://archive.org/details/softalkv3n04dec1982/page/n285/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_email

Computerland opens 300th store https://archive.org/details/softalkv3n04dec1982/page/n285/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ComputerLand

WH Smith begins stocking the Speccy https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1982-12-16/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith

Universities begin to introduce computer requirements https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputing1982-12/page/n13/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1982/12/13/small-computers-making-a-big-splash-on-campus/fd264ead-e32d-4e2e-b6f3-8073d60a012f/ https://www.cs.cornell.edu/wya/AcademicComputing/text/andrew.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M_computer

Mazes and Monsters airs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazes_and_Monsters

Recommended Links: The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/ They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/ Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/ The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Playthrough Podcast: https://playthroughpod.com/ Retromags.com: https://www.retromags.com/ Games That Weren't - https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/

Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play.

Copyright Karl Kuras

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