March 1983

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Commodore goes portable IBM introduces the XT Nintendo shows off Game and Watch

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 February 1983. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost. Check out his podcast here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/ and order his book here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM

Send comments on Mastodon @[e-mail] Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or [e-mail]

Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: Mega Force Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80898412 https://www.mobygames.com/game/22987/mega-force/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084316/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Corrections: February 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/february-1983-79444139 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Magnavox-Odyssey-Switchbox.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcian_Hoff https://www.pinterest.de/pin/141933825729597463/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/9789/tacscan/ https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/2019/03/31/the-unreleased-games-of-sega-gremlin/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWmVlgIR2HA https://www.mobygames.com/game/9789/tacscan/ https://www.msx.org/wiki/Spectravideo_SVI-728 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13365876/ Why The First Playable Women Of The '80s Were Naked | Video Dames (Streaking / Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYXAoUQ_LI

1943.03 Uncle Sam wants your pinballs https://www.nytimes.com/1943/03/07/archives/pinball-boards-to-train-fliers.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11587355/notifies-army-to-come-and-pick-up/ Billboard Mar 27, 1943 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Printed_Classification_Tests/92kaAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22mechanical+aptitude+test%22&pg=PA297

1963.03 Raytheon introduces infrared wargaming weapons https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/60s/63/Pop-1963-03.pdf pg. 6

1973.03 Japan's computer industry is on the rise Business Japan March 1973 pg. 73 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggretsuko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDGkcwNjoUY

1983.03 Used games hit the auction block https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_37/page/31/mode/1up?view=theater

Distributors embrace conversion kits https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_40/page/35/mode/1up

Chuck E Cheese breaks records https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_pizzatimes3-1.pdf pg. 2 Games People March 5, 1983 pg. 1

You aren't playing games, you're making an investment! https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n17/mode/1up Kevin Hayes - Atari - Namco https://www.patreon.com/posts/50612798

News Flash: 2600 ET was a flop! https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68993030/et-on-atari-2600-declared-a-failure-by/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game) The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 2: Everyone Else https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-76259421 The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 1: Atari https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-75643983

The great cartridge discount has begun Playthings March 1983 pg. 30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beige_Book

Wall Street predicts end of video game growth Games People March 12, 1983 pg. 17

Video games increasingly dominate toy retail Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. 14

Atari distribution goes exclusive https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_40/page/5/mode/1up Court halts Atari distribution reform https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/30/business/atari-distribution-plan-is-blocked.html?searchResultPosition=1

Delays plague game release schedules https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update March 1983 pg. 1

Amiga announces the Power Module Playthings March 1983 http://www.bambi-amiga.co.uk/amigahistory/powermod.html Toy and Hobby World March 1983

Starpath cuts supercharger price Playthings March 1983 Toyand Hobby World March 1983

CBS ups the RAM Toy and Hobby World March 1983 https://www.buckosoft.com/~dick/resume.html https://patents.justia.com/patent/4485457 https://www.mobygames.com/game/19721/tunnel-runner/

Intellivision 2 doesn't like Coleco https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update March 1983 pg. 7 Milton Bradley goes multiplatform Toy and Hobby World March 1983 https://www.mobygames.com/company/2767/milton-bradley-co/ Data Age spends big on Journey game Toy & Hobby World March 1983 https://youtu.be/V41ajt3euYQ

Move over Custer, Leatherface is here Games People March 12, 1983 https://www.mobygames.com/game/21563/the-texas-chainsaw-massacre/ Vectrex jumps on console-to-computer bandwagon https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update March 1983 pg. 7 https://www.mobygames.com/game/10350/journey-escape/

Summer CES to be the biggest yet https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n17 Japanese games invade CES Toy and Hobby World March 1983 https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Nintendo/index.html https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Bandai/index.html

Computer price war continues Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3 https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n14/mode/1up

TI extends rebate Playthings March 1983

TI reaches a new PLATO Toy and Hobby World March 1983 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system)

TI announces cost of defective TI994A transformer https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/02/business/texas-instruments-earnings-charge.html?searchResultPosition=13

Vic20 beats competition in install base https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n495/mode/1up American McGee - id - spicy horse - ea https://www.patreon.com/posts/45549970

Commodore introduces the 1702 Toy and Hobby World March 1983 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_peripherals#Other_peripherals

Commodore and Timex debut new machines at CES https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n497/mode/1up

HDs go 3.5" https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n18/mode/1up

IBM PC Add-ons and clones become a cottage industry https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/27/business/big-ibm-has-done-it-again.html?searchResultPosition=1

IBM drops 16k systems in US https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n494/mode/1up

IBM announces the XT https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews002-25Mar1983/page/n7/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer_XT

Intel gets into GPUs https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n4/mode/1up Retailers can sell software without carrying hardware Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3

Hundreds of computer stores close https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n496/mode/1up

Software leasing comes to the faire https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/29/science/personal-computers-report-from-the-faire.html?searchResultPosition=34

Microsoft hits UK high street https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n3/mode/1up https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/micro_Live_Windows_gem/zm6mjhv

Atari going multiplatform Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3 https://www.mobygames.com/company/97/atarisoft/ More details of Disney's software plans revealed Toy and Hobby World March 1983

Before there was Typing of the Dead... https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n26/mode/1up https://youtu.be/T3YcbvgCsh4

Benji is going into space Playthings March 1983 https://www.mobygames.com/game/32180/benji-space-rescue/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benji

Games Network test ends https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.2/page/n4/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n77/mode/1up legal

Coleco and Atari settle https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/12/business/company-news-atari-coleco-pact.html?searchResultPosition=6 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/31/business/technology-issue-of-deceit-in-electronics.html?searchResultPosition=2

France levies fine against anglicized computer documentation https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n497/mode/1up https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/31/23148358/france-academie-francaise-esports-gaming-translations

Pacman merch may have maxed out Games People March 12, 1983 pg. 20 https://vglegacy.com/pop-culture/pac-man-vitamins/ https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_06_1983-03_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n18/mode/1up

Atari launches Ataritel https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/18/business/company-news-atari-plans-entry-in-communications.html?searchResultPosition=12

The race for digital TV is on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITT_Inc. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/17/business/technology-the-flexibility-of-digital-tv.html?searchResultPosition=21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television

Penthouse wants to advertise your game https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n26/mode/1up

Marvel teams up with George Romero for media cross polination project https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/01/movies/new-film-comic-superhero-coming.html?searchResultPosition=19 https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a839148/george-romero-marvel-superhero-movies/

Kadabroscope promises to bring hand drawn animation into the computer age https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_pizzatimes3-1.pdf pg. 5 https://twitter.com/mjsamps/status/1331301343135457283?lang=en

German mag Homecomputer hits newsracks http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=SG9tZWNvbXB1dGVy https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Homecomputer RIP US Games https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n17 https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGames/Electronic%20Games%20Issue%2013%20%28March%201983%29/page/n96/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Games

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