May 1983

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

The Supreme Court comes to the aid of video games Commodore's Vic20 drops below $100 Electronic Arts ships its first games

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 May 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

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Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: Star Wars: Jedi Arena Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/84557990 https://www.mobygames.com/game/9447/star-wars-jedi-arena/

Corrections: April 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/april-1983-83174490 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ http://www.dragons-lair-project.com/games/related/sequence.asp https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns https://www.mobygames.com/game/9448/demon-attack/screenshots/odyssey-2/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum_graphic_modes https://lospec.com/palette-list/commodore-vic-20 1953 Computers learn how to learn https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/03/archives/what-next-in-the-attributes-of-machines-it-might-be-power-to.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDSAC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Shannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann

1963 Engstrom says computers are being underutilized https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/23/archives/head-of-rca-sees-computer-upsurge.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_William_Engstrom

1973 Williams enters Pong clone market https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_44/page/48/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_44/page/54/mode/1up https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8965 https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9074 http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sons-of-pong/

1983 Coinop continues to suffer Replay May 1983, pg. 53, 38, 16 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-unsuccessful-arcade-ga/92045929/ https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9647

Bally beats City of Mesquite Replay May 1983, pg. 15 Play Meter May 15, 1983 pg. 14

Magnavox sues Bally over Pacman royalties Arcade Express pg. 2 https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/04/05/The-Magnavox-Co-filed-suit-against-Bally-Midway-Manufacturing/7736418366800/

Mario Bros. debuts at AOE Replay May 1983, pg. 11

Nintendo moves to Tokyo stock exchange Nintendo Stock to be Listed on TSE's 1st Section, Jiji Press Ticker Service, May 24, 1983

Malls embrace arcades Replay, May 1983 pg. 66

Atari enters the arcade biz Replay May 1983, pg. 11

Unions see tech as future of organized labor https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/25/us/unions-press-drive-to-enlist-high-technology-workers.html

Alabama legislature votes to boycott Atari Play Meter May 1, 1983, pg. 24 Play Meter May 15, 1983, pg. 32

Atari keeps making cuts https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/24/business/more-layoffs-at-atari-inc.html

Warner losses mount https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/28/business/warner-sees-wider-deficit.html

Parker Bros. loses injunction against Atari Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 7

Mattel sues Atari https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/04/business/atari-suit-filed-by-mattel.html Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 8 https://www.mobygames.com/company/97/atarisoft/

Atari to release Coleco carts The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 4 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update

Atari teams up with MCA https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/briefs-158965.html

Atari signs Williams deal Replay May 1983, pg. 20

Console game delays pile on The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 1 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update

Atari signs deal with Cynex https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/market-rises-dow-gains-1.45.html https://www.atari-computermuseum.de/2600peri.htm

Amiga introduces The Power Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 59

Vectrex to go color Arcade Express pg. 2

Milton bradley wants you to tell your Atari what to do. Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1 http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/mbx/mbx.html https://thegamescholar.com/2020/04/28/conversations-with-consoles/

Odyssey3 is dead Arcade Express pg. 1

Activision prepares IPO https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-activision-readying-to-go/77695565/

Thundar is coming to Colecovision Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1 https://www.mobygames.com/game/15909/tomarc-the-barbarian/screenshots/

Atari sponsors pro-gaming event at Harvard https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/24/us/video-game-specialists-come-to-harvard-to-praise-pac-man-not-to-bury-him.html?searchResultPosition=10 Control Video readies launch of Gameline https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/02/business/business-people-entrepreneur-sees-success-on-games.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameLine

Commodore abandons 16 bit chip project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_900 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog_Z8000 https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up

You got application software in my operating system! You got an operating system in my application software! https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews010-20May1983/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up?view=theater

Ethernet gets endorsements https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

CP/M86 DOA https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews011-26May1983/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews011-26May1983/page/n3/mode/2up

Atari Computer division goes big on advertising https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up

Vic20 breaks through $100 floor Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1 https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_may83/page/n22/mode/1up

Sinclair line gets price cut https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews008-06May1983/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews010-20May1983/page/n3/mode/2up

Electron delayed again https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews008-06May1983/page/n3/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Electron

Spectra announces SV328 https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_may83/page/n22/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV-318 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV-328

Commodore introduces the new form C2N https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Datasette#Models https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews009-13May1983/page/n13/mode/2up

Profit margins on computers cause retailer consternation Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 18

Book retailers eye software https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/29/business/what-s-new-in-the-book-business.html

Software piracy becomes returns problem https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n17/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n43/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n67/mode/2up

Toys R Us controls 11% of toy market Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 7

First EA games go on sale https://www.linkedin.com/posts/triphawkins_ea-founder-ceo-activity-7065701862527684608-yzb1 https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.3/page/n4/mode/1up https://www.newspapers.com/article/palladium-item-electronic-arts-profile/60299320/

Virgin Games is looking for a few good programmers https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_019_1983-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n3/mode/1up

Canucks get into games Arcade Express pg. 3 https://www.mobygames.com/game/7196/bcs-quest-for-tires/cover/group-27973/cover-72965/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Development_Corporation

Spectrum Games has been launched https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews006-22Apr1983/page/n90/mode/1up I got a home computer! Uh...now what? https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/finding-home-computer-uses.html

RIP Data Age The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 9 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update Arcade Express pg. 4

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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These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM with @QuarterPast83's Dale! vic20 c64 electronicarts trip hawkins atari arcade coinop aladdins castle commodore ti99 vcs apple intellivision vectrex ocean data age sinclair spectrum odyssey2 odyssey3 pong