August 1983

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Dragon's Lair takes arcades by storm, Commodore rules the computer roost & Video game makers pivot to micros

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 August 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: Decathlon Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-89553431 https://www.mobygames.com/game/11537/the-activision-decathlon/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcHeXlhxeX4 Corrections: July 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1983-87998862 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://youtu.be/A-6AKe2pvsQ?si=Y86cYPldukmG2V-H The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 1: Atari https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-75643983

1973 Atari moves into new facilities https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_5/page/n49/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_7/page/47/mode/1up

Atari announces new cabinet for Space Race https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race_(video_game) https://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=464

Are pongs slowing down? https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_7/page/48/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_8/page/47/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_8/page/48/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_8/page/47/mode/1up

1983 Dragon's Lair gives arcades hope https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-cruz-sentinel-laserdisc-games-prof/85528743/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-dragons-lair-in/86477004/ https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/02/arts/hollywood-playing-harder-at-the-video-game.html Replay August 1983 pg. 10 Replay August 1983, pg. 54 Sega sells manufacturing to Bally https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/28/business/barry-diller-s-latest-starring-role.html https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/30/business/advertisingn-r-kleinfield-computers-take-aim-at-schools.html

Bally To Buy Sega's U.S. Coin-Op Game Assets The Associated Press, August 25, 1983, Thursday, AM cycle PR Newswire, August 25, 1983, Thursday PR Newswire, August 11, 1983, Thursday Gregory Fischbach Part 2 - Acclaim https://www.patreon.com/posts/47720122

Coinop returns to its roots Games People August 6, 1983 pg. 1

Off duty cops patrolling arcades Replay August 1983, pg. 81 Mattel lays off 400 in Electronics https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/05/business/mattel-to-lay-off-400-in-electronics-division.html Don Daglow Part 1 - PDP - Mattel - Intellivision - EA https://www.patreon.com/posts/38445119

Amiga buys US Games titles https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-5/page/68/mode/1up http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/powerarcade/powerarcade.htm

Telesys anounces budget games https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_aug83/page/5/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/company/4847/telesys/

Mythicon introduces budget 2600 line https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-5/page/72/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.mobygames.com/company/4823/mythicon-inc/

Gammation to support Supercharger https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_aug83/page/5/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/company/11203/gammation/

Game cancellations mount https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-5/page/68/mode/1up

Milton Bradley sues Atari over voice unit cancellation Electronic Games Hotline August 28, 1983 pg. 1

Suncom brings physical fitness to the VCS Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S31 https://picclick.fr/RARE-AEROBICS-JOYSTICK-exercise-bike-385448488962.html http://www.atarihq.com/museum/2678/hardware/aerobics.html

Atari moves to TSX With Multiuser Operating System; Atari Resolves PRogrammer/System Dilemma, Computerworld, August 15, 1983

Bring on the celeb endorsements Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S11

C64 hits $199 Playthings August 1983

Commodore reigns supreme in the home computer wars... for now https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/01/business/two-standouts-in-electronics.html

TI changes the color of the 994A Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-99/4A

99/2 is dead... https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=267 https://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?c=268&st=1

Adam price announcements deceptive https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-5/page/68/mode/1up Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S12 Electronic Games Hotline August 14, 1983 pg. 1

Adam prototypes are no shows https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/01/business/coleco-strong-in-marketing.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleco_Adam

Romox to bring software teledelivery to MSX Software Teledelivery is planned, The Japan Economic Journal, August 2, 1983

MSX licensing fees come under fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX#Manufacturers https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews023-17Aug1983/page/n5/mode/1up

JVC brings laser disc games to MSX https://www.msx.org/wiki/Victor_HC-7 JVC To Produce Personal Computer, Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service AUGUST 31, 1983, WEDNESDAY https://youtu.be/ShDiFJFoXSg?si=UY6QM_kM_i5JABlX

Japan moves to protect against software rentals Consent of copyright holders should be won for renting, The Japan Economic Journal, August 2, 1983

Timex reveals TS2000 details https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews021-03Aug1983/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews025-31Aug1983/page/n6/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews023-17Aug1983/page/n36/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews025-31Aug1983/page/n43/mode/1up

Osborne cuts jobs, closes factory https://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/08/28egh/pages/19830828egh.pdf

IBM announces plans to sell Concurrent CPM https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up Japanese version of CP/M-86 is introduced, The Japan Economic Journal, August 2, 1983

Creative Computing begins publishing price list Commodore sues former employees and Atari over VCS add-on https://www.ataricompendium.com/faq/bagnall_vcs_keyboard.pdf Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S7

Commodore announces 70 new software packages https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up

Infocom unleashes Z Machine Electronic Games Hotline August 14, 1983 pg. 2

Activision lands on home computers Electronic Games Hotline August 14, 1983 pg. 7

Epyx announces outside studio Toy and Hobby World July/August 1983 S12

Spectrum Games renamed Ocean https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews022-10Aug1983/page/n12/mode/1up

Sony teams up with Data East Sony ties up with Data East in MSX software development, The Japan Economic Journal, August 2, 1983

Stellar 7 debuts https://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/08/28egh/pages/19830828egh.pdf pg. 7

Park Brothers goes big on ads https://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/08/28egh/pages/19830828egh.pdf pg. 8

Jon Shirley becomes Microsoft prez https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up Games Network hits the stock market https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/24/business/briefs-119250.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_aug83/page/6/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews025-31Aug1983/page/n8/mode/1up

Softyme tests online distribution https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up

BBS's bring out the Pirates Gilded youth, jaded youth , Forbes, August 15, 1983 The "On-Line" Society, Computerworld, August 17, 1983

Microcom licenses MNP https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-08_OCR/page/n9/mode/1up Softwareland wants standardized UPCs https://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/08/28egh/pages/19830828egh.pdf pg. 4 https://books.google.de/books?id=baj-kGvs1L0C&pg=RA1-PA76&lpg=RA1-PA76&dq=%22softwareland%22+retail+store+taylor+coleman&source=bl&ots=QngUR-drNu&sig=ACfU3U1Iz9L7kenfh8SwIYdbRq9IGafJgw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwurn2iaWBAxUd_rsIHXI1CaQQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=%22softwareland%22%20retail%20store%20taylor%20coleman&f=false UK leads in computer adoption Commodore News Vol1 Num3 1983

Gamer begins to enter the vernacular https://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/08/28egh/pages/19830828egh.pdf pg. 2

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