Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

40 years ago:
The line between computers and consoles blur,
Dragon's Lair wows coinop &
Reagan thinks video games are swell

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

Dale is this month's cohost, check out his research work at 
https://twitter.com/QuarterPast83

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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: Choplifter
    Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/83105884
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choplifter
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/8127/choplifter/screenshots/

Corrections:
    March 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1983-80900087

1943.04    
RCA's Engstrom sees long term benefits of war time radio research    
    https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/04/archives/future-good-seen-in-radio-research-dr-ew-engstrom-predicts.html?searchResultPosition=1    
    https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33991
    
1973.04    
Pong clones are on the rise
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314877/allied-leisure-sales-increase-with-new/   
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314697/computer-space-ball-mention-at-arcade/   
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170616011152/https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7382   
    https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8963
    
Washington State legalizes pinball
    https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/28/archives/gambling-bill-signed.html?searchResultPosition=1

IBM introduces memory enhanced typewriter
    https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/27/archives/ibm-introduces-memory-in-a-typewriter-at-11800.html?searchResultPosition=4   
    https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102662757

First Cell phone call made
    https://twitter.com/fabiodidone/status/1510780261734174722?s=20&t=lMORcKlnszht57E5lCjaXg   
    https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167815751/50-years-ago-martin-cooper-made-the-first-cell-phone-call

Soylent Green ad misses opportunity
    https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/04/11/issue.html  pg. 41
    https://youtu.be/7wpfzfHWy-o
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green

1983.04
Dragon's Lair awes AOE
    Replay April 1983 pg. 64
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair_(TV_series)

Tron is a hit! 
    https://archive.org/details/electronic-fun-with-computers-and-games-volume-1-number-6-april-1983/page/n97/mode/1up
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/33983/tron/

Simutron wants to take you were no man has gone before
    Play Meter April 1983, pg. 32 
    http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-simutron-tournament-center-ultimate.html
    Play Meter April 1983 pg. 28  
    https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8822
    Play Meter April 1983 pg. 31
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/12177/star-trek-strategic-operations-simulator/
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/57723/microleague-wrestling/screenshots/

Gamers will flip for SakerOne
     Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 1   
    http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-saker-one-space-probe.html

Bally sticks to dedicated cabs
    Replay April 1983, pg. 24

IRS may be coming for conversion kits
    Replay April 1983, pg. 42

Universities struggle with video games on campus
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/11/nyregion/colleges-finding-video-games-a-mixed-but-profitable-blessing.html?searchResultPosition=2

Reagan believes that games do improve hand eye coordination
    Replay April 1983, pg. 10, 16   
    https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-during-visit-walt-disney-worlds-epcot-center-near-orlando-florida   
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup_as_a_vegetable

Atari goes after Bushnell
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21/page/n4/mode/1up

Ottumwa declared Video Capital of the World
    Replay April 1983, pg. 13
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Galaxies

Move over Game and Watch, here comes Game and RADIO!
    Playthings April 1983, pg. 47  
    https://picclick.co.uk/VGC-1980s-Vintage-Pop-Game-Emergency-Radio-Watch-266171641750.html
    
Atari launches in Japan
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/13/business/atari-unit-in-japan.html?searchResultPosition=12
    https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/Atari_2800
    
Warner losses mount
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/20/business/warner-citing-atari-posts-18.9-million-loss.html?searchResultPosition=16   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/30/business/annual-reports-more-candor.html?searchResultPosition=23
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/commodore-international-ltd-reports-earnings-for-qtr-to-march-31.html?searchResultPosition=12

MB takes a hit on Vectrex
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/07/business/milton-bradley.html?searchResultPosition=4

Mattel refiles for debt offering
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/briefs-093737.html?searchResultPosition=11

Philips announces Chess add-on for G7000
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up   
    https://www.chessprogramming.org/Videopac_C_7010

3rd party software reaches the Odyssey2
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  April 1983 pg. 2

Intellivision becomes a Transforrmer
    Play things April 1983   
    https://retroconsoles.fandom.com/wiki/System_Changer

WICO introduces the BOSS
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  April 1983 pg. 1

Unitoys, K-Tel, Answer Software, and Avalon Hill enter 2600 fray
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  April 1983 pg. 1    
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:348/platform:atari-2600/sort:date/page:1/   
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19

Quaker Oats says goodbye to video games
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/restructuring-plan-set-by-quaker-oats.html?searchResultPosition=20

Move over porn... hotels have a new on-demand amenity!
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n1/mode/1up

Battle between console makers and home computer makers heats up
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/28/business/computer-or-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=1   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/commodore-aims-at-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=10   
    Playthings April 1983, pg. 38

Short sellers smell blood in the gaming and computer business waters
        https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/22/business/short-interest-up-on-big-board-amex-sets-mark.html?searchResultPosition=10

Computer game makers discover cartridges
    Toys Hobbies and Crafts April 1983

TI locks out 3rd parties
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/mode/1up   
    http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti99qi.html

Sierra acquires Sunnyside Soft, prepares to publish Ultima 2
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up

First Star eyes movie licenses
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up

EA gathers its rockstars
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19/page/n1/mode/1up

Sharp shows off the X1
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n111/mode/1up

Sinclair micro-drive to be game changer
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n459/mode/1up
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Microdrive

WHSMith slashes Spectrum price    
    
Vic20 upgrade to 64 scrapped
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews005-15Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up

PC Compatibles in droves
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews006-22Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up   
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up

John Scully assumes top job at Apple
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up

Siemens shows off flat color display
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n461/mode/1up
    
BBC to broadcast software over teletext
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up   
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceefax
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up

Jeff Minter tops US charts
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-07/page/n4/mode/1up

Legal wrangling over Hitchhiker game rights
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition

Video games declared sexist
    Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 1

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

Find out on the VGNRTM

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM with @QuarterPast83's Dale!
atari
nolan bushnell
broderbund
arcade
coinop
dragon's lair
commodore
ti99
ronald reagan
vcs
jeff minter
apple
intellivision
sierra
vectrex