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/
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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