Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

IBM launches the PC
The morality police have video games in their sights
Venture Capital wants a piece of the software market

These stories and many more on this episode of the Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in August of 1981.
As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Peter is on vacation so we have the pleasure of Mads from the Retro Asylum to join us.
http://retroasylum.com
and
https://playthroughpod.com/

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Time Codes:
7 Minutes in Heaven: 5:00
Corrections: 11:10
Time Jump: 28:20

Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven:
Video version - https://www.patreon.com/posts/55259489
https://www.mobygames.com/game/robot-war
Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517

Corrections:
July 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/54043323
They Create Worlds Nuttings Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/dave-nutting-50562473?l=de
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Fury
https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Warner_Communications
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/23_Datamaster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_(Nintendo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong_(video_game)

1951:
Brigadeer General Leighton Davis builds Dynamic Air War Game
Omaha Evening World Herald August 24, 1951, pg. 29
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,815346,00.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leighton_I._Davis
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107302/lieutenant-general-leighton-i-davis/
https://patents.justia.com/patent/4239227

1961:
Plato is telling on truants
Electronic 'Teacher' Tattles on Students Who Skip Tasks The Times-Picatune, New Oreleans, LA, August 24, 1961
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system)

1971:
ENIAC turns 25
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/01/archives/the-electronic-computers-inventors-mauchly-and-eckert-to-mark.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/09/archives/the-computer-at-age-25.html?searchResultPosition=4
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/04/archives/critics-mark-25th-year-of-the-computer-industry-focuses-on-problems.html?searchResultPosition=8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC
September 1970 jump (First computer with semiconductor RAM) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42700691

1981:
Summer CES breaks records
Playthings, August 1981, pg. 36
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show#1981

Video game bans sweep the USA
RePlay August 1981, pg. 25

UK anti-video game law defeated
Play Meter August 15 1981, pg. 34

Atari gets injunction against General Computer Corporation
RePlay August 1981, pg. 99
Vending Times, August 1981, pg. 46
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._Pac-Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Computer_Corporation

Bally gets into the pizza biz
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/25/business/bally-acquires-pizza-chain.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/05/business/show-time-at-pizza-chain.html
http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/Forums/index.php?/topic/4528-ballys-tom-foolery/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShowBiz_Pizza_Place
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Manufacturing

Drop in electronics sales begins to affect corporate bottom lines
Playthings August 1981 pg. 13
Michael Katz Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258
Greg Fischbach Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46578120
Greg Fischbach Interview Part 2 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/47720122

IBM launches the PC
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/13/business/big-ibm-s-little-computer.html?searchResultPosition=4
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/16/business/the-week-in-business-producer-prices-continued-easing-of-inflation.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/23/business/next-a-computer-on-every-desk.html?searchResultPosition=4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

Xerox launches the 820
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n8/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputing198108/page/n11/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_820

TI dumps the TI99/4 for the 99/4A
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n8/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A#99/4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV0t4QIINLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK9VU1aJvTI

Acorn advertises the BBC Micro
https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro

Commodore prepping UK launch of the Vic
https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAL

WH Smith to sell microcomputers
https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith

Venture Capital is investing in microcomputer software
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/31/business/venture-capitalists-new-role.html?searchResultPosition=9
July 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/54043323
Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517
Ken Williams Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42700706
Michael Katz Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258

Creative Computing celebrates the 20th anniversary of SpaceWar!
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n59/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacewar!

Frank Herbert gives computer advice
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n222/mode/1up
https://books.google.de/books/about/Without_Me_You_re_Nothing.html?id=izcLAQAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-meeting-of-spacewar/

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/

Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play and Enzo Maida.