April 1982

May 16, 2022

Space War heralds the dawn of the video game
Sanders and Associates patents the game console
Pacman finally kills KCMunchkin

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 1982.
As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Wouter, aka Wiedo, is our cohost. You can find his awesome twitter feed here:
https://twitter.com/wiedo

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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: 3D Monster Maze
Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66504463
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Monster_Maze
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81#/media/File:Sinclair-ZX81.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81#/media/File:Sinclair_ZX81_Setup_PhotoManipped.jpg

Corrections:
March 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/64415756
Tom Dusenberry Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42807419
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=166YVv8ZV4E
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckner_%26_Garcia
https://ballyalley.com/pics/keypad_overlays/keypad_overlays.html
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-st/star-raiders/screenshots

1932
Pinball ruled to be gambling
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380431067/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74171177/pinball-ordinance-not-yet-implemented/

1952
Anti-Pinball law deemed illegal
https://www.nytimes.com/1952/04/11/archives/pinball-law-illegal-hoboken-magistrate-rules-city-ordinance.html?searchResultPosition=1

IBM sees bright future in electronics
https://www.nytimes.com/1952/04/30/archives/watson-reports-i-b-m-expansion-business-machines-chairman-tells.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_701
https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/history/year_1952.html
https://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com/tag/ibm-709/

1962
Spacewar released at MIT
https://www.howtogeek.com/794165/video-games-turn-60-how-spacewar-launched-a-revolution/
http://tech.mit.edu/V82/PDF/V82-N11.pdf

Business managers play IBM business sim
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12413174/the-observer/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81965512/smu-banking-management-game/

1972
Sanders and associates get game console patents
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99426904/magnavox-odyssey-patent-announcement/
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/29/archives/dc10-patent-is-set-mcdonnell-douglas-stresses-arrangement-of-3.html?searchResultPosition=14
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_H._Baer
https://youtu.be/kDAKxjG7VaI

Cartrivision introduces movie rentals to the world
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1972/Pop-1972-04.pdf pg. 25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWZHh5oVjB0

1982
Make your own maze is the new arcade craze
https://archive.org/details/Atari_Coin_Connection_Volume_6_Number_3_April-May_1982
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dig_Dug
https://www.mobygames.com/game/pit

Atari releases promo video to fight local laws
Replay April 1982 pg. 9
https://archive.org/details/Atari_Coin_Connection_Volume_6_Number_3_April-May_1982

Pizza Time Theater fails to impress Wall Street
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/05/business/market-place-pizza-time-unproven-idea.html?searchResultPosition=7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese
Willy's Wonderland - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8114980/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_8

Court rules that speed-up and conversion kits are illegal
Replay April 1982 pg. 9
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Atari, finally, beats KC Munchkin
Games People Pay Early April 1982 pg. 6
Replay April 1982 pg. 25
Play Meter April 15, 1982 pg. 15
Play Meter April 1, 1982 pg. 14

Atari profits surge despite higher tax rate
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/14/business/company-earnings-warner-up-57.4-in-quarter.html?searchResultPosition=3
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/14/business/business-digest-wednesday-april-14-1982-the-economy.html?searchResultPosition=10

Atari releases home computer ports of Pacman and Centipede
https://archive.org/details/kilobaudmagazine-1982-04/page/n199/mode/2up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/pac-man/screenshots
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/centipede_/screenshots

Atari 5200 won't be backward compatible
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62351753/atari-5200-notice-of-no-backwards/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_5200

Sega to distribute Colecovision in Japan
Replay April 1982 pg. 40
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColecoVision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SG-1000

CBS gets into games
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/21/business/cbs-to-market-bally-games.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://www.mobygames.com/company/cbs-software
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/23/business/cbs-unit-offers-58-million-for-maker-of-rubik-s-cube.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_Cube
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_Toy_Company

Quaker Oats gets into games too
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/23/business/cbs-unit-offers-58-million-for-maker-of-rubik-s-cube.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker_Oats_Company#Quaker_Oats_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Games

Flat panels are coming our way
https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-04-rescan/page/n429/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-crystal_display

Sinclair announces flat screen computer... and electric car
https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-04-rescan/page/n427/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV80
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_C5

Sinclair claims volume victory
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1982-04-a/page/n7/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

ZX82 is near!
https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1982-04-23/page/n4/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum

BBC goes all in on computer literacy
https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1982-04/page/n16/mode/1up

The BBC wants to answer your computer inquiries
https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1982-04/page/n16/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC
Micro Men - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBxV6-zamM&t=65s

Hyperlink gaming comes to UK TVs
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_006_1982-04_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n24/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel

Buy plotting paper to make your zx81 art dreams a reality!
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_006_1982-04_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n49/mode/1up

Sinclair User launches
https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-001

Antic magazine debuts
https://archive.org/details/1982-04-anticmagazine

16 bit revolution is coming
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1982-04-a/page/n7/mode/1up

Video Disc gaming not dead yet...
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1982-04-a/page/n7/mode/1up

Zork Users Group announced
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1982-04-a/page/n248/mode/1up
https://www.filfre.net/2012/07/the-zork-users-group/
Michael Dornbrook Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/44335732

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/

Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play.