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The Video Game Newsroom Time Machine is a weekly retro gaming podcast in which we travel back in time to see what was making headlines 40, 30, and 20 years ago in the arcade, video game, and computer gaming business and interview industry veterans. 

We try to put those events into historical context to understand how the industry of today came to be. 

It's fun and educational! (in case you need to justify listening to it to a significant other)

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  1. All Episodes
  2. January 1983

January 1983

Feb 9, 2023

Compaq gives birth to the PC clone, 
Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair & 
A day of reckoning awaits the software business

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

Jon from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost.  You can find his other fine retrogaming work here:
https://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/

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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: River Raid
    Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/78434628
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/river-raid
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Raid
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Shaw
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pictures#1980s:_Coca-Cola,_Tri-Star,_and_other_acquisitions_and_ventures
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kassar
    https://www.amoa.com
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/astron-belt
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEwZkbSmEU

Corrections:
    December 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/december-1982-77433012

   Ethans new series: https://www.youtube.com/@play_history
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velcro
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaserDisc
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEwZkbSmEU

1973
Pong doing well
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_28/page/37/mode/1up
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong

1983
Retailers rethink games
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/24/business/stores-reassess-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=20

Nassau County wants big money from operators
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/02/nyregion/battle-for-the-dollar-looms-in-albany.html?searchResultPosition=3

SNK sells direct to operators
    Replay Jan. 1983 pg. 88   
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEzVjfkELo

Japan recognizes game copyrights
    Replay Jan. 1983 pg. 18  
    Games People Jan. 8, 1983 pg. 1

Bally Midway wins pillow fight
    Games People Jan. 22, 1983 pg. 1

Pacmania continues
    Games People Jan. 8, 1983 pg. 1    
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n3/mode/1up   
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083461/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085008/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Supercade

Winter CES sees the rise of the software providers
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/08/business/the-new-software-suppliers.html?searchResultPosition=4   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/08/arts/electronics-fair-views-consumer-s-tomorrow.html?searchResultPosition=5    
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n2/mode/1up
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater

Repackaged Consoles to debut at CES
    https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_10.pdf   
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJDy0XC6vDg   
    http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/classics/odyssey_3.htm
    https://history.blueskyrangers.com/parkerbro/unreleasedparker.html

Big names are being attracted to games
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/13/arts/makers-vie-for-millions-in-home-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=7   
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n11/page/n1/mode/1up
    
Buy 2 get 1 free is the post Xmas slogan
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92300722/video-game-market-profile-part-1/    
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92300741/video-game-market-profile-part-2/

MB buys Sanders license
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/06/business/milton-bradley-license.html?searchResultPosition=6

Imagic settles with Atari
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/05/business/atari-suit-settled.html?searchResultPosition=2

Imagic delays stock offering
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up

Custer's Revenge resolution goes to court
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/23/nyregion/video-games-pose-thorny-legal-issue.html?searchResultPosition=18   
    Games People Jan. 1 1983, pg. 4
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/swedish-erotica-custers-revenge

Custer's Revenge discontinued
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92040119/custers-revenge-pulled-from-shelves/

Atari warns users against 3rd party carts in Germany
    https://archive.org/details/atari-club-magazin-1983-1/page/4/mode/1up

Modify your games with Answer's PGP1    
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater    
    http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-personal-game-programmer-pgp-1_20131.html

Turn your VCS into  a computer
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater   
    http://atarihq.com/museum/2678/piggybak.html
    https://books.google.de/books?id=7y8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=entex+2000+piggyback&source=bl&ots=OX0w8DE4xG&sig=ACfU3U3WG9VdcJUcR9NCX3q7LdlLJxWc8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ9830hfn8AhVUgf0HHVo_AZQQ6AF6BAgdEAM#v=onepage&q=entex%202000%20piggyback&f=false

Palmtex takes gaming on the go
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up  
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmtex_Portable_Videogame_System   
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP7wtw4rk4g

Byte gets hands on with Compaq
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n31/mode/1up?view=theater
    
Apple unveils the Lisa
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up   
    https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=265&st=1

Intel introduces the 80286
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n473/mode/1up?view=theater

3.5" floppy standard agreed on
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/11/business/sony-agreement.html?searchResultPosition=6   
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n475/mode/1up?view=theater 

CPM compatibility grows more difficult
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n472/mode/1up?view=theater

Commodore announces portable 64
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-20/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Tramiel declares war on Sinclair
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater
    
Texas Instruments targets ZX81 with TI99/2
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up   
    https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=267

Timex to distribute Speccy in USA
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Sinclair_2068

Clive sells 10% stake in Sinclair Research
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up

Competition Pro Joystick debuts
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up
    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_Pro
    
Roklan moves into cartridges
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n3/mode/1up
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/roklan-corporation

Cosmi brings budget software to home micros
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n1/mode/1up
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/cosmi-corporation

Survival Software pioneers the demo disk    
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n11/page/n1/mode/1up

Gamestar advertises Starbowl
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,7082/

Epyx gets cash infusion
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n1/mode/1up
    Michael Katz Part Part 1 - Coleco - Epyx - Mattel
https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258

Bug Byte defectors dare to Imagine
    https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-015/page/n114/mode/1up    
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/arcadia/credits   
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3QtuL29Cs   
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzE4Oawtww   
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/imagine

Bug Byte ditches mail order
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/mode/1up?view=theater

Creative Computing drops out of the software game
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater

Independent computer stores are closing
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n475/mode/1up?view=theater

Returns loom as threat to software industry
    https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-january-1983/page/70/mode/1up

Console tech comes to phones
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/07/business/baby-bell-offers-its-first-2-phones.html?searchResultPosition=7

Graphics are holding online shopping back
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/13/business/technology-retailing-by-computer.html?searchResultPosition=14

The Internet is born
    https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml

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

 

40 years ago:
Compaq gives birth to the PC clone, 
Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair & 
A day of reckoning awaits the software business

These stories and many more on the latest episode of the VGNRTM

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