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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)

Consider supporting us on Patreon

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Sep 15, 2021

Donkey Kong comes to Nintendo's rescue
Software retailing is coming to a mall near you
Computer Chronicles brings tech to TV

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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Or
videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com


Time Codes:
7 Minutes in Heaven: 09:38
Corrections: 19:11
Time Jump: 36:20


Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven:
Video version - https://www.patreon.com/posts/56209208
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Wolfenstein
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berzerk_(video_game)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_3D
Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517
Longplay with sound samples - https://youtu.be/8fgok9eHqO8
Champion of the Raj - 7 Minutes in Heaven - https://www.patreon.com/posts/54250971

Corrections:
August 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/55291660
https://mario.fandom.com/de/wiki/Pauline
https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system)
https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=639
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanasoff%E2%80%93Berry_computer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Pac-Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/laine-nooney
Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epyx
November 1978 Jump - https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/video-game-newsroom-time-machine-0

1971:
UK computer industry on the fritz
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/05/archives/british-computer-chief-calm-in-crisis-market-shrinking-imports.html?searchResultPosition=3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Computers_Limited
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatcherism#Economic_positions

1981:
Frogger goes head-to-head with Donkey Kong
Vending Times, Sept. 1981, pg. 68
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/frogger
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/donkey-kong
https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-color/frogger

Casual gamers may be outnumbering the hardcore
Play Meter, Sept. 15, 1981, pg. 17
AMOA 1980 Special Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42756585
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/pac-man
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/asteroids_
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/defender

Marcos bans video games
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/20/world/marcos-bans-video-games.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_games_in_the_Philippines#1981_ban_on_video_games

UK's Century Electronics announces interchangeable arcade system
Play Meter, Sept. 15, 1981, pg. 25
http://www.macros-arcade.com/cvs.htm
https://www.gamesdatabase.org/game/arcade/dark-warrior
https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/hunchback-series
Jim Trucano Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/48912975
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcade_video_game#Technology

Mattel Electronics becomes independent unit
Toy & Hobby World Sept. 1981
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision
Don Daglow Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/38445119

Atari 2nd quarter revenue rises 86%
Playthings Sept. 1981, pg. 13
Playthings Sept. 1981, pg. 22
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari

Revenue records for Toys R Us, Coleco
Toy & Hobby World Sept. 1981
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toys_%22R%22_Us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleco
They Create Worlds - The Visions of Coleco Part 1 https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-hmuip-ef4480
Michael Katz Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258

Apple sales triple
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1981-09_OCR/page/n357/mode/1up
July 1979 Jump - https://www.patreon.com/posts/28794108
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisiCalc

Exidy exits the home computer market
Replay Sept. 1981, pg. 20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exidy_Sorcerer

NY Times profiles pervasiveness of computer tech in Japan
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/05/business/computer-technology-pervades-lif-e-in-japan.html

The dedicated software retailer is born
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1981-09_OCR/page/n357/mode/1up
https://www.inc.com/magazine/19820101/9347.html
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/04/14/Fascinating-gadget-lures-singer-from-operatic-career-to-business/1069356072400/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/04/14/Fascinating-gadget-lures-singer-from-operatic-career-to-business/1069356072400/
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/21/business/they-want-to-sell-software-like-hamburgers.html
http://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Datamation/198105.pdf pg. 79
Ken Williams Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42700706
Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517

Sesame Street is coming to the Apple ii
https://archive.org/details/1981-09-compute-magazine/page/n147/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/ernies-quiz
https://www.mobygames.com/game/mix-and-match
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street
June 1979 Jump - https://www.patreon.com/posts/27819027

Softporn ad appears in Softalk
https://archive.org/details/softalkv2n01sep1981/page/68/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/softporn-adventure

Softline magazine debuts
https://archive.org/details/Softline_Magazine_Issue_1.1/page/n15/mode/2up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softalk
https://archive.org/details/softline_magazine

The Computer Chronicles premieres
https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_computerFatte25a0701_4350842/mode/2up?q=silicon+gulch+gazette+1981
https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/9821-computer-chronicles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Cheifet
http://www.cheifet.com/
Computer Chronicles on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/ComputerChroniclesYT
Computer Chronicles Amiga and Atari ST Episode - https://youtu.be/kX5N8lWpqLM
Computer Chronicles Jack Tramiel - https://youtu.be/eaKukgUrxuA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Kildall

Time magazine profiles The People's Court
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,924829,00.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People%27s_Court
Rain Man - People's Court clip - https://youtu.be/Bp9AClR8qCY


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.