January 1982

Jan 24, 2022

Video games and computers are Christmas biz standouts
Atari and Activision settle out of court
Anti-games hysteria begins to rise

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 1982.
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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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven:
Video version - https://www.patreon.com/posts/61568657
https://www.umlautllama.com/projects/Rollercoaster/
https://twitter.com/KaySavetz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3diS7yxow
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n57/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n61
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n81/mode/1up/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n7/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n7/mode/1up
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076636/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Corrections:
December 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/60231153
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interton_Video_Computer_4000
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleco_Telstar_Arcade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlezone_(1980_video_game)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defender_(1981_video_game)
AMOA 1980 Special - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42756585
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-1_(arcade_game)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1WSYdn1b8I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro

1942:
New Jersey town raises pinball licensing fees by 1,900%
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/08/archives/pinball-fee-raised-1900.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/29/archives/pinball-player-fined-in-jersey-winner-who-demanded-prize-pays-25.html?searchResultPosition=7

New York cracks down on pinball
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/28/archives/police-press-drive-on-pinball-games-3031-machines-seized-and-1562.html?searchResultPosition=4
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/26/archives/pinball-blitz-pressed-police-to-rush-seizure-of-machines-before.html?searchResultPosition=6/26/85213738.html?pageNumber=17
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/29/archives/pinball-as-racket-fought-by-mayor-in-affidavit-oposing-suit-for.html?searchResultPosition=10
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/25/archives/mayor-asks-speed-in-pinball-raids-fearing-injunction-moves-by.html?searchResultPosition=11
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/22/archives/police-open-raids-on-pin-ball-games-seizures-in-5-boroughs-made.html?searchResultPosition=12

National pinball and slot machine tax rakes in the bucks
https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/19/archives/game-machine-tax-produces-4708696-wisconsin-leads-in-payments-on.html?searchResultPosition=3

1952:
Ordvac makes the grade
https://www.nytimes.com/1952/01/18/archives/-ordvac-the-brain-to-be-gi-genius-it-finds-mathematics-easy-as-pi.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORDVAC

Electronic Fighter Jet simulator delivered to Navy
https://www.nytimes.com/1952/01/13/archives/simulator-to-train-jet-pilots-of-navy.html?searchResultPosition=3
https://curtisswright.com/company/default.aspx

1962:
US Congress holds hearings on pinball
https://www.nytimes.com/1962/01/20/archives/pinball-company-denies-crime-links.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://www.nytimes.com/1962/01/17/archives/attorney-general-asks-pinball-law.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/pinball-u/beginners-guide-bingo-pinball-nick-baldridge/
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-87hhrg79618/pdf/CHRG-87hhrg79618.pdf
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/gottlieb-part-1/
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/gottlieb-part-2/

1982:
Christmas season is a bust for retail...
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/business/christmas-sales-plunge.html?searchResultPosition=1
Playthings 1982-01
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/20/business/business-failures-rise.html?searchResultPosition=20
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/12/business/december-retail-sales-rose-7.8-in-new-york.html?searchResultPosition=26
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_1980s_recession

Commodore and Apple earnings skyrocket
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/26/business/commodore-international-ltd-reports-earnings-for-qtr-to-dec-31.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/22/business/apple-computer-inc-reports-earnings-for-qtr-to-dec-25.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/22/business/computer-markers-list-earnings.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III

Winchesters are on the rise
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/10/business/new-from-silicon-valley-the-winchester-drive.html?searchResultPosition=8
https://archive.org/details/1982-01-compute-magazine/page/n201/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hard_disk_drives

Sears to offer NEC, IBM and Vector Graphic computers
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n7/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=797

Atari opens its Regional Software Acquisition Center in Sunnyvale, California
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n121/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Program_Exchange

Softside magazine introduces Sofside DV the magazine of the future.
https://archive.org/details/softside-magazine-40/SoftSide_40_Vol_5-04_1982-01_Gambler?q=softside+1982
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoftSide

Book publishers jump on gaming bandwagon
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/31/books/paperback-talk.html?searchResultPosition=1
Replay 1982-01 pg. 13
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Uston
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Master_the_Video_Games
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_2.1/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_2.1/page/n27/mode/2up
Replay 1982-01 pg. 93
https://books.google.de/books/about/Amusement_Machines.html?id=YKoMAAAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y

Blue Sky dealers invade coin op market
Play Meter 1982-01-15 pg. 39
https://historian159.rssing.com/chan-12531872/all_p5.html

The video game scare hits the opinion pages
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/10/nyregion/invaded-by-video-war-games.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/24/opinion/wasting-time.html?searchResultPosition=6

Ronnie Lamm takes on video games
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/nyregion/the-battle-for-america-s-youth.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/20/opinion/l-video-games-offer-a-lot-more-than-fun-179177.html?searchResultPosition=10
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/nyregion/the-battle-for-america-s-youth.html?searchResultPosition=5
Play Meter 1982-01-01 pg. 58
Games People Pay Early-January 1982 pg. 6
Play Meter 1982-01-01 pg. 46
http://popularculturegaming.com/?p=697
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4jjyGIdAvE (Starting at 2:15)

Government antitrust actions end
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/09/business/dow-advances-4.75-phone-accord-cited.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/09/business/dominance-ended-ibm-fights-back.html?searchResultPosition=5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaganomics

Atari and Activision reach settlement
Toy and Hobby World Jan 1982
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activision#Early_years_(1980%E2%80%931982)

Mattel settles suit with Conic
Toy and Hobby World Jan 1982
https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Mattel/FB.htm
https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Conic/Football.htm

Creative Computing invents laser disc gaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3diS7yxow
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n57/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n61
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n81/mode/1up/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n7/mode/1up
https://www.umlautllama.com/projects/Rollercoaster/
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198201/page/n7/mode/1up

The UK declares 1982 to be the Information Technology Year
https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198201/page/n2/mode/1up
https://www.economicshelp.org/macroeconomics/economic-growth/uk-recession-1981/
https://www.eteknix.com/raspberry-pi-becomes-third-best-selling-computer-ever/

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.