July 1982

Aug 19, 2022

Universal sues Nintendo over Donkey Kong
Spielberg signs with Atari
Tron disappoints

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

Mads from the Retro Asylum is our cohost. You can find his other fine podcasts here:
http://retroasylum.com
and
https://playthroughpod.com/

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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: Pepper II
Video Version - https://www.patreon.com/posts/70739326
https://www.mobygames.com/game/pepper-ii
https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=778&image=1

Corrections:
June 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/69476654
https://jaleco.fandom.com/wiki/Naughty_Boy
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/brute-force/
Jim Trucano - AMOA - https://www.patreon.com/posts/48912975
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK7H6gI1py0
https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10086
https://youtu.be/bTUrWYv2vtU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vectrex
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Vision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Professor

1982:
US Army enlists Atari
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/10/us/briefing-006748.html?searchResultPosition=14
https://www.mobygames.com/game/bradley-trainer

Zaxxon commercial
Replay July 1982, pg. 112
https://youtu.be/u3NUO2GFGAI
https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/zaxxon

Sega Gremlin opens new factory
Play Meter July 1, 1982 pg 17
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlin_Industries
Jim Trucano - AMOA - https://www.patreon.com/posts/48912975

Ms Pacman set to match Pacman
Play Meter 1 July 1982 pg 17
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._Pac-Man

Bally and Atari both buy into Namco
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 10
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco

Nintendo seeks to expand US operations
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo

Coca-Cola buys Gottlieb
Play Meter July 1, 1982, pg 22
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottlieb

Universal sues over Donkey Kong
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong#Legacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKO_Pictures

Showbiz and Pizza Time reach a settlement
Play Meter July 15, 1982 pg 22
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese
May 1980 jump - https://www.patreon.com/posts/may-2020-37289753

Fuzzy Wuzzy Wizards want a piece of the pizza action
Play Meter July 1 1982 pg 14
https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/820/820.F2d.362.85-3705.html
https://tokencatalog.com/token_record_forms.php?action=DisplayTokenRecord&td_id=521569&inventory_id=584463&attribution_id=538537

Alladin's Castle continues aggressive expansion
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 10
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco#Expansion_into_other_markets_(1989%E2%80%931994)

Not everyone is happy with home PacMan
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 7
https://www.mobygames.com/game/pac-man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smmjCGpa1V0

Coin op operators see costs jump
Vending Times Census of the Industry July 1982, pg. 60

Vancouver bans minors
Play Meter 15 July 1982 pg 20

Sega goes to court in England
Play meter July 15, 1982, pg 22
March 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1982-64415756

Colecovision launches!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColecoVision

5200 hits inventory snag
Video Game Update July 1982 pg 1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_5200
AVGN 5200 video - https://youtu.be/AknyR-kRvLc

Emerson Arcadia debuts at CES
Video Game Update July 1982 pg 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaUw3_OR_q8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_2001

Games by Apollo goes big on advertising
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/23/business/advertising-video-game-client-to-benton-bowles.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_by_Apollo

Activision earnings way up!
Playthings July 1982 pg 11

KC Munchkin is back!
Play Meter July 15, 1982 pg 22
https://www.mobygames.com/game/kcs-krazy-chase

Avalon Hill gets VCS fever
https://archive.org/details/cgw_5/page/n5/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/avalon-hill-game-company/offset,75/so,1d/list-games/
Joel Billings - SSI - https://www.patreon.com/posts/36827469

More new companies enter the scene
Video Game Update July 1982 pg 2

Spielberg goes Atari
Video Game Update July 1982 pg 1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Monkeys
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/et-the-extra-terrestrial_
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/raiders-of-the-lost-ark
https://youtu.be/-UFYpnE_Ob0

Atari announces Swordquest scavenger hunt
Video Game Update July 1982 pg 1
https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/swordquest-series

Video game price war feared
Play Things July 1982

Mattel loses suit over Odyssey patents
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/27/business/mattel-patent-suit.html?searchResultPosition=16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnavox_Odyssey#Lawsuits

Dragon 32 is coming
https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1982-07/page/n16/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_32/64
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_6809

Jon Freeman and Anne West fall leave Automated Simulations
https://archive.org/details/cgw_5/page/n5/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epyx

Sinclair loses more key staff
https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-004/page/n51/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1982-07/page/n37/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Ace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAM_Coup%C3%A9

Wall Street downgrades Apple's future
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/08/business/market-place-apple-fighting-to-stay-ahead.html?searchResultPosition=9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III

Atari gets big order from Dade county
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/15/business/atari-contract.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-420-brenda-laurel-atari-research

Randall Kottwitz muses on laserdisc
https://archive.org/details/softside-magazine-46/page/n5/mode/1up
Randal Kottwitz - SoftSide - MacUser - https://www.patreon.com/posts/63640307

Tron flops with both critics and analysts
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/09/movies/stock-decline-after-screening-of-tron-irks-disney-studio.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0084827/?ref_=bo_se_r_2
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/month/august/1982/?sort=grossToDate&ref_=bo_md__resort#table
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/07/movies/et-at-87-million-hit-of-summer-box-office.html?searchResultPosition=20
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/14/movies/ex-disney-animators-try-to-outdo-their-mentor.html?searchResultPosition=6
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/09/movies/disney-tron.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://youtu.be/DREG0dOW8jw
https://youtu.be/cISmv0IGoQQ
https://youtu.be/2BE3NqTRfLc

Arcades eat into MAD magazine numbers
Games People Pay Late July 1982 pg 12
https://www.comichron.com/titlespotlights/mad.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_(magazine)
https://www.mobygames.com/game/spy-vs-spy

Video games and cable tv erode broadcast audience
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/21/business/advertising-tv-ad-prices-are-raised.html?searchResultPosition=22

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.

Copyright Karl Kuras

Find out on the VGNRTM

tron, atari, apple, macintosh, sinclair, spectrum, commodore, c64, dragon32, mattel, odyssey, magnavox, swordquest, vcs, activision, kc munchkin, games by apollo, colecovision, sega, arcade, fuzzy wuzzy wizerds, chuck e cheese, donkey kong, nintendo, gottlieb, pacman, ms pacman, zaxxon, gremlin, bradley trainer