March 1981

Mar 25, 2021

The Integrated Circuit is born,
Home computers storm CES
and
Atari orders massive chip inventory

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 March 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 still out "on assignment" so we are joined again by Jon from the Retro Game Squad.
http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/

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Links:
Jon's 7 Minutes in Heaven
https://www.mobygames.com/game/asteroids-deluxe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvQCLhkwGg

Corrections:
https://www.theycreateworlds.com/transcripts/tcw114
https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/sierra-hi-res-adventures
https://www.mobygames.com/company/aventuras-ad
https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,82501/
https://archive.org/details/SoftwarePeopleDougCarlston/page/n9/mode/2up

1961:
Fairchild introduces the IC
https://www.nytimes.com/1961/03/15/archives/fairchild-introduces-circuits-in-miniature.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Semiconductor

The libraries of the year 2000 will be on computer tape
https://www.nytimes.com/1961/03/28/archives/librarian-of-2000-may-be-computer-mathematician-gives-plan-for.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Kemeny

1971:
Film editing goes non-linear thanks to computers
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/14/archives/computer-to-save-millions-in-film-editing-due-soon-computer-to-save.html?searchResultPosition=11
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-linear_editing#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMX_Systems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMX_600
https://web.archive.org/web/20080210020634/http://www.sssm.com/editing/museum/offline/cmx600.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npExd1D6mtI

George Lucas makes his feature film debut with THX1138
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/12/archives/lucass-thx1138love-is-a-punishable-crime-in-future.html?searchResultPosition=66
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066434/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/21/archives/wandas-a-wow-sos-thx-wandas-a-wow-sos-thx.html?searchResultPosition=121

1981:
Electronic toys dissapoint at CES but video games come out swinging
Toys Hobbies & Crafts March 1981, pg. 14
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/tom-dusenberry-interview

Microcomputers take the stage at CES
https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-03/page/n51/mode/2up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp_MZ
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-japanese-pc-industry/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APF_Electronics_Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRASS_(programming_language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFnD_K3abOc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision#Keyboard_Component
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/dan-daglow-interview-part-1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/asteroids_
https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/missile-command_
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scram_(video_game)
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/michael-katz-interview-part-1
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/tom-dusenberry-interview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20
https://www.mobygames.com/company/commodore-business-machines-inc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sir-clive-of-zx/
https://www.mobygames.com/game/rockys-boots
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TMS9918
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/1979-fcc-reform-special-feat-quarterpast38
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-8000_series
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboGrafx-16

Atari orders chips from Commodore
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/06/business/briefs-030360.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600

Membrane keyboards are vying for dominance
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/05/business/technology-the-membrane-keyboard.html?searchResultPosition=32
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_keyboard

Surge expected at the patent office
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/14/business/patents-reagan-budget-asks-rise-in-patent-office-funds.html?searchResultPosition=18
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Patent_and_Trademark_Office

Automated Simulations launches Epyx line
https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n07mar1981/page/36/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/company/epyx-inc
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/video-game-newsroom-time-machine-0
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/michael-katz-interview-part-1

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/

Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play and Enzo Maida.