Video Game Newsroom Time Machine: May 1983

May 1983

Jun 15, 2023

The Supreme Court comes to the aid of video games
Commodore's Vic20 drops below $100
Electronic Arts ships its first games

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

Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost. Check out his podcast here:
https://www.theycreateworlds.com/
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https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: Star Wars: Jedi Arena
Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/84557990
https://www.mobygames.com/game/9447/star-wars-jedi-arena/

Corrections:
April 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/april-1983-83174490
Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
http://www.dragons-lair-project.com/games/related/sequence.asp
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns
https://www.mobygames.com/game/9448/demon-attack/screenshots/odyssey-2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum_graphic_modes
https://lospec.com/palette-list/commodore-vic-20

1953
Computers learn how to learn
https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/03/archives/what-next-in-the-attributes-of-machines-it-might-be-power-to.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDSAC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Shannon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann

1963
Engstrom says computers are being underutilized
https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/23/archives/head-of-rca-sees-computer-upsurge.html?searchResultPosition=4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_William_Engstrom

1973
Williams enters Pong clone market
https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_44/page/48/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_44/page/54/mode/1up
https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8965
https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9074
http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sons-of-pong/

1983
Coinop continues to suffer
Replay May 1983, pg. 53, 38, 16
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-unsuccessful-arcade-ga/92045929/
https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9647

Bally beats City of Mesquite
Replay May 1983, pg. 15
Play Meter May 15, 1983 pg. 14

Magnavox sues Bally over Pacman royalties
Arcade Express pg. 2
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/04/05/The-Magnavox-Co-filed-suit-against-Bally-Midway-Manufacturing/7736418366800/

Mario Bros. debuts at AOE
Replay May 1983, pg. 11

Nintendo moves to Tokyo stock exchange
Nintendo Stock to be Listed on TSE's 1st Section, Jiji Press Ticker Service, May 24, 1983

Malls embrace arcades
Replay, May 1983 pg. 66

Atari enters the arcade biz
Replay May 1983, pg. 11

Unions see tech as future of organized labor
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/25/us/unions-press-drive-to-enlist-high-technology-workers.html

Alabama legislature votes to boycott Atari
Play Meter May 1, 1983, pg. 24
Play Meter May 15, 1983, pg. 32

Atari keeps making cuts
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/24/business/more-layoffs-at-atari-inc.html

Warner losses mount
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/28/business/warner-sees-wider-deficit.html

Parker Bros. loses injunction against Atari
Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 7

Mattel sues Atari
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/04/business/atari-suit-filed-by-mattel.html
Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 8
https://www.mobygames.com/company/97/atarisoft/

Atari to release Coleco carts
The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 4
https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update

Atari teams up with MCA
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/briefs-158965.html

Atari signs Williams deal
Replay May 1983, pg. 20

Console game delays pile on
The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 1
https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update

Atari signs deal with Cynex
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/market-rises-dow-gains-1.45.html
https://www.atari-computermuseum.de/2600peri.htm

Amiga introduces The Power
Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 59

Vectrex to go color
Arcade Express pg. 2

Milton bradley wants you to tell your Atari what to do.
Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1
http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/mbx/mbx.html
https://thegamescholar.com/2020/04/28/conversations-with-consoles/

Odyssey3 is dead
Arcade Express pg. 1

Activision prepares IPO
https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-activision-readying-to-go/77695565/

Thundar is coming to Colecovision
Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1
https://www.mobygames.com/game/15909/tomarc-the-barbarian/screenshots/

Atari sponsors pro-gaming event at Harvard
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/24/us/video-game-specialists-come-to-harvard-to-praise-pac-man-not-to-bury-him.html?searchResultPosition=10

Control Video readies launch of Gameline
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/02/business/business-people-entrepreneur-sees-success-on-games.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameLine

Commodore abandons 16 bit chip project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_900
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog_Z8000
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up

You got application software in my operating system! You got an operating system in my application software!
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up?view=theater
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews010-20May1983/page/n3/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up?view=theater

Ethernet gets endorsements
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

CP/M86 DOA
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews011-26May1983/page/n3/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews011-26May1983/page/n3/mode/2up

Atari Computer division goes big on advertising
https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-05_OCR/page/n495/mode/1up

Vic20 breaks through $100 floor
Arcade Express May 22, 1983, pg. 1
https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_may83/page/n22/mode/1up

Sinclair line gets price cut
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews008-06May1983/page/n3/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews010-20May1983/page/n3/mode/2up

Electron delayed again
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews008-06May1983/page/n3/mode/2up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Electron

Spectra announces SV328
https://archive.org/details/logical_gamer_may83/page/n22/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV-318
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV-328

Commodore introduces the new form C2N
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Datasette#Models
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews009-13May1983/page/n13/mode/2up

Profit margins on computers cause retailer consternation
Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 18

Book retailers eye software
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/29/business/what-s-new-in-the-book-business.html

Software piracy becomes returns problem
https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n17/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n43/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-may-1983/page/n67/mode/2up

Toys R Us controls 11% of toy market
Toys Hobbies and Crafts May 1983 pg. 7

First EA games go on sale
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/triphawkins_ea-founder-ceo-activity-7065701862527684608-yzb1
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.3/page/n4/mode/1up
https://www.newspapers.com/article/palladium-item-electronic-arts-profile/60299320/

Virgin Games is looking for a few good programmers
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_019_1983-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n3/mode/1up

Canucks get into games
Arcade Express pg. 3
https://www.mobygames.com/game/7196/bcs-quest-for-tires/cover/group-27973/cover-72965/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Development_Corporation

Spectrum Games has been launched
https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews006-22Apr1983/page/n90/mode/1up

I got a home computer! Uh...now what?
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/finding-home-computer-uses.html

RIP Data Age
The Video Game Update May 1983 pg. 9
https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update
Arcade Express pg. 4

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.

Find out on the VGNRTM

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM with @QuarterPast83's Dale!
vic20
c64
electronicarts
trip hawkins
atari
arcade
coinop
aladdins castle
commodore
ti99
vcs
apple
intellivision
vectrex
ocean
data age
sinclair
spectrum
odyssey2
odyssey3
pong

May 1983

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