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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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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/
and order his book here:
https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

Get us on your mobile device:
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iOS:      https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

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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.

Copyright Karl Kuras


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