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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)

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  1. All Episodes
  2. October 1983

October 1983

Dec 10, 2023

The Boom is over,
Texas Instruments is out &
Nintendo becomes stock market darling


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 October 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


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iOS:      https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine


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Links:

Complete links can be found at: 
https://www.patreon.com/posts/94392565

 

7 Minutes in Heaven: Kool-Aid Man
Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-aid-94380376
https://www.mobygames.com/game/16706/kool-aid-man/
https://www.mobygames.com/game/40671/kool-aid-man/
https://youtu.be/mpbaznILT3s?si=oGZ8BCrVkhGu_aeG


Corrections:
September 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/september-1983-92463308
Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nio3hYAx_Tc
https://youtu.be/zONxBXLw4YY


1973-10
Sega joins pong craze
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_16/page/n108/mode/1up

Midway announces Space Race clone
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_14/page/52/mode/1up?view=theater. 

Kee Games plant opens
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_14/page/52/mode/1up?view=theater

Video game sales exceed 45,000
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_17/page/59/mode/1up?view=theater

1983-10
Supreme Court refuses to hear speed up kit case
    "Economy At A Glance, United Press International, October 3, 1983, Monday, AM cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F6H0-001X-R0FX-00000-00&context=1516831.    
    By ELIZABETH OLSON, United Press International, October 3, 1983, Monday, BC cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F6M0-001X-R0W3-00000-00&context=1516831."
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/23/business/the-gavel-comes-down-on-computer-copycats.html

Lasermania grips coinop
    Replay Oct. 1983, pg. 8
    Replay, Oct. 1983, pg. 97, 41, 136
    
Coleco catches Singe
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7

SENTE is a go...
    Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 22, 8

Nintendo dividend tops charts
    NINTENDO INCREASES ANNUAL DIVIDEND BY 6.5 YEN, Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service, OCTOBER 11, 1983, TUESDAY, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-P7J0-001B-N4KX-00000-00&context=1516831.   Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd., Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji 
    Press Ticker Service, OCTOBER 11, 1983, TUESDAY, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-P7G0-001B-N4GD-00000-00&context=1516831.   
    Matsushita Electric tops 807 firms in consolidated earnings figures, The Japan Economic Journal, October 11, 1983, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-1PT0-000H-H1RH-00000-00&context=1516831.
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/43294923

Konami opens US operations
    Replay Oct. 1983 pg 136

Atari opens Chicago dealership
    Replay Oct 1983 pg. 10

Harry Williams, RIP
    Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 28

Bars need not fear arcades
    PR Newswire, October 5, 1983, Wednesday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-2S40-000D-81GN-00000-00&context=1516831.

The boom is over
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/17/business/video-games-industry-comes-down-to-earth.html

Warner loses $122.4 million in third quarter
    New York Times, October 15, 1983, pg. 37

Warner cuts 250 jobs at New York HQ
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/14/business/warner-cuts-corporate-staff-by-250.html

2600 being sold off for $60
    Playthings, Oct. 1983, pg. 24
    
Activision supports 5200
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/105/mode/1up

Mattel revenues collapse
    By James E. Braham, Profit's a question on home screens, Industry Week, October 3, 1983, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SPF-0RB0-0010-M0WW-00000-00&context=1516831.
    
Mattel Computer Adaptor tested
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n19/mode/1up?view=theater

Coleco revenue plummets
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/business/declines-sharp-for-apple-and-coleco.html   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/05/business/market-placedaniel-f-cuff-coleco-s-adam-betting-heavy.html   
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/108/mode/1up
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up

CBS posts gains
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/13/business/cbs-inc-profits-surge-3-groups-help-results.html

Toys R Us sees drop in video games and computers
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/13/business/toys-r-us.html

Apple earnings plummet
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/business/declines-sharp-for-apple-and-coleco.html   
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n3/mode/1up

Commodore numbers surge
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/27/business/results-are-mixed-for-xerox.html

MacNeil Lehrer Newshour interviews Jack Tramiel
    https://youtu.be/U5skpKlVOqc?si=6vDkO5DnwZJZIbrd   
    https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_507-mp4vh5d74j#at_2421.316381_s
    
TI drops out
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/29/business/retreat-set-by-texas-instruments.html   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/31/business/ibm-may-benefit.html
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n8/mode/1up?view=theater

David Ahl presents Price Wars, the Graphic Novel
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-10/page/n187/mode/1up?view=theater

IBM profits up
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/15/business/ibm-net-up-24.8-in-quarter.html

IBM welcomes Taiwanese imitators
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews033-26Oct1983/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

Apple cuts price of Lisa by 15%
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Formats, formats everywhere
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n4/mode/1up

Japanese show off at SICOB
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater   
    http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Cartridges.htm   
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n62/mode/1up?view=theater  
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews033-26Oct1983/page/n19/mode/1up?view=theater

Tandy introduces Coco2
    "https://oldcomputermuseum.com/tandy_coco2.html   
NEW PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET, United Press International, October 5, 1983, Wednesday, BC cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F670-001X-R50S-00000-00&context=1516831."

Tandy introduces the MC10
    https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-10/page/n42/mode/1up?view=theater   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_MC-10

Osborne effect postulated as cause of death
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Computer industry shakeup not affecting jobs
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/16/jobs/computer-industry-more-jobs-despite-layoffs.html   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-150

UK computer makers want to make Acorn a standard
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater

British homes in love with micros
    Computer buying bonanza awaited; Jason Crisp reveals problems behind the Christmas surge, Financial Times (London,England), October 8, 1983, Saturday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2PT0-000F-54WF-00000-00&context=1516831.   By BARNABY J. FEDER. (October 10, 1983, Monday, Late City Final Edition). 
    COMPUTER MARKET STRONG IN BRITAIN. The New York Times. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8G-J7J0-0008-Y1B4-00000-00&context=1516831.
Teenage programming superstars blossom in the UK    
    Joan Gray, A world of asteroids and whizz-kid programmers, Financial Times (London,England), October 10, 1983, Monday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2PS0-000F-54VH-00000-00&context=1516831.

Spectrum goes cartridge
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater   
    http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Cartridges.htm   
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n62/mode/1up?view=theater
    http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Unreleased.htm

Microdrive weakness becomes more apparent
    https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-2-03/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater
sinclair recommends photocopying printouts
    https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-2-03/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

Game software prices begin to drop in England
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_024_1983-10_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n90/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n4/mode/1up
    Martin Wheeler - Virgin, BITS, Recluse https://www.patreon.com/posts/72185638
    Jerry Wolosenko - Synapse - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42014024

Guild of Software Houses forms
    https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue011983Oct/page/n5/mode/2up

CGW hates on the c64
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n26/mode/1up
    http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=Q1BVLzE5ODM= CPU 10-1983  pg. 30, 25, 1
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n39/mode/1up

Cmmodore User magazine debuts
    https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue011983Oct/page/n5/mode/2up

Atarisoft launches
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/27/business/atari-s-new-games-fit-other-machines.html  
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7  
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/105/mode/1up

Trip is bringing the hotness
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n101/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n11/mode/1up
    
Epyx launches the "Preview Disk"
     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/108/mode/1up
    https://archive.org/details/a8b_Epyx_Preview_Disk_1983_Epyx_US

Computer games go 3D
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RoNTTPcPwI   
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_024_1983-10_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater

Turn your micro into an animation studio
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n357/mode/1up?view=theater

Tom Carter Productions goes interactive
    Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 137    
    https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/hucks-landing/

Animated features are dead... except for Disney
    TODAY'S TOPIC: Little Life Left In Full-Length Animated Feature Production, The Associated Press, October 3, 1983, Monday, PM cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJ4-M6D0-0011-523X-00000-00&context=1516831.
    
Activists go after commercial length TV shows aimed at kids
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/12/arts/eight-children-s-tv-shows-assailed.html
    
Wherehouse goes public
    (October 6, 1983, Thursday). WHEREHOUSE; Public offering. Business Wire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-MK90-001B-R0VJ-00000-00&context=1516831    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wherehouse_Entertainment

First commercial cellphone service introduced
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/14/business/cellular-mobile-phone-debute.html
    
Best Quote of the month:    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up    

 

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