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April 1983
40 years ago: The line between computers and consoles blur, Dragon's Lair wows coinop & Reagan thinks video games are swell
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 April 1983. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.
Dale is this month's cohost, check out his research work at https://twitter.com/QuarterPast83
Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine
And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM
Send comments on Mastodon @[email protected] Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or [email protected]
Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: Choplifter Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/83105884 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choplifter https://www.mobygames.com/game/8127/choplifter/screenshots/
Corrections: March 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1983-80900087
1943.04 RCA's Engstrom sees long term benefits of war time radio research https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/04/archives/future-good-seen-in-radio-research-dr-ew-engstrom-predicts.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33991 1973.04 Pong clones are on the rise https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314877/allied-leisure-sales-increase-with-new/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314697/computer-space-ball-mention-at-arcade/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170616011152/https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7382 https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8963 Washington State legalizes pinball https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/28/archives/gambling-bill-signed.html?searchResultPosition=1
IBM introduces memory enhanced typewriter https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/27/archives/ibm-introduces-memory-in-a-typewriter-at-11800.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102662757
First Cell phone call made https://twitter.com/fabiodidone/status/1510780261734174722?s=20&t=lMORcKlnszht57E5lCjaXg https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167815751/50-years-ago-martin-cooper-made-the-first-cell-phone-call
Soylent Green ad misses opportunity https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/04/11/issue.html pg. 41 https://youtu.be/7wpfzfHWy-o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green
1983.04 Dragon's Lair awes AOE Replay April 1983 pg. 64 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair_(TV_series)
Tron is a hit! https://archive.org/details/electronic-fun-with-computers-and-games-volume-1-number-6-april-1983/page/n97/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron https://www.mobygames.com/game/33983/tron/
Simutron wants to take you were no man has gone before Play Meter April 1983, pg. 32 http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-simutron-tournament-center-ultimate.html Play Meter April 1983 pg. 28 https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8822 Play Meter April 1983 pg. 31 https://www.mobygames.com/game/12177/star-trek-strategic-operations-simulator/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/57723/microleague-wrestling/screenshots/
Gamers will flip for SakerOne Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 1 http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-saker-one-space-probe.html
Bally sticks to dedicated cabs Replay April 1983, pg. 24
IRS may be coming for conversion kits Replay April 1983, pg. 42
Universities struggle with video games on campus https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/11/nyregion/colleges-finding-video-games-a-mixed-but-profitable-blessing.html?searchResultPosition=2
Reagan believes that games do improve hand eye coordination Replay April 1983, pg. 10, 16 https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-during-visit-walt-disney-worlds-epcot-center-near-orlando-florida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup_as_a_vegetable
Atari goes after Bushnell https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21/page/n4/mode/1up
Ottumwa declared Video Capital of the World Replay April 1983, pg. 13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Galaxies
Move over Game and Watch, here comes Game and RADIO! Playthings April 1983, pg. 47 https://picclick.co.uk/VGC-1980s-Vintage-Pop-Game-Emergency-Radio-Watch-266171641750.html Atari launches in Japan https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/13/business/atari-unit-in-japan.html?searchResultPosition=12 https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/Atari_2800 Warner losses mount https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/20/business/warner-citing-atari-posts-18.9-million-loss.html?searchResultPosition=16 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/30/business/annual-reports-more-candor.html?searchResultPosition=23 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/commodore-international-ltd-reports-earnings-for-qtr-to-march-31.html?searchResultPosition=12
MB takes a hit on Vectrex https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/07/business/milton-bradley.html?searchResultPosition=4
Mattel refiles for debt offering https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/briefs-093737.html?searchResultPosition=11
Philips announces Chess add-on for G7000 https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up https://www.chessprogramming.org/Videopac_C_7010
3rd party software reaches the Odyssey2 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 2
Intellivision becomes a Transforrmer Play things April 1983 https://retroconsoles.fandom.com/wiki/System_Changer
WICO introduces the BOSS https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 1
Unitoys, K-Tel, Answer Software, and Avalon Hill enter 2600 fray https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 1 https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:348/platform:atari-2600/sort:date/page:1/ https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19
Quaker Oats says goodbye to video games https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/restructuring-plan-set-by-quaker-oats.html?searchResultPosition=20
Move over porn... hotels have a new on-demand amenity! https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n1/mode/1up
Battle between console makers and home computer makers heats up https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/28/business/computer-or-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/commodore-aims-at-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=10 Playthings April 1983, pg. 38
Short sellers smell blood in the gaming and computer business waters https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/22/business/short-interest-up-on-big-board-amex-sets-mark.html?searchResultPosition=10
Computer game makers discover cartridges Toys Hobbies and Crafts April 1983
TI locks out 3rd parties https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/mode/1up http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti99qi.html
Sierra acquires Sunnyside Soft, prepares to publish Ultima 2 https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up
First Star eyes movie licenses https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up
EA gathers its rockstars https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19/page/n1/mode/1up
Sharp shows off the X1 https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n111/mode/1up
Sinclair micro-drive to be game changer https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n459/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Microdrive
WHSMith slashes Spectrum price Vic20 upgrade to 64 scrapped https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews005-15Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up
PC Compatibles in droves https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews006-22Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up
John Scully assumes top job at Apple https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up
Siemens shows off flat color display https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n461/mode/1up BBC to broadcast software over teletext https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceefax https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up
Jeff Minter tops US charts https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-07/page/n4/mode/1up
Legal wrangling over Hitchhiker game rights https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition
Video games declared sexist Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 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/ 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! atari nolan bushnell broderbund arcade coinop dragon's lair commodore ti99 ronald reagan vcs jeff minter apple intellivision sierra vectrex
View all episodes
By Karl Kuras
5
77 ratings
40 years ago: The line between computers and consoles blur, Dragon's Lair wows coinop & Reagan thinks video games are swell
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 April 1983. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.
Dale is this month's cohost, check out his research work at https://twitter.com/QuarterPast83
Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine
And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM
Send comments on Mastodon @[email protected] Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or [email protected]
Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: Choplifter Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/83105884 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choplifter https://www.mobygames.com/game/8127/choplifter/screenshots/
Corrections: March 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1983-80900087
1943.04 RCA's Engstrom sees long term benefits of war time radio research https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/04/archives/future-good-seen-in-radio-research-dr-ew-engstrom-predicts.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33991 1973.04 Pong clones are on the rise https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314877/allied-leisure-sales-increase-with-new/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82314697/computer-space-ball-mention-at-arcade/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170616011152/https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7382 https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8963 Washington State legalizes pinball https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/28/archives/gambling-bill-signed.html?searchResultPosition=1
IBM introduces memory enhanced typewriter https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/27/archives/ibm-introduces-memory-in-a-typewriter-at-11800.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102662757
First Cell phone call made https://twitter.com/fabiodidone/status/1510780261734174722?s=20&t=lMORcKlnszht57E5lCjaXg https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167815751/50-years-ago-martin-cooper-made-the-first-cell-phone-call
Soylent Green ad misses opportunity https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/04/11/issue.html pg. 41 https://youtu.be/7wpfzfHWy-o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green
1983.04 Dragon's Lair awes AOE Replay April 1983 pg. 64 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair_(TV_series)
Tron is a hit! https://archive.org/details/electronic-fun-with-computers-and-games-volume-1-number-6-april-1983/page/n97/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron https://www.mobygames.com/game/33983/tron/
Simutron wants to take you were no man has gone before Play Meter April 1983, pg. 32 http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-simutron-tournament-center-ultimate.html Play Meter April 1983 pg. 28 https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8822 Play Meter April 1983 pg. 31 https://www.mobygames.com/game/12177/star-trek-strategic-operations-simulator/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/57723/microleague-wrestling/screenshots/
Gamers will flip for SakerOne Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 1 http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-saker-one-space-probe.html
Bally sticks to dedicated cabs Replay April 1983, pg. 24
IRS may be coming for conversion kits Replay April 1983, pg. 42
Universities struggle with video games on campus https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/11/nyregion/colleges-finding-video-games-a-mixed-but-profitable-blessing.html?searchResultPosition=2
Reagan believes that games do improve hand eye coordination Replay April 1983, pg. 10, 16 https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-during-visit-walt-disney-worlds-epcot-center-near-orlando-florida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup_as_a_vegetable
Atari goes after Bushnell https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21/page/n4/mode/1up
Ottumwa declared Video Capital of the World Replay April 1983, pg. 13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Galaxies
Move over Game and Watch, here comes Game and RADIO! Playthings April 1983, pg. 47 https://picclick.co.uk/VGC-1980s-Vintage-Pop-Game-Emergency-Radio-Watch-266171641750.html Atari launches in Japan https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/13/business/atari-unit-in-japan.html?searchResultPosition=12 https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/Atari_2800 Warner losses mount https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/20/business/warner-citing-atari-posts-18.9-million-loss.html?searchResultPosition=16 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/30/business/annual-reports-more-candor.html?searchResultPosition=23 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/commodore-international-ltd-reports-earnings-for-qtr-to-march-31.html?searchResultPosition=12
MB takes a hit on Vectrex https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/07/business/milton-bradley.html?searchResultPosition=4
Mattel refiles for debt offering https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/briefs-093737.html?searchResultPosition=11
Philips announces Chess add-on for G7000 https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up https://www.chessprogramming.org/Videopac_C_7010
3rd party software reaches the Odyssey2 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 2
Intellivision becomes a Transforrmer Play things April 1983 https://retroconsoles.fandom.com/wiki/System_Changer
WICO introduces the BOSS https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 1
Unitoys, K-Tel, Answer Software, and Avalon Hill enter 2600 fray https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update April 1983 pg. 1 https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:348/platform:atari-2600/sort:date/page:1/ https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19
Quaker Oats says goodbye to video games https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/27/business/restructuring-plan-set-by-quaker-oats.html?searchResultPosition=20
Move over porn... hotels have a new on-demand amenity! https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n1/mode/1up
Battle between console makers and home computer makers heats up https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/28/business/computer-or-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/12/business/commodore-aims-at-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=10 Playthings April 1983, pg. 38
Short sellers smell blood in the gaming and computer business waters https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/22/business/short-interest-up-on-big-board-amex-sets-mark.html?searchResultPosition=10
Computer game makers discover cartridges Toys Hobbies and Crafts April 1983
TI locks out 3rd parties https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/mode/1up http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti99qi.html
Sierra acquires Sunnyside Soft, prepares to publish Ultima 2 https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up
First Star eyes movie licenses https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n18/page/n2/mode/1up
EA gathers its rockstars https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n19/page/n1/mode/1up
Sharp shows off the X1 https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n111/mode/1up
Sinclair micro-drive to be game changer https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n459/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Microdrive
WHSMith slashes Spectrum price Vic20 upgrade to 64 scrapped https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews005-15Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up
PC Compatibles in droves https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews006-22Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n3/mode/1up
John Scully assumes top job at Apple https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews007-29Apr1983/page/n13/mode/1up
Siemens shows off flat color display https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-04_OCR/page/n461/mode/1up BBC to broadcast software over teletext https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews003-01Apr1983/page/n5/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceefax https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews004-08Apr1983/page/n10/mode/1up
Jeff Minter tops US charts https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-07/page/n4/mode/1up
Legal wrangling over Hitchhiker game rights https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-04-21 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition
Video games declared sexist Games People April 9, 1983 pg. 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/ 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! atari nolan bushnell broderbund arcade coinop dragon's lair commodore ti99 ronald reagan vcs jeff minter apple intellivision sierra vectrex