IBM launches the PC The morality police have video games in their sights Venture Capital wants a piece of the software market

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 August 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 on vacation so we have the pleasure of Mads from the Retro Asylum to join us. http://retroasylum.com and https://playthroughpod.com/

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Time Codes: 7 Minutes in Heaven: 5:00 Corrections: 11:10 Time Jump: 28:20

Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: Video version - https://www.patreon.com/posts/55259489 https://www.mobygames.com/game/robot-war Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517 Corrections: July 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/54043323 They Create Worlds Nuttings Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/dave-nutting-50562473?l=de https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Fury https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Warner_Communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/23_Datamaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_(Nintendo) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong_(video_game)

1951: Brigadeer General Leighton Davis builds Dynamic Air War Game Omaha Evening World Herald August 24, 1951, pg. 29 http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,815346,00.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leighton_I._Davis https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107302/lieutenant-general-leighton-i-davis/ https://patents.justia.com/patent/4239227

1961: Plato is telling on truants Electronic 'Teacher' Tattles on Students Who Skip Tasks The Times-Picatune, New Oreleans, LA, August 24, 1961 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system) 1971: ENIAC turns 25 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/01/archives/the-electronic-computers-inventors-mauchly-and-eckert-to-mark.html?searchResultPosition=5 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/09/archives/the-computer-at-age-25.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/04/archives/critics-mark-25th-year-of-the-computer-industry-focuses-on-problems.html?searchResultPosition=8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC September 1970 jump (First computer with semiconductor RAM) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42700691

1981: Summer CES breaks records Playthings, August 1981, pg. 36 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show#1981

Video game bans sweep the USA RePlay August 1981, pg. 25 UK anti-video game law defeated Play Meter August 15 1981, pg. 34

Atari gets injunction against General Computer Corporation RePlay August 1981, pg. 99 Vending Times, August 1981, pg. 46 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._Pac-Man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Computer_Corporation Bally gets into the pizza biz https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/25/business/bally-acquires-pizza-chain.html https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/05/business/show-time-at-pizza-chain.html http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/Forums/index.php?/topic/4528-ballys-tom-foolery/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShowBiz_Pizza_Place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Manufacturing

Drop in electronics sales begins to affect corporate bottom lines Playthings August 1981 pg. 13 Michael Katz Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258 Greg Fischbach Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46578120 Greg Fischbach Interview Part 2 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/47720122

IBM launches the PC https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/13/business/big-ibm-s-little-computer.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/16/business/the-week-in-business-producer-prices-continued-easing-of-inflation.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/23/business/next-a-computer-on-every-desk.html?searchResultPosition=4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

Xerox launches the 820 https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n8/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputing198108/page/n11/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_820

TI dumps the TI99/4 for the 99/4A https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n8/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A#99/4A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV0t4QIINLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK9VU1aJvTI

Acorn advertises the BBC Micro https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro

Commodore prepping UK launch of the Vic https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAL

WH Smith to sell microcomputers https://archive.org/details/YourComputer_198108 pg. 9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith

Venture Capital is investing in microcomputer software https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/31/business/venture-capitalists-new-role.html?searchResultPosition=9 July 1981 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/54043323 Ed Zaron Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/30697517 Ken Williams Interview - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42700706 Michael Katz Interview Part 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258

Creative Computing celebrates the 20th anniversary of SpaceWar! https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n59/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacewar!

Frank Herbert gives computer advice https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-08/page/n222/mode/1up https://books.google.de/books/about/Without_Me_You_re_Nothing.html?id=izcLAQAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-meeting-of-spacewar/

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/

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