Compaq gives birth to the PC clone,  Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair &  A day of reckoning awaits the software business

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

Jon from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost.  You can find his other fine retrogaming work here: https://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/

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Links: 7 Minutes in Heaven: River Raid     Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/78434628     https://www.mobygames.com/game/river-raid     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Raid     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Shaw     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pictures#1980s:_Coca-Cola,_Tri-Star,_and_other_acquisitions_and_ventures     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kassar     https://www.amoa.com     https://www.mobygames.com/game/astron-belt     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEwZkbSmEU

Corrections:     December 1982 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/december-1982-77433012

   Ethans new series: https://www.youtube.com/@play_history     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velcro     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaserDisc     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEwZkbSmEU

1973 Pong doing well     https://archive.org/details/cashbox34unse_28/page/37/mode/1up     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong

1983 Retailers rethink games     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/24/business/stores-reassess-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=20

Nassau County wants big money from operators     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/02/nyregion/battle-for-the-dollar-looms-in-albany.html?searchResultPosition=3

SNK sells direct to operators     Replay Jan. 1983 pg. 88        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEzVjfkELo

Japan recognizes game copyrights     Replay Jan. 1983 pg. 18       Games People Jan. 8, 1983 pg. 1

Bally Midway wins pillow fight     Games People Jan. 22, 1983 pg. 1

Pacmania continues     Games People Jan. 8, 1983 pg. 1         https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n3/mode/1up        https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater     https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083461/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1     https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085008/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Supercade

Winter CES sees the rise of the software providers     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/08/business/the-new-software-suppliers.html?searchResultPosition=4        https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/08/arts/electronics-fair-views-consumer-s-tomorrow.html?searchResultPosition=5         https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n2/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater

Repackaged Consoles to debut at CES     https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_10.pdf        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJDy0XC6vDg        http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/classics/odyssey_3.htm     https://history.blueskyrangers.com/parkerbro/unreleasedparker.html

Big names are being attracted to games     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/13/arts/makers-vie-for-millions-in-home-video-games.html?searchResultPosition=7        https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n11/page/n1/mode/1up      Buy 2 get 1 free is the post Xmas slogan     https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92300722/video-game-market-profile-part-1/         https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92300741/video-game-market-profile-part-2/

MB buys Sanders license     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/06/business/milton-bradley-license.html?searchResultPosition=6

Imagic settles with Atari     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/05/business/atari-suit-settled.html?searchResultPosition=2

Imagic delays stock offering     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up

Custer's Revenge resolution goes to court     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/23/nyregion/video-games-pose-thorny-legal-issue.html?searchResultPosition=18        Games People Jan. 1 1983, pg. 4     https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/swedish-erotica-custers-revenge

Custer's Revenge discontinued     https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92040119/custers-revenge-pulled-from-shelves/

Atari warns users against 3rd party carts in Germany     https://archive.org/details/atari-club-magazin-1983-1/page/4/mode/1up

Modify your games with Answer's PGP1         https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater         http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-personal-game-programmer-pgp-1_20131.html

Turn your VCS into  a computer     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater        http://atarihq.com/museum/2678/piggybak.html     https://books.google.de/books?id=7y8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=entex+2000+piggyback&source=bl&ots=OX0w8DE4xG&sig=ACfU3U3WG9VdcJUcR9NCX3q7LdlLJxWc8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ9830hfn8AhVUgf0HHVo_AZQQ6AF6BAgdEAM#v=onepage&q=entex%202000%20piggyback&f=false

Palmtex takes gaming on the go     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n3/mode/1up       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmtex_Portable_Videogame_System        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP7wtw4rk4g

Byte gets hands on with Compaq     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n31/mode/1up?view=theater      Apple unveils the Lisa     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up        https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=265&st=1

Intel introduces the 80286     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n473/mode/1up?view=theater

3.5" floppy standard agreed on     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/11/business/sony-agreement.html?searchResultPosition=6        https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n475/mode/1up?view=theater 

CPM compatibility grows more difficult     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n472/mode/1up?view=theater

Commodore announces portable 64     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-20/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Tramiel declares war on Sinclair     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater      Texas Instruments targets ZX81 with TI99/2     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up        https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=267

Timex to distribute Speccy in USA     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Sinclair_2068

Clive sells 10% stake in Sinclair Research     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up

Competition Pro Joystick debuts     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-27/page/n4/mode/1up     https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_Pro      Roklan moves into cartridges     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n3/mode/1up     https://www.mobygames.com/company/roklan-corporation

Cosmi brings budget software to home micros     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n13/page/n1/mode/1up     https://www.mobygames.com/company/cosmi-corporation

Survival Software pioneers the demo disk         https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n11/page/n1/mode/1up

Gamestar advertises Starbowl     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater     https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,7082/

Epyx gets cash infusion     https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n12a/page/n1/mode/1up     Michael Katz Part Part 1 - Coleco - Epyx - Mattel https://www.patreon.com/posts/35169258

Bug Byte defectors dare to Imagine     https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-015/page/n114/mode/1up         https://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/arcadia/credits        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3QtuL29Cs        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzE4Oawtww        https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater     https://www.mobygames.com/company/imagine

Bug Byte ditches mail order     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1983-01-06/mode/1up?view=theater

Creative Computing drops out of the software game     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-01/page/n7/mode/1up?view=theater

Independent computer stores are closing     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-01_OCR/page/n475/mode/1up?view=theater

Returns loom as threat to software industry     https://archive.org/details/software-merchandising-january-1983/page/70/mode/1up

Console tech comes to phones     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/07/business/baby-bell-offers-its-first-2-phones.html?searchResultPosition=7

Graphics are holding online shopping back     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/13/business/technology-retailing-by-computer.html?searchResultPosition=14

The Internet is born     https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml

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

 

40 years ago: Compaq gives birth to the PC clone,  Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair &  A day of reckoning awaits the software business

These stories and many more on the latest episode of the VGNRTM

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