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: 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: 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