March 1983

March 1983

Author: Karl Kuras April 2, 2023 Duration: 2:37:29
Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
LeisureGamesHistoryVideo Games

Commodore goes portable
IBM introduces the XT
Nintendo shows off Game and Watch

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 February 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/
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Links:
7 Minutes in Heaven: Mega Force
    Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/80898412
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/22987/mega-force/
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084316/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Corrections:
    February 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/february-1983-79444139
    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Magnavox-Odyssey-Switchbox.jpg
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcian_Hoff
    https://www.pinterest.de/pin/141933825729597463/
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/9789/tacscan/
    https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/2019/03/31/the-unreleased-games-of-sega-gremlin/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWmVlgIR2HA
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/9789/tacscan/
    https://www.msx.org/wiki/Spectravideo_SVI-728
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13365876/
    Why The First Playable Women Of The '80s Were Naked | Video Dames (Streaking / Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYXAoUQ_LI

1943.03    
Uncle Sam wants your pinballs
    https://www.nytimes.com/1943/03/07/archives/pinball-boards-to-train-fliers.html?searchResultPosition=1  
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11587355/notifies-army-to-come-and-pick-up/   
    Billboard Mar 27, 1943    
    https://www.google.com/books/edition/Printed_Classification_Tests/92kaAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22mechanical+aptitude+test%22&pg=PA297

1963.03    
Raytheon introduces infrared wargaming weapons
    https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/60s/63/Pop-1963-03.pdf  pg. 6

1973.03    
Japan's computer industry is on the rise
    Business Japan March 1973 pg. 73
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggretsuko
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDGkcwNjoUY

1983.03
Used games hit the auction block
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_37/page/31/mode/1up?view=theater

Distributors embrace conversion kits
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_40/page/35/mode/1up

Chuck E Cheese breaks records
    https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_pizzatimes3-1.pdf  pg. 2
    Games People March 5, 1983 pg. 1

You aren't playing games, you're making an investment!
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n17/mode/1up
    Kevin Hayes - Atari - Namco  https://www.patreon.com/posts/50612798

News Flash: 2600 ET was a flop!
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68993030/et-on-atari-2600-declared-a-failure-by/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game)
    The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 2: Everyone Else    https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-76259421
    The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 1: Atari https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-game-crash-75643983

The great cartridge discount has begun
    Playthings March 1983 pg. 30
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beige_Book

Wall Street predicts end of video game growth
    Games People March 12, 1983  pg. 17

Video games increasingly dominate toy retail
    Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. 14

Atari distribution goes exclusive
    https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_40/page/5/mode/1up
    
Court halts Atari distribution reform
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/30/business/atari-distribution-plan-is-blocked.html?searchResultPosition=1

Delays plague game release schedules
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  March 1983 pg. 1

Amiga announces the Power Module
    Playthings March 1983  
    http://www.bambi-amiga.co.uk/amigahistory/powermod.html
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983

Starpath cuts supercharger price
    Playthings March 1983   
    Toyand Hobby World March 1983

CBS ups the RAM
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983   
    https://www.buckosoft.com/~dick/resume.html   
    https://patents.justia.com/patent/4485457   
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/19721/tunnel-runner/

Intellivision 2 doesn't like Coleco
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  March 1983 pg. 7
    
Milton Bradley goes multiplatform
     Toy and Hobby World March 1983
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/2767/milton-bradley-co/
    
Data Age spends big on Journey game
    Toy & Hobby World March 1983   
    https://youtu.be/V41ajt3euYQ

Move over Custer, Leatherface is here
    Games People March 12, 1983
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/21563/the-texas-chainsaw-massacre/
    
Vectrex jumps on console-to-computer bandwagon
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-video-game-update  March 1983 pg. 7
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/10350/journey-escape/

Summer CES to be the biggest yet
      https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n17
    
Japanese games invade CES
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983
    https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Nintendo/index.html
    https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Bandai/index.html

Computer price war continues
    Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n14/mode/1up

TI extends rebate
    Playthings March 1983

TI reaches a new PLATO
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system)

TI announces cost of defective TI994A transformer
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/02/business/texas-instruments-earnings-charge.html?searchResultPosition=13

Vic20 beats competition in install base
    https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n495/mode/1up
    American McGee - id - spicy horse - ea  https://www.patreon.com/posts/45549970

Commodore introduces the 1702
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_peripherals#Other_peripherals

Commodore and Timex debut new machines at CES
    https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n497/mode/1up

HDs go 3.5"
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n18/mode/1up

IBM PC Add-ons and clones become a cottage industry
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/27/business/big-ibm-has-done-it-again.html?searchResultPosition=1

IBM drops 16k systems in US
    https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n494/mode/1up

IBM announces the XT
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews002-25Mar1983/page/n7/mode/1up
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer_XT

Intel gets into GPUs
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n4/mode/1up   
    
Retailers can sell software without carrying hardware
    Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3

Hundreds of computer stores close
    https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n496/mode/1up

Software leasing comes to the faire
     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/29/science/personal-computers-report-from-the-faire.html?searchResultPosition=34

Microsoft hits UK high street
    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews001-18Mar1983/page/n3/mode/1up
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/micro_Live_Windows_gem/zm6mjhv

Atari going multiplatform
    Toy & Hobby World March 1983 pg. S3
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/97/atarisoft/
    
More details of Disney's software plans revealed
    Toy and Hobby World March 1983

Before there was Typing of the Dead...
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n26/mode/1up   
    https://youtu.be/T3YcbvgCsh4

Benji is going into space
    Playthings March 1983    
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/32180/benji-space-rescue/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benji

Games Network test ends
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.2/page/n4/mode/1up   
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n77/mode/1up
legal    

Coleco and Atari settle
     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/12/business/company-news-atari-coleco-pact.html?searchResultPosition=6
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/31/business/technology-issue-of-deceit-in-electronics.html?searchResultPosition=2

France levies fine against anglicized computer documentation
    https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-03-rescan/page/n497/mode/1up   
    https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/31/23148358/france-academie-francaise-esports-gaming-translations

Pacman merch may have maxed out
    Games People March 12, 1983 pg. 20   
    https://vglegacy.com/pop-culture/pac-man-vitamins/
    https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_06_1983-03_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n18/mode/1up

Atari launches Ataritel
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/18/business/company-news-atari-plans-entry-in-communications.html?searchResultPosition=12

The race for digital TV is on
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITT_Inc.   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/17/business/technology-the-flexibility-of-digital-tv.html?searchResultPosition=21
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television

Penthouse wants to advertise your game
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_05_1983-03_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n26/mode/1up

Marvel teams up with George Romero for media cross polination project
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/01/movies/new-film-comic-superhero-coming.html?searchResultPosition=19  
    https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a839148/george-romero-marvel-superhero-movies/

Kadabroscope promises to bring hand drawn animation into the computer age
    https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_pizzatimes3-1.pdf  pg. 5
    https://twitter.com/mjsamps/status/1331301343135457283?lang=en

German mag Homecomputer hits newsracks
    http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=SG9tZWNvbXB1dGVy   
    https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Homecomputer
    
RIP US Games
    https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n17   
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGames/Electronic%20Games%20Issue%2013%20%28March%201983%29/page/n96/mode/1up
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Games

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


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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