March 1983

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/ 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: 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