October 1983

The Boom is over, Texas Instruments is out & Nintendo becomes stock market darling 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 October 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: Complete links can be found at:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/94392565   7 Minutes in Heaven: Kool-Aid Man Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-aid-94380376 https://www.mobygames.com/game/16706/kool-aid-man/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/40671/kool-aid-man/ https://youtu.be/mpbaznILT3s?si=oGZ8BCrVkhGu_aeG Corrections: September 1983 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/september-1983-92463308 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nio3hYAx_Tc https://youtu.be/zONxBXLw4YY 1973-10 Sega joins pong craze     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_16/page/n108/mode/1up Midway announces Space Race clone     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_14/page/52/mode/1up?view=theater.  Kee Games plant opens     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_14/page/52/mode/1up?view=theater Video game sales exceed 45,000     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_17/page/59/mode/1up?view=theater 1983-10 Supreme Court refuses to hear speed up kit case     "Economy At A Glance, United Press International, October 3, 1983, Monday, AM cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F6H0-001X-R0FX-00000-00&context=1516831.         By ELIZABETH OLSON, United Press International, October 3, 1983, Monday, BC cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F6M0-001X-R0W3-00000-00&context=1516831."     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/23/business/the-gavel-comes-down-on-computer-copycats.html Lasermania grips coinop     Replay Oct. 1983, pg. 8     Replay, Oct. 1983, pg. 97, 41, 136      Coleco catches Singe     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7 SENTE is a go...     Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 22, 8 Nintendo dividend tops charts     NINTENDO INCREASES ANNUAL DIVIDEND BY 6.5 YEN, Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service, OCTOBER 11, 1983, TUESDAY, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-P7J0-001B-N4KX-00000-00&context=1516831.   Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd., Copyright 1983 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji      Press Ticker Service, OCTOBER 11, 1983, TUESDAY, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-P7G0-001B-N4GD-00000-00&context=1516831.        Matsushita Electric tops 807 firms in consolidated earnings figures, The Japan Economic Journal, October 11, 1983, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-1PT0-000H-H1RH-00000-00&context=1516831.     https://www.jstor.org/stable/43294923 Konami opens US operations     Replay Oct. 1983 pg 136 Atari opens Chicago dealership     Replay Oct 1983 pg. 10 Harry Williams, RIP     Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 28 Bars need not fear arcades     PR Newswire, October 5, 1983, Wednesday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-2S40-000D-81GN-00000-00&context=1516831. The boom is over     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/17/business/video-games-industry-comes-down-to-earth.html Warner loses $122.4 million in third quarter     New York Times, October 15, 1983, pg. 37 Warner cuts 250 jobs at New York HQ     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/14/business/warner-cuts-corporate-staff-by-250.html 2600 being sold off for $60     Playthings, Oct. 1983, pg. 24      Activision supports 5200     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/105/mode/1up Mattel revenues collapse     By James E. Braham, Profit's a question on home screens, Industry Week, October 3, 1983, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SPF-0RB0-0010-M0WW-00000-00&context=1516831.      Mattel Computer Adaptor tested     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n19/mode/1up?view=theater Coleco revenue plummets     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/business/declines-sharp-for-apple-and-coleco.html        https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/05/business/market-placedaniel-f-cuff-coleco-s-adam-betting-heavy.html        https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/108/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up CBS posts gains     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/13/business/cbs-inc-profits-surge-3-groups-help-results.html Toys R Us sees drop in video games and computers     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/13/business/toys-r-us.html Apple earnings plummet     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/business/declines-sharp-for-apple-and-coleco.html        https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n3/mode/1up Commodore numbers surge     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/27/business/results-are-mixed-for-xerox.html MacNeil Lehrer Newshour interviews Jack Tramiel     https://youtu.be/U5skpKlVOqc?si=6vDkO5DnwZJZIbrd        https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_507-mp4vh5d74j#at_2421.316381_s      TI drops out     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/29/business/retreat-set-by-texas-instruments.html        https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/31/business/ibm-may-benefit.html     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n8/mode/1up?view=theater David Ahl presents Price Wars, the Graphic Novel     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-10/page/n187/mode/1up?view=theater IBM profits up     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/15/business/ibm-net-up-24.8-in-quarter.html IBM welcomes Taiwanese imitators     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews033-26Oct1983/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater Apple cuts price of Lisa by 15%     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Formats, formats everywhere     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n4/mode/1up Japanese show off at SICOB     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater        http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Cartridges.htm        https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n62/mode/1up?view=theater       https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews033-26Oct1983/page/n19/mode/1up?view=theater Tandy introduces Coco2     "https://oldcomputermuseum.com/tandy_coco2.html    NEW PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET, United Press International, October 5, 1983, Wednesday, BC cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJB-F670-001X-R50S-00000-00&context=1516831." Tandy introduces the MC10     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1983-10/page/n42/mode/1up?view=theater   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_MC-10 Osborne effect postulated as cause of death     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Computer industry shakeup not affecting jobs     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/16/jobs/computer-industry-more-jobs-despite-layoffs.html   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-150 UK computer makers want to make Acorn a standard     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews030-05Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater British homes in love with micros     Computer buying bonanza awaited; Jason Crisp reveals problems behind the Christmas surge, Financial Times (London,England), October 8, 1983, Saturday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2PT0-000F-54WF-00000-00&context=1516831.   By BARNABY J. FEDER. (October 10, 1983, Monday, Late City Final Edition).      COMPUTER MARKET STRONG IN BRITAIN. The New York Times. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8G-J7J0-0008-Y1B4-00000-00&context=1516831. Teenage programming superstars blossom in the UK         Joan Gray, A world of asteroids and whizz-kid programmers, Financial Times (London,England), October 10, 1983, Monday, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2PS0-000F-54VH-00000-00&context=1516831. Spectrum goes cartridge     https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews031-12Oct1983/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater        http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Cartridges.htm        https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n62/mode/1up?view=theater     http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Unreleased.htm Microdrive weakness becomes more apparent     https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-2-03/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater sinclair recommends photocopying printouts     https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-2-03/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater Game software prices begin to drop in England     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_024_1983-10_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n90/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n4/mode/1up     Martin Wheeler - Virgin, BITS, Recluse https://www.patreon.com/posts/72185638     Jerry Wolosenko - Synapse - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42014024 Guild of Software Houses forms     https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue011983Oct/page/n5/mode/2up CGW hates on the c64     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n26/mode/1up     http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=Q1BVLzE5ODM= CPU 10-1983  pg. 30, 25, 1     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n39/mode/1up Cmmodore User magazine debuts     https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue011983Oct/page/n5/mode/2up Atarisoft launches     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/27/business/atari-s-new-games-fit-other-machines.html       https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7       https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/105/mode/1up Trip is bringing the hotness     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n101/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_3.5/page/n11/mode/1up      Epyx launches the "Preview Disk"      https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-7/page/108/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/a8b_Epyx_Preview_Disk_1983_Epyx_US Computer games go 3D     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RoNTTPcPwI        https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_024_1983-10_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater Turn your micro into an animation studio     https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1983-10_OCR/page/n357/mode/1up?view=theater Tom Carter Productions goes interactive     Replay Oct. 1983 pg. 137         https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/hucks-landing/ Animated features are dead... except for Disney     TODAY'S TOPIC: Little Life Left In Full-Length Animated Feature Production, The Associated Press, October 3, 1983, Monday, PM cycle, available at https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJ4-M6D0-0011-523X-00000-00&context=1516831.      Activists go after commercial length TV shows aimed at kids     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/12/arts/eight-children-s-tv-shows-assailed.html      Wherehouse goes public     (October 6, 1983, Thursday). WHEREHOUSE; Public offering. Business Wire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SJD-MK90-001B-R0VJ-00000-00&context=1516831         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wherehouse_Entertainment First commercial cellphone service introduced     https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/14/business/cellular-mobile-phone-debute.html      Best Quote of the month:    https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews032-19Oct1983/page/n5/mode/1up       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