1983 in video gaming

Events

*A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3,200 million to US$100 million.cite web| author=Liedholm, Marcus and Mattias| title=The Famicom rules the world! – (1983–89) | work= [http://www.nintendoland.com/ Nintendo Land] | url=http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist3.htm | accessdate=2006-02-14]
*MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit "Donkey Kong" violated Universal's copyright on King Kong. After a brief trial, the judge determined that the rights to the original Kong had passed into the public domain. The case was dismissed, and MCA Universal paid $1.8 million USD in damages to Nintendo.cite web| title=25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming / Universal Goes Ape | year=2003 | work= [http://www.gamespy.com/ GameSpy.com] | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/june03/dumbestmoments/index5.shtml
accessdate=2006-02-14]
*Atari files suit against Coleco, claiming violation of Atari's patents on the Atari 2600 video game console. The previous year, Coleco released a peripheral device that made it possible for Atari 2600 game cartridges to be run on the ColecoVision console.cite web | title=Atari and Coleco | year=1983 | work= [http://www.nytimes.com/ New York Times] | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E2D8173BF93BA35751C0A965948260 | accessdate=2006-02-14]
*Infogrames Entertainment SA is established by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet in Lyon, France.cite web | title=Atari – 1972–2004 | work= [http://corporate.infogrames.com/ Atari – Official Corporate Site] | url=http://corporate.infogrames.com/history.html | accessdate=2006-02-14]
*Origin Systems is founded by Robert, Richard, and Owen K. Garriott and Chuck Bueche in Austin, Texas; Richard will become better known by the name of his fictional character, "Lord British".

cite web
author=GameSpot Staff
title=15 Most Influential Games of All Time / Ultima III: Exodus
year=2000
work= [http://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot]
url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/most_influential/p3.html
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Interplay Productions is founded by Brian Fargo in southern California.

cite web
author=Ackerman, Kyle
title=The Saga Behind the Sagas: Interplay and the Business of Gaming
year=2002
work= [http://www.frictionlessinsight.com/ Frictionless Insight]
url=http://www.frictionlessinsight.com/archives/2002/06/the-saga-behind.html
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Navarre Corporation is founded.

cite web
title=Navarre Corporation Completes $12.5 Million Private Placement
work= [http://www.navarre.com/ Navarre Corporation]
year=2003
url = http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=478456&highlight=
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Amusement Developing Section 8 (later known as Sega-AM2), a research and development department of Sega, is established under the supervision of Yu Suzuki in Tokyo, Japan.

cite web
title=SEGA-AM2 Co., LTD.
work= [http://www.mobygames.com/ MobyGames]
url=http://www.mobygames.com/company/sega-am2-co-ltd
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*According to Nintendo, total video game sales for 1983 are $3.2 billion USD.

Notable releases

Arcade games

*Bally/Midway releases "Spy Hunter", an action/racing game.

cite web
title=Spy Hunter
work= [http://www.klov.com/ KLOV.com]
url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9742
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Cinematronics releases Advanced Microcomputer Systems's "Dragon's Lair", the first laserdisc video game.

cite web
title=Dragon's Lair
work=KLOV.com
url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7647
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Atari releases "Star Wars", a vector graphics-based game based on the popular film franchise.

cite web
title=Star Wars
work=KLOV.com
url=http://www.klov.com/S/Star_Wars.html
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Konami releases "Gyruss", one of the first arcade games with non-vector 3D graphics, in Japan. Centuri distributes the game in North America.

cite web
title=Gyruss
work=KLOV.com
url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8060
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Namco releases "Mappy", "Jr. Pac-Man", "Pac & Pal", "Phozon", "Libble Rabble" and "Pole Position II".

Personal computer and console games

*Mattel Electronics publishes "World Series Baseball" by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, the first video game to use multiple camera angles, for the Intellivision.

cite web
title=Classic Gaming Expo - Don Daglow
year=2005
work= [http://www.cgexpo.com/ Classic Gaming Expo]
url=http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/ddaglow.htm
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Origin Systems publishes "" by Richard Garriott, better known as Lord British. "Ultima III" was the first computer role-playing game to feature tactical, turn-based combat, for the Apple II, Atari 800, Commodore 64, and IBM PC.
*Electronic Arts publishes Dan Bunten's "M.U.L.E.", an influential multiplayer strategy game, for the Commodore 64.

cite web
author=Underdogs
title=M.U.L.E.
work= [http://www.the-underdogs.org/ Home of the Underdogs]
url=http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=668
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Electronic Arts publishes Bill Budge's "Pinball Construction Set", the first example of the "builder" (or "construction set") computer and video game genre, for the Apple II, Atari 800, and IBM PC.

cite web
author=Cassidy, William
title=Hall of Fame / Pinball Construction Set
year=2002
work=GameSpy.com
url=http://archive.gamespy.com/halloffame/september02/pcs/
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Bug-Byte releases Matthew Smith's "Manic Miner", an influential early platform game, for the ZX Spectrum.

cite web
author=Broad, Andrew
title=Manic Miner/Jet Set Willy
year=2006
url=http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/spectrum/willy/
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Ultimate Play The Game, later known as Rare, releases its first video games, "Jetpac" and "Atic Atac", for the ZX Spectrum.

cite web
title=GAMES / timeline
url=http://www.rareware.com/games/timeline/all_timeline.html
work= [http://www.rareware.com/ Welcome to Rare]
accessmonthday=3 April
accessyear=2006

cite web
author=Fragmaster
title=Game of the Week / E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
work= [http://www.classicgaming.com/ ClassicGaming.com]
url=http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/et.shtml
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]

Hardware

*Sega releases the SC-3000 personal computer and the SG-1000 console in Japan.

cite web
title=Sega SC-3000 / SG-1000
work= [http://www.retrogames.co.nz/ Obscure Pixels]
url=http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~pinwhiz/sc3000.htm
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Nintendo releases the Family Computer console in Japan. Shortly after its release, complaints begin to surface about rampant system instability, prompting Nintendo to issue a product recall and to rerelease the machine with a new motherboard.
*Coleco releases the Adam home computer.

cite web
author=Klein, Eric S.
title=Coleco Adam
work= [http://www.vintage-computer.com/ Eric Klein's Vintage Computers]
url=http://www.vintage-computer.com/adam.shtml
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]
*Mattel Electronics releases the Aquarius home computer, originally designed by Radofin Electronics Far East.

cite web
title=Player 3 Stage 3: Contender to the Throne
work= [http://www.thedoteaters.com/ The Dot Eaters]
url=http://www.thedoteaters.com/p3_stage3.php
accessmonthday=14 February
accessyear=2006

]

References