1983 in video gaming
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Events
- A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from $3.2 billion USD to $100 million USD.<ref name="nintendoland">{{
cite web | author=Liedholm, Marcus and Mattias | title=The Famicom rules the world! – (1983–89) | work=Nintendo Land | url=http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist3.htm | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- 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.<ref name="mcakong">{{
cite web | author=GameSpy Staff | title=25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming / Universal Goes Ape | year=2003 | work=GameSpy.com | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/june03/dumbestmoments/index5.shtml | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- 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.<ref name="ataricoleco">{{
cite web | title=Atari and Coleco | year=1983 | work=New York Times | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E2D8173BF93BA35751C0A965948260 | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Infogrames Entertainment SA is established by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet in Lyon, France.<ref name="infogrames">{{
cite web | title=Atari – 1972–2004 | work=Atari – Official Corporate Site | url=http://corporate.infogrames.com/history.html | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Origin Systems is founded by Robert, Richard, and Owen K. Garriott and Chuck Bueche in Austin, Texas.<ref name="ultima3">{{
cite web | author=GameSpot Staff | title=15 Most Influential Games of All Time / Ultima III: Exodus | year=2000 | work=GameSpot | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/most_influential/p3.html | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Interplay Productions is founded by Brian Fargo in southern California.<ref name="interplay">{{
cite web | author=Ackerman, Kyle | title=The Saga Behind the Sagas: Interplay and the Business of Gaming | year=2002 | work=Frictionless Insight | url=http://www.frictionlessinsight.com/Articles/InterplayBusiness.htm | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Navarre Corporation is founded.<ref name="navarre">{{
cite web | title=Navarre Corporation Completes $12.5 Million Private Placement | work=Navarre Corporation | year=2003 | url = http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=478456&highlight= | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- 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.<ref name="am2">{{
cite web | title=SEGA-AM2 Co., LTD. | work=MobyGames | url=http://www.mobygames.com/company/sega-am2-co-ltd | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- According to Nintendo, total video game sales for 1983 are $3.2 billion USD.<ref name="nintendoland" />
Notable releases
Arcade games
- Bally/Midway releases Spy Hunter, an action/racing game.<ref name="spyhunter">{{
cite web | title=Spy Hunter | work=KLOV.com | url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9742 | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Cinematronics releases Advanced Microcomputer Systems's Dragon's Lair, the first laserdisc video game.<ref name="dragonslair">{{
cite web | title=Dragon's Lair | work=KLOV.com | url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=7647 | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Atari releases Star Wars, a vector graphics-based game based on the popular film franchise.<ref name="starwars">{{
cite web | title=Star Wars | work=KLOV.com | url=http://www.klov.com/S/Star_Wars.html | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Konami releases Gyruss, one of the first arcade games with non-vector 3D graphics, in Japan. Centuri distributes the game in North America.<ref name="gyruss">{{
cite web | title=Gyruss | work=KLOV.com | url=http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=G&game_id=8060 | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Namco releases Mappy, Jr. Pac-Man, Pac and Pal, Phozon, Libble Rabble and Pole Position II.
Personal computer and console games
- Mattel Electronics publishes World Series Baseball, the first video game to use multiple camera angles, for the Intellivision.<ref name="iwsb">{{
cite web | title=Classic Gaming Expo - Don Daglow | year=2005 | work=Classic Gaming Expo | url=http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/ddaglow.htm | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Origin Systems publishes Ultima III: Exodus, the first computer role-playing game to feature tactical, turn-based combat, for the Apple II, Atari 800, Commodore 64, and IBM PC.<ref name="ultima3" />
- Electronic Arts publishes Dan Bunten's M.U.L.E., an influential multiplayer strategy game, for the Commodore 64.<ref name="mule">{{
cite web | author=Underdogs | title=M.U.L.E. | work=Home of the Underdogs | url=http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=668 | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- 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.<ref name="pcs">{{
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/ | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Bug-Byte releases Matthew Smith's Manic Miner, an influential early platform game, for the ZX Spectrum.<ref name="manicminer">{{
cite web | author=Broad, Andrew | title=Manic Miner/Jet Set Willy | year=2006 | url=http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/spectrum/willy/ | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Ashby Computer Graphics, later known as Rare, releases its first video games, Jetpac and Atic Atac, for the ZX Spectrum under the brand name Ultimate: Play the Game.<ref name="rareware">{{
cite web | title=GAMES / timeline | url=http://www.rareware.com/games/timeline/all_timeline.html | work=Welcome to Rare | accessdate=April 3 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Atari releases E.T., one of the most infamous commercial failures in video game history, for the Atari 2600. Many have seen the failure of E.T. as one of the major catalysts for the video game crash of this year.<ref name="et">{{
cite web | author=Fragmaster | title=Game of the Week / E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | work=ClassicGaming.com | url=http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/et.shtml | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
Hardware
- Sega releases the SC-3000 personal computer and the SG-1000 console in Japan.<ref name="sg1000">{{
cite web | title=Sega SC-3000 / SG-1000 | work=Obscure Pixels | url=http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~pinwhiz/sc3000.htm | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- 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.<ref name="nintendoland" />
- Coleco releases the Adam home computer.<ref name="adam">{{
cite web | author=Klein, Eric S. | title=Coleco Adam | work=Eric Klein's Vintage Computers | url=http://www.vintage-computer.com/adam.shtml | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>
- Mattel Electronics releases the Aquarius home computer, originally designed by Radofin Electronics Far East.<ref name="aquarius">{{
cite web | title=Player 3 Stage 3: Contender to the Throne | work=The Dot Eaters | url=http://www.thedoteaters.com/play3sta3.htm | accessdate=February 14 | accessyear=2006
}}</ref>