[edit] Events - A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.[1]
- 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.[2]
- 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.[3]
- Infogrames Entertainment SA is established by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet in Lyon, France.[4]
- 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.[5]
- Interplay Productions is founded by Brian Fargo in southern California.[6]
- Navarre Corporation is founded.[7]
- 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.[8]
- According to Nintendo, total video game sales for 1983 are $3.2 billion USD.[1]
[edit] Notable releases [edit] Arcade games [edit] 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.[13]
- Origin Systems publishes Ultima III: Exodus 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.[5]
- Electronic Arts publishes Dan Bunten's M.U.L.E., an influential multiplayer strategy game, for the Commodore 64.[14]
- 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.[15]
- Bug-Byte releases Matthew Smith's Manic Miner, an influential early platform game, for the ZX Spectrum.[16]
- Ultimate Play The Game, later known as Rare, releases its first video games, Jetpac and Atic Atac, for the ZX Spectrum.[17]
[18] [edit] Hardware [edit] References |
