| List of years in video gaming (table) |
|---|
| … 1973 . 1974 . 1975 . 1976 . 1977 . 1978 . 1979 … 1980 1981 1982 -1983- 1984 1985 1986 … 1987 . 1988 . 1989 . 1990 . 1991 . 1992 . 1993 … |
| Related time period or subjects |
| … 1980 . 1981 . 1982 - 1983 - 1984 . 1985 . 1986 … … 1950s . 1960s . 1970s -1980s- 1990s . 2000s . 2010s |
| Art . Archaeology . Architecture . Literature . Music . Science +... |
Contents |
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]
Notable releases
Arcade games
- Bally/Midway releases Spy Hunter, an action/racing game.[9]
- Cinematronics releases Advanced Microcomputer Systems's Dragon's Lair, the first laserdisc video game.[10]
- Atari releases Star Wars, a vector graphics-based game based on the popular film franchise.[11]
- Konami releases Gyruss in Japan. Centuri distributes the game in North America.[12]
- 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.[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]
Hardware
- Sega releases the SC-3000 personal computer and the SG-1000 console in Japan.[19]
- 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.[1]
- Coleco releases the Adam home computer.[20]
- Mattel Electronics releases the Aquarius home computer, originally designed by Radofin Electronics Far East.[21]
- Acorn Computers release the Acorn Electron, a cut down version of their BBC Micro to compete in the under £200 home computer market. Problems in manufacture see only 1 in 8 presales being delivered for the Christmas market.
References
- ^ a b c Liedholm, Marcus and Mattias. "The Famicom rules the world! – (1983–89)". Nintendo Land. http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist3.htm. Retrieved 2006-02-14.
- ^ "25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming / Universal Goes Ape". GameSpy.com. 2003. http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/june03/dumbestmoments/index5.shtml. Retrieved 2006-02-14.
- ^ "Atari and Coleco". New York Times. 1983. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E2D8173BF93BA35751C0A965948260. Retrieved 2006-02-14.
- ^ "Atari – 1972–2004". Atari – Official Corporate Site. http://corporate.infogrames.com/history.html. Retrieved 2006-02-14.
- ^ a b GameSpot Staff (2000). "15 Most Influential Games of All Time / Ultima III: Exodus". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/most_influential/p3.html. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ Ackerman, Kyle (2002). "The Saga Behind the Sagas: Interplay and the Business of Gaming". Frictionless Insight. http://www.frictionlessinsight.com/archives/2002/06/the-saga-behind.html. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "SEGA-AM2 Co., LTD.". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/company/sega-am2-co-ltd. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Spy Hunter". KLOV.com. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9742. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Dragon's Lair". KLOV.com. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7647. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Star Wars". KLOV.com. http://www.klov.com/S/Star_Wars.html. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Gyruss". KLOV.com. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8060. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Classic Gaming Expo - Don Daglow". Classic Gaming Expo. 2005. http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/ddaglow.htm. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ Underdogs. "M.U.L.E.". Home of the Underdogs. http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=668. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ Cassidy, William (2002). "Hall of Fame / Pinball Construction Set". GameSpy.com. http://archive.gamespy.com/halloffame/september02/pcs/. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ Broad, Andrew (2006). "Manic Miner/Jet Set Willy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-21. http://www.webcitation.org/5khD2jHSd. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "GAMES / timeline". Welcome to Rare. http://www.rareware.com/games/timeline/all_timeline.html. Retrieved 3 April 2006.
- ^ Fragmaster. "[http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/et.shtml accessyear=2006 Game of the Week / E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]". ClassicGaming.com. http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/et.shtml accessyear=2006.
- ^ "Sega SC-3000 / SG-1000". Obscure Pixels. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~pinwhiz/sc3000.htm. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ Klein, Eric S.. "Coleco Adam". Eric Klein's Vintage Computers. http://www.vintage-computer.com/adam.shtml. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Player 3 Stage 3: Contender to the Throne". The Dot Eaters. http://www.thedoteaters.com/p3_stage3.php. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
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