Thirty Years Ago Today: Videogames Make the Cover of Time Magazine

On January 18, 1982 the cover of Time magazine proudly proclaimed “GRONK! FLASH! ZAP! Video Games are Blitzing the World”. The article went on to give an interesting picture of a new industry that was coming of age: Read more…

Tags: 1982

How DEC Failed to Enter the PC Market: A 1982 Documentary

This is an amazing promotional film produced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) documents their attempt to enter the PC market in 1982. DEC owned a major chunk of the mini-computer market and to their credit they got the idea that the PC was the wave of the future and they knew they had to compete. Although in retrospect by 1982 it may have already been too late to get into the game when you think about the fact that the Apple II hit the market in 1977 (not to mention the fact that they were hitting the market after IBM defined it). Here’s the DEC Rainbow Triple Boot Computer which DEC introduced in May of 1982: Read more…

Tags: 1982, Retro Computing

Dagobah Sure is Strange Place…

From 1981 (well this commercial aired in 1982, but you know what I mean) comes this spot for the Kenner’s Yoda and R2-D2 sensor-scope action figures from the Empire Strikes Back collection. As why poor Luke Skywalker and poor old Obi-Wan Kenobi don’t get a mention at the end of the advert I don’t have a clue. Although with some research I did discover that some lucky kids from this era could actually get a Dagobah action playset if they didn’t want to get dirty in the backyard: Read more…

Tags: 1981, 1982, Action Figures, Kenner, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, The Empire Strikes Back, Toys, Yoda

Demon Attack: Can You Survive the Lawsuit from Atari?

What’s great about this 1982 advert for Demon Attack is that the commercial seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the content of the videogame that’s being advertised. Although that disconnect wasn’t too uncommon in that era as the games were rather abstract looking and the box art often told a different (and more detailed) story: Read more…

Tags: 1982, Atari, Retro Games

Mickey Mouse as Tron

Taking him into the maze! Of course being a mouse playing a maze game is second nature when you kit bash Mickey Mouse and Tron. This Tron Mickey Mouse Vinyl Collectible Doll is available for preorder at National Console Support, here’s their description: Read more…

Tags: 1982, Disney, Mickey Mouse, Tron

The Atari Raiders Of The Lost Ark Game

The year is 1982 and Howard Scott Warshaw has been picked to design the Raiders Of The Lost Ark game for the Atari 2600. This game actually did pretty well, but the next game Warshaw designed for Spielberg was the infamous E.T. video game which was one of the worst failures in the industry. But a year before that things were so good that Vestron even produced a home video on how to do well while playing the the Raiders Of The Lost Ark game: Read more…

Tags: 1982, Atari, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg

Peanut Butter and Chocolate: The Food of Nerds

I hadn’t realized just how geek focused the early advertising for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups was until I came across these two spots: The first advert above is from 1980 and has a bit of a Star Wars feeling to it, while 1982 commercial below is inspired by the first generation of home videogames.

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Tags: 1980, 1982, Chocolate