In Japan, Game Machine magazine began publishing half-monthly charts of top-grossing arcade games from June 1, 1983.[5] The following titles were the top-grossing arcade video games on the Game Machine charts from June to December 1983.
United States
In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1983, according to RePlay magazine, the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), and Cash Box magazine.
Best-selling home video games
The following titles were the best-selling home video games of 1983.
December - Sente Technologies, a division of Pizza Time Theater, launches and demonstrates its first title Snake Pit.
Business
MCA Universalfiles 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 US$1.8 million in damages to Nintendo.,[44]
Psion releases Chequered Flag, the first driving game published for the ZX Spectrum,[66] one of the first computer car simulators, and the first driving game with selectable cars.[67]
July 15 – Sega releases the SG-1000 console in Japan,[70] on the same day as the Famicom.
July 15 – Nintendo releases the Family Computer (Famicom) 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.[43] It would later be released worldwide as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
October – Casio launches the Casio PV-1000 in Japan. It does not remain on the market for long.
October – Gakken launches the Compact Vision TV Boy in Japan. It's the last second generation console released. It was expensive and obsolete at launch, being discontinued shortly after.
GameLine, a combination modem and dialup game distribution service for the Atari 2600, is announced but never ships.
Personal computer
January – Apple Computer releases the Apple IIe, which becomes their most popular 8-bit machine.
March – Atari releases the poorly received 1200XL computer. Late in the year it and the rest of the Atari 8-bit computer series are replaced by the 600XL and 800XL.
June – Mattel Electronics releases the Aquarius home computer, originally designed by Radofin Electronics Far East.[71]
October – Coleco releases the Adam home computer.[72] It is only on the market for 15 months.
October – Mattel discontinues the Aquarius.
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.
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