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MB TO PRODUCE VOICE-ACTIVATED 2600 GAMES

Milton Bradley has reached an agreement with Atari, similar to the one it already has with Texas Instruments, to produce a plug-in device for the Atari 2600 and 5200 programmable videogame systems that recognizes and synthesizes speech. The peripheral comes with a headset and microphone and permits a home arcader to play games using up to a dozen selected words instead of with conventional order-entry devices such as joysticks. The add-on should be in the stores in time for Christmas and is expected to sell for about $50. Milton Bradley will also program 18 games for this device, some of which will be games developed by Atari for which MB will provide speech recognition as a special enhancement.

COMMODORE SLASHES VIC-20 PRICE, OFFERS $100 TRADE-IN TOWARD 64

Commodore has made two major moves to further intensify the price competition that has brought the tags on computers and videogames tumbling since the start of the year. Retailers in the Northeast such as Toys R Us and Child World now sell the VIC-20 for under $90, making the unit the lowest-priced full-featured system currently on the market.

At the same time as the price of a VIC-20 crashed through the magic $100-barrier, Commodore announced that it would take any videogame or computer system as a trade-in worth $100 toward the purchase of a Commodore 64. The offer expires in June.

K-TEL LAUNCHES VIDEOGAME ARM

Insomniac videophiles may soon have something else to watch besides those oh-so-incessant K-Tel record commercials on late-night television. Already a worldwide power in the record business, K-Tel has created the Xonox label as the banner under which it will launch a videogame software publishing operation. Television ads in support of the first Xonox titles will begin breaking during late summer, with a full schedule of national TV planned to begin right after Labor Day.

Xonox will woo the allegiance of gamers with Double Enders, reversible cartridges with a completely different 8K game at each end. The two-game package will sell for the same or less than the traditional one-game cartridge.

Xonox will market three different Double Ender titles initially. These are “Spike’s Peak/Ghost Manor”, “Sir Lancelot the Jouster/Robin Hood”, and “Hercules vs. the Titans/ Chuck Norris—Superkicks”. All titles are said to feature particularly strong graphics, and many of the contests involve multiple play screens. The best known of the Xonox game designers is probably Stephen Beck, who authored “Save the Whales”, an upcoming entry from Fox Videogames.

THUNDARR LEAPS FROM TELEVISION TO VIDEOGAMES

Thundarr the Barbarian, the hero of a highly acclaimed action cartoon series by Ruby-Spears Inc., will be swinging his Sun Sword on television sets across the nation soon when he becomes the star of his own Xonox cartridge. “Thundarr the Barbarian” is an action quest in which Thundarr must search deep catacombs for the vial of potion needed to save Princess Ariel while also protecting the same lady from attacks by the Bird People.

The Invisible Screen is one of this title’s biggest drawing cards. While Thundarr battles valiantly on one playfield, events continue to transpire on a second screen, even though it is temporarily out of view. Xonox plans versions of “Thundarr the Barbarian” for both the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision systems. A Labor Day release is anticipated.

PDI UNVEILS ITS ALPHABET ARCADE

A 24K disk—or 16K tape—for the Atari 4-8-1200XL computers that mixes enlightenment and entertainment is now available from PDI under the name “Alphabet Arcade”. Three games, all designed by Jenny Tesar and John Bayes, help those five years of age and up reinforce alphabetization and dictionary skills while offering the challenge of an arcade contest. “Letters for Lisa” involves guiding an animal to her dinner—letters which must be eaten in alphabetical order. “Letter Treasure” is an adventure in which the player, as Diver Dan, must knock down a wall composed of words by hitting them in the order in which they would be found in the dictionary. Finally, there’s “Order, Please”, in which the player must put increasingly tough groups of four, eight or ten words in alphabetical order.

COLECO PLANS SPORTS CARTRIDGES FOR JUNE

Coleco will take a leaf from the book of the upstart United States Football League (USFL) and not wait until the cold weather arrives before buckling down to serious gridiron action. The latest release schedule drawn up by the videogame manufacturer indicates that “Football” will make its debut sometime in June along with the special new ColecoVision controllers and a companion baseball cartridge.

GE STARTS COMPUTER RENTALS

Need an IBM, Apple, Hewlett-Packard or Kaypro computer on a temporary basis? General Electric wants to rent you one of these machines by the week, month or year. Approximately 20 of GE’s 66 service centers operated in major cities by General Electric are currently part of the computer rental program. Seven locations actually stock machines, while the others offer prospective renters the chance to order the unit they desire. “The rental program is a shot in the dark, but we believe a market exists there,” says Gary Buttner, spokesman for GE’s Instrumentation & Computer Service Department. The General Electric executive predicts that the company will lease 500-2000 computers annually to start.

PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION SLICES PINEAPPLE UNIT

U.S. District Judge Irving Hill, ruling in Los Angeles on May 3, has issued a preliminary injunction against Formula International, stopping the company from distributing an Apple II work-alike dubbed the Pineapple. Apple had filed the suit last September against Formula, which has sold about 600 Pineapple kits thus far after importing them from Hong Kong. Specifically, Judge Hill enjoined Formula from copying any Apple software programs, whether contained in the memory of the computer or on disk, tape or cartridge.

“It is definitely a landmark decision,” states Dan Wendin, Apple’s associate counsel. Although Formula’s decision to appeal the ruling means that there’ll be a lot more wrangling before this issue is conclusively decided, the basis on which Judge Hill granted the injunction may ultimately deliver a Sunday punch to all companies that make work-alike computer hardware systems by protecting the operating systems of the original machines.

SUMMER CES EXPECTED TO SET ATTENDANCE RECORDS

The 1983 International Summer Consumer Electronics Show is shaping up to be the largest ever, with more than 1200 exhibitors already signed up. Of these, over 200 computer and game hardware and software manufacturers will be headquartered at McCormick West in Chicago June 5 through 8th. This industry-only event provides companies an opportunity to introduce their 1983 products at the nation’s largest annually-held trade show.

SPINNAKER SIGNS LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH HES

Human Engineered Software (HES) has signed a licensing arrangement for a line of educational software to be developed by Spinnaker Software Corp. Spinnaker, in the first licensing agreement this company has ever entered, agrees to provide “Pacemaker”, “Story Machine” and six other educational titles to HES, for the VIC-20, Timex-Spectrum, and the Atari computers. HES president Ted Morgan expressed pleasure at the new connection, citing Spinnaker as one of the leaders in educational software that is also fun and entertaining. Spinnaker chairman William Bowman said he was pleased to be “working with a company that has brought such high quality graphics to its games.” The Spinnaker software for HES will be in the marketplace by Christmas of 1983.

FIRST AUDIO DIRECTION GAME LETS ARCADERS PLAY BY EAR

“Dolphin”, the new Activision game designed by Matt Hubbard, is the first game that requires gamers to use their ears. This single-player undersea chase features an inky squid chasing a playful dolphin through schools of sea horses. The player guides the dolphin through small passages in the vertical wall of sea horses, but these gaps appear too late for the player to react visually. The gamer instead must listen to the dolphin’s sonar echo to warn him of the locations of the approaching gaps if he is to avoid the pursuing squid. A seagull flies overhead and its passage is signaled by a special sound, so that the dolphin can leap from the waves to touch the bird, powering the dolphin to catch the squid.

Designer Hubbard promises a special surprise built into the game for those players with good enough ears, concentration and reflexes to conquer the game, but he doesn’t say how much you’ll have to score to find the egg.

LEARN TO TOUCH TYPE ON YOUR IBM COMPUTER

“MasterType” is a video space war game from Lightning Software designed to teach IBM personal computer users how to type. Progressive lessons allow the gamer to master the keyboard, and a report following each lesson shows the number of words typed per minute, plus the words misspelled or mistyped. It requires 64K memory and disk drive, and retails at $49.95. “MasterType” is also available for the Atari and Apple computers.

HERE’S TREASURE FOR ASTROCADERS

“Treasure Cove” is a one-to-four player game for the Astrocade game system, from Spectre Systems, an independent software producer. Gamers must retrieve ocean treasures while avoiding contact with sea-life. A limited amount of oxygen and a mean boat captain make the task more difficult. Each time you complete a level and get your treasure back to the boat, a new character is added to the cast of sealife. There are over 25 kinds of watery characters, with a maximum of five on screen at one time. The game features continuous music during play, and a special tournament mode for competitions. It’s marketed through Esoterica Ltd., Box 614, Warren, Ohio 44482.

GAMESTAR HAS GRIDIRON GLORY FOR ONE

“Starbowl Football” from Gamestar, the world’s first solitaire football game for any home system, can play against either a competitive computer team or against a human opponent. Call your own plays, then run, kick, pass and catch, as well as deal with off sides, pass interference and fumbles. According to Scott Orr, Gamestar president, “Starbowl Football emphasizes realistic gridiron action and animated players so lifelike they actually think.”

Gamestar specializes in sophisticated sports games for the Atari computers, and promises to give consumers “the most realistic and challenging sports games on the market, with special emphasis on lifelike animation, exciting sounds and competitive solitaire or two-player action”, according to Orr. The first game from this company was “Baja Buggies”, a race featuring a first-person drive across blistering sand dunes, with temperatures soaring to 110 in the shade, for hot fun in the sun.

ROKLAN TO PRODUCE ‘DARKOVER’ GAMES

Much-honored science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley has signed a long-term contract with Roklan, Arlington Heights, Ill., to produce adventure games based on her “Darkover” series of imaginative novels. “The Spell Sword” will be the first game and is planned for release during the pre-Christmas period. “Each game in the series will capture the mystical nature of the Bradley novels,” believes Ron Borta, director of the Roklan Computer Technology Group. “We haven’t specified the number of games to be produced in all, but our agreement with the author is for seven years. We could well adapt adventure games to all of the Darkover novels in that time.” The “Darkover” adventures will be offered on ROM cartridge for a variety of popular home computer systems.

HAYDEN OFFERS BOOK OF TWELVE VIC-20 PROGRAMS

“Stimulating Simulations for the VIC” by C.W. Engel offers listings for 12 diverse games for the Commodore VIC-20. Published by Hayden Book Company, the 112-page volume sells for $6.50. Games present are “Art Auction”, “Monster Chase”, “Lost Treasure”, “Gone Fishing”, “Spaceflight”, “Starship Alpha”, “Forest Fire”, “Nautical Navigation”, “Business Management”, “Rare Birds”, “Diamond Thief” and “The Devil’s Dungeon”. All the programs are done in VIC Basic.

RESTAURANT CHAIN WILL OFFER GAMES

The success of a prototype unit in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., has backers of John Phillip Tuba’s Ice Cream in the Park marching toward national rollout at doubletime. The restaurants—25 locations are projected by the end of the year—features a menu composed of freshly made ice cream, charbroiled hamburgers and hot dogs and various specialties. Robot entertainers and videogames will help patrons have a good time in a park-like setting reminiscent of the 1890’s.

COMPTON SOLVES RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

Every dog has its day—or so the proverb says—but it looks like the happy days of the dog-headed god Anubis are just about over, thanks to Charles Compton. The 30-year-old Santa Monica resident won $1000 for being the first in the nation to solve the mystery in “Riddle of the Sphinx”, a Bob Smith design published by Imagic.

“Contest rules dictated that you not only correctly solve the riddle,” says Compton, “but have the most creative and intriguing answer.” Compton presented his answer on a 12-ft.-long scroll using authentic Egyptian hieroglyphics. A long-standing interest in Egyptology came in mighty handy in preparing his winning submission, Compton notes.

TI NET DOWN; SHOCK HAZARD BLAMED

Texas Instruments recorded sharply lower first-quarter earnings, despite an increase in total sales of approximately 9% to $1.17 billion for the 90-day period. Net income, on the other hand, fell 74% to $7.1 million versus a net profit of $27.7 million notched in the comparable period of the previous year. Company officials attribute the slide largely to the consequences of the potential shock hazard recently detected in the TI 99/4A which causes the manufacturer to halt shipments for about a month starting in late February. “The problem with the 99/4A is now behind us,” TI president J. Fred Bucy told shareholders at the firm’s annual meeting on April 21.

DYNACOMP TRIES IBM

Dynacomp, Rochester, NY, is introducing a wide selection of software products for use with the IBM Personal Computer. Although the list of offerings is heavy with no-nonsense financial, engineering and statistics programs, Dynacomp hasn’t forgotten game-loving IBMers. Included in the first group of titles are “Backgammon 2.0) ($23,95), “Blackjack Coach ($33.95), “Bridge Master” ($29.95), Games Pack I” ($18.95), “Games Pack II” ($18.95), and “Valdez” ($23.95).

COMING EVENTS

Upcoming Tournaments and Meetings

MIAMI COMPUTER FAIR, May 15, Miami, Florida

The North Dade Computer Society will fill the Midway Mall, 7795 W. Flagler St., Miami, with exhibits and booths. Contact Steven Apple at (305)947-7930, for information.

VIDEO GAMES & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, May 22-24, Harvard Graduate School, Cambridge, Ma.

This symposium examines the use of videogames in medical rehabilitation, social behavior, formal education, etc. Attendance is $150. Call (617) 495-3572 for details.

US 83 CAREER/TECH EXPO, May 28-30, Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino Co., Calif.

The fair focuses on high-technology in the 80’s, with the theme “Careers for Youth”, coupled with a rock festival. Tickets are $20 per day. Call (408) 294-8424 for info.

NJ-NY-CT MICRO SHOW & FLEAMARKET, June 11-12, Secaucus, N.J.

All microcomputer users and fleamarketers are welcome. Write the Kengore Corp., 3001 Route 27, Franklin Park, NJ 08823 or call (201) 297-2526.

OHIO MUSIC & AMUSEMENT ASSOC., June 16-18, Columbus Hyatt Hotel, Columbus, Ohio

Contact Paul Corey, 16 E. Broadstreet, #901, Columbus, Ohio 43215, or call 614-221-8600.

FUTURE SEMINARS OPPORTUNITIES & PITFALLS, various locations and dates.

Cost is $795, and seminars are held in New York June 2-3, Chicago June 9-10, San Francisco June 20-21. For information, call 214-783-9375.

HI-TECH HYATTFEST WEEKEND, June 18-19, Schaumburg (Chicago), Illinois

For consumers interested in computers, videogames and robots, at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield, in Schaumburg (a Chicago suburb) for $5 each. Call 312-467-7142.

INDUSTRY SURVIVAL SEMINAR, June 22-24, Orlando, Florida, at the Marriott Hotel.

Sponsored by National Coin Machine Institute, this action workshop will seek solutions to problems faced by coin machine operators. Contact NCMI at (305) 561-0886.

MONTANA COIN MACHINE OPERATORS ASSN., July 15-17, in Bozeman, Montana.

Call Dorothy Christianson (406) 654-2250

NORTH CAROLINA COIN OPERATORS ASSN., September 8-11, Hyatt House, Winston-Salem, NC.

Contact Bobby Earp (919) 229-5826

ELECTRONIC & COMPUTER GAMES & TOYS EXHIBITION, August 18-21, Sydney, Australia

This is for both public and trade attendees, to be held at the new Sydney Entertainment Centre, Haymarket. Write Lorna Miller, Industrial Presentations, 4/389 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia.

NJ-NY-CT MICROCOMPUTER SHOW & FLEAMARKET, October 15-16, Meadowlands Hilton, New Jersey

A show for consumers and fleamarketers. Contact the Kengore Corp (per item 4 above).

LEISURETRONICS, February 19-26, 1984, Monte-Carlo, Monaco

This is the first international congress for electronic gaming, for the trade. For information, write MAC, 294 Main St., East Greenwich, Rhode Island 02818, or call (401) 884-9500.

THE HOTSEAT

Reviews of New Products

AGGRESSOR/Computer Game (for VIC-20)/HES

A scenario pitting the Freeworld Federation against the Zaurian Empire provides the background for Jeff Minter’s scrolling shoot-out. This particular battle has the Free-worlders using their state-of-the-art VX6 Marauder Ramjet fighter to prevent the Zaurians from raiding the Stellarium dumps on New Earth 6, and obtaining the ore needed to build a Super Shield that’s impervious to laser fire. The basic Zaurian vessel, which cruises the planet until it locates a dump, can reform out of explosions while rising from a dump, an interesting capability. Fighters and Starmine Deployers, as well as Driftbombs, back up the invaders. An awkward control system and a somewhat speedy pace are drawbacks to the game, but the clever storyline helps maintain the player’s interest. (CK) Rating: 7

TAIL OF BETA LYRAE/Computer Game (Atari 4-8-1200)/Paradise Software

This mono-directional scrolling shoot-out marks the debut of Philip Price, potentially a major new electronic game design talent. Although Price must smooth out the somewhat chunky graphic style, his “Beta Lyrae” offers an impressive group of features. Not only does the disk offer an array of difficulty levels ranging from cadet to champion, but there is provision for one-to-four wing commanders to compete, each using an individual joystick. A true first is that, one to two weeks after “Beta Lyrae” is purchased, the aliens develop an additional powerful weapon, the Megaspheres, to increase the challenge! Every object on the screen—and there are six scenarios full of them—is animated, although all don’t actually fire at the easiest settings. A big bonus is the musical accompaniment, most of it original, that embellishes the whole program from start to finish. When you set a new high score record in “Beta Lyrae”, you’ll really feel like you’ve made an accomplishment after hearing the heroic theme song with which the computer salutes the triumph. (SD) Rating: 9

DUNGEON/Computer Game (for Apple II)/TSR

The company that invented “Dungeons & Dragons” is now trying to extend its success from role-playing to computer games. One of the company!s trio of releases is a computerized version of its already popular family boardgame “Dungeon”. Up to eight players move through the six-floor catacomb, fighting monsters and snagging valuable treasures and magic items. Movement takes place on a multi-screen, low-res electronic gameboard, and the display switches to a hi-res drawing of the player’s character and the threatening monster when an elf, hero, super-hero or wizard decides to enter a room. Some rough spots, such as the fact that on-screen copy “wraps” to the next line instead of being properly hyphenated, mar a generally easy-to-play and user-friendly program. The graphics could also be better; representing a player as a simple square cursor is not worthy of a 48K program. Still, “Dungeon” is a wonderful strategy game that’s simple enough to provide a couple of hours of pleasant entertainment for young and old alike. It’s not perfect, but the plusses definitely outweigh the minuses. (AK) Rating: 8

ZOOKEEPER/Coin-Op Videogame/Taito

This recent addition to an already burgeoning line of “cute” games lacks both the whimsical animation and the sense of humor of its more successful antecedents. Players control the actions of Zeke the Zookeeper, who must first recage animals bent on busting loose, then climb a number of ledges to rescue his girlfriend, and contend with an escalator sequence. While the play mechanic is adequate, the lack of logic, humor and originality makes this player wonder why bother. (TF) Rating: 5

FOOD FIGHT/Coin-Op Videogame/Atari

It’s Charley Chuck, a mischievous child, against the great gourmet chefs in an irreverant battle of the gastronomic delights. If Charley can make it to the ice cream cone before it melts away entirely, he beats the chefs, who promptly look chagrined. If the gourmets succeed in pelting him with food before he reaches his sweet treat, they win. But not to fear! Charley Chuck can hold them at bay with a few well-placed shots of his own. Humorous animation and player-selected skill levels make this one sweet game. (TF) Rating: 8

STAR TREK/Coin-Op Videogame/Sega

Sega’s latest vector graphics-styled stunner features three simultaneous screen displays, a variety of well-defined speech synthesis effects, and enough action-packed challenge to satisfy any spacefarer’s craving. The gamer takes control of the U.S.S. Enterprise in an elaborate “training mission” against treacherous Klingons and Nomad, the half-wired superdroid. Alert Trekkies will recognize more than one crew member’s voice, which adds to the fun of the game. (TF) Rating: 10

STARGATE/Standalone Game/Entex

Entex Industries has created a very credible version of the classic pay-for-play machine by Williams. Many of the coin-op’s special effects have been adapted to this table-topper, including laser cannon, smart bombs, and the special Inviso Cloaking Shield to let you slip through the enemy lines unseen. Only ten earthlings remain alive, but even this miserable handful of survivors is threatened by alien invaders who seek to kidnap and transform the humans into mutant men-ships. These acquire the intelligence of the humanoid, while retaining the strength of the conquering alien crafts, to create even more formidable foes for the gamer to dispatch. If the arcader can gather the survivors into his craft, they can be transported to a new world, winning many points for the gamer. This is done by flying through the Stargate, an on-screen teleporter that takes you to a less troubled section of this planet, or to an entire new earth. A handsome job of translating a coin-op to tabletop size; the Stargate standalone should be a welcome gift to any fan of defender-style games. (3W) Rating: 8

ARMOR ATTACK/Standalone Game/Mattel

Mattel has shrunk the classic tank battle all the way down to handheld size, and this is surely the best (only!) way to really enjoy a head-to-head armored war…right in the palm of your own hand. You control an on-screen tank, and the computer operates a similar vehicle. As the battle grows more bloody, mines pit the field, introducing still more hazards to the hapless tank drivers on both sides. Eventually, helicopters buzz around over your head, and you lose your tank if a whirlybird passes directly over it. This is a charming way to fight a war. The graphics, though minimal, are attractive, and the action is hot and heavy, even difficult. Not for the fainthearted. (3W) Rating: 7

HONOR ROLL

The Nation’s Highest Scores

THE NATION’S HIGH ROLLERS

Here’s the current list of the best in the land, the top scores from around the country compiled by the editors of Electronic Games and Arcade Express. To compete, just send a photo of the game screen, showing the final score clearly enough for the judges to read the numbers. All photos become the property of EG and none can be returned. Include your name and address, and mail to Electronic Games, 460 West 34th Street, New York, New York 10001.

HOME VIDEOGAMES:

Asteroids/Atari VCS/Game #6 - Lance Simon, Carmichael, Ca. - 579,660
Defender/Atari VCS/Game #1 - Jim Rizza, W. Roxbury, Ma. - 12,185,200
Frogger/Parker/Atari VCS/Came #1 - Eric Wold, Santa Ana, Ca. - 7,886
Megamania/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #1 - Robert Rusin, Buffalo, NY - 999,999
Pac-Man/Atari VCS/Game 4#1 - Tom Steinhop, West Germany - 239,000
Pitfall/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #1 - John Bursee, Malvern, Oh. - 105,314
Seaquest/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #1 - Bonnie Starnes, Randolph, Tx. - 76,380
Vanguard/Atari VCS/Game #1 - Carlos Cedillo, Belleville, NJ - 321,170
Donkey Kong Jr./ColecoVision/Game #1 - Brian Crossley, St. Paul, Mn. - 309,700
Lady Bug/ColecoVision/Game //1 - Kristy Brown, St. Paul, Mn. - 882,910
Nightstalker/Intellivialon/Game #1 - Robert Benjamin, Towanda, Pa. - 995,500
Space Hawk/inrcilivision/Game in - Brad Fath, Wooster, Oh. - 25,328,380
Tron Deadly Disc/Intellivision/Game #1 - Edward Mandziuk (no address) - 14,041,750
Pick-Axe Pete/Odyssey/Game #6 - Joseph Lurin, Great Neck, NY - 1814
UFO/Odyssey/Game #1 - Dave Jacksch, RAF Bentwaters, UK - 6,136

ARCADE GAMES:

Missile Command/Atari - C. R. Ricardo, Miami, Fl. - 60,506,300
Donkey Kong, Jr./Nintendo - Mike Hendrixson, St. Louis, Mo. - 948,100
Super Pac-Man/Midway - Jeff Yee, San Francisco, Ca. - 5,533,990
Stargate/Williams - Dave Perlmutter, Brooklyn, NY - 78,425,450
Tempest/Atari - Lance Layson, Calhoun, Ga. - 5,084,247
Zaxxon/Sega-Gremlin - Dave Kinley, Jr., Cincinnati, Oh. - 2,823,800
Tron/Midway - Gary Pontius, Cedar Rapids, Ia. - 8,234,553
Kick-Man/Midway - Shane Fagan, St. Barry, Il. - 35,554,695