Weekly Television Digest Bally Arcade/Astrocade Material Collected by Kevin Bunch/OCRed by Adam Trionfo October 20, 2022 Version 1.0 This material was posted to Bally Alley Astrocade Discussion Group on October 8, 2022 by Kevin Bunch. He wrote: "Since I've got some time off, I took Friday to go up to the University of Maryland's library and sift through some years of Weekly Television Digest With Consumer Electronics for video game-related coverage from 1980, 1981 and 1985. For the unfamiliar, WTD was a trade publication that covered the television and consumer electronics industries, and as such covered video games from pretty much the get-go. Anyway, I came across a few Bally Arcade related items that I figured I'd share, including Bally's search for a new owner of their consumer products line, Astrovision's pick-up, and a comment on estimated sales for 1981. Enjoy! [...] Oh I missed one, from October 12, 1981." -------------------- Weekly Television Digest (1980 08 11)(Vol. 20, No. 32): 12. Video game patent infringement suit has been filed against Mattel by Magnavox, which holds rights to some basic game patents under agreement with developer Sanders Assoc. Mattel is marketer of programmable $300 Intellivision game being produced for it by Sylvania. Sylvania also is marketing Intellivision, but hasn't yet been charged with infringement. Over last 6 years, Magnavox has successfully pressed infringement actions on international basis against both home & coin-op video game companies, has number of U.S. & foreign licensees. Largest is Atari which now has U.S. production & sales license, is understood to be negotiating for overseas rights. Magnavox has infringement suits pending against APF & Bally. Bally has been seeking buyer for its Consumer Products Div. for past year. Planned sale to Fidelity Electronics, announced last Jan., fell through 20:2 p13). -------------------- Weekly Television Digest (1980 09 29)(Vol. 3, No. 39): 15. Bally sold Consumer Products Div. to Astrovision of Columbus, O., newly formed for purpose of acquisition. Price wasn't disclosed. Vp Dan Dawson said Astrovision has already taken over marketing of Bally's programmable video game, now listing at $299, plus library of 14 cartridges priced $20-$25. He said one new cartridge will be offered by year's end. Plans for 1981 include 6-8 new cartridges, add-on computer keyboard, export sales. Bally has been seeking buyer for consumer business for last 18 months, announced sale agreement with Fidelity Electronics last Jan., but deal fell through. -------------------- Weekly Television Digest (1981 10 12)(Vol. 21, No. 41): 12. Also on independent front [along with Imagic], Astrovision, which acquired production & sales rights to Bally-developed Video Arcade game-computer earlier this year, has started spot TV campaign. In related activity, Commodore acquired license from Bally to produce & market cartridges adapted from Bally's coin-op video games for use with Commodore's personal computers. Commodore says it expects to make more than million in first full production year at plant now under construction in Thailand. Pending plant's completion, set for next summer, cartridges will be made under contract by unidentified Japanese company. -------------------- Weekly Television Digest (1981 11 02)(Vol. 21, No. 4x): 12. Sales of Astrovision, which acquired rights to Bally's programmable video game last year, should run $12-$15 million this year, and company expects profit of about $1 million, Vp Ray George said in recent interview. Figures would indicate unit sales of about 70,000 game consoles, about 200,000 cartridges, assuming 3-1 cartridge-to-console ratio in this first year of active selling. He said company now has $55-million order backlog, predicts $10-million profit on $100 million sales for 1982. -------------------- All of this "Weekly Television Digest" material was sent to the Bally Alley Astrocade discussion forum. Kevin Bunch posted this information in this thread: https://groups.io/g/ballyalley/topic/some_coverage_from_weekly/94209266 -------------------- END OF DOCUMENT