The Book of Atari Software 1983 'Winter Supplement'

Arrays 🇺🇸 1984

The Winter Supplement is the final update of The Book of Atari Software 1983. It is intended to keep you informed about some of the software released for Atari computers since the Spring/Summer double supplement was published. It is designed to be a money-saving reference guide consulted by software dealers and users alike.

To say that 1983 was less than a successful year for Atari, Inc. is a great understatement. The spectacular failure of the 1200XL, price wars with other manufacturers of low-end personal computers, and the strong encroachment of other vendors on the VCS game market have all contributed to the company’s losses (upward of half a billion dollars). Third party vendors have also been reluctant to commit themselves to developing software until Atari’s future course seemed clear.

Atari, however, is in the market to stay. They introduced an upgraded line of computers and improved software this winter. Atari’s emphasis on video games remains strong, but the balance is slowly shifting toward a greater variety of software offerings, especially in the fields of education and business. Atari’s present advertising campaign reflects this shift, at last getting away from the phrase “Have you played Atari today?” and presenting the image of an general purpose home computer. Of all the low-cost computers available, Atari still offers the best graphics and the most reliable performance by far. With the introduction of enhanced hardware, a greater variety of more powerful software, and an entire new line of accessories, Atari’s problem in 1984 may be the inability of production to keep up with demand.