CBS Electronics, initially named CBS Video Games, was a division of Gabriel Industries, the toy division of the television network CBS. It was formed in 1982 to sell video games for the Atari 2600. It was later merged with CBS Software, initially a separate division of the company dedicated to home computer software. Many of the company's titles were licensed ports of arcade games by Bally Midway, who development many of these ports internally with assistance from Roklan Software. The company also published titles from K-Byte, such as K-Razy Shoot-Out and Mountain King, and distributed the ColecoVision and its games in Europe. American Football personality John Madden was signed on as a spokesperson for the division.

CBS Electronics was initialled directed by Robert Hunter, a 28 year old vice president who managed a small development team in Stafford, Connecticut. In addition to video games such as Gorf, Wizard of Wor, and Tunnel Runner, the team also developed hardware such as the RAM Plus chip that expanded the RAM capacity of the Atari 2600. The company was abruptly shuttered at the end of 1983 due to the video game crash of 1983. The remains were merged with CBS Software which continued to publish games up through 1985. CBS Software focused on educational and productivity software, in addition to games based on Sesame Street and Dr. Seuss.

History

Creation

In 1982, a 28 year old CBS employee named Robert Hunter was put in charge of a new video game division of Gabriel Industries, the toy division of CBS. Hunter was a graduate of MIT and had been an employee of CBS for eight years. According to CBS Electronics programmer, Stuart Ross, Hunter's claim to fame was signing the rock band Journey to Colombia Records, owned by CBS at the time. CBS Colombia Group president Thomas Kerwin pushed Hunter to try to "figure out ways for CBS to distribute its computer-based information." Kerwin helped Hunter establish this new division, named CBS Video Games, which began developing video games for the Atari 2600. Former American football coach John Madden became a spokesperson for the project.

By August 1982, CBS had announced the creation of this new division as well as a licensing agreement with the arcade manufacturer Bally Midway. CBS promised to publish ports of its arcade games including Gorf and Wizard of Wor which were planned for launch by Christmas. These games had previously been licensed to Astrocade, the company distributing Bally's original home console, who's license expired right before their own versions were released for that console.

Game development

According to Ross, the development group, which had previously developed electronic toys, was headed by Trevor Marshall and based out of Connecticut. At its peak it had 25 employees. Ross helped direct the development of CBS's initial ports, which were developed internally at Bally Midway with assistance from Roklan Software, according to then Midway programmer Bob Curtiss. On August 12th 1982, CBS also announced a distribution partnership with K-Byte, a software developer responsible for K-Razy Shoot-Out and later Mountain King.

At Winter CES 1983, CBS announced Blue Print, Solar Fox, and another game called Stomp It which never released. They also announced development on two internally developed games, Tunnel Runner and Wings. These two games were developed by CBS employees Dick Balaska and Stuart Ross respectively. They were based around a new cartridge design featuring the RAM Plus chip, which improved game visuals by providing 256 bytes of additional RAM for the Atari 2600 to use.

Name change

In mid 1983, CBS Video Games changed its name to CBS Electronics and announced it would be publishing for both consoles and home computers. CBS Software, which was already publishing computer games would instead focus exclusively on educational and non-game software. Robert Hunter was also replaced by Richard Baumbusch (a former marketing director at Mattel) as vice president, which CBS representatives claimed was not a demotion, claiming Hunter was a "start-up man...and his leaving is all according to plan."

CBS Electronics also published ports of their games for other platforms. CBS served as the international distributor for Coleco, distributing the ColecoVision and its games in Europe. In the United States, Gorf, Omega Race, and Wizard of Wor were published for the ColecoVision by Coleco themselves. In addition at Summer CES 1983, eight Intellivision games were announced as well as five Atari 5200 games. Their final Bally Midway title was Omega Race, which came with joystick adapter called the Booster Grip which provides a second fire button.

Closure

Following Omega Races release in December 1983 and facing losses due to the video game crash of 1983, CBS announced that it was "repositioning" the CBS Electronics staff and all new console game development would cease. CBS Electronics became a part of CBS Software which continued to publish software for a few more years. According to Stuart Ross, the entire team was laid off all at once and restrained in a room with security guards while their offices were locked to prevent sabotage.

CBS Software

Initially created as a separate division from CBS Video Games, CBS Software was dedicated to home computer software. It was associated with the educational and professional publishing division of CBS. They initially published many titles by K-Byte and Bally Midway. They also panned to release titles in four other categories: Education, Enrichment, Entertainment, and Home Management. CBS Software published a number of educational games using Sesame Street and Dr. Suess characters.

Games

Released by CBS Electronics Title Developer Release Date Platforms Blue Print Atari 2600, Atari 5200Gorf Bally Midway Atari 8-bit, Atari 2600, Atari 5200K-Razy Shoot-Out K-Byte Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200Mountain King K-Byte Atari 8-bit, Atari 2600, Atari 5200Omega Race Atari 2600Solar Fox Bally Midway Atari 2600Tunnel Runner CBS Atari 2600Wizard of Wor Roklan Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit

Released by CBS Software

Title Developer Copyright Platforms Adventure Master Christopher Chance 1984 Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOSAmerica: Coast to Coast Neosoft 1984 Apple II, Commodore 64The Argos Expedition Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Commodore 64Astro-Grover Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Big Bird's Funhouse Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Big Bird's Special Delivery Children's Computer Workshop 1983 Atari 8-bitThe Body in Focus Neosoft 1985 Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOSBoulders and Bombs K-Byte 1983 Atari 8-bitCharles Goren: Learning Bridge Made Easy Goren International 1983 Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOSCoco-Notes The Dovetail Group 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Dinosaur Dig Neosoft 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Dr. Seuss' Fix-Up the Mix-Up Puzzler Coleco 1984 Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Ducks Ahoy! Joyce Hakansson Associates 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Ernie's Magic Shapes Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOSErnie's Big Splash Children's Computer Workshop 1985 Commodore 64Fleet Feet Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Commodore 64Grover's Animal Adventures Children's Computer Workshop 1985 Commodore 64Halftime Battlin' Bands The Dovetail Group 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64K-Razy Antiks K-Byte 1982 Atari 8-bit, VIC-20K-Razy Kritters K-Byte 1982 Atari 8-bitK-Star Patrol K-Byte 1982 Atari 8-bit, VIC-20Light-Waves Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Commodore 64Match Wits David Cooper 1983 Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOSMath Mileage K-Byte 1984 Atari 8-bitMovie Musical Madness The Dovetail Group 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Mystery Master: Felony! BrainBank 1984 Apple II, Commodore 64Mystery Master: Murder by the Dozen BrainBank 1983 Apple II, Commodore 64, Macintosh, MS-DOSPathwords Eon Software 1984 Apple II, Commodore 64Peanut Butter Panic Children's Computer Workshop 1983 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64Quink Ron Dubren and Associates 1985 Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOSThe Railroad Works The Connelley Group 1985 Apple II, Commodore 64Richard Scarry's Best Electronic Word Book Ever! Coleco 1984 Apple II, Commodore 64Sea Horse Hide'n Seek Joyce Hakansson Associates 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64The Sea Voyagers Neosoft 1984 Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOSSesame Street: Letter-Go-Round Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64T.rex: The Dinosaur Survival Adventure Keron Productions 1984 Apple IITimebound Children's Computer Workshop 1983 Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOSWeather Tamers Children's Computer Workshop 1984 Commodore 64Webster: The Word Game Heuristic Software 1983 Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOS

Licensed by Coleco for foreign distribution

Title Release Date Platforms Cabbage Patch Kids: Adventures in the Park 1984 ColecoVisionCarnival Colecovision, Atari 2600, IntellivisionCosmic Avenger ColecoVisionDonkey Kong ColecoVision, Atari 2600, IntellivisionDonkey Kong Junior ColecoVisionFrenzy ColecoVisionGorf ColecoVisionLady Bug ColecoVision, IntellivisionLooping ColecoVisionMouse Trap ColecoVision, Atari 2600, IntellivisionPepper II ColecoVisionSmurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle ColecoVision, Atari 2600Space Fury ColecoVisionSpace Panic ColecoVisionSubRoc ColecoVisionTime Pilot ColecoVisionTurbo ColecoVisionVenture ColecoVision, Atari 2600, IntellivisionZaxxon ColecoVision, IntellivisionWizard of Wor ColecoVision

Notes

References

External Links CBS Electronics commercial (featuring John Madden) - via YouTube