Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

August 1984


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Commodore buys Amiga Jack Tramiel declares war on competition Nintendo announces US NES launch plans

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM!

This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in August 1984. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost. Check out his podcast here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/ and order his book here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

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Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/121143199

7 Minutes in Heaven: Sabrewulf Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/121098237 https://www.mobygames.com/game/14732/sabre-wulf/

Corrections: July 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1994-116535754 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Pong https://gamehistory.org/atari-2600-tarzan/ https://www.giantbomb.com/photon-the-ultimate-game-on-planet-earth/3030-39589/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Electron https://archive.org/details/book_video_games/page/n77/mode/2up

1974: Atari sells Japanese manufacturing to Namco https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-24.pdf pg. 49

Basketball a hit Cashbox august 3 1974 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-04.pdf pg. 43

Clean Sweep 1 player https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-10.pdf pg. 50

Track 10 adds oil slick https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-17.pdf pg. 46 https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/videogames/show/2351

Gene Lipken joins Atari https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-24.pdf pg. 49

Medal Games are spreading Game Machine August 10, 1974 pg. 7 Cali SC rules in favor of pinball Cashbox Aug 10 1974 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-10.pdf pg. 48

Coinop on the Price is Right Cashbox august 3 1974 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-04.pdf pg. 43 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Price_Is_Right

13 year olds simulate life on computer Two Youths Turn Computers on to 'Life', Hardford Courant, 11 Aug 1974, Page 3 http://www.rearden.com/people.php

1984: Silicon Valley proves resilient Gloom in the Valley . . . But a Silver Lining, Too, U.S. News & World Report, August 20, 1984, Section: Pg. 38, Byline: By JOANNE DAVIDSON

Warner second quarter losses are massive Warner Communications reports huge loss, United Press International, August 2, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle

Jack slashes prices Atari's Tramiel Gets Tough With Price Cuts, ADWEEK, August 13, 1984, Eastern Edition,Byline: By Gail Belsky Computer Entertainer Vol. 3 Number 5 pg. 1 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-5/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater

Commodore to buy Amiga Commodore Deal With Amiga Set,The New York Times, August 17, 1984, Friday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 3, Column 6; Financial Desk

Atari sues Amiga ATARI HEAD SUES ALLY THAT DEFECTED TO RIVAL, The New York Times, August 21, 1984, Tuesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 1; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER https://www.tech-insider.org/personal-computers/research/1984/0822.html Atari to introduce 16 and 32 bit systems Atari To Sell More-Powerful Computers, The Associated Press, August 27, 1984, Monday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By STEVE WILSTEIN,

Jack declares war on competition Computer Entertainer Vol. 3 Number 5 pg. 1 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-5/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater Jack can't collect Tramiel Reported Seeking $50 Million in Lieu of Atari Debts, The Associated Press, August 31, 1984, Friday, PM cycle, Section: Business News

Imagine Megagames up for auction https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_034_1984-08_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n23/mode/2up

Coleco unveils new marketing ploy Coleco will offer scholarships to some computer purchasers, United Press International, August 22, 1984, Wednesday, BC cycle, Section: Financial Advertising;At Coleco, The Adam Is Reborn, The New York Times, August 13, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 8, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By Pamela G. Hollie https://youtu.be/tklBAzg_cgw?si=rDW-RNgtAqd_7QHl

VCRs and Action Figures muscle video games out of retail The Video Revolution, Newsweek, August 6, 1984 UNITED STATES EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. 50 Media Room, The Associated Press, August 12, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle

Video killed the Video Game Star FROM PAC-MAN TO GI JOE, Forbes, August 13, 1984, Section: MONEY AND INVESTMENTS; The Columnists; Psychology & Investing; Pg. 138, Byline: By Srully Blotnick; Toys sales boom, United Press International, August 21, 1984, Tuesday, BC cycle, Section: Financial Playthings, August 1984.

Video Game tie-ins come of age Allan Carr keeps bubbling to the top in a heady world, The San Diego Union-Tribune,August 12, 1984 Sunday, Section: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. E-2, Byline: David Elliott, Movie Critic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloak_%26_Dagger_%28video_game%29 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087065/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088395/?ref_=nm_flmg_knf_t_4 ACTIVISION; To develop and market software based on Ghostbusters motion picture, Business Wire, August 28, 1984, Tuesday Gregory Fischbach Part 1 - Activision - Acclaim - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46578120 https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-09/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.mobygames.com/company/6665/dktronics/ https://archive.org/details/OnlineTodayV03N08/page/n9/mode/2up https://www.mobygames.com/game/40828/paul-mccartneys-give-my-regards-to-broad-street/ Jay Balakrishnan - HESWare, Radical, Dynamics, Solid State Software - https://www.patreon.com/posts/jay-balakrishnan-103071267

Nintendo sees coinop sales plummet Nintendo anticipates greater sales, profit, The Japan Economic Journal, August 28, 1984, Section: SECURITIES; Pg. 16

Atari sells distributorship Replay, August 1984, pg. 3 Coin-op computers a bust Campus coin-op computers crash; Good product ahead of its time, United Press International, August 29, 1984, Wednesday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Byline: By J.B. BLOSSER

3rd parties scrap releases Computer Entertainer Vol. 3 Number 5 pg. 11

IBM tries to save the PCJr I.B.M. RAISES DIVIDEND, OFFERS A FREE KEYBOARD, The New York Times, August 1, 1984, Wednesday, Late City , Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 1; Financial Desk, Byline: By STUART DIAMOND https://www.ebay.com/itm/335702730148 https://archive.org/details/pcjr-magazine-1984-volume-1/PCjr%20Magazine%20-%20198410%20-%20Volume%201%20Number%209/page/58/mode/2up?view=theater&q=512 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-5/page/n14/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue59/review_lotus_123.php MICROPRO; Greets enhanced PCjr with WordStar, Business Wire, August 13, 1984, Monday

IBM announces AT I.B.M.'S. NEW POWERHOUSE A T ;TWICE AS FAST AS OLD PC'S, The New York Times, August 15, 1984, Wednesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-08/page/n9/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivetti_M24 SHORTAGE OF SEMICONDUCTORS EASES, The New York Times, August 27, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-08/page/n11/mode/2up

IBM and EC reach agreement WEEK IN BUSINESS;BEST WEEK EVER ON WALL STREET, The New York Times, August 5, 1984, Sunday, Late City , Final Edition, Section: Section 3; Page 14, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By Nathaniel C. Nash

IBM announces new business strategy for Europe I.B.M.'S NEW ROLE IN EUROPE, The New York Times, August 13, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 4; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER MSX to miss XMAS https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-02/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-02/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-09/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

Amstrad pricing very competitive https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-034/page/n125/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-034/page/n119/mode/1up?view=theater

Sinclair launches Speccy bundle https://archive.org/details/home-computer-weekly-magazine-new/HomeComputerWeekly-074/ https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-02/mode/1up?view=theater https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/20540/ZX-Spectrum/Spectrum_Six_Pack_ZX-Spectrum_48K_version Sinclair plans stock flotation https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-09/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Sinclair wants to get into chip manufacturing https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-16/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-23/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater

Sinclair earnings miss expectations https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-23/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Dragon goes to Espana! Spanish take over failed Dragon computer maker, Financial Times (London,England), August 15, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION I; Pg. 12, Byline: BY CHARLES BATCHELOR IN LONDON https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_32/64#Product_history https://www.amazon.es/Cinco-Duros-HISTORIA-VIDEOJUEGO-ESPA%C3%91A/dp/8410031469 https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/02/17/515850029/episode-755-the-phone-at-the-end-of-the-world

Macintosh software still scarce https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-08/page/n243/mode/2up Michael Dornbrook Part 1 - Infocom - https://www.patreon.com/posts/44335732

MIDI comes to micros https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-034/page/n125/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-16/mode/2up

Pioneer launchees interactive laser disc https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-5/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-08/page/n11/mode/2up

Byte profiles 6502 successor https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-08/page/n129/mode/2up Great space race budget breaks records https://archive.org/details/home-computer-weekly-magazine-new/HomeComputerWeekly-077/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/190868/the-great-space-race/

Lord British given credit for Questron https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_4.4/page/n30/mode/1up?view=theater Joel Billings - SSI - https://www.patreon.com/posts/36827469

US games flood UK https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-23/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Gold

Virgin goes for quality https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-30/mode/1up?view=theater

Domark launches with big contest https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-30/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-30/page/n26/mode/1up?view=theater

Sexy Games get activists in a tissy https://archive.org/details/home-computer-weekly-magazine-new/HomeComputerWeekly-076/mode/2up

Computer adoption in schools still slow Stumbling into the computer age, Forbes, August 13, 1984, Section: INDUSTRIES; Pg. 35, Byline: By Kathleen R. Wiegner

Computers find their purpose Road Warrior' rides again, Computerworld, August 13, 1984, Section: EDITORIAL; LECHT ON SCIENCE; Pg. 47, Byline: By Charles P. Lecht NABU gets software subsidiary "Sets Up Software Subsidiary; WHEELER SAYS HE MISSES 'BULLY PULPIT' BUT ENJOYS PRIVATE INDUSTRY, Communications Daily, August 20, 1984, Monday, Section: Vol. 4, No. 162; Pg. 5"

Tech support goes online Telephone hot lines for software problems, Financial Times (London,England), August 29, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION I; Technology; Professional Personal Computing; Pg. 5, Byline: PHILIP MANCHESTER

WH Smith profits surge on computer sales RESULTS DUE NEXT WEEK, Financial Times (London,England), August 18, 1984, Saturday, Section: SECTION I; UK Companies; Pg. 17 Radio Shack loses ground TANDY'S SHIFTING SALES STRATEGY, The New York Times, August 19, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 3; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Length: 2350 words, Byline: By PETER W. BARNES

Drug Store Chain sues Mattel Drug Chain Sues Mattel For Alleged Discrimination Against Retailer, The Associated Press, August 3, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, No Headline In Original, United Press International, August 3, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Length: 188 words, Dateline: SYRACUSE, N.Y.

Data Age sues Mr. T HE PITIES THE FOOL, United Press International, August 20, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By FRANK SANELLO, United Press International

Pirates go pro https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-08-30/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.olx.pt/d/anuncio/jogos-spectrum-verso-portuguesa-de-coleccionador-da-microbaite-etc-IDICESX.html TVs adapt to the new media landscape HOME VIDEO; TV SETS: NEW FUNCTIONS, NEW FORMS, The New York Times, August 12, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 2; Page 24, Column 1; Arts and Leisure Desk, Byline: By HANS FANTEL

Executives get high-tech The all-electronic Executive, Financial Times (London,England), August 4, 1984, Saturday, Section: SECTION I; The Information Revolution; Pg. 12, Byline: By Alan Cane

Touch screen system used for tourists Touch computer for tourists boon to advertisers, promoters, United Press International, August 19, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Byline: By JOHN J. SANKO

Army introduces joystick controlled rocket Technology Today: Fiber-optic guided missiles -- ultimate video game, United Press International, August 20, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By WILLIAM HARWOOD,

Gaming Jesus shall bare the mark No Headline In Original, United Press International, August 9, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News

Compu-Cruise to set sail https://archive.org/details/HomeComputerMagazine_Vol4_03_1984_Aug/page/n25/mode/2up

Recommended Links:

The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/ They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/ Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/ The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Playthrough Podcast: https://playthroughpod.com/ Retromags.com: https://www.retromags.com/ Games That Weren't - https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/

Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play.

Copyright Karl Kuras

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Video Game Newsroom Time MachineBy Karl Kuras

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