Sega's Saturn premiere flops Nintendo goes for cheap VR Commodore bankruptcy gets messy

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 July 1994.  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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1994: Sony reveals psx     https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20060%20%28July%201994%29/page/n51/mode/1up?view=theater&sort=title_asc

Tokyo Toy Show sees hardware premieres     Bandai's BA-X     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/83/mode/1up        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playdia

Bandai rumors arise     https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20060%20%28July%201994%29/page/n67/mode/1up?view=theater&sort=title_asc     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin

SNK's NeoGeoCD     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/126/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_Geo_CD

NEC's PC FX     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/82/mode/1up     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX

Sega's Saturn     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/106/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n113/mode/1up     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/120/mode/1up     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Saturn

Sega trying to avoid confusion     Sega, Nintendo Bring Big Plans To CES, Billboard, July 9, 1994, Section: THE ENTER*ACTIVE FILE; Pg. 70, Byline: BY MARILYN A. GILLEN      Sega opens UK development studio     Edge July 1994, pg. 

Nintendo announces new 32 bit system     Edge July 1994, pg. 6      Nintendo signs with Rambus     Nintendo Ultra 64 game system to use high-speed Rambus technology; will boost memory speed to 500 MHz, Business Wire, July 18, 1994, Monday     Edge July 1994, pg. 7      Video Rental and Console game publishers bury the hatchet     Sega's Kalinske is VSDA's man, The Hollywood Reporter, July 7, 1994, Thursday         It's A Whole New Game At VSDA; Competition For Retailers' Attention Increases, ,Billboard, July 16, 1994, Section: HOME VIDEO; Pg. 61, byline: BY EILEEN FITZPATRICK     Tenn, Seitz join Activision, The Hollywood Reporter, July 1, 1994, Friday     "NewLeaf Entertainment to include Acclaim in video game delivery system test, Business Wire, July 13, 1994, Wednesday,  Dateline: DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.          Kids can get 'Jungle' game sneak peek, USA Today, July 28, 1994, Section: Pg. 1D; Vol. 12; No. 222; ISSN: 0161-7389"

Nintendo gets hip     "https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/01/business/media-business-advertising-nintendo-turns-up-volume-provocative-appeal-its-core.html?searchResultPosition=3        'New Nintendo' comes out kicking, USA Today, July 7, 1994, Business and Industry Section: Pg. 2D; ISSN: 0161-7389   "     Illusion Of Gaia Will Be Seen On Nintendo, Newsbytes, July 19, 1994, Tuesday

Atari back at IBM     ATARI CORPORATION ANNOUNCES MANUFACTURING PLANS, PR Newswire, July 12, 1994, Tuesday - 07:51 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News, dateline: Sunnyvale, Calif., July 12

TDK to make 3DO memory card     TDK signs peripherals license agreement with 3DO; plans to manufacture memory card for 3DO System, Business Wire, July 20, 1994, Wednesday     https://real3do.uk/3do-accessories/

Philips slashes price to hinder 3DO launch in Europe     Philips cuts CD-i price to hurt foe, Marketing, July 28, 1994, Byline: By MAT TOOR     Square teams up with Nintendo    https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/74/mode/1up

Commodore bankruptcy gets messy     IN BAHAMAS, A FIGHT FOR REMAINS OF COMMODORE AMONG SAND AND SURF, A LIQUIDATION IS TAKING PLACE. CREDITORS WANT THE PROCEEDINGS IN NEW YORK, THOUGH., The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 19, 1994 Tuesday FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. C01, Byline: Dan Stets, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER     CLOSING THE BOOKS ON COMMODORE: SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE IN THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY, THE CHIEF ASSET, TECHNOLOGY, IS PERISHABLE. BUT CREDITORS OF THE BANKRUPT FIRM ARE HAMPERING A RESOLUTION., The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 31, 1994 Sunday FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. D01, Byline: Dan Stets, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

REELMagic brings FMV to PC     MPEG Board' Works ReelMagic For PCs, Billboard, July 2, 1994, Section: THE ENTER*ACTIVE FILE; Pg. 88, Byline: BY MARILYN A. GILLEN      Philips announces CDi add-on board     NINTENDO SIGNS FOR CES INTERACTIVE '95, Consumer Electronics, July 4, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 27; Pg. 13

Hyundai bets on MPEG2     Hyundai Develops Integrated Chips For Superhighway, Newsbytes News Network, July 1, 1994     ODC 8X MASTERING ALLOWS TWO-HOUR MOVIES ON A SINGLE COMPACT DISC, PR Newswire, July 25, 1994, Monday - 12:04 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rec._601         https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n13/mode/2up

CDRom shipments soar in Japan     CD-ROM shipments soar 54% in FY '93, Japan Economic Newswire, JULY 7, 1994, THURSDAY

3DLabs brings 3D acceleration to XWindows     3Dlabs to deliver acceleration to the X Windows environment; 3Dlabs forms strategic alliance with X Inside to port the Accelerated-X server to the GLINT, graphics processor, Business Wire, July 18, 1994, Monday

Intel working on 3D chip for PCs     https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n17/mode/2up

Sun announces 3DRAM     SMCC and Mitsubishi Electronics co-develop revolutionary new graphics memory technology, Business Wire, July 25, 1994, Monday         MELCO develops new chip for 3-D graphics, Japan Economic Newswire, JULY 27, 1994, WEDNESDAY         http://www.michaelfrankdeering.com/Projects/HardWare/p3DRAM/p3DRAM.html          https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/image-search

Silicon Studio founded     SILICON GRAPHICS LAUNCHES SILICON STUDIO INC. TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW INTERACTIVE APPLICATIONS; New Subsidiary to Propel Convergence of Computing and Consumer Technologies, PR Newswire, July 21, 1994, Thursday - 16:01 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News     THE GEE-WHIZ COMPANY SILICON GRAPHICS TURNS 3-D IMAGES INTO STUNNING PROFITS, Business Week, July 18, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 56; Vol. 0; No. 3381; ISSN: 0007-7135

Interplay licenses GURPS     https://archive.org/details/CDROMToday06JunJul1994/page/n31/mode/1up      Scorpia stings Pagan     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_120/page/n39/mode/2up?view=theater

Computer Game Conference sees industry changing      https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n9/mode/2up      Catapult to launch this Christmas     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n35/mode/1up     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBAND

Habitat big in Japan     The games and how to play them, Financial Times (London,England), July 5, 1994, Tuesday, Section: Technology; Pg. 17

Digital breaks Hong Kong censors     My job is to read porno mags for the government, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), July 9, 1994, Section: REVIEW; Pg. 3, Byline: Victoria Finlay

Virtual I/O teams up with TCI     CABLE GIANT TCI AND VIRTUAL I/O, INC. AGREE TO OFFER HEADSETS TO SUBSCRIBERS OF NEW INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAME CHANNEL, PR Newswire, July 26, 1994, Tuesday - 10:15 Eastern Time      Microprose goes to Russia     Russia: Lamport (Moscow, Russia) has signed a computer game distribution contract with MicroProse Inc., Kommersant, July 22, 1994

Funcoland grows     FUNCO INC. ANNOUNCES RESULTS, PR Newswire, July 21, 1994, Thursday - 12:51 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News      Lawmakers turn their attention online     "Quest To Control TV Violence Turns To Evolving Game Channels, The Associated Press, July 1, 1994, Friday, PM cycle, Byline: By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer"

Doom to become a movie     ETHOS FILMS BANKS ON H'WOOD, 'DOOM' DAY, Variety, July 11, 1994 - July 17, 1994, Section: SPECIAL REPORT: INTERTAINMENT; Pg. 32     https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n28/mode/1up

MK blamed for stabbing     Video Game World Became Real for 16-Year-Old Found Insane in Stabbing, The Associated Press, July 14, 1994, Thursday, AM cycle

Blockbuster is ready for the future     BLOCKBUSTER'S DATABASE TO FUEL FUTURE EXPANSION, Advertising Age, July 18, 1994, Section: Pg. 26, Byline: By Jeffery D. Zbar      Pog mania comes to Del Taco     DEL TACO HASTENS FAST-FOOD REALM INTO THE AGE OF POG(TM), PR Newswire, July 20, 1994, Wednesday - 12:00 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News

Knights of the Dinner Table #1 appears     https://recalledcomics.com/KoDT1.php

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