Libsyn Directory

April 1984

Release Date: 06/18/2024

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Mechanical amusements have long been a mainstay of theme parks and travelling fairs. In the 1980s, this technology entered the realm of the arcade, most notably through Chuck E. Cheese and since then, has merged with the traditional dark ride to become the interactive dark ride, a mixture of animatronics, motion, lightguns and video games. Our guest today, John Wood is the head of Sally Corporation, a pioneer of animatronic entertainment and especially the interactive darkride. John tells us how this industry leader got its start Recorded: September 2024 Video version: Get...

September 1994

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Nintendo owns CES, The future belongs to the internet & EA disses Sega 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 September 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 Get us on your mobile device: Android:...

Jeff Johannigman - Part 2 - Origin, Dynamix, Microprose

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

From a bedroom coder to Game Developer's Conference OG to the creator of one of the greatest one-on-one action strategy games of the 8 bit era, Jeff Johannigman worked for some of the most legendary companies of the 80s, Epyx, Electronic Arts, and Origin and beyond. In Part 2, we talk about working on Ultima for the Gameboy, porting Dynamix titles to the Amiga, rediscovering his strategy roots at Microprose and finally deciding to exit the industry on moral and personal grounds. Jeff's insight and storytelling skill make this a wonderful chat. Recorded: September 2024 Watch the...

Jeff Johannigman - Part 1 - Atari PE, Synapse, Epyx, Electronic Arts, Origin, GDC

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

From a bedroom coder to Game Developer's Conference OG to the creator of one of the greatest one-on-one action strategy games of the 8 bit era, Jeff Johannigman worked for some of the most legendary companies of the 80s, Epyx, Electronic Arts, and Origin. In Part 1, we talk about those early days, including the making of games such as G.I. Joe and Savage Empire and working with important figures like Ihor Wolosenko, Dani Bunten, Chris Crawford, Warren Spector, and Richard Garriot. Jeff's insight and storytelling skill make this a wonderful chat. Recorded: September 2024 Video version:...

September 1984

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

PCs get upgraded, MSX comes to Europe & Coinop goes cartridge 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 Get us on your mobile device: Android:...

Graeme Bayless - Part 5 - E-Line Media, Fireforge, Netherrealm Studios

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Few developers have had as long and prolific a career as our guest, Graeme Bayless. From working on mainframes, to selling Kaypros, to playtesting Accolade's launch titles, to producing games for SSI, Sega Technical Institute, Hyperbole Studios, Dynamix, EA, Eidos, and NetherRealm Studios. In Part 5, we talk about Graeme's winding up of Fierce Wombat, looking for a new position and being offered a position at NetherRealm Studios, where he worked on Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1. We discuss life in a studio with the most senior staff in the business, gamer-first design...

August 1994

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

30 years ago: Computer industry booms as consoles slump, Nintendo announces Ultra64 & The internet gets scary 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 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 Get us on your...

Graeme Bayless - Part 4 - Crystal Dynamics, SCi, Namco, Fierce Wombat

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Few developers have had as long and prolific a career as our guest, Graeme Bayless. From working on mainframes, to selling Kaypros, to playtesting Accolade's launch titles, to producing games for SSI, Sega Technical Institute, Hyperbole Studios, Dynamix, EA, Eidos, and NetherRealm Studios. In Part 4, we talk about the decade that Graeme spent in the wilderness of the game's industry, during which he worked on titles such as Tomb Raider Legend and Anniversary at Crystal Dynamics, tried to salvage projects like Enslaved, Dead to Rights Retribution and Splatterhouse at Namco, returned to sports...

August 1984

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

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 Get us on your mobile...

Graeme Bayless - Part 3 - EA, Tiburon, Madden

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Few developers have had as long and prolific a career as our guest, Graeme Bayless. From working on mainframes, to selling Kaypros, to playtesting Accolade's launch titles, to producing games for SSI, Sega Technical Institute, Hyperbole Studios, Dynamix, EA, Eidos, and NetherRealm Studios. In Part 3, we talk about job hunting in the games industry at the end of the 90s and his time at EA's Tiburon subsidiary working on Madden 2001 and 2002 as well as developing the NFL Street franchise. What is life like for a dev living in the crunch of annualized sports games? How are new franchises...

More Episodes

Acorn and Commodore soar, as Coleco and Atari falter

Software takes center stage in PC clone world

UK game prices hit rock bottom

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 April 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

Get us on your mobile device:

Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz

iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM

Send comments on Mastodon @[email protected]

twitter @videogamenewsr2

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[email protected]

Links:

If you don't see all the links, find them here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/106448718

7 Minutes in Heaven: Atic Atac

Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-106323507

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atic_Atac

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n1/mode/1up

Corrections:

March 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1984-104469980

Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/

1954

Kefauver hearing puts pressure on comics industry

https://www.nytimes.com/1954/04/20/archives/comicbook-hearing-to-start-tomorrow.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1954/04/23/archives/senator-charges-deceit-on-comics-kefauver-says-child-study-groups.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estes_Kefauver

1964

IBM announces the 360

https://x.com/kenshirriff/status/1777022892477239724

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/360

1974

Sega becomes American

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_41/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater

https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-saga-of-sega/

Mirco Games brings freeplay to video

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_42/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater

Sam Stern urges industry to go to 25 cent play

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_43/page/35/mode/1up?view=theater

David Gottlieb, RIP

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_43/page/35/mode/1up?view=theater

1984

Atari losses fall

Post Net Income of $30.9 Million, The Associated Press, April 19, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Atari in Trouble Again

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/19/business/warner-severs-tie-with-ladd-warner-communications.html

Banks cut Coleco credit line

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/03/business/coleco-says-banks-cut-its-credit.html?searchResultPosition=1

Coleco reports rebound from last quarter's loss, United Press International, April 17, 1984, Tuesday, BC cycle

Commodore sales skyrocket!

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/27/business/profit-off-at-xerox-sperry-up.html

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984 pg. 12

Acorn revenues soar!

https://archive.org/details/AcornUser021-Apr84/page/n8/mode/1up

TI turn-around unprecedented

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Texas Instruments Update

Milton Bradley returns to profitability

Milton Bradley Shows Profit in First Quarter, The Associated Press, April 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, Section: Business News

Toy Maker Talking About 'Business Combination' With Another Company, The Associated Press, April 26, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Dateline: SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

Pizza Time Losses continue to mount

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, In Brief

Atari closes last California factory

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, Atari Lay-Off

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/07/business/atari-to-cut-550-jobs-at-2-plants.html

Alan Kay leaves Atari

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, A week of resignations

5200 Software drought

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/12/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/15/mode/1up

German court squashe Unimex duplicator

https://binarium.de/unimex_duplicator_sp280

https://archive.org/details/happycomputer-magazine-1984-04/page/n7/mode/1up

Sinclair misses another QL deadline

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-05/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n5/mode/1up

Sinclair finds QL workaround!

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews059-28Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Hannover Fair sees flood of PCs

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews058-21Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Commodore unveils PC clone

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, Speaking of Clones

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/05/business/2-machines-challenge-ibm.html

IBM looks to shut down clones

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, More IBM, by Paul Richter

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

IBM buys additional Intel shares

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, In Brief

PCJr sales still dismal

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews059-28Apr1984/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater

Apple ][ forever!

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Apple II Forever

https://apple.fandom.com/wiki/Apple_II_Forever

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Mac-Update

Apple holds its own with IBM

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Apple vs. IBM

Tomy drops out of US market

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984 pg. 12

HP introduces the ThinkJet

https://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/imagingprinting/0011/

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater

Moves to Asia continue

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Stealing some thunder

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/26/nyregion/thursday-april-26-1984-international.html

Bill Gates on Time cover

https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840416,00.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/22/business/the-heady-world-of-ibm-suppliers.html

IBM working on GUI

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_TopView

3rd parties abandon Adam

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/8/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/10/mode/1up?view=theater

Imagine changes course on price cut

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater

UK game prices hit 1 pound 99!

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

PC Write shareware model a success

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Betting on Piracy

Wordstar hits hard times

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Software Snafus

Atari Program Exchange shuttered

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari introduces AtariLab

PRESS CONFERENCE, PR Newswire, April 4, 1984, Wednesday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AtariLab

Broderbund announces Print Shop

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater

HESWare hires Nimoy

https://archive.org/details/Ahoy_Issue_04_1984-04_Ion_International_US/page/n7/mode/2up

Empires redefines pass-and-play

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9706

Synapse withdraws from UK market

https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-030/page/n19/mode/1up

Random House enters software biz

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/11/business/advertising-random-s-software-account.html

64er launches

https://archive.org/details/64er_1984_04/mode/2up

France goes online

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/30/business/computer-linkups-spurred-by-france.html

Games Network signs up additional franchises

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-12/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n12/mode/1up?view=theater

Videotext gone took 'r jawbs!

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/arts/tv-view-a-corporate-look-into-the-near-future.html

MITI throws in the towel

MITI GIVES UP PLAN TO SUBMIT SOFTWARE BILL TO DIET, Japan Economic Newswire, APRIL 21, 1984, SATURDAY

REVIEW-SOFTWARE: JAPAN, U.S. REMAIN APART ON SOFTWARE PROTECTION, Japan Economic Newswire, APRIL 19, 1984, THURSDAY

CalTech students hack Rose Bowl scoreboard

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://www.edn.com/forget-touchdowns-engineers-score-with-pranks/

RCA axes Video disk

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/12/arts/tv-review-viewer-controls-screen.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/06/business/rca-defends-timing-of-videodisk-canceling.html

Licensing business explodes

Children's Characters Stir Big Sales, The Associated Press, April 25, 1984, Wednesday, PM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By ROBERT WADE, Associated Press Writer

Takara pens deal with Hasbro

US firm permitted to use characters, The Japan Economic Journal, April 17, 1984, Section: SERVICE/LEISURE/FOOD; Pg. 18

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984

D&D scare hits the UK

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-12/page/n1/mode/2up

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