July 1984

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Jack buys Atari Imagine goes belly up Nintendo's Famicom gets Zapped

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 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:

7 Minutes in Heaven: Pit Fall 2 Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-ii-115206120 https://www.mobygames.com/game/6946/pitfall-ii-lost-caverns/

Corrections: June 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/june-1984-112063864 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://www.arcade-museum.com/Arcade/space-flight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings#Motion_pictures https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076929/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

1974: Atari makes Pong cute https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-06-I.pdf https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-20.pdf https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/tv-basketball https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-27.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Pong

Bluesky hucksters descend on video games The Franchise Hustlers, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 1974, page 8

Barcode scanning comes to supermarkets https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-07.pdf pg. 22 https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/04/archives/electronic-checkout-speeds-food-buying-checkout-speeded.html Xerox Parc gets out the painbrush https://archive.org/details/197407PccV2N6/page/n5/mode/2up

1984: CES takeaways https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/50/mode/2up

Atari gets tight with announcements https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari announces Super Chip games https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari announces new console and computer games https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

5200 RIP https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/61/mode/1up?view=theater

Coleco sweetens Adam deal https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/56/mode/2up Jack Attack July 2 Jack buys Atari https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/61/mode/1up?view=theater Warner sells Atari operations, Warner sells Atari operations, United Press International, July 2, 1984, Monday, AM cycle Warner sells Atari operations, United Press International, July 2, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Financial July 3 Tramiel Buys Atari, Sets Sights On Former Company, The Associated Press,July 3, 1984, Tuesday, PM cycle https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/03/business/warner-sells-atari-to-tramiel.html?searchResultPosition=1

July 4 "Home computer veteran to challenge high end of market, Financial Times (London,England) July 4, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 17"

July 6 Widespread Layoffs Begin Under New Leader, The Associated Press, July 6, 1984, Friday, BC cycle July 10 https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/14/business/commodore-trade-secrets.html?searchResultPosition=11 https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-07-19

July 13 No Headline In Original, PR Newswire, July 13, 1984, Friday

July 16 A Tough Man for a Tough Job, Newsweek, July 16, 1984, UNITED STATES EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. 50

July 19 Warner omits payout in reshape, Financial Times (London,England), July 19, 1984, Thursday, Section: SECTION I; Pg. 20, Byline: BY TERRY DODSWORTH IN NEW YORK

July 23 Atari Tells Agencies to Freeze and Puts Networks at Ease, ADWEEK, July 23, 1984, Eastern Edition, Length: 514 words, Byline: By Gail Belsky

July 27 https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-07-26 CHINAGLIA PURCHASES CONTROL OF COSMOS, The New York Times, July 27, 1984, Friday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section A; Page 15, Column 1; Sports Desk

July 30 "ADVERTISING; Consolidating Domestically at Wells, The New York Times, July 30, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 7, Column 4; Financial Desk, Byline: By Philip H. Dougherty Tramiel's Atari Picks Wells, Rich; DDB Is Out ADWEEK, July 30, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: By Gail Belsky"

Imagine management splits Home Computing Weekly No. 71, July 17-23 https://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/industry/publishers/imagine_crash0185.htm Popular Computing Weekly, 19 July 1984, pg. 5 Popular Computing Weekly, 5-11 July 1984 https://youtu.be/ZoDh61sgCOg?si=h4ML1gsN2kVbDXWM

Sierra On-Line no more! https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/52/mode/2up

Coleco numbers continue down Control Data, Coleco Post Sharply Lower Profits, The Associated Press, July 19, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle No Headline In Original, United Press International, July 19, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Financial COLECO AND CONTROL DATA FALL - Correction Appended, The New York Times, Correction Appended,Section: Section D; Page 3, Column 2; Financial Desk, Length: 472 words, Byline: By STEVEN GREENHOUSE Playthings July 1984

Milton Bradley sees turnaround Profits Up 45 Percent At Toymaker, The Associated Press, July 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle No Headline In Original, United Press International, July 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, Copyright 1984 U.P.I., Section: Financial, Length: 302 words, Dateline: LOS ANGELES Toys Hobbies & Crafts, July 1984, pg. 10

Bally positive despite games downturn BALLY-MANUFACTURING; Financial results, Business Wire, July 26, 1984, Thursday

Activision losses high ACTIVISION; Financial results, Business Wire, July 26, 1984, Thursday

Interest rates put more pressure on coinop Replay July 1984, pg. 3

Conversion kits take center stage! Play Meter July 15, 1985 Replay July 1984, pg. 4 Play Meter July 15, 1985 pg. 43

Mylstar continues suit against Bally Play Meter July 15, 1985 pg. 16

Mylstar brings people to FMV https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-21.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lfIpajVaAI

Universal moves into restaurant/arcade biz Restaurant-game center to open, The Japan Economic Journal,,July 17, 1984, Section: SPECIAL U.S. SECTION; Pg. 11

Photon zaps onto the scene Close Encounters on Photon, Newsweek, July 23, 1984, UNITED STATES EDITION, Copyright 1984 Newsweek, Section: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. 62, Length: 580 words, Byline: LYNN LANGWAY with BARBARA BURGOWER in Dallas Stern Electronics files for Chapter 11 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-28.pdf

Twin Galaxies shuts down Play Meter July 15, 1984 pg. 18

Industry giants pass https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-21.pdf Family computer goes lightgun AM Life July 1, 1984, 58

CPC goes on sale Home Computing Weekly No. 69 July 3-9 https://www.devuego.es/blog/2023/01/10/press-start-cinco-duros/

Sinclair looks overseas Home Computing Weekly No. 69 July 3-9 pg. 5

QL confusion Popular Computing Weekly July 26, pg. 5

Acorn and BBC extend deal Popular Computing Weekly July 19, pg. 5

Sanyo and Canon to launch MSX in Europe Sanyo to ship MSX PCs to Europe, The Japan Economic Journal, July 17, 1984, Section: ELECTRICALS & ELECTRONICS; Pg. 15 CANON TO EXPORT MSX PERSONAL COMPUTERS TO EUROPE, JULY 17, 1984, TUESDAY

Commodore unveils C16 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/56/mode/2up

Korea joins the chip wars Massive investment would cause oversupply; Trilateral friction in microchip business seen among Japan, U.S. and Korea, The Japan Economic Journal, July 24, 1984, Section: Pg. 20, Byline: By TETSURO WADA

Mastertronic joins with Galactic Home Computing Weekly No. 71 July 17-23, 1984 pg. 5

Mastertronic saves Carnell Software Popular Computing Weekly July 19, pg. 5

Okimate brings color to the Commodore https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/57/mode/1up?view=theater

Pitfall Harry is yours to command! https://archive.org/details/program-pitfall/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/57/mode/1up?view=theater WarGames gets real No Headline In Original, The Associated Press, July 17, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle https://www.zerothreesecurity.com/index.php/about-us/founder

The history of games revealed https://archive.org/details/book_video_games/page/n77/mode/2up

The book of adventure games https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/50/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/the-book-of-adventure-games/page/n185/mode/2up

Activision sues Microdeal Popular Computing Weekly 26 July, 1984, pg. 1, 2

Tax cuts for computer purchases slashed PERSONAL FINANCE;LIMITING TAX BREAKS FOR COMPUTERS The New York Times, July 1, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 3; Page 11, Column 1; Financial Desk 1984 - the Year of the VCR Sales of Color TVs and VCRs Booming, The Associated Press, July 15, 1984, Sunday, AM cycle, Section: Washington Dateline, byline: By NORMAN BLACK, Associated Press Writer

Video game palsy is the new scare LA Games get high tech boost A reporter's Olympics notebook;How Do I Thank Thee? Let Me Count the Ways, United Press International, July 26, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Sports News, Byline: By RONALD E. COHEN

The Last Starfighter released https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater 'Ghostbusters,'' ''Gremlins'' still top box office after six weeks, United Press International, July 16, 1984, Monday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By FRANK SANELLO, UPI Entertainment Reporter Sirius files for Chapter 11 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/56/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