August 1984

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 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] Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or [email protected] 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