January 1994

Commodore hits the skids, Sega bets big on entertainment centers & The emulation revolution is born!   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 January 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: 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/100523595   7 Minutes in Heaven: Cliffhanger Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/100523418 TV ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAfkdgcxb4 https://www.mobygames.com/game/23868/cliffhanger/   Corrections: December 1993 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/december-1993-99076522 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108255/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_super%2520mario%2520bro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64_Game_Pak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RedOctane https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070232374A1/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/15033/donkey-konga/       1993: Sega goes all in on big arcades "(January 17, 1994). Sega plans amusement parks for ASEAN countries. Report From Japan. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SKM-Y8R0-004C-929W-00000-00&context=1516831. Yomiuri Shimbun. (January 1, 1994, Saturday). Sega, French superhero; open amusement centers. The Daily Yomiuri. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SC6-V1K0-001X-J1FP-00000-00&context=1516831." Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2 https://www.facebook.com/sega.megapolis/   Blockbuster gets in on FEC biz Replay Jan. 1994 pg. 2 https://parkrovers.com/home/2020/10/18/blockbusters-failed-indoor-theme-park   VR, meet redemption, redemption, meet VR Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2   Karaoke wars heat up in Japan (January 19, 1994). 'Karaoke wars' intensifies. Report From Japan. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SKM-Y8P0-004C-9293-00000-00&context=1516831.   NBA Jam beats records Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2   Japanese recession hitting video game makers Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 18   SF2 Turbo ships a million units https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259   Acclaim numbers skyrocket https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259   Microsoft signs deal with Sega https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/18/business/company-news-microsoft-will-supply-software-for-sega.html https://microsoft.fandom.com/wiki/Sega_Saturn#Microsoft_technology https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_08/page/n25/mode/2up https://segaretro.org/Windows_CE   Namco signs on to Playstation Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 20 https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:1043/platform:playstation/sort:-date/page:1/   Sony reveals PSX stats https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20054%20%28January%201994%29/page/n67/mode/2up   NEC reveals PCFX stats https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20054%20%28January%201994%29/page/n67/mode/2up https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=cv914932bsf7di7a8k17n7oqoj&topic=1420.0 https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 54   NeoGeo enters CDRom race https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 9   Konix Multisystem is back!! https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 7   Sega "delays" SegaVR https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259   Video Game monopoly inquiry begun in the UK https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-video-games-under-monopoly/77456435/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-video-game-monopoly-accusatio/92066281/   CDi finally gets Digital Video https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 8   Atari test markets expanded https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up   Edge fawns over Cybermorph https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 60   Atari sues Sega https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 pg. 258   Lieberman bill a hidden threat during Senate hearings Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993%E2%80%9394_United_States_Senate_hearings_on_video_games#Video_Game_Rating_Act_of_1994   ELSPA agrees on ratings system https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n13/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Association_for_UK_Interactive_Entertainment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI   X marks the spot for CDRom drives https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n41/mode/1up?view=theater   Sony launches CDR https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n8/mode/1up?view=theater   PCI becomes the new standard https://archive.org/details/Power.Play.N70.1994.01 pg. 112   Tandy expands retail presence https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/13/business/company-news-tandy-will-hire-3600-adding-30-superstores.html   Apple adds DOS board https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Apple_Now_Ships_Macintosh_Quadra_With_MS-DOS_and_Windows_Compatibility https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Quadra_610 https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n24/mode/1up?view=theater   Mac gamers get Y2K preview https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-01/page/n13/mode/2up   Chicago enters beta https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n23/mode/1up?view=theater   Novell gives up UNIX trademark https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n41/mode/1up?view=theater   Commodore numbers are bad https://archive.org/details/commodoreproxystatement1994/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n9/mode/2up   C64 emulator beta released https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n1/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater   Activision gets reboot fever https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up   CES dominated by computers and games https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/10/business/for-consumers-multimedia-shines.html   Compton announces patent grant https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_114/page/n9/mode/2up https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/31/business/patent-barred-for-compton-s.html   Race for digital distribution is on! https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/19/business/company-news-in-terms-of-technology-viacom-might-have-an-edge.html https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_114/page/n9/mode/2up https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/18/business/company-news-gte-to-test-tv-services.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/14/nyregion/data-highway-accelerating-in-connecticut.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/13/business/company-news-digital-and-usa-video-in-market-test-of-new-technology.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/11/business/company-news-u-s-west-adds-to-voice-and-video-network-plan.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/24/business/the-media-business-hewlett-packard-to-get-big-pacific-bell-order.html Other People's Money - https://youtu.be/62kxPyNZF3Q?si=Ez5F8ZTi_j4dneQx   US government pushes for open super highway Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2   Cable TV enters Internet age Infoworld January 10, 1994 pg. 3   Multimedia boom doesn't lead to hiring boom https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/09/business/the-multimedia-job-mirage.html   Babylon 5 premieres https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1751061515875348865   Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers are all the rage Playthings, January 1994 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Morphin_Power_Rangers   Anime is on the rise https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/14/arts/home-video-868930.html   EC bans imperial measurements https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-01/page/n5/mode/2up   X-Men movie casting rumor is awesome https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up     Worst Ad of the Month: Wolfenstein 3D - SNES https://retrogamingaus.com/4326/video-game-ad-of-the-day-wolfenstein-3d-2   Quotes of the Month: Virtual reality won't merely replace TV, it will eat it alive" Arthur C. Clarke https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n31/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