March 1984

Pizza Time goes bust, Amiga announces a computer & Nintendo launches the VS   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 March 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/march-1984-104469980   7 Minutes in Heaven: Dolphin's Rune/Dolphin's Pearl Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/104389483     https://www.mobygames.com/game/21190/the-dolphins-pearl/     Game Manual: https://archive.org/details/c64man_dolphins-rune     Ecco the Dolphin 7 Minutes in Heaven: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-80192007 Corrections: February 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/february-1984-102404099 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/     https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-la-pinball-or/145438040/     https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-san-francisco/145438150/     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitance_Electronic_Disc     https://www.mobygames.com/game/38079/cosmic-chasm/     https://www.mobygames.com/game/82890/cube-quest/     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomy_Tutor     https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/a/15340     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80186#In_personal_computers   1974: Atari introduces Gran Track 10     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_37/page/58/mode/1up?view=theater         https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_38/page/54/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_36/page/52/mode/2up     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYcNvAAeu6k     https://www.facebook.com/100057102354061/videos/1111919918819701/   Wurlitzer ends manufacturing     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_37/page/59/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_35/page/44/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurlitzer   1984: Laserdisc games galore!     https://archive.org/details/198403VideoGamesExpress/mode/1up        Play Meter 15th, 1984, pg. 56     Replay March 1984, pg. 10     https://www.dragons-lair-project.com/games/   Centuri turns it around     No Headline In Original, PR Newswire, March 14, 1984, Wednesday, Dateline: HIALEAH, Fla., March 14   The battle begins with Sente vs. VS!     Replay March 1984, pg. 10     https://sergiostuff.com/category/nintendo-vs-dualsystem/     https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/punch-out   Exidy goes interchangeable     Replay March 1984, pg. 10     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exidy#First_Star_Software_games     https://www.classicarcademuseum.org/exidy-max-a-flex-system     https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/boulder-dash--data   Bills pile up at Pizza Time     Company Deferring Some Debts, The Associated Press, March 9, 1984, Friday, PM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By LORETTA NOFFSINGER, Associated Press Writer         Bankruptcy Threat Issued, The Associated Press, March 16, 1984, Friday, AM cycle   Pizza Time Theater enters Chapter 11     Curtains for the Pizza Time Theatre, Financial Times (London,England), March 30, 1984, Friday, Section: SECTION I; Pg. 18, Byline: By Louise Kehoe in San Francisco     Joneva Barry - Chuck E. Cheese, Kadabrascope - https://www.patreon.com/posts/joneva-barry-e-101938460     Roger Hector - Atari, Disney, Sega, Namco, Sente - https://www.patreon.com/posts/72058794     Owen Rowley - Chuck E Cheese, Autodesk - https://www.patreon.com/posts/owen-rowley-88533133   Bally buys Sente     BALLY-MANUFACTURING; Acquires Sente Technologies Division of Pizza Time Theatre Inc., Business Wire, March 29, 1984, Thursday   Chip shortage looms     Play Meter March 1st, 1984, pg. 16         Jay Balakrishnan - HESWare, Radical, Dynamics, Solid State Software - https://www.patreon.com/posts/jay-balakrishnan-103071267   Goldman Sachs quantifies the Crash     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/182/mode/1up?view=theater      Battle for Warner is over...     Warner buys back Murdoch's stake with aid from Chris-Craft, Financial Times (London,England),  March 19, 1984, Monday, Section: SECTION I; Pg. 16, Byline: BY WILLIAM HALL IN NEW YORK     https://archive.org/details/masterofgamestev00bruc   Atari cuts another 200     Atari cuts jobs in restructuring, Financial Times (London,England), March 21, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 19, Byline: BY LOUISE KEHOE IN SAN FRANCISCO     A Year After Layoffs, Atari Foresees Better Times in '84, The Associated Press, March 11, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle   Coleco losses dwarf expectations     COLECO LOSES $35 MILLION IN QUARTER, The New York Times, March 8, 1984, Thursday, Late City Final Edition, C, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER         https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/08/business/coleco-loses-35-million-in-quarter.html   Coleco announces massive layoffs     No Headline In Original, The Associated Press, March 28, 1984, Wednesday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By S.W. BELL, AP Business Writer, Dateline: AMSTERDAM, N.Y.   Massive losses can't bring Mattel's spirits down     Mattel, Despite $171 Million Loss, Optimistic About Future, The Associated Press, March 15, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Byline: By ROGER GILLOTT, AP Business Writer        Mattel reaches new financing agreement with creditor banks, Financial Times (London,England), March 15, 1984, Thursday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 27, Byline: BY PAUL TAYLOR IN NEW YORK   Intellivision reborn!     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/179/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revco     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision#INTV_Corporation_(1984%E2%80%931990)   2600 goes to Turkey     ATARI; Signs agreement with Turkish firm to manufacture and distribute video game products in Turkey, Business Wire, March 20, 1984, Tuesday  https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCinemassacre/comments/1afkuz2/the_first_atari_2600_commercial_in_turkey_80s/        http://www.atariboxed.com/index.php?go=output&sort=T1.Modul_Complete_Title,%20T1.Modul_Complete_Model,%20T1.Modul_Complete_TV,%20T1.Modul_Complete_Label&dir=DESC&rows_per_page=50&select_system=1&select_company=49   Odyssey RIP     Pioneer Home Video Game Is Dropped, The Associated Press, March 20, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle, Byline: By TOM EBLEN, Associated Press Writer First Home Video-Game Maker Calling It Quits, The Associated Press, March 21, 1984, Wednesday, PM cycle, Byline: By TOM EBLEN, Associated Press Writer   Nintendo may show off console at summer CES     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/182/mode/1up?view=theater      Goodbye Video Game Update including Computer Entertainer...     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/electronic-fun-with-computers-and-games-volume-2-number-5-march-1984/page/4/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Games_Volume_02_Number_12_1984-03_Reese_Communications_US/page/n5/mode/2up     Julian 'Jaz' Rignall - Computer and Video Games, ZZAP!64, Mean Machines, Future Publishing, Virgin, IGN  - https://www.patreon.com/posts/julian-jaz-and-97565043     Jerry Wolosenko - Synapse - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42014024   Amiga announces 68000 based home computer     Infoworld March 26, 1984, pg. 13     Infoworld March 19, 1984 pg. 20     https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/atari/museum/mickey.html     https://theretrohour.com/amstrad-cpc-40th-anniversary-with-roland-perry-pt-1-the-retro-hour-ep425/   Mac distribution widens     Infoworld March 26, 1984, pg. 11     Infoworld March 26, 1984, pg. 16   Apple IIx rumors begin     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/184/mode/1up?view=theater         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIGS     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-03/page/n43/mode/2up   Intel licenses chip designs to Sanyo     BOTH 8- AND 16-BIT MODELS; Tokyo Sanyo will make Intel-compatible MPUs, The Japan Economic Journal, March 13, 1984, Section: ELECTRICALS & ELECTRONICS; Pg. 9   Commodore and IBM become Intel licensees     https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/10/business/ibm-is-licensed-to-makeintel-chip.html?searchResultPosition=1   https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-15/mode/1up?view=theater     Don Greenbaum - Commodore - https://www.patreon.com/posts/don-greenbaum-67077078   Commodore goes brit     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHJ6vVxJLlQ   IBM slashes PC prices in Europe     Infoworld March 26, 1984, pg. 11     Creative Computing reviews the TS 2068         https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-03/page/n93/mode/2up   Timex calls it quits     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-01/mode/1up?view=theater        InfoWorld March 19, 1984 pg. 16   Sinclair admits QL is a mess     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-08/mode/1up?view=theater        https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-15/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater        https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/page/n31/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-22/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater   QL peripheral makers multiply     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater   Developers abandon QL for CPC     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-15/mode/1up?view=theater   Sir Clive's portable TV impresses     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV80   Sinclair EV to be made by Hoover     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-08/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater   Imagine begins Bandersnatch and Psyclapse ad blitz     https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-029/page/n153/mode/2up   Imagine bungles deal     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-08/mode/1up?view=theater        http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2016/08/input-magazine-retrospective.html        https://archive.org/details/Input_Vol_1_No_01_1997_Marshall_Cavendish_GB      Imagine announces price cut     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-08/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater       https://archive.org/details/Big_K_Issue_03_1984_Jun/page/n15/mode/2up   Bug Byte won't give up on Miner Willie     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-22/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater        https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/mattie-goes-mining/   Novotrade details     First All-Hungarian Stock Corporation Ventures Into Video Gaming, The Associated Press, March 3, 1984, Saturday, BC cycle, Byline: By ROLAND PRINZ, Associated Press Writer     https://www.stayforever.de/2024/04/ddr-computer-sft-14/     https://www.ddr-museum.de/de/blog/2020/genex-geschenkdienst     https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genex     https://archive.org/details/genexhauptkatalog1986   Hudsonsoft goes Speccy     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/mode/1up?view=theater        https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:1360/platform:zx-spectrum/sort:-date/page:1/     https://www.mobygames.com/game/19608/cannon-ball/   Geoff Crammond takes to the skies     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVNAippFbAs     https://www.mobygames.com/person/6244/geoffrey-j-crammond/   Mythos puts Karsten Köper on the map     https://archive.org/details/atari-club-magazin-1984-3/page/6/mode/2up        https://archive.org/details/atari-club-magazin-1984-3/page/10/mode/2up        http://thethalionsource.w4f.eu/Artikel/Mythos.htm   XOR brings Football Manager to the gridiron     Infoworld March 12, 1984, pg. 22        https://www.mobygames.com/company/1848/xor-corporation/   Palace software to leverage movie licenses     https://archive.org/details/home-computing-weekly-052   Enter the 'bookware'     https://archive.org/details/Acorn_User_Number_020_1984-03_Adn-Wesley_GB/page/n7/mode/2up     https://worldofspectrum.net/publisher/11213/        https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-08/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater   Addison-Wesley launches line of games for girls     Infoworld March 26, 1984, pg. 20        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgYqUjtPj8        https://www.mobygames.com/company/23943/rhiannon-software/        https://www.wearelivinginthefuture.com/p/space-girls-gaming-obsolescence        https://archive.org/details/wozaday_Lauren_of_the_25th_Century   Angelsoft founded     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/190/mode/1up?view=theater        https://www.mobygames.com/company/1107/angelsoft-inc/   Synergistic abandons publishing     https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Games_Volume_02_Number_12_1984-03_Reese_Communications_US/page/n13/mode/2up   Lotus goes for integration     https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-03/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Symphony_(MS-DOS)     http://oldvcr.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-commodore-plus4-3-plus-1-and.html        https://archive.org/details/Ahoy_Issue_03_1984-03_Ion_International_US/page/n9/mode/2up   Egghead Softwear is slashing prices     https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-03/page/n205/mode/2up   Comptiq brings US games to Japan     Comptique will market U.S.-made game packages, The Japan Economic Journal, March 13, 1984, Section: SPECIAL U.S. SECTION; Pg. 13         https://www.mobygames.com/company/6942/comptiq/        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comptiq   MSX looks to be a dud     https://archive.org/details/home-computing-weekly-052/page/n31/mode/2up   Sega to export 70,000 SC300's     Personal computers, The Japan Economic Journal, March 6, 1984, Section: NEWS PACKAGE; Pg. 18   MAX RIP     Commodore withdraws from toy business, The Japan Economic Journal, March 13, 1984, Section: SERVICE/LEISURE/FOOD; Pg. 18   Robotron ships with dual controller holder     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-12/page/184/mode/1up?view=theater        https://forums.atariage.com/topic/166814-robotron-dual-controller-holder/   Violence in Gaming debate comes to the C64     https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_2_Number_06_1984-03_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n77/mode/2up         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqPymlvBrSA      Alladin's Castle finally beats Mesquite     Play Meter 15th, 1984, pg. 13   Computer hacking laws proposed     https://archive.org/details/home-computing-weekly-053/page/n15/mode/2up   Piracy has Apple in a tizzy     No Headline In Original, United Press International, March 10, 1984, Saturday, PM cycle   Japanese Industry backs MITI     KEIDANREN SUPPORTS MITI'S SOFTWARE PROTECTION BILL, Copyright 1984 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service, MARCH 13, 1984, TUESDAY        https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/profile/pro001.html   Video Nasties Bill gets games amendment     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-22/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Recordings_Act_1984   UK Libraries clash with software publishers     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-03-29/mode/1up?view=theater      Are computer graphics art?     https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/27/science/colorful-graphics-aren-t-for-everybody.html        https://blisscast.wordpress.com/2023/10/17/mindset-computer-vyper-game/         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindset_(computer)   Smart devices invade homes     A Year After Layoffs, Atari Foresees Better Times in '84, The Associated Press, March 11, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle       https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/08/garden/the-digital-revolution-breeds-smart-new-appliances.html   Seiko introduces the smartwatch     https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-03/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater        https://www.namokimods.com/en-eu/blogs/namokitimes/seiko-originals-the-uc-2000-a-smartwatch-from-1984   RIP Mike Kogan     Replay March 1984, pg. 10     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kogan 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   chuck e cheese   atari   commodore   commodore 64   ecco   dolphin's pearl   dolphin's rune   nintendo   nes   famicom   vs   amiga   appleii   palace   retro   video games   alladins castle   robotron   commodore max   addison-wesley   rhiannon software   bookware   thalion   geoff crammond   novotrade   hudsonsoft   spectrum   ql   amstrad   imagine   sinclair   timex   intel   pc clones   odyssey   magnavox   coleco   intellivision   exidy   laserdisc   dragon's lair