May 1984

Sinclair ships QLs, Atari looks hopeful & Jack is BACK! 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 May 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 or get it in the Humble Bundle here: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/game-programming-taylor-francis-books 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/108363601 7 Minutes in Heaven: Rescue on Fractalus Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108357926  https://www.mobygames.com/game/11726/rescue-on-fractalus/ Corrections: April 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/april-1984-106448718 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/  https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_42/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater  https://www.quora.com/What-was-Alan-Kays-experience-like-working-at-Apple  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_TopView  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalltalk 1974: New York Court rules pinball is a game of skill  https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_45/page/51/mode/1up?view=theater Atari opens another Game Center  https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_45/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater    https://web.archive.org/web/20191123025509/https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/documents/press_kits/atari_leisure_time_game_center.pdf Bally buys Alladin's Castle  https://archive.org/details/cashbox36unse/page/43/mode/1up 1984: Morgan predicts profitability by July 1  Atari expects to return to surplus this year. Financial Times (London,England), May 22, 1984, Tuesday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 21, Byline: BY LOUISE KEHOE IN SAN FRANCISCO  National News in Brief, United Press International, May 22, 1984, Tuesday, PM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Dateline: SANTA CLARA, Calif. Ross predicts Warner profitability  No Headline In Original, The Associated Press, May 24, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Business News Atari confirms negotiations with Philips  Discussions with Philips; ATARITEL TO DELAY ENTRY INTO HIGH-TECH PHONE MARKET, Communications Daily, May 29, 1984, Tuesday, Section: Vol. 4, No. 104; Pg. 2   Atari announces more layoffs and plant closing  "Computer Giant Furloughs Middle Managers, The Associated Press, May 31, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Dateline: SUNNYVALE, Calif.  Atari to end Hong Kong venture, Financial Times (London,England), ,May 31, 1984, Thursday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 19, Byline: BY LOUISE KEHOE IN SAN FRANCISCO" Alan Kay goes to Apple  https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/03/business/key-atari-scientist-switches-to-apple.html?searchResultPosition=1 Jack is back  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-17/mode/1up?view=theater Tramel Technology founded  https://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/tramel_technology.html Commodore exec exodus continues  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-24/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Gulf and Western sells Sega  "COMPUTER SERVICES OBTAINS 70 PCT STAKE IN SEGA ENTERPRISES, Jiji Press Ticker Service, MAY 21, 1984, MONDAY, Dateline: TOKYO, MAY 21 No Headline In Original, PR Newswire, May 21, 1984, Monday" Bally profits plummet  https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_15/page/29/mode/1up?view=theater Mattel secures new financing  Mattel Agrees To Give Up 45 Percent of Its Voting Stock, The Associated Press, May 4, 1984, Friday, AM cycle, Section: Business News  https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/04/business/mattel-sets-restructuring.html?searchResultPosition=1 Coleco issues new debt  Troubled Game Manufacturer Rasing $50 Million With Debentures, The Associated Press,May 9, 1984, Wednesday, AM cycle, Section: Business News Coleco backlog is enormous  Toy and Hobby World, May 1984, pg. 8 Coleco gets new ad agency  Ketchum Scores Coleco; Demands Cash Up Front From Shaky ClientADWEEKMay 21, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: By Debbie Seaman Hasbro buys Milton Bradley  https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/05/business/rival-gets-milton-bradley.html?searchResultPosition=1 Toys R Us sales grow, but not thanks to games  No Headline In Original, PR Newswire, May 2, 1984, Wednesday, Dateline: ROCHELLE PARK, N.J., May 2   Japanese Coinop makers go after North American Pirates  https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_16/page/30/mode/1up?view=theater      https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_17/page/n29/mode/1up Century's CVS gets new lease on life  Play Meter May 1, 1984, pg. 21  https://www.arcade-museum.com/company/crown-vending   Bankers learn not to finance games  Selling Repossessed Items Is a Banker's Nightmare; Want to Buy a Trawler, Bordello, or Video Game?, The American Banker, May 30, 1984, Wednesday, Section: BACK PAGE; Pg. 24, Byline: Special to the American Banker, Dateline: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Activision sales collapse  No Headline In Original, United Press International, May 3, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Dateline: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Video Games aren't DEAD!  https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-2/page/30/mode/1up   Atari announces 7800  Atari Unveils Video Game Expandable into Computer, The Associated Press,May 21, 1984, Monday, BC cycle,Section: Business News  ATARI; Unveils advanced video game that is expandable to introductory computer, Business Wire, May 21, 1984, Monday   Adam owner frustration grows  https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-2/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater MSX adopts 3.5 inch disks  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-31/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Activision signs deal with Pony  ACTIVISION; Signs licensing agreement with Pony Inc. for Japanese markets, Business Wire, May 30, 1984, Wednesday, Dateline: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. MSX coming to UK  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-24/mode/1up?view=theater Dragon to announce MSX machine  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-31/mode/1up?view=theater  https://tromax.webnode.es/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_MSX   Philips and Thompson want to set new standard  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-03/mode/1up?view=theater Amstrad development fracas revealed  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-03/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater Acorn announces ABM  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Business_Computer   https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-03/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater First QL's go out to customers  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-03/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Popular Computing Weekly gets their QL!  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-10/page/n4/mode/1up  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-17/page/n15/mode/1up  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-31/page/n22/mode/1up?view=theater Sir Clive passes on Delorean plant  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-24/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Computer games take CES by storm  https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-05/page/n135/mode/1up?view=theater   Mac software arrives  https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-05/page/n207/mode/2up?view=theater First Origin games get tested  https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-2/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Lucasfilm Games Premieres  https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-2   Lucasfilm ''force'' enters video game market, United Press International, May 9, 1984, Wednesday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By JOHN M. LEIGHTY British devs embrace C64  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-31/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater USGold launches with Aztec Challenge and Forbidden Forest  https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-031/page/n15/mode/2up   https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-031/page/n32/mode/1up?view=theater      https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-031/page/n41/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-031/page/n59/mode/1up?view=theater  https://archive.org/details/CommodoreHorizonsIssue051984May300dpi/page/n23/mode/2up?view=theater Evil Dead coming to the C64  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-17/mode/1up?view=theater Leisure Games wants you to go to Jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200  https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-05-03/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater      https://www.mobygames.com/company/2715/leisure-genius/ Games Network warns that Bankruptcy is looming  Computer Taken by Creditor; GAMES NETWORK INSOLVENT, SAYS BANKRUPTCY IS NEAR, Communications Daily, May 17, 1984, Thursday,Section: Vol. 4, No. 97; Pg. 2   Adam Magazine to arrive  https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-2/page/25/mode/1up   Australia recognizes Copyright  ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC NEWS IN BRIEF, Copyright 1984 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service, MAY 30, 1984, WEDNESDAY Sanders income booms while royalty revenue dips SANDERS-ASSOCIATES; Financial resultsBusiness WireMay 21, 1984, Monday, Dateline: NASHUA, N.H.   Battlefield Earth gets a soundtrack  https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_15/page/n31/mode/1up?view=theater 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