September 2020

Sep 30, 2020

Electronic games may be about to crash!
Amstrad enters the console wars
Pokemon single handedly saves video games

These stories and many more on this month's episode of the Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

This month we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in September of 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000.
As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events..

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Links:
1970:
IBM launches their first macine exclusively using semiconductor RAM
https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/24/archives/a-new-computer-unveiled-by-ibm-main-memory-system-uses.html?searchResultPosition=9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic-core_memory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_memory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/370_Model_145

World's first Chess competition between computers takes place in New York
https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/02/archives/chess-computer-loses-game-in-a-kingsize-blunder.html?searchResultPosition=17
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~newborn/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Newborn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers:_Heroes_of_the_Computer_Revolution

1980:
Mattel announces test market for Intellivision keyboard
Plaything, Sept 1980
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision#Keyboard_Component

Mattel warns shareholders that competitors may start dumping game inventory
Plaything, Sept 1980, pg. 11

Pizza Time Theatre loses first round to Topeka Inn Management
Play Meter, September 1, 1980, pg. 5
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/may-2020

Stratavox brings speech to the video games!
Play Meter, September 15, 1980, pg. 39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C-1J5XvhB0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovox

Williams is entering the video game biz
Play Meter, September 15, 1980, pg. 40

Computer magazines report from Summer CES
https://archive.org/details/1980-09-compute-magazine/page/n14/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198009/page/n17/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_Scientific
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_series_80#85
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20
https://archive.org/details/Kilobaud198009/page/n25/mode/2up

Japan takes on the US for 64k supremacy
https://www.nytimes.com/1980/09/16/archives/the-fight-over-computer-chips-us-japanese-competing-on-new-advance.html?searchResultPosition=11

Softalk launches
https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n01sep1980/mode/1up

Dan Bunten's first major release tested
https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n01sep1980/page/13/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,8515/
https://www.mobygames.com/game/apple2/computer-quarterback/credits
https://youtu.be/xsGfXR0m8Lg

The other trinity
https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198009/page/n39/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interact_Home_Computer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VideoBrain_Family_Computer

1990:
Computer games are coming to TV
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_74/page/n10/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maniac_Mansion_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_on_Earth_Is_Carmen_Sandiego%3F

Cinemaware slugs it out with Beyond over TV Sports Baseball
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_74/page/n10/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/tony-la-russas-ultimate-baseball

TMNT is getting a second Amiga port
https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue36Sep90/page/n7/mode/1up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFQkdLd4M_g

Mediagenic becomes first US SNES dev
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_74/page/n10/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/snes/activision-publishing-inc/

Megadrive finally coming to the UK
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_106_1990-09_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n12/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis

First rumors of a Sega CD add-on for the Genesis surface
https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20014%20%28September%201990%29#page/n21/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_CD

Amstrad launches the GX4000
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_106_1990-09_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/micromania-segunda-epocha-28/page/n7/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_GX4000

Atari to redesign the Lynx
https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20014%20%28September%201990%29#page/n21/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Lynx

Coin Op sales are slumping
Replay, Sept. 1990, pg. 38

Atari repurchases stock back from Namco
Playthings, Sept. 1990 pg. 13
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco#Atari_Games,_rifts_with_Nintendo_and_other_ventures_(1985%E2%80%931989)

2000:
Controversy over violent games continues
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4317-gamepro-issue-144-september-2000/ pg. 30

SNK closes down its US operations
https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20134%20%28September%202000%29#page/n25/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNK#Bankruptcy_and_Playmore_Corporation_(2001%E2%80%932003)

100th million Gameboy shipped
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4317-gamepro-issue-144-september-2000/ pg. 28
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy

Pokemon singlehandedly lifts video game sales
https://archive.org/details/NextGen69Sep2000/page/n18/mode/1up

Piracy hits the Dreamcast
https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20134%20%28September%202000%29#page/n37/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GD-ROM

Micromania magazine deals with the rise of "abandonware"
https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue68/page/n53/mode/1up

Windows ME is coming to make everything better...
https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_093_2000-09_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n19/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Me

Rebellion buys 2000AD
https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_093_2000-09_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n29/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellion_Developments

Eidos is up for sale
https://archive.org/details/NextGen69Sep2000/page/n9/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_Enix_Europe

Probe software is no more
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-2000-09/page/n12/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Acclaim_Entertainment_subsidiaries#Acclaim_Studios_London

Recommended Links:
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/
The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/
Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/

Sound Effects by Ethan of History of How We Play.