The Video Game Newsroom Time Machine is a weekly retro gaming podcast in which we travel back in time to see what was making headlines 40, 30, and 20 years ago in the arcade, video game, and computer gaming business and interview industry veterans.
We try to put those events into historical context to understand how the industry of today came to be.
It's fun and educational! (in case you need to justify listening to it to a significant other)
Consider supporting us on Patreon
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Jul 5, 2024
Nintendo bows to Blockbuster,
Commodore enters liquidation &
Acclaim-Midway divorce gets messy!
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 April 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/
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https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book
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Links:
If you don't see all the links, find them here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/107563816
7 Minutes in Heaven: Rocko's Modern Life
Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-107343911
https://www.mobygames.com/game/37843/rockos-modern-life-spunkys-dangerous-day/
Corrections:
March 1994 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1994-105189897
Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
https://x.com/chrisgr93091552
1994:
Ataris settle with Nintendo
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/26/business/company-news-time-warner-increases-its-stake-in-atari.html
Nintendo and Atari Games reach settlement in long-running court case; litigation settlement ends five-year court battle and restores Atari's status as Nintendo licensee, Business Wire, March 24, 1994, Thursday
ATARI CORP. AND NINTENDO REACH SETTLEMENT IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT CASE, PR Newswire, March 24, 1994, Thursday - 19:44 Eastern Time
Atari Corp. falsely characterizes Nintendo/Atari settlement, Business Wire, March 25, 1994, Friday
https://archive.org/details/AtariCorporationAnnualReport1992/page/n12/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/AtariCorporationAnnualReport1993/page/n33/mode/1up
https://patents.google.com/patent/US4445114A/en
Nintendo gives in to rentals
Nintendo Reverses Stand, Will Play The Rental Game, Billboard, April 30, 1994, Section: Pg. 6
Nintendo finally pays Galoob
GALOOB TO RECEIVE $16.1 MILLION PAYMENT FROM NINTENDO TODAY, PR Newswire, April 11, 1994, Monday - 09:11 Eastern Time
EA and Broderbund to merge
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n9/mode/1up?view=theater
Pearson buys Software Toolworks
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/01/business/pearson-enters-multimedia-software-arena.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/12/business/market-place-the-choices-are-few-for-investing-in-software-aimed-at-children.html?searchResultPosition=17
Paramount teams up with Davidson & Associates
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/13/business/the-media-business-software-plan-for-paramount.html?searchResultPosition=18
https://www.avid.wiki/Davidson/Simon_%26_Schuster
Warner consolidates
https://archive.org/details/cashbox57unse_29/page/30/mode/1up?view=theater
TSR and SSI call it quits
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_117/page/n11/mode/2up
WMS to buy Tradewest
BUSINESS BRIEFS: WMS INDUSTRIES INC TO ACQUIRE TRADEWEST IN HOME-VIDEO PUSH, WALL STREET JOURNAL, April 6, 1994, Wednesday, Section: Section B; Page 4, Column 5
WMS Industries to acquire Tradewest Inc., Business Wire, April 5, 1994, Tuesday
Acclaim signs deal for Batman Sequel
WARNER BROS. AND ACCLAIM ANNOUNCE 'BATMAN FOREVER' PACT; Blockbuster Motion Picture to be Released in 1995, Business Wire, April 26, 1994, Tuesday
SEGA SELECTS ACCLAIM AS FIRST U.S. PUBLISHER TO USE PROPRIETARY TITAN TECHNOLOGY FOR COIN-OP GAMES AND HIGH-END SEGA HOME HARDWARE PLATFORMS, Business Wire, April 7, 1994, Thursday
Big Movers in the Stock Market, The Associated Press, April 7, 1994, Thursday, AM cycle
MGM signs up with Sega
MGM, SEGA TO DEVELOP INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAMES, Extel Examiner, April 29, 1994, Friday - 03:15 Eastern Time
Could Disney buy a major games publisher?
Will Disney Chart More Adventurous Course in Wells' Absence?, The Associated Press, April 11, 1994, Monday, PM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By E. SCOTT RECKARD, Associated Press Writers
Living Books buys Dr. Seuss rights
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/22/business/the-media-business-dr-seuss-rights-are-sold.html?searchResultPosition=34
US announces Special 301 trade action against China
NINTENDO OF AMERICA STATEMENT ON SPECIAL 301 ACTION BY USTR, PR Newswire, April 30, 1994, Saturday - 19:04 Eastern Time
Japan misses chip import target
Newsbyte, US Japan Chip Wars Heat Up - Again! 01/03/94, WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 3 (NB)
Japanese toy wholesale system under pressure
Big stores rile small retailers with bargain toy price strategy, Industry's retail pricing structure said to have been undermined, The Nikkei Weekly (Japan), April 18, 1994, Section: INDUSTRY; Pg. 9
AFTRA signs deal with EA
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater
Sega disses Summer CES
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater
Dedicated cabs rule UK ATEI show
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/8/mode/1up?view=theater
American Laser goes CDRom
Play Meter, April 1994, pg. 14 & Acme 13
Midway takes page from Capcom's playbook
https://archive.org/details/cashbox57unse_28/page/30/mode/1up?view=theater
AMOA teams up with Ross Perot's EDS
Play Meter, April 1994, pg. 1, 66A
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claw_(video_game)#Development
EDS' EARNINGS RISE 13 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER, PR Newswire, April 27, 1994, Wednesday - 16:29 Eastern Time
Saturn to launch with Jupiter
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater
Jaguar UK launch botched
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/13/
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/17/
3DO prospects in Japan look good
So far, 3DO multiplayer living up to hype, Matsushita Claims It Sold 40,000 Of Long-Awaited Machines In First 3 Days, The Nikkei Weekly (Japan), April 4, 1994,Section: INDUSTRY DIGEST; Pg. 9, Byline: BY MASATO ISHIZAWA Staff writer
https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Fifth_generation_of_video_games
3DO licenses tech to Toshiba for GPS
3DO. TOSHIBA TIE UP ON NAVIGATION SYSTEM, Jiji Press Ticker Service, APRIL 12, 1994, TUESDAY
3DO kicks off US ad campaign
3DO Kicks Off National Advertising Campaign, Business Wire, April 25, 1994, Monday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W67sqPQ9u0
MSU gives Konix Multisystem a second go
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/14/mode/1up?view=theater
https://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=archive
https://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=msu
Japanese devs not waiting for Nintendo
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/13/mode/1up?view=theater
Capcom to support 3DO and PSX
https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994/page/n159/mode/1up?view=theater
Virgin to support CDi
https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994/page/n159/mode/1up?view=theater
Tower Records ditches CDi and Gameboy
Tower Video Dumps CD-I; VSDA Adds Game Seminars, Billboard, April 30, 1994, Section: HOME VIDEO; Shelf Talk; Pg. 72
Lethal Enforcers comes to the SNES
https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994/page/n171/mode/1up?view=theater
Nintendo censorship strikes again
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater
Sega announces MegaJet is coming home!
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20057%20%28April%201994%29/page/n63/mode/2up
https://consolemods.org/wiki/Master_System:Master_System_Model_Differences#Master_System_Super_Compact/Master_System_Girl_(1994)
Commodore pulls out of World of Commodore-Amiga show
https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-072/page/n13/mode/1up
Commodore announces liquidation
Commodore Scuttles Ship, The Associated Press, April 29, 1994, Friday, AM cycle
IBM agrees to make Cyrix chips
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/15/business/ibm-agrees-to-make-chips-designed-by-cyrix.html?searchResultPosition=19
EA sees big upswing in CDRom sales
Company Results Roundup, Newsbytes, April 29, 1994, Friday
Could CDRom usurp video games?
PC GAMES COULD CAPTURE SEGA, NINTENDO CUSTOMERS, WALL STREET JOURNAL,April 27, 1994, Wednesday, Section B; Page 1, Column 5, Byline: BY JOSEPH PEREIRA
Argonaut, Cirrus and Diamond team up for PC 3D API standard
3-D GRAPHICS ALLIANCE FOR PC GAMES ANNOUNCED BY DIAMOND COMPUTER SYSTEMS, CIRRUS LOGIC AND ARGONAUT SOFTWARE, PR Newswire, April 25, 1994, Monday - 09:02 Eastern Time
https://blazingrender.net/
3Dlabs and Creative team up for PC 3D API standard
3Dlabs announces alliance with Creative Technology; Customized GLiNT processor to bring interactive 3D graphics to multimedia desktops, Business Wire, April 18, 1994, Monday
Spectrum Holobyte bets on fractals
Fractals to put the squeeze on the game industry, Business Wire, April 13, 1994, Wednesday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal_compression#Implementations
Microprose dumps Adventure engine
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_117/page/n11/mode/2up
Maxis wants to turn SimCity into a sandbox
https://archive.org/details/game-developer-april-1994/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater
Doom leaves Edge unimpressed
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater
Newscorp buys Kesmai
Murdoch's News Corp. to acquire Kesmai Corp; Global media company positions Delphi to deliver the next wave of online interactive multimedia, Business Wire, April 25, 1994, Monday
AOL swamped by new signups
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n9/mode/1up?view=theater
https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-04/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater
https://archive.org/details/edge-007-april-1994/page/92/mode/1up?view=theater
Game Developer magazines debuts
https://archive.org/details/game-developer-april-1994/page/n3/mode/1up
Second round of video game violence hearings lack fireworks
Play Meter, April 1994, pg. 12
Data East beats Capcom in court
Play Meter, April 1994, pg. 1
Ads in software patented
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/08/business/company-news-patent-dispute-brewing-on-software-use-of-ads.html
https://medium.com/swlh/how-i-screwed-a-patent-troll-out-of-a-billion-dollars-2849cb3e248a
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ed/d8/f2/387782f38818da/US5105184.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/08/business/us-revokes-cotton-patents-after-outcry-from-industry.html
Study finds no link between video violence and juvenile delinquency
Offenders do not watch more violence, The Times, April 11, 1994, Monday, Section: Home news, Byline: Alexandra Frean, Media Correspondent
Middlesex University offers Gaming degrees
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-04/page/n13/mode/2up
https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/CVG_UK_149.pdf pg. 14
RIP 3' disks
https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-103/page/n7/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