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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)

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Nov 1, 2020

Apple gets ready to go public
Sega does what Nintendon't
The world gets its first look at the GameCube

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 October of 1980, 1990, 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:
Corrections:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunsoft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1y3V2VAdpE
https://twitter.com/Gazimaluke?s=20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Manufacturing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMS_Industries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMO9hJ3zzms&t=274s
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arcadedreams/Arcade-Dreams-The-Definitive-Arcade-Documentary-Series
https://arcadedocumentary.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game.com
https://archive.org/details/hh_tgaunt
https://www.mobygames.com/game/mortal-kombat


1980:
Apple is getting ready to go public
https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n02oct1980/page/5/mode/1up
https://investor.apple.com/faq/
https://kensbook.com/
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/ken-williams-interview

Commodore facing scrutiny
https://nyti.ms/1kS9Xye
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086465/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094291/?ref_=tt_sims_tt
https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/why-nyse-switch-fractions-to-decimals/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International


Hayden Book Company buys Programma International
https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n02oct1980/page/2/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/company/programma-international-inc
http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2014/09/programma-international-coin-op.html

Stern Electronics is getting a running start in video games
Play Meter, October 15, 1980, pg. 34
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stern_(game_company)
https://www.mobygames.com/game/astro-invader_
https://www.mobygames.com/game/galaxian

https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/amoa-1980-with-gameresearch_e

1990:
Sega launches Nintendon't ad campaign
Plaything, October 1990, pg. 12

Splatterhouse to make Halloween debut on TG16
Plaything, October 1990
https://www.mobygames.com/game/splatterhouse

No such thing as a Nintendo
Plaything, October 1990, pg. 20
https://www.businessinsider.com/google-taser-xerox-brand-names-generic-words-2018-5?r=DE&IR=T

DUO FC is gonna bridge the gap between PCs and consoles
https://archive.org/details/1990-10-compute-magazine/page/n11/mode/1up
http://atarihq.com/tsr/nes/duo-fc.html
https://www.mobygames.com/company/capstone-software

Microprose enters the NES market
https://archive.org/details/zero-magazine-12/page/n8/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/company/ultra-software-corporation

EA enters Genesis market with a cross-platform promotion
Plaything, October 1990
https://www.mobygames.com/game/budokan-the-martial-spirit
https://www.mobygames.com/game/populous
https://archive.org/details/1990-10-compute-magazine/page/n58/mode/1up

Activision settles suit with Magnavox
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3006-video-games-computer-entertainment-issue-21-october-1990/ pg. 24
https://www.ipmall.info/content/magnavox-co-v-activision-inc-ralph-baers-litigation-files

Mediagenic kills Activision UK
https://www.filfre.net/2017/01/a-time-of-endings-part-3-mediagenic-or-the-patent-from-hell/
https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue851990Oct/page/n125/mode/1up

First reports are coming in from The Computer Entertainment Show in London...
https://archive.org/details/micromania-segunda-epocha-29/page/n7/mode/1up

Commodore Format magazine launches!
https://archive.org/details/commodore-format-magazine-01

Commodore debuts the C286 LT
https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:NewComputerExpress_UK_100.pdf&page=4
https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:NewComputerExpress_UK_101.pdf&page=2
https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Commodore-Laptop_C286LT

Commodore profits plunge
https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue851990Oct/page/n125/mode/1up

"What you see is what you play" ads for Wing Commander hit magazines
https://archive.org/details/1990-10-compute-magazine/page/n88/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Commander_(video_game)
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3006-video-games-computer-entertainment-issue-21-october-1990/ p. 132
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfRvCSBD4q0

MSX the third... or fourth, announced
https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:NewComputerExpress_UK_101.pdf&page=3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX#Evolution
https://www.mobygames.com/game/metal-gear_
https://www.mobygames.com/game/snatcher

No one wants to publish The Black Crypt
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_76/page/n9/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/black-crypt
https://www.mobygames.com/company/raven-software-corporation

Strider 2 is coming...
https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-107/page/n9/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strider_II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LMr6NpVhKA

Sega sells Time-Out arcade chain
Replay, October 1990, pg. 177
https://arcadetoken.net/tokens/token.php?id=18
https://arcadeblogger.com/2017/08/18/time-out-arcade-amazing-classic-arcade-pictures/

The R360 is coming
https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue37Oct90/ACE_Issue_37_Oct_90/page/n8/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R360


2000:
Nintendo finally decides on a name for its new console.
https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue69/page/n82/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameCube

Sony introduces the GSCube
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20135%20%28October%202000%29/page/n38/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GScube

Sega introduces @barai
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20135%20%28October%202000%29/page/n39/mode/1up
https://segaretro.org/@barai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX
https://pennyarcade.fandom.com/wiki/Div

Nintendo buys up Zelda.com
https://archive.org/details/NextGen70Oct2000/page/n10/mode/1up
https://web.archive.org/web/*/zelda.com
https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/10/nintendo-and-porn

Speaking of Raven Software... Soldier of Fortune gets qualified as "adult motion picture" in British Columbia
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/soldier-of-fortune-classified-as-an-adult-movie/1100-2602950/
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_195/page/n38/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_of_Fortune_(video_game)#Violence_controversy

Indianapolis tries to restrict violent video games
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20135%20%28October%202000%29/page/n38/mode/1up
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1285&context=vulr
https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/joe-morici-interview

Square pushes online hint system
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20135%20%28October%202000%29/page/n100/mode/1up

Unreal is coming to consoles
https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue69/page/n5/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine

Bioware developing Star Wars RPG
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_195/page/n38/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic

Looking Glass may be dead, but Thief lives on
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-2000-10/page/n17/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/thief-deadly-shadows
https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,127/

EA gets the Harry Potter license
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-2000-10/page/n20/mode/1up
https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/harry-potter-licensees/offset,0/so,1d/

Diablo 2 goes D&D
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-2000-10/page/n171/mode/1up
https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Dungeons_and_Dragons:_Diablo_II_Edition

EGM talks fan translations
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20135%20%28October%202000%29/page/n35/mode/2up
https://www.mobygames.com/game/sega-cd/shadowrun__


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.