February 1984

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Famicom rules Japan, Bushnell leaves Chuck E Cheese & Vectrex put to rest

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 February 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

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Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/100523595

7 Minutes in Heaven: Campaign '84 Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-84-102259801 https://www.mobygames.com/game/158302/campaign-84/

Corrections: January 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/january-1984-100014130 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/

1954-02 Anti Comic book bill proposed in New York https://www.nytimes.com/1954/02/17/archives/bills-would-curb-immoral-reading-comicbook-committee-cites-torrent.html?searchResultPosition=1

1964-02 General Precision shows off 47" disc https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/60s/64/Pop-1964-02.pdf pg. 54

1974-02 atari and Kee Games arrangement clarified https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_31/page/51/mode/1up?view=theater

Pong boon leads to arcade bombs https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_32/page/45/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_34/page/50/mode/1up

MITS introduces Programmer add-on https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-02.pdf pg. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Instrumentation_and_Telemetry_Systems#Calculators

Sony becomes Heathkit distributor https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-02.pdf pg. 16

Heathkit introduces digital color TV https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-02.pdf pg. 18

Sinclair announces pocket TV https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-02.pdf pg. 18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV-1 Nixon addresses privacy in the age of the computer Richard M. Nixon. (February 23, 1974). Radio Address About the American Right of Privacy.. Primary Sources in U.S. Presidential History. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:47DJ-HKP0-01K9-024S-00000-00&context=1516831.

LA Flipper ban upheld on appeal https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_31/page/51/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-pinball-games-banned-in-los-angeles-20180911-htmlstory.html https://la.curbed.com/2013/7/15/10219774/pinball-and-claw-games-were-illegal-in-la-from-1939-until-1974

1984-02 Bally/Williams merger called off Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 10, 21 Bally/Midway cancel game leasing plans Replay Feb. 1984, pg.

Nintendo predicts profit drop (February 14, 1984). The Japan Economic Journal. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2380-000H-H4N7-00000-00&context=1516831.

Nolan steps down at Pizza Time Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 19 https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_2/page/29/mode/1up

More deck chair shuffling at Atari Replay Feb. 1984, pg.

Warner sells Malibu Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 50

Simutrek files for Chapter 11 Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 19

CVS declares bankruptcy Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 10 https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-02-02/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

GoldmanSachs sees arcade decline continuing https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_3/page/34/mode/1up?view=theater

Bally/Midway taps Budweiser for cross promotion https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_4/page/30/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_3/page/36/mode/1up?view=theater

Don Bluth talks Space Ace https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_3/page/42/mode/1up?view=theater

Nintendo promotes Larry Holmes' Punch Out! Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 10 https://archive.org/details/cashbox46unse_3/page/31/mode/1up?view=theater

Twin Galaxies crowns Video Game Champs Replay Feb. 1984, pg. 22 Famicom dominates Japanese market (February 7, 1984). Sales of video games in Japan topped one-million mark last year. The Japan Economic Journal. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2390-000H-H4SN-00000-00&context=1516831.

Mattel tells retailers "Show me the money!!" https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/167/mode/1up?view=theater

Imagic licenses to Amiga https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/166/mode/1up?view=theater More impressions from CES https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/165/mode/1up?view=theater Coleco makes big promises https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/171/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.mobygames.com/platform/colecoadam/ Commodore rethinking 264 https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/170/mode/1up?view=theater

Commodore announces next gen https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-02/page/n7/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_900

IBM plans to go big on PC production https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_900

PCJr fracass becomes clearer https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/170/mode/1up?view=theater

Byte reviews the Mac https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-02/page/n31/mode/1up?view=theater

Byte bemoans the move to compatibility https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-02/page/n5/mode/2up

Sinclair breaks with Timex https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-02-02/page/n1/mode/2up?view=theater

CBM top execs leave https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-02-09/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Toshiba to develop "Super Chip" "(FEBRUARY 8, 1984, WEDNESDAY). TOSHIBA TO DEVELOP ""SUPER-CHIP"". Japan Economic Newswire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SP7-BB50-000F-P04M-00000-00&context=1516831. (FEBRUARY 7, 1984, TUESDAY). 11 AREAS LIKELY TO BE DESIGNATED AS TECHNOPOLISES. Japan Economic Newswire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SP7-BB60-000F-P064-00000-00&context=1516831. (FEBRUARY 25, 1984, SATURDAY). MITI STICKING TO ""ARBITRATION"" CLAUSE IN SOFTWARE LAW. Japan Economic Newswire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SP7-BB00-000F-P4KT-00000-00&context=1516831. (February 14, 1984). IC production exceeded Y1 trillion in 1983; to rise 30% to reach Y1.5 trillion this year. The Japan Economic Journal. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2370-000H-H4KH-00000-00&context=1516831."

NEC introduces image processing chip (February 21, 1984). NEC develops high-speed image pipelined processor; World's 1st non-von Neumann type. The Japan Economic Journal. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2350-000H-H4DW-00000-00&context=1516831. https://www.shmj.or.jp/english/pdf/ic/exhibi704E.pdf

Personal CPM to be included on Z80s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_900

Edutainment is the next big thing https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/165/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/166/mode/1up?view=theater

Avalon Hill teams up with Toei (February 14, 1984). Avalon Hill to sell simulation games in Japan. The Japan Economic Journal. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8H-2370-000H-H4K1-00000-00&context=1516831.

TI 99 4/A software not dead yet! https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/164/mode/2up US eases restrictions on exports to China (FEBRUARY 23, 1984, THURSDAY). U.S. TO EASE CONTROL ON TECHNOLOGY EXPORTS TO CHINA. Japan Economic Newswire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SP7-BB00-000F-P4NT-00000-00&context=1516831.

Japanese copyright reform debate heats up (FEBRUARY 1, 1984, WEDNESDAY). FIRST JAPAN-U.S. DIALOGUE ON SOFTWARE LAW IN FEBRUARY. Japan Economic Newswire. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SP7-BB80-000F-P0FP-00000-00&context=1516831.

Apple loses IP case in Australia https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-02/page/n9/mode/1up?view=theater Vectrex RIP https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-2-11/page/162/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