April 1984

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Acorn and Commodore soar, as Coleco and Atari falter

Software takes center stage in PC clone world

UK game prices hit rock bottom

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 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/

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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/106448718

7 Minutes in Heaven: Atic Atac

Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-106323507

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atic_Atac

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n1/mode/1up

Corrections:

March 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/march-1984-104469980

Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/

1954

Kefauver hearing puts pressure on comics industry

https://www.nytimes.com/1954/04/20/archives/comicbook-hearing-to-start-tomorrow.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1954/04/23/archives/senator-charges-deceit-on-comics-kefauver-says-child-study-groups.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estes_Kefauver

1964

IBM announces the 360

https://x.com/kenshirriff/status/1777022892477239724

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/360

1974

Sega becomes American

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_41/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater

https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-saga-of-sega/

Mirco Games brings freeplay to video

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_42/page/50/mode/1up?view=theater

Sam Stern urges industry to go to 25 cent play

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_43/page/35/mode/1up?view=theater

David Gottlieb, RIP

https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_43/page/35/mode/1up?view=theater

1984

Atari losses fall

Post Net Income of $30.9 Million, The Associated Press, April 19, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Atari in Trouble Again

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/19/business/warner-severs-tie-with-ladd-warner-communications.html

Banks cut Coleco credit line

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/03/business/coleco-says-banks-cut-its-credit.html?searchResultPosition=1

Coleco reports rebound from last quarter's loss, United Press International, April 17, 1984, Tuesday, BC cycle

Commodore sales skyrocket!

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/27/business/profit-off-at-xerox-sperry-up.html

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984 pg. 12

Acorn revenues soar!

https://archive.org/details/AcornUser021-Apr84/page/n8/mode/1up

TI turn-around unprecedented

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Texas Instruments Update

Milton Bradley returns to profitability

Milton Bradley Shows Profit in First Quarter, The Associated Press, April 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, Section: Business News

Toy Maker Talking About 'Business Combination' With Another Company, The Associated Press, April 26, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Dateline: SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

Pizza Time Losses continue to mount

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, In Brief

Atari closes last California factory

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, Atari Lay-Off

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/07/business/atari-to-cut-550-jobs-at-2-plants.html

Alan Kay leaves Atari

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, A week of resignations

5200 Software drought

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/12/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/15/mode/1up

German court squashe Unimex duplicator

https://binarium.de/unimex_duplicator_sp280

https://archive.org/details/happycomputer-magazine-1984-04/page/n7/mode/1up

Sinclair misses another QL deadline

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-05/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n5/mode/1up

Sinclair finds QL workaround!

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews059-28Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Hannover Fair sees flood of PCs

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews058-21Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Commodore unveils PC clone

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, Speaking of Clones

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/05/business/2-machines-challenge-ibm.html

IBM looks to shut down clones

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, More IBM, by Paul Richter

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

IBM buys additional Intel shares

Newsbytes, April 3, 1984, In Brief

PCJr sales still dismal

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews059-28Apr1984/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater

Apple ][ forever!

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Apple II Forever

https://apple.fandom.com/wiki/Apple_II_Forever

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Mac-Update

Apple holds its own with IBM

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Apple vs. IBM

Tomy drops out of US market

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984 pg. 12

HP introduces the ThinkJet

https://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/imagingprinting/0011/

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater

Moves to Asia continue

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Stealing some thunder

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/26/nyregion/thursday-april-26-1984-international.html

Bill Gates on Time cover

https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840416,00.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/22/business/the-heady-world-of-ibm-suppliers.html

IBM working on GUI

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_TopView

3rd parties abandon Adam

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/8/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/10/mode/1up?view=theater

Imagine changes course on price cut

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews056-07Apr1984/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater

UK game prices hit 1 pound 99!

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

PC Write shareware model a success

Newsbytes, April 10, 1984, Betting on Piracy

Wordstar hits hard times

Newsbytes, April 17, 1984, Software Snafus

Atari Program Exchange shuttered

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari introduces AtariLab

PRESS CONFERENCE, PR Newswire, April 4, 1984, Wednesday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AtariLab

Broderbund announces Print Shop

https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-1/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater

HESWare hires Nimoy

https://archive.org/details/Ahoy_Issue_04_1984-04_Ion_International_US/page/n7/mode/2up

Empires redefines pass-and-play

https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews057-14Apr1984/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9706

Synapse withdraws from UK market

https://archive.org/details/computer-and-videogames-030/page/n19/mode/1up

Random House enters software biz

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/11/business/advertising-random-s-software-account.html

64er launches

https://archive.org/details/64er_1984_04/mode/2up

France goes online

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/30/business/computer-linkups-spurred-by-france.html

Games Network signs up additional franchises

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-12/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-26/page/n12/mode/1up?view=theater

Videotext gone took 'r jawbs!

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/arts/tv-view-a-corporate-look-into-the-near-future.html

MITI throws in the towel

MITI GIVES UP PLAN TO SUBMIT SOFTWARE BILL TO DIET, Japan Economic Newswire, APRIL 21, 1984, SATURDAY

REVIEW-SOFTWARE: JAPAN, U.S. REMAIN APART ON SOFTWARE PROTECTION, Japan Economic Newswire, APRIL 19, 1984, THURSDAY

CalTech students hack Rose Bowl scoreboard

https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-04-rescan/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater

https://www.edn.com/forget-touchdowns-engineers-score-with-pranks/

RCA axes Video disk

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/12/arts/tv-review-viewer-controls-screen.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/06/business/rca-defends-timing-of-videodisk-canceling.html

Licensing business explodes

Children's Characters Stir Big Sales, The Associated Press, April 25, 1984, Wednesday, PM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By ROBERT WADE, Associated Press Writer

Takara pens deal with Hasbro

US firm permitted to use characters, The Japan Economic Journal, April 17, 1984, Section: SERVICE/LEISURE/FOOD; Pg. 18

Toy & Hobby World, April 1984

D&D scare hits the UK

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-04-12/page/n1/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

sega

nintendo

atari

coleco

acorn

commodore

c64

spectrum

sinclair

ql

microsoft

windows

vision

gottlieb

chuck e cheese

pizza time

pcjr

shareware

pulsonic

imagine

mastertronic

ultimate

aticatac

apple

macintosh

appleii

40 years ago:

#Acorn and #Commodore soar, as #Coleco and #Atari falter,

Software takes center stage in PC clone world &

UK game prices hit rock bottom

These stories and more on the VGNRTM!

#c64 #zxspectrum #ql #mastertronic #sega