April 1984

April 1984

Author: Karl Kuras June 18, 2024 Duration: 3:11:29
Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
LeisureGamesHistoryVideo Games

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/

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/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 


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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