August 1993

August 1993

Author: Karl Kuras October 21, 2023 Duration: 2:19:46
Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
LeisureGamesHistoryVideo Games

7-11 drops coinop
Nintendo disses Sega's rating system
Commodore premieres Amiga CD32

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 August 1993. 
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:

7 Minutes in Heaven: Final Fight CD
Video Version:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-cd-91295414
https://www.mobygames.com/game/5088/final-fight/


Corrections:
July 1993 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1993-89127883
Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
https://youtu.be/A-6AKe2pvsQ?si=Y86cYPldukmG2V-H
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_superhighway

 

1993:
7 Eleven moves away from games
    Replay August 1993 pg. 3

Microprose shutters arcade division
    PlayMeter August 1993 pg. 22
    Wild Bill Stealey - Microprose https://www.patreon.com/posts/36710924
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:10/platform:arcade/sort:-date/page:1/

Hong Kong debating anti-violent game law
    PlayMeter August 1993 pg. 32

Elite enters coinop
    PlayMeter August 1993 pg. 22
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/108/elite-systems-ltd/

Wolfenstein goes VR
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n23/mode/2up?view=theater   
    https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=wolfenstein-vr&page=detail&id=12612

Super Street Fighter 2 hits Japanese arcades
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20049%20%28August%201993%29/page/n34/mode/1up
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/10119/super-street-fighter-ii/

Capcom gets TSR license
    PlayMeter August 1993 pg. 3
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/63783/dungeons-dragons-tower-of-doom/    
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/63847/dungeons-dragons-shadow-over-mystara/

Arcade 1 brings arcade history to print
    PlayMeter August 1993 pg. 132   
    https://archive.org/details/arcade-1-1993-book-scans
    
Atari announces Jaguar launch
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n55/mode/1up?view=theater   
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Jaguar   
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20049%20%28August%201993%29/page/n56/mode/1up
    Leonard Tramiel - Part 2 - Atari https://www.patreon.com/posts/71643153

Commodore debuts CD32
    http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=QW1pZ2EgR2FtZXMvMTk5Mw==  
    Amiga Games August 1993, pg.  8, 92   
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_CD32

Sega shows off VR at CES
    https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1993.08/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater

Sega launches Pico
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20049%20%28August%201993%29/page/n75/mode/1up   
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Pico

3DO gains support
    https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_55_August_1993/page/n15/mode/2up

EA reports big earnings
    https://archive.org/details/pc-review-22/page/16/mode/1up?view=theater
    
Nintendo hikes cart prices
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n161/mode/1up?view=theater

Bandai shows off portable SNES at Tokyo Game Show
    https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/04/bandai_almost_made_a_laptop_with_a_built-in_snesn   
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater

NES gets a makeover
    https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1993.08/page/n16/mode/1up?view=theater   
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n53/mode/2up?view=theater

Gamepro laments no-shows
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n55/mode/1up?view=theater

Sega and Park Place launch sports labels
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n161/mode/1up?view=theater    
    https://www.mobygames.com/company/3483/park-place-productions/   
    https://www.mobygames.com/group/8552/sega-sports-games/
    Michael Katz Part 2 - Atari - Sega https://www.patreon.com/posts/63732329

Mario's greatest hits coming to SNES
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/6613/super-mario-all-stars/

Genesis gets Special Champion Edition
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater
    Joe Morici - Capcom https://www.patreon.com/posts/37289815
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/8053/street-fighter-ii-champion-edition/

STD makes Street Fighter 2 easier
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater
    http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Wiki/index.php?title=InterAct_SN_ProgramPad

UK outraged at Night Trap
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n119/mode/1up?view=theater   
    https://www.eurogamer.net/the-rise-and-fall-of-sega-enterprises

Nintendo responds to Sega's ratings system
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n161/mode/1up?view=theater
    
Move over violence... here comes SEX!
    https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1993-08/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater  
    https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1993-08/page/n22/mode/1up?view=theater
    
Help me obi-wan kenobi, you, or Terminator, or Lawnmower Man... 
    https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1993-08/page/n28/mode/1up?view=theater

PowerPC promises to decouple CPUs from OSs
    https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1993-08_OCR
    
Microsoft and Compaq join forces for plug-and-play
    https://archive.org/details/pc-review-22/page/15/mode/1up

Say goodbye to the interface
    https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_109/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater

Konami abandons computer gaming
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater

Microsoft unveils their Mouse 2.0
    http://www.kultmags.com/mags.php?folder=UEMgSm9rZXIvMTk5Mw==  August 1993 pg. 7
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Mouse

Get that real pilot feel for just $2,800 bucks
    https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1993-08/page/n28/mode/1up?view=theater

Tablet computing market gets crowded
    https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1993-08/page/n26/mode/1up
    http://www.grot.com/zoomer/documents/bindery.html
    http://www.geos-infobase.de/zoomer/ZOOMER01
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm,_Inc.#History

SimCity goes mobile
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n13/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://handheld.computer/?p=446    
    https://alchetron.com/EShop
    
AT&T wants to give Sega an Edge
    https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n53/mode/2up?view=theater   
    https://segaretro.org/Edge_16

AT&T shows off Personal Communicator
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20049%20%28August%201993%29/page/n163/mode/1up   
    https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?entryid=2902

Delphi enters online gaming arena
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater

Sierra signs deal with Prodigy
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n95/mode/1up?view=theater

NTN Trivia coming to TSN
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater   
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTN_Buzztime
    
Virtual Vision brings TV to eyewear
    https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20049%20%28August%201993%29/page/n163/mode/1up

Epyx brings games to planes
    https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1993-08/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Goeken   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/15/business/interface-a-new-digital-air-to-ground-link-gets-an-in-flight-test.html

Spaceship Warlock shown at CES
    https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1993.08/page/n17/mode/1up?view=theater    
    https://www.joesparks.com/whyyes/


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


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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