January 1994

January 1994

Author: Karl Kuras March 17, 2024 Duration: 3:10:59
Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
LeisureGamesHistoryVideo Games

Commodore hits the skids,

Sega bets big on entertainment centers &

The emulation revolution is born!

 

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 January 1994.

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: Cliffhanger

Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/100523418

TV ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAfkdgcxb4

https://www.mobygames.com/game/23868/cliffhanger/

 

Corrections:

December 1993 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/december-1993-99076522

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

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108255/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_super%2520mario%2520bro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64_Game_Pak

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

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070232374A1/

https://www.mobygames.com/game/15033/donkey-konga/

 

 

 

1993:

Sega goes all in on big arcades

"(January 17, 1994). Sega plans amusement parks for ASEAN countries. Report From Japan. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SKM-Y8R0-004C-929W-00000-00&context=1516831.

Yomiuri Shimbun. (January 1, 1994, Saturday). Sega, French superhero; open amusement centers. The Daily Yomiuri. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SC6-V1K0-001X-J1FP-00000-00&context=1516831."

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2

https://www.facebook.com/sega.megapolis/

 

Blockbuster gets in on FEC biz

Replay Jan. 1994 pg. 2

https://parkrovers.com/home/2020/10/18/blockbusters-failed-indoor-theme-park

 

VR, meet redemption, redemption, meet VR

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2

 

Karaoke wars heat up in Japan

(January 19, 1994). 'Karaoke wars' intensifies. Report From Japan. https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3SKM-Y8P0-004C-9293-00000-00&context=1516831.

 

NBA Jam beats records

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2

 

Japanese recession hitting video game makers

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 18

 

SF2 Turbo ships a million units

https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259

 

Acclaim numbers skyrocket

https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259

 

Microsoft signs deal with Sega

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/18/business/company-news-microsoft-will-supply-software-for-sega.html

https://microsoft.fandom.com/wiki/Sega_Saturn#Microsoft_technology

https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_08/page/n25/mode/2up

https://segaretro.org/Windows_CE

 

Namco signs on to Playstation

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 20

https://www.mobygames.com/game/company:1043/platform:playstation/sort:-date/page:1/

 

Sony reveals PSX stats

https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20054%20%28January%201994%29/page/n67/mode/2up

 

NEC reveals PCFX stats

https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20054%20%28January%201994%29/page/n67/mode/2up

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=cv914932bsf7di7a8k17n7oqoj&topic=1420.0

https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 54

 

NeoGeo enters CDRom race

https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 9

 

Konix Multisystem is back!!

https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 7

 

Sega "delays" SegaVR

https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 p. 259

 

Video Game monopoly inquiry begun in the UK

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-video-games-under-monopoly/77456435/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-video-game-monopoly-accusatio/92066281/

 

CDi finally gets Digital Video

https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 8

 

Atari test markets expanded

https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up

 

Edge fawns over Cybermorph

https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/Edge_UK_004.pdf pg. 60

 

Atari sues Sega

https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_054_January_1994 pg. 258

 

Lieberman bill a hidden threat during Senate hearings

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993%E2%80%9394_United_States_Senate_hearings_on_video_games#Video_Game_Rating_Act_of_1994

 

ELSPA agrees on ratings system

https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n13/mode/2up

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

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

 

X marks the spot for CDRom drives

https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n41/mode/1up?view=theater

 

Sony launches CDR

https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n8/mode/1up?view=theater

 

PCI becomes the new standard

https://archive.org/details/Power.Play.N70.1994.01 pg. 112

 

Tandy expands retail presence

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/13/business/company-news-tandy-will-hire-3600-adding-30-superstores.html

 

Apple adds DOS board

https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Apple_Now_Ships_Macintosh_Quadra_With_MS-DOS_and_Windows_Compatibility

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Quadra_610

https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n24/mode/1up?view=theater

 

Mac gamers get Y2K preview

https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-01/page/n13/mode/2up

 

Chicago enters beta

https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n23/mode/1up?view=theater

 

Novell gives up UNIX trademark

https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1994-01_OCR/page/n41/mode/1up?view=theater

 

Commodore numbers are bad

https://archive.org/details/commodoreproxystatement1994/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater

https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n9/mode/2up

 

C64 emulator beta released

https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n1/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/64er_1994_01/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater

 

Activision gets reboot fever

https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up

 

CES dominated by computers and games

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/10/business/for-consumers-multimedia-shines.html

 

Compton announces patent grant

https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_114/page/n9/mode/2up

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/31/business/patent-barred-for-compton-s.html

 

Race for digital distribution is on!

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/19/business/company-news-in-terms-of-technology-viacom-might-have-an-edge.html

https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_114/page/n9/mode/2up

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/18/business/company-news-gte-to-test-tv-services.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/14/nyregion/data-highway-accelerating-in-connecticut.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/13/business/company-news-digital-and-usa-video-in-market-test-of-new-technology.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/11/business/company-news-u-s-west-adds-to-voice-and-video-network-plan.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/24/business/the-media-business-hewlett-packard-to-get-big-pacific-bell-order.html

Other People's Money - https://youtu.be/62kxPyNZF3Q?si=Ez5F8ZTi_j4dneQx

 

US government pushes for open super highway

Play Meter Jan. 1994, pg. 2

 

Cable TV enters Internet age

Infoworld January 10, 1994 pg. 3

 

Multimedia boom doesn't lead to hiring boom

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/09/business/the-multimedia-job-mirage.html

 

Babylon 5 premieres

https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1751061515875348865

 

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers are all the rage

Playthings, January 1994

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

 

Anime is on the rise

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/14/arts/home-video-868930.html

 

EC bans imperial measurements

https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-01/page/n5/mode/2up

 

X-Men movie casting rumor is awesome

https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.01/page/n113/mode/2up

 

 

Worst Ad of the Month:

Wolfenstein 3D - SNES

https://retrogamingaus.com/4326/video-game-ad-of-the-day-wolfenstein-3d-2

 

Quotes of the Month:

Virtual reality won't merely replace TV, it will eat it alive" Arthur C. Clarke

https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-069/page/n31/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

 


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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