Jay Balakrishnan - HESWare, Radical, Dynamics, Solid State Software

Jay Balakrishnan - HESWare, Radical, Dynamics, Solid State Software

Author: Karl Kuras July 14, 2024 Duration: 4:49:49
Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
LeisureGamesHistoryVideo Games

In the earliest days of the gaming biz, Human Engineered Software was a trailblazer, bringing big names like Jeff Minter to the US.  The company's founder, Jay Balakrishnan, is a serial entrepreneur who not only would help create the mass market for software at retail but would also have a long and storied career in games beyond Hes ware with such companies as Radical Entertainment and Dynamics.  
I spoke to Jay in November and December of 2023, and after a few technical hiccups we finally got a connection going and we jump right into that today, so don't worry that I don't start things off with my traditional chronology obsessed focus, we'll wrap around and cover the whole story as we go along.  Enjoy!

Recorded: November-December 2023

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Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Engineered_Software
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Minter
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Becker
https://archive.org/details/ArticleHESWARESignsNimoy
https://archive.org/details/HESWARESpokesmanLeonardNimoyAndJayBalakrishanAt1984CES
https://www.mobygames.com/game/76/shamus/
https://archive.org/details/HESWARENewInvestmentsPressRelease
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisiCalc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizastar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Entertainment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WildTangent
https://www.mobygames.com/person/27385/jay-balakrishnan/credits/
https://www.straight.com/article-87384/indies-may-just-take-over-the-gaming-world
https://www.straight.com/article/hollywood-touch-may-be-too-much-for-games
https://www.bcbusiness.ca/industries/general/vancouver-gaming-industry-digital-warfare/
https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-285-jay-balakrishnan-hesware
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybalakrishnan

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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Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
Podcast Episodes
July 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:46:54
Jack buys Atari Imagine goes belly up Nintendo's Famicom gets Zapped 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…
Graeme Bayless Part 1 - Accolade, SSI, Sega, Hyperbole Studios [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:33:18
Few developers have had as long and prolific career as our guest, Graeme Bayless. From working on mainframes, to selling Kaypros, to playtesting Accolade's launch titles, to producing games for SSI, Sega Technical Instit…
June 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:17:15
Hollywood welcomes Siliwood, Saturn and Playstation begin fight for Japanese consumers & 3DO declared DOA These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories i…
Raymond Yap - Wong's International, Mondex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:33
The boom of home computers and electronics in the 1970s and 1980s was as much a success of entrepreneurial endeavor and technological innovation, as it was of the blossoming worldwide supply chain. One of the company's t…
June 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:49:02
The home computer market implodes, Atari announces 7800 & Console software dries up. 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 vide…
Larry J. Dunlap - The Games Network, Imperial Wars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:04:09
The dawn of the home computer seemed to usher in the death of computing's networked past dominated by dumb terminals connected to mainframes, but a few visionaries foresaw a world in which the microcomputer technology in…
May 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:52:18
Nintendo and Sega financials dissapoint Sony gets ready for NextGen Venture money goes ga-ga over silliwood These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories…
May 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:34:04
Sinclair ships QLs, Atari looks hopeful & Jack is BACK! 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 May 1984.…
April 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:23:27
Nintendo bows to Blockbuster, Commodore enters liquidation & Acclaim-Midway divorce gets messy! These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and arou…
Joneva Barry - Chuck E. Cheese, Kadabrascope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:47
Nolan Bushnell, the PT Barnum of games, left indellible marks on the industry, some greater than others, and among the big hits like Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, were also many misses and could-have-beens. Our guest, Jonev…

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