Sega's Saturn premiere flops
Nintendo goes for cheap VR
Commodore bankruptcy 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 around the video game industry in July 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:
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1994:
Sony reveals psx
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20060%20%28July%201994%29/page/n51/mode/1up?view=theater&sort=title_asc
Tokyo Toy Show sees hardware premieres
Bandai's BA-X
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/83/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playdia
Bandai rumors arise
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20060%20%28July%201994%29/page/n67/mode/1up?view=theater&sort=title_asc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin
SNK's NeoGeoCD
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/126/mode/1up?view=theater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_Geo_CD
NEC's PC FX
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/82/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX
Sega's Saturn
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/106/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n113/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/120/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Saturn
Sega trying to avoid confusion
Sega, Nintendo Bring Big Plans To CES, Billboard, July 9, 1994, Section: THE ENTER*ACTIVE FILE; Pg. 70, Byline: BY MARILYN A. GILLEN
Sega opens UK development studio
Edge July 1994, pg.
Nintendo announces new 32 bit system
Edge July 1994, pg. 6
Nintendo signs with Rambus
Nintendo Ultra 64 game system to use high-speed Rambus technology; will boost memory speed to 500 MHz, Business Wire, July 18, 1994, Monday
Edge July 1994, pg. 7
Video Rental and Console game publishers bury the hatchet
Sega's Kalinske is VSDA's man, The Hollywood Reporter, July 7, 1994, Thursday
It's A Whole New Game At VSDA; Competition For Retailers' Attention Increases, ,Billboard, July 16, 1994, Section: HOME VIDEO; Pg. 61, byline: BY EILEEN FITZPATRICK
Tenn, Seitz join Activision, The Hollywood Reporter, July 1, 1994, Friday
"NewLeaf Entertainment to include Acclaim in video game delivery system test, Business Wire, July 13, 1994, Wednesday, Dateline: DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.
Kids can get 'Jungle' game sneak peek, USA Today, July 28, 1994, Section: Pg. 1D; Vol. 12; No. 222; ISSN: 0161-7389"
Nintendo gets hip
"https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/01/business/media-business-advertising-nintendo-turns-up-volume-provocative-appeal-its-core.html?searchResultPosition=3
'New Nintendo' comes out kicking, USA Today, July 7, 1994, Business and Industry Section: Pg. 2D; ISSN: 0161-7389 "
Illusion Of Gaia Will Be Seen On Nintendo, Newsbytes, July 19, 1994, Tuesday
Atari back at IBM
ATARI CORPORATION ANNOUNCES MANUFACTURING PLANS, PR Newswire, July 12, 1994, Tuesday - 07:51 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News, dateline: Sunnyvale, Calif., July 12
TDK to make 3DO memory card
TDK signs peripherals license agreement with 3DO; plans to manufacture memory card for 3DO System, Business Wire, July 20, 1994, Wednesday
https://real3do.uk/3do-accessories/
Philips slashes price to hinder 3DO launch in Europe
Philips cuts CD-i price to hurt foe, Marketing, July 28, 1994, Byline: By MAT TOOR
Square teams up with Nintendo https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/74/mode/1up
Commodore bankruptcy gets messy
IN BAHAMAS, A FIGHT FOR REMAINS OF COMMODORE AMONG SAND AND SURF, A LIQUIDATION IS TAKING PLACE. CREDITORS WANT THE PROCEEDINGS IN NEW YORK, THOUGH., The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 19, 1994 Tuesday FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. C01, Byline: Dan Stets, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
CLOSING THE BOOKS ON COMMODORE: SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE IN THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY, THE CHIEF ASSET, TECHNOLOGY, IS PERISHABLE. BUT CREDITORS OF THE BANKRUPT FIRM ARE HAMPERING A RESOLUTION., The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 31, 1994 Sunday FINAL EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. D01, Byline: Dan Stets, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
REELMagic brings FMV to PC
MPEG Board' Works ReelMagic For PCs, Billboard, July 2, 1994, Section: THE ENTER*ACTIVE FILE; Pg. 88, Byline: BY MARILYN A. GILLEN
Philips announces CDi add-on board
NINTENDO SIGNS FOR CES INTERACTIVE '95, Consumer Electronics, July 4, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 27; Pg. 13
Hyundai bets on MPEG2
Hyundai Develops Integrated Chips For Superhighway, Newsbytes News Network, July 1, 1994
ODC 8X MASTERING ALLOWS TWO-HOUR MOVIES ON A SINGLE COMPACT DISC, PR Newswire, July 25, 1994, Monday - 12:04 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rec._601
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n13/mode/2up
CDRom shipments soar in Japan
CD-ROM shipments soar 54% in FY '93, Japan Economic Newswire, JULY 7, 1994, THURSDAY
3DLabs brings 3D acceleration to XWindows
3Dlabs to deliver acceleration to the X Windows environment; 3Dlabs forms strategic alliance with X Inside to port the Accelerated-X server to the GLINT, graphics processor, Business Wire, July 18, 1994, Monday
Intel working on 3D chip for PCs
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n17/mode/2up
Sun announces 3DRAM
SMCC and Mitsubishi Electronics co-develop revolutionary new graphics memory technology, Business Wire, July 25, 1994, Monday
MELCO develops new chip for 3-D graphics, Japan Economic Newswire, JULY 27, 1994, WEDNESDAY
http://www.michaelfrankdeering.com/Projects/HardWare/p3DRAM/p3DRAM.html
https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/image-search
Silicon Studio founded
SILICON GRAPHICS LAUNCHES SILICON STUDIO INC. TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW INTERACTIVE APPLICATIONS; New Subsidiary to Propel Convergence of Computing and Consumer Technologies, PR Newswire, July 21, 1994, Thursday - 16:01 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News
THE GEE-WHIZ COMPANY SILICON GRAPHICS TURNS 3-D IMAGES INTO STUNNING PROFITS, Business Week, July 18, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 56; Vol. 0; No. 3381; ISSN: 0007-7135
Interplay licenses GURPS
https://archive.org/details/CDROMToday06JunJul1994/page/n31/mode/1up
Scorpia stings Pagan
https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_120/page/n39/mode/2up?view=theater
Computer Game Conference sees industry changing
https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n9/mode/2up
Catapult to launch this Christmas
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n35/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBAND
Habitat big in Japan
The games and how to play them, Financial Times (London,England), July 5, 1994, Tuesday, Section: Technology; Pg. 17
Digital breaks Hong Kong censors
My job is to read porno mags for the government, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), July 9, 1994, Section: REVIEW; Pg. 3, Byline: Victoria Finlay
Virtual I/O teams up with TCI
CABLE GIANT TCI AND VIRTUAL I/O, INC. AGREE TO OFFER HEADSETS TO SUBSCRIBERS OF NEW INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAME CHANNEL, PR Newswire, July 26, 1994, Tuesday - 10:15 Eastern Time
Microprose goes to Russia
Russia: Lamport (Moscow, Russia) has signed a computer game distribution contract with MicroProse Inc., Kommersant, July 22, 1994
Funcoland grows
FUNCO INC. ANNOUNCES RESULTS, PR Newswire, July 21, 1994, Thursday - 12:51 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News
Lawmakers turn their attention online
"Quest To Control TV Violence Turns To Evolving Game Channels, The Associated Press, July 1, 1994, Friday, PM cycle, Byline: By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer"
Doom to become a movie
ETHOS FILMS BANKS ON H'WOOD, 'DOOM' DAY, Variety, July 11, 1994 - July 17, 1994, Section: SPECIAL REPORT: INTERTAINMENT; Pg. 32
https://archive.org/details/egm-2-july-1994/page/n28/mode/1up
MK blamed for stabbing
Video Game World Became Real for 16-Year-Old Found Insane in Stabbing, The Associated Press, July 14, 1994, Thursday, AM cycle
Blockbuster is ready for the future
BLOCKBUSTER'S DATABASE TO FUEL FUTURE EXPANSION, Advertising Age, July 18, 1994, Section: Pg. 26, Byline: By Jeffery D. Zbar
Pog mania comes to Del Taco
DEL TACO HASTENS FAST-FOOD REALM INTO THE AGE OF POG(TM), PR Newswire, July 20, 1994, Wednesday - 12:00 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News
Knights of the Dinner Table #1 appears
https://recalledcomics.com/KoDT1.php
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
