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Video Game Newsroom Time MachineAuthor: Karl Kuras
Monthly show looking back at video game news headlines from 30, 40, and 50 years ago from around the globe. Follow us on Twitter @videonewsr2 and consider supporting our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/user?u7594060 Language: en Genres: History, Leisure, Video Games Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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November 1984
Wednesday, 6 May, 2026
Comdex belongs to IBM Xmas sales outlook dismal Games get protected in Japan 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 November 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 Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM Send comments on Mastodon @videogamenewsroomtimemachine@oldbytes.space Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here: 7 Minutes in Heaven: KnightLore Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/157513930 https://www.mobygames.com/game/14733/knight-lore/ Corrections: Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ October 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/october-1984-137843011 October 1994 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/october-1994-151072694 Mortal Kombat Live Tour - https://youtu.be/nbOQIheheDc 1974: 1974 - Creative Computing debuts https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingv01n01NovemberDecember1974 1984: Atari claims Coleco to exit UK console market https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-15/mode/1up Coleco exits the UK market https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-29/mode/1up Parker Brothers abandons UK https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-29/page/n4/mode/1up https://www.sinclaircollection.site/?page_id=520 http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/Interface2/Cartridges/Interface2_RC_Unreleased.htm Hi-Tech isn't UK's savior Financial Notebook: Hi-tech myth / Employment falls in information, technology industry, The Guardian (London), November 2, 1984 Coinop earnings crater Play Meter November 1, 1984, pg. 32. Nintendo pushes VS. Paks and standards Play Meter November 15, 1984, pg. 24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_VS._System Atari Games gets into systems RePlay November 1984, pg. 16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Games https://www.mobygames.com/game/3929/star-wars/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/21280/star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/17500/star-wars-return-of-the-jedi/ Konami buys Interlogic https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19841115p/page/n13/mode/2up Gung Ho - https://www.imdb.com/de/title/tt0091159/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_gung%20ho Twin Galaxies looking for world records https://archive.org/details/guinness1985book00mcwh/page/570/mode/2up?q=video+game Play Meter, November 1, 1984 pg. 25 Colecovision rides Cabbage Patch Kid coattails Rainbow Brite, Robots Give Cabbage Patch Kids Run for Money, The Associated Press, November 20, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By ROGER GILLOTT, AP Business Writer Cabbage Patch/Colecovision Ad - https://youtu.be/lqZsOeEWDtw?si=k3zoqYsDuL00pxmB IBM conquers Comdex I.B.M. ENTRY UNCHALLENGED AT SHOW, The New York Times, November 19, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER Current well-behaved packages leave user dreams unfulfilled, Computerworld, November 19, 1984, Section: MICROCOMPUTERS; Small Talk; Pg. 57, Byline: Eric Bender, CW Senior Editor Denise Carabet, The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 26, 1984 Monday, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. A-16 Comdex host to myriad micro debuts; Show features few surprises, Computerworld, November 19, 1984, Section: NEWS; Pg. 1, Byline: By Eric Bender, CW Staff PERIPHERALS;THE ALLURE OF LASER PRINTERS, The New York Times, November 20, 1984, Tuesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section C; Page 7, Column 1; Science Desk, Byline: By PETER H. LEWIS Foreign vendors showcase wares at Comdex;Japanese, Australian, English vendors highlight product introductions in '84, Computerworld, November 26, 1984,Section: NEWS; Pg. 40, Byline: By Susan Blakeney, CW Staff Apple ad spree continues Apple Goes After Share of Mind Over Market; 'Event Marketing' Has Become Core Of No. 2's Strategy, ADWEEK, November 19, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: By Betsy Sharkey and Paul Farhi APPLE'S MAC TAKING ON I.B.M. The New York Times, November 22, 1984, Thursday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By ANDREW POLLACK No Headline In Original, U.S. News & World Report, November 19, 1984, Section: NEWSLETTERS: U.S. Business; TRENDS THAT SHAPE THE FUTURE; Pg. 75 Home computer sales slump in Xmas build up https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-22/page/n4/mode/1up Leisure Sector Gives Madison Ave. Big Xmas Gift, ADWEEK, November 5, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: By Amy Saltzman, Bob Peischel, Jack Feuer, Betsy Sharkey, Paul Farhi, Dottie Enirco and Fran Brock Atari cuts price of 800XL https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-22/page/n4/mode/1up Computer Wars: Atari Announces Price Slash The Associated Press, November 13, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By DIANE CURTIS, Associated Press Writer ATARI MAKES PLANS FOR STOCK OFFERINGS, The New York Times, November 14, 1984, Wednesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 4, Column 5; Financial Desk https://discord.com/channels/431269689918750731/618928892232859659/1483821277230792834 Vaughn, Mullen Get CD Posts at WRG, ADWEEK, November 19, 1984, Eastern Edition, byline: By Gail Belsky UK is"meh" on MSX https://ia600609.us.archive.org/31/items/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/PopularComputing_Weekly_Issue_1984-11-01.pdf pg. 29 India says "yes" to BBC Micro Acorn User, November 1984, pg. 10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-Conductor_Laboratory https://bbcmicro.computer/scl-unicorn USSR copies Apple Byte November 1984, pg. 134 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agat_(computer) Sinclair working on portable https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-08/page/n4/mode/1up https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-29/mode/1up ICL goes QL https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Per_Desk https://youtu.be/FdmoXjmPPHk?si=-djAjZ1Es0wDCKV2 No Headline In Original, The Associated Press, November 1, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROLM Rolm workstations tie phone, micro;Desktop systems integrate voice, data communicationsions tie phone, micro, Computerworld, November 5, 1984, Section: NEWS; Pg. 2, Byline: By Eric Bender, CW Staff https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-22/mode/1up QL gets 3rd party upgrades https://ia600609.us.archive.org/31/items/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/PopularComputing_Weekly_Issue_1984-11-01.pdf PC Jr gets new lease on life THE USER-FRIENDLY VOTING BOOTH IS POISED TO COME ON LINE, The New York Times, November 4, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 4; Page 6, Column 1; Week in Review Desk, Byline: By DAVID E. SANGER Local governments tap micros for electoral activities, Computerworld, November 5, 1984, Section: NEWS; Pg. 16, Byline: By James Connolly, CW Staf PCjr's second Halloween, Computerworld, November 5, 1984, Section: VIEWPOINT; Lecht on Science; Pg. 59, Byline: Charles P. Lecht; Tandy 1000 debuts Tandy Unveils $1,199 IBM-Compatible Computer, The Associated Press, November 8, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Business News Hitachi shoots for 32-bit supremacy Hitachi Plans To Challenge U.S. Makers of 32-Bit Processors, The Associated Press, November 29, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Business News Byte November 1984, pg. 159 XTAR introduces 3D accelerator Byte November 1984, pg. 179 https://archive.org/details/PC_Tech_Journal_vol03_n09/page/n27/mode/2up?q=xtar+polygone https://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Digital_Design/Digital_Design_V15_N08_198508.pdf Thorn-EMI fires internal devs https://ia600609.us.archive.org/31/items/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/PopularComputing_Weekly_Issue_1984-11-01.pdf pg. 8 https://www.mobygames.com/company/5174/creative-sparks/ Games Workshop gets into computer games https://www.mobygames.com/game/63565/tower-of-despair/ https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-22/page/n68/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/company/3136/games-workshop-ltd/games/title:1/ Firebird buys Elite rights https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-29/page/n4/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/game/1324/elite/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/46533/elite/ Timothy Leary gets into games Timothy Leary: LSD `guru' leaps to floppy discs, The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 11, 1984 Sunday, Section: LIFESTYLE; Pg. D-1, Bline: Frank Green https://www.mobygames.com/game/254/timothy-learys-mind-mirror/ PlayNet profiled No Headline In Original, United Press International, November 4, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Byline: By STEVE GEIMANN, UPI Business Writer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayNET BBS gets busted FREE-SPEECH ISSUES SURROUND COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARD USE, The New York Times, November 12, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section A; Page 1, Column 1; Financial Desk, Byline: By ANDREW POLLACK https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/04/magazine/of-bytes-and-bulletin-boards.html The Night of the Hackers, Newsweek, November 12, 1984, UNITED STATES EDITION, Section: DISPATCHES; Pg. 17, Byline: RICHARD SANDZA French paper Le Canard hacks French Nuclear program Computer secrets tapped / France, The Guardian (London), November 29, 1984, From PAUL WEBSTER Hackers unpack Admitted hacker says he discovered Pentagon plans, United Press International, November 22, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Domestic News, byline: By MICHAEL D. HARRIS Move over modems, here come satellites! SATELLITE BROADCAST NETWORK, INC.; Satellite receiver system, Computerworld, November 19, 1984, Section: COMMUNICATIONS; Network Services; Pg. 41 New service for personal computers offers direct link to satellite, Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA), November 20, 1984, Tuesday, Section: National; Pg. 11, Byline: By David F. Salisbury, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor You haven't lived until you've died in MUD ad https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-22/page/n46/mode/1up Hackers reviewed by New York Times PERSONAL COMPUTERS; THE BOOKS GET BETTER ON NONTECHNICAL TOPICS, The New York Times, November 6, 1984, Tuesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section C; Page 5, Column 1; Science Desk, Byline: By ERIK SANDBERG-DIMENT IN SHORT, The New York Times, November 11, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final , Edition, Section: Section 7; Page 32, Column 1; Book Review Desk; Review Micro Hobby launches in Spain https://archive.org/details/MicroHobby057/MicroHobby/MicroHobby_001/page/n31/mode/2up https://microhobby.speccy.cz/mhforever/ Japan recognizes video game copyirghts https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19841101p/page/n16/mode/1up Commodore sees loophole in Amiga battle https://ia600609.us.archive.org/31/items/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/PopularComputing_Weekly_Issue_1984-11-01.pdf Game music gets busted https://ia600609.us.archive.org/31/items/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-01/PopularComputing_Weekly_Issue_1984-11-01.pdf https://youtu.be/6kFu5ojgnQU?si=3E6Tqg2Mi1vMQEnX https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-08/page/n4/mode/1up UK PC clones get busted https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-08/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_86 IBM eyes Mexico for factory BUSINESS DIGEST,The New York Times,November 28, 1984, Wednesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 1; Financial Desk; summary https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/19/business/mexico-rejects-ibm-control-for-new-plant.html Computer Museum finds permanent home First Computer Museum Opens On Boston's Waterfront, The Associated Press, November 14, 1984, Wednesday, PM cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By BART ZIEGLER, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Museum,_Boston Acorn Video profiled https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-11-15/page/n13/mode/1up Datacopy announces Model 700 scanner DATACOPY; Announces major new product and software offerings, Business Wire, November 1, 1984, Thursday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datacopy IBM mainframe strategies revealed IBM seeks mart leverage via customer revenue, Computerworld, November 26, 1984, Section: COMPUTER INDUSTRY; Pg. 97, Byline: By John Desmond, CW Staff Hong Kong transfer disrupts toy supplies Playthings, November 1984, pg. 61 Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy goes Fourth COSMIC HITCHHIKER, United Press International, November 24, 1984, Saturday, BC cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By WILLIAM C. TROTT, United Press International Visicorp RIP VISICORP IS MERGING INTO PALADIN, The New York Times, November 3, 1984, Saturday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 1; Page 29, Column 3; Financial Desk, Byline: By ANDREW POLLACK Spreadsheets cited most used micro software, Computerworld, November 26, 1984, Section: MICROCOMPUTERS; Pg. 90 https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-11-rescan/page/n11/mode/1up Franklin RIP Franklin to free assets in effort to settle with creditors; Legal battles with Apple placed New Jersey-based manufacturer in financial, straits, Computerworld, November 12, 1984, Section: COMPUTER INDUSTRY; Pg. 138 Mylstar RIP Play Meter November 15, 1984, pg. 8 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
