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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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October 1984
Tuesday, 26 August, 2025
Japan goes after arcades, Nintendo's Famicon gets its first licensee & Gamers come together online 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 October 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: https://www.patreon.com/posts/137421899 7 Minutes in Heaven: Lazy Jones Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-137421447 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_Jones Corrections: September 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/september-1984-127470165 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://archive.org/details/atariincbusiness0000gold http://jerrymomoda.com/universal-vs-nintendo-part-i-2/ https://www.patreon.com/posts/83174490/ https://www.filfre.net/2016/05/kit-williamss-golden-hare-part-1-the-contest/page_1big/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Uz0LMbWpI https://archive.org/details/zaprisefall00cohe/mode/2up 1944 Coinmen looking forward to VE Day https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/44/CB-1944-10-03.pdf pg. 1 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/44/CB-1944-10-10.pdf pg. 3 https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2735 https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2736 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/44/CB-1944-10-31.pdf pg. 2 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/44/CB-1944-10-10.pdf pg. 2 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/44/CB-1944-10-17.pdf pg. 5 First National Electronics Conference held https://www.nytimes.com/1944/10/06/archives/electronics-holds-postwar-promise-war-expansion-of-uses-aids-in.html?searchResultPosition=2 1954 Popular Electronics debuts https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/50s/54/Pop-1954-10.pdf pg. 52 Von Neumann joins Atomic Energy Commission https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/24/archives/oppenheimer-friend-named-to-the-aec-von-neumann-gets-vacancy-on-aec.html?searchResultPosition=3 https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/24/archives/von-neumann-had-key-hbomb-role-princeton-scientist-created.html?searchResultPosition=5 New York Magistrate resigns to head Comics Code Authority https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/02/archives/magistrate-resigns-murphy-to-draft-a-code-for-comic-magazine.html?searchResultPosition=4 1964 UNIVAC experiments with airflow computing https://www.nytimes.com/1964/10/18/archives/new-digital-computer-introduced-by-univac.html?searchResultPosition=2 Big Tech hit by defense spending cuts https://www.nytimes.com/1964/10/13/archives/watson-announces-ibm-profits-mark-for-third-quarter.html?searchResultPosition=65 Bowling gets computerized https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/60s/64/Pop-1964-10.pdf pg. 46 1974 ASCII code extensions proposed https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-10.pdf pg. 26 https://www.aivosto.com/articles/charsets-7bit.html#body Atari Debuts Touch Me https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-10-19.pdf pg. 31 Sega sponsors video game tournament https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-10-26.pdf pg. 45 https://segaretro.org/Sega_TV_Game-ki_Zenkoku_Contest 1984: Hasbro buys Milton Bradley Toys Hobbies & Crafts, October 1984 Warner returns to profitability "Posts $24.4 Million Profit Compared With Loss a Year Ago, The Associated Press October 23, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle, Section: Business News" Atari Games Inc. established Replay, October 1984, pg. 15 Jack is looking for cash The second time around, Forbes, October 8, 1984, Section: COMPANIES; Pg. 42, Byline: By Anne Bagamery Electronic Games, October 1984, pg. 12 Gerard Leaves as Warner Co-President, The Associated Press, October 16, 1984, Tuesday, AM cycle, Section: Business News Commodore financials break records https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-18/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Apple numbers soar Apple earnings soar six-fold in quarter, Financial Times (London,England), October 19, 1984, Friday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 21 TI settles investor suit Suit costs TI $12 million, Computerworld, October 15, 1984, Section: COMPUTER INDUSTRY; Pg. 116 Ocean buys Imagine https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-18/mode/1up?view=theater Sinclair buys rights to bandersnatch https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-11/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-04/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Activision to spend big as computer game maker ACTIVISION; Details pre-Christmas advertising and promotion plans, Business Wire, October 24, 1984, Wednesday ACTIVISION; Financial results, Business Wire, October 29, 1984, Monday PCS going into bankruptcy https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-25/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Konami goes public KONAMI INDUSTRY TRADED FIRST AT 8,300 YEN, Copyright 1984 Jiji Press Ltd.Jiji Press Ticker Service, OCTOBER 1, 1984, MONDAY Japanese Arcade law https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19841001p/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater Japanese arcades diversify https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19841015p/page/n16/mode/1up Chuck E. Cheese operations normalize Play Meter, October 15, 1984, pg. 9 Fighting games are all the rage Replay, October 1984, pg. 16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch-Out!! AMOA set to be the battle of the carts Replay, October 1984, pg. 27, pg. 31 Video Games donated to Smithsonian https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-10-20.pdf pg. 38 Namco moves to Famicom https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19841001p/page/n18/mode/1up?view=theater http://www.videogameden.com/fc.htm?lor Parker Bros may be getting out https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/page/n14/mode/1up?view=theater Tom Dusenberry - Parker Brothers - Hasbro - Atari - https://www.patreon.com/posts/42807419 Adam woes continue https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/page/105/mode/1up?view=theater Cabbage Patch Sales Boost Coleco's 3rd-Qtr Profit, The Associated Press, October 25, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News No Headline In Original, United Press International, October 24, 1984, Wednesday, BC cycle, Section: Financial Adam promotion costs hit earnings at Coleco, Financial Times (London,England), October 30, 1984, Tuesday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 15 Oric on the ropes https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-04/mode/1up?view=theater GEC drops MSX plans https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-11/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Sega to launch MSX in UK https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-18/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://www.msx.org/wiki/Yashica_YC-64 https://www.msx.org/wiki/Category:Yeno Amstrad bullish on CPC Amstrad stays Sugar sweet, The Guardian (London), October 4, 1984, Byline: By MAGGIE BROWN Commodore prepping 128 https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-25/mode/1up?view=theater Sinclair denies rumors of expanded speccy https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-04/mode/1up?view=theater Sinclair announces Spectrum+ https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-18/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-25/page/n17/mode/2up?view=theater Home computers have the price right, just not the power Byte, October 1984, pg. 6 Final bonanza for home micros / Sales of cheap home computers, The Guardian (London), October 8, 1984, Byline: By PETER LARGE Games on cassette are dead https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/page/107/mode/1up?view=theater Bookware mania explodes! https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/mode/1up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-11/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Toy & Hobby World, October 1984, pg. 8 Visi On sold to CDC https://books.google.de/books?id=d-tPdHcBE9wC&pg=PAPA41&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Microsoft delays Windows... again PERIPHERALS; SPECIAL INSURANCE COVERAGE COULD PREVENT COSTLY LOSSES, The New York Times, October 30, 1984, Tuesday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section C; Page 6, Column 5; Science Desk Ensoniq plans ad campaign No Headline In Original, ADWEEK, October 22, 1984, Eastern Edition, Section: ACCOUNT ACQUISITIONS; New England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensoniq Crackers get organized https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-25/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater https://csdb.dk/group/?id=3423 Playnet Launches nationwide PLAYNET; Launches national access to its in-home, on-line network, Business Wire, October 30, 1984, Tuesday Comp-U-Card hits 1 million COMP-U-CARD-INTL; Announces individual membership base exceeds one million, Business Wire, October 18, 1984, Thursday Micronet to take on Compunet in the UK https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-18/mode/1up?view=theater Futures (Micro Guardian): Search and you will find / The World Reporter full text news and current affairs database, The Guardian (London), October 18, 1984 Videotex or videotext? Business World;Infant videotext industry has identity problems in pitching home information systems to consumer, United Press International, October 21, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By SUSAN POSTLEWAITE, UPI Business Writer Business World; Infant videotext industry has identity problems in pitching home information systems to consumer; First question: What does it do?; Second question: Why do I want it?; Third question: Can I afford it?, United Press International, October 21, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Byline: By SUSAN POSTLEWAITE, UPI Business Writer Game creators get chatty https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_4.5/page/n13/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_4.5/page/n29/mode/2up ISBN adds software Byte, October 1984, pg. 10 Antic Reviews The Art of Computer Game Design https://archive.org/details/artofcomputergam00chri/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/1984-10-anticmagazine/page/82/mode/2up Nintendo beats Universal on appeal "Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, May 23, 1984, Argued ; October 4, 1984, Decided, No. 84-7095 On the Light Side, The Associated Press, October 11, 1984, Thursday, PM cycle" MCA sues Atari https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-7/mode/1up https://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/dune/dune.htm Commodore runs afoul of the FTC Byte, October 1984, pg. 9 Learn to speculate - the Video Game! INVESTMENT WATCH, The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 31, 1984 Wednesday, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. A-13, Byline: Janet Lowe, TRIBUNE FINANCIAL EDITOR https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/comex-game-market-simulator-software-3764189470 Acorn dives into Laserdiscs Venture in video discs,Financial Times (London,England), October 31, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION I; Technology; Education; Pg. 15, Byline: EDITED BY ALAN CANE https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=1661 RIP HESWare https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-11/mode/1up?view=theater Jay Balakrishnan - HESWare, Radical, Dynamics, Solid State Software - https://www.patreon.com/posts/jay-balakrishnan-103071267 No Headline In Original, United Press International, October 8, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Dateline: EUGENE, Ore. Quote of the month: https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-10-25/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater 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
