Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

February 1984

Famicom rules Japan, Bushnell leaves Chuck E Cheese & Vectrex put to rest 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 February 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 hi...

Julian 'Jaz' Rignall - ZZAP!64, Virgin, IGN, Mean Machines, Future Publishing

In the early 80s, glory could be won in the arcades by those intrepid youths capable of garnering high scores.  One such teen, Julian 'Jaz' Rignall, turned that skillset into a career, first as a strategy tip writer for UK mags like Personal Computing and Computer and Video Games, before becoming a founding writer for ZZAP!64, Mean Machines, Mean Machines Sega, and Nintendo Magazine System.  His career then brought him to America where he worked for Virgin on titles such as Toonstruck and Ju...

January 1994

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:/...

January 1984

Jack Tramiel leaves Commodore, Apple advertises the Mac & Amstrad enters the home computer market   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 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://ww...

William Volk - Avalon Hill, Activision, Lightspan, PlayScreen

Few developers can boast careers spanning more than 4 decades, but today's guest, William Volk has developed games for virtually every platform released, covering every genre, including strategy, RPG, adventures, educational titles, puzzle games, and more. Sit back and enjoy the insights, memories, and experience of a true legend of the industry! Recorded October 2023 Get us on your mobile device: Android:  https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYW...

December 1993

Night Trap gets Lieberman's panties in a bunch, Id unleashes Doom & Apple II is no more 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 December 1993.  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/ ...

December 1983

Toys push games off of shelves, GUIs vie for supremacy & Coinops' laserdisc dreams dashed   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 December 1983. 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.theyc...

The Computer Chronicles - 40th Anniversary with S.M. Oliva

40 years ago, American television saw the dawn of a nationwide show updating viewers on the latest developments in the exciting world of computers, The Computer Chronicles. We dive into the history of this show with blogger S.M.Oliva, author of The Computer Chronicles Revisited, to find out what it was, what it achieved, and how it left us an invaluable record of the early consumer computer industry.   Recorded: October 2023   Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.go...

November 1993

Next gen trash talk heats up, Nintendo and Sega trapped by strong yen & CDROM can't pay the rent   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 1993. 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....

Ray Thackery - Daterbase, DEC

November 1983

IBM introduces the PCJr Coleco ships the Adam Infocom disses graphics   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 1993. 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/ a...

Gregg Barnett - Beam Software, Discworld

Gregg Barnett is a 40 year veteran of the gaming industry, having started with porting The Hobbit to the C64, developing the legendary Way of the Exploding Fist, bringing Discworld to computers and today working on high tech VR based training gear for firefighters.  Gregg opens up about all the massive shifts in the industry he has witnessed, as well as the good and the bad involved with being a game dev. Recorded October 2023 Get us on your mobile device: Android:  https://www.google.c...

October 1993

Nintendo profits crash, Next gen console battle begins & Arcades go 3D 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 1993.  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 ...

October 1983

The Boom is over, Texas Instruments is out & Nintendo becomes stock market darling 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 1983.  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/ an...

September 1993

Mortal Monday,  F-15 Strike Eagle saved by Falcon,  Sega announces Saturn 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 September 1993.  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 h...

5th Anniversary Interview

After 5 years of asking the questions, the tables get turned and Karl finally has to get grilled.  You, the listener (or at least some of you) asked for it, so by multiple demand, the Karl interview! Recorded: November 2023 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 he...

September 1983 - 7 Minutes in Heaven segment - Complete

This is the full 7 Minutes in Heaven clip for the September 1983 episode covering Battlezone on the Atari 2600. An error in the edit of the full episode cut it short, so I decided to upload it to the feed as its own file. Remember, you can also watch Alex and my commentary on his actual 7 minutes of gameplay by becoming a patron:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/92412140/1722295006633795944?s=20mcgeoch9/status/1722295006633795944?s=

September 1983

Atari dumps product in the desert Commodore and Sinclair revenues sore The Vic20 is no more 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 September 1983.  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.theycreateworld...

Brent Naseath

At the height of the arcade boom, two young entrepreneurs wanted to take arcade gaming higher, creating a unique, immersive cooperative experience combining computer game tech with the latest laser disc audio visuals. Simutron promised gamers an immersive experience, in the Star Trek universe no less, at dedicated game centers.  Sadly it would not come to pass.   Brent Naseath, cofounder of the venture tells us what happened back then with Simutron, how his career in tech evolved and h...

August 1993

7-11 drops coinop Nintendo disses Sega's rating system Commodore premieres Amiga CD32 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 August 1993.  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/ a...

Owen Rowley

Starting out as a signals decoder for the air force, through to working for Nolan Bushnell's Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre on its ill-fated Kadabrascope animation initiative, Autodesk, VRML and so many others, Owen Rowley is a man of a thousand lives in tech. Heck, he may have even helped invent the mousepad. Listen to some amazing stories, from the dawn of the computer age through to the rough and tumble world of the dot com bubble. Recorded April 2023 Get us on your mobile devi...

August 1983

Dragon's Lair takes arcades by storm, Commodore rules the computer roost & Video game makers pivot to micros 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 August 1983.  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.th...

July 1993

Sega introduces ratings Nintendo beats Tengen Sony buys Psygnosis 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 1993.  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:...

Bruce Nesmith - TSR, Bethesda

In the history of pen and paper role playing games, no company name looms larger than TSR, creators of Dungeons and Dragons, and in the realm of computer role playing games one of the greatest publishers has been Bethesda.   Our guest today, Bruce Nesmith, worked for both of these company's in their hay day, first as a programmer for TSR on their ill-fated venture into software publishing in the early 80s  and then as a writer for both TSR and Bethesda.  From highs to lows and back again, ...

Ed Pearson - Seattle Funplex

After the crash, a new type of venue emerged as the dominant force in coin operated video games, the family entertainment center.  No longer just video games, but a mix of mini golf, redemption games, food counters and more, this new destination would prove an ever evolving type of business very much at the whims of a fickle public. Our guest, Ed Pearson, navigated these tempestuos waters for almost 15 years as manager of the legendary Seattle Funplex before moving on to ever bigger facili...

July 1983

Atari axes Ray Kassar, Nintendo launches the Famicom & Commodore's Jack Tramiel delivers the killing blow to Texas Instruments 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 1983.  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:...

June 1993

Street Fighter movie is a go Traditional computer game makers falter Sega's Battle with Nintendo heats 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 video game industry in June 1993.  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.theycre...

Gary Brose - Seattle Funplex

After the crash, a new type of venue emerged as the dominant force in coin operated video games, the family entertainment center.  No longer just video games, but a mix of mini golf, redemption games, food counters and more, this new destination would prove an ever evolving type of business very much at the whims of a fickle public. Our guest, Gary Brose, navigated these tempestuos waters for almost 15 years as co-owner of the legendary Seattle Funplex.   Recorded May 2022. Get us on yo...

June 1983

40 years ago: TI reports huge losses, Sega gets out of the arcade business in the US & Nintendo prepares to launch the Family Computer 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 June 1983.  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...

May 1993

Super Mario Brothers hits theatres, Blast Processing brings sega to the next level & Id shows off Doom 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 1993.  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.theycreatew...

May 1983

The Supreme Court comes to the aid of video games Commodore's Vic20 drops below $100 Electronic Arts ships its first games 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 1983.  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: htt...

OpenGL vs. Direct3D with Servan Keondjian and Casey Muratori

At the dawn of 3D acceleration a battle was fought over who would control the APIs that would allow programmers to unlock the power of this new type of PC hardware.  Would it be an open source community effort born of Silicon Graphics tech or would the industry juggernaut Microsoft win the day? Our guests today, Servan Keondjian, lead architect of Direct3D and game development veteran Casey Muratori take us into those heady days, the zealous arguments and how it all panned out. Recorded ...

April 1993

Street Fighter 2 merch goes into overdrive, Nintendo neuters Mortal Kombat & The World Wide Web goes open source 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 April 1993.  As always,  we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Jon from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost.  You can find his other fine retrogaming wo...

March 1993

Nintendo leaks SNES CD specs Sega touts Genesis VR Mortal Kombat coming to consoles 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 March 1993.  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 o...

Servan Keondjian

The modern world of gaming revolves around designers and programmers being able to harness the raw power of today's high end GPUs.  APIs make this task manageable and no API set has been more important in the tradition from software rendered graphics to the age of the GPU than Direct3D. We speak with one of its original architects, Servan Keondjian, about is initial work on machines like the ZX81, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, developing early 3D engines, working with adventure legend Magnet...

March 1983

Commodore goes portable IBM introduces the XT Nintendo shows off Game and Watch 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 February 1983.  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 or...

February 1993

Video game violence begins to make operators uneasy 3DO plans to shake up console biz Federal investigation into Nintendo dropped 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 February 1993.  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 podcas...

Martin Wheeler - Virgin, BITS, Recluse Studios

Few eras of gaming history are more legend filled than the British bedroom coder boom of the early 1980s.  Martin Wheeler wasn't just one of them but continues to be a pioneer or one-man coding in the VR space of today. Recorded March 2022. 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 wha...

February 1983

Atari announces mass layoffs, Time names the personal computer the man of the year & Nintendo launches the Game and Watch in North America 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 February 1983.  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 h...

January 1993

  Sony and Nintendo break up, Intel christens the Pentium & EA and ESPN bury the hatchet 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 1993. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.   Wouter, aka Wiedo, is our cohost. You can find his awesome twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/wiedo and htt...

January 1983

Compaq gives birth to the PC clone,  Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair &  A day of reckoning awaits the software business 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 1983. As always,  we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Jon from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost.  You can find his other fi...

December 1992

Sega launches the SegaCD, Nintendo and Sony kiss and make up & Intel goes multitasking 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 December 1992. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Mads from the Retro Asylum is our cohost. You can find his other fine podcasts here: http://retroasylum.com and ...

December 1982

The video game market crashes, Coinop is on the skids & Home computer competition heats 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 video game industry in December 1982. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Wouter, aka Wiedo, is our cohost. You can find his awesome twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/wiedo and ...

November 1992

Super FX brings 3D to the SNES NeoGeo breaks the 100 meg barrier The 1200 brings the Amiga into the modern age 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 1992. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Dale's research and insights can be found on twitter: https://twitter.com/QuarterPast83 ...

Roger Hector - Atari, Disney, Sega, Namco

Atari, Bally, Sega, Namco and so many more... our guest today, Roger Hector, has seen the industry from every perspective during a career that has spanned more than three decades. He shares with us insights into his passions and philosophies on game design, art, and surviving corporate cultures Recorded March 2022. Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.appl...

The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 2: Everyone Else

While Warner was crashing due to lower than expected holiday sales from their Atari unit, the rest of the market, competing consoles like Colecovision and Intellivision, as well as game makers like Activision, Imagic, and Parker Brothers, all felt the seismic repercussions of the goliath's fall. In this second part of our look back at the Video Game Crash, we find out what happened to all the other players on the market, delve deeper into retail saturation and the fallout of the crash. R...

November 1982

Coinop income plummets Wall Street short sellers smell blood Vic20 sales hit a million 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 inNovember 1982. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Jeff from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost. You can find his other fine retrogaming work here: https://retrogam...

The Video Game Crash 40th Anniversary - Part 1: Atari - Fixed Audio

ATTENTION:  This is a re-upped version of the episode with corrected audio.  We apologize for the previous entry. On December 8th, 1982, Warner Communications, parent company of Atari, announced that their guidance to investors concerning their profit outlook would be dramatically lower than it had expected. While many in the video game space had felt unease at the meteoric rise of the industry over the previous 12 months, the news about Atari missing its targets would be the spark that ...

October 1992

Arcades take on theme parks Amstrad and Sega team up EA buys Origin 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 1992. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Jon from the Retro Games Squad is our cohost. You can find his other fine retrogaming work here: https://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ ...

Leonard Tramiel - Part 2 - Atari

No family name is more associated with the early popularization of computers than Tramiel. We speak with Leonard Tramiel, son of Commodore co-founder Jack Tramiel about his life growing up around tech, his role in Commodore's earliest machines and becoming VP of Software at Atari. In this second part of our interview, Leonard talks about the reshaping of Atari after the crash, the creation of the Atari ST, working with Greg Kildall on TOS, relaunching the VCS and 7800, the development of th...