July 2020

Activision launches the third party publisher business EA bets big on Sega and Microsoft nabs Halo

These stories and many more on this month's episode of the Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

This month we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in July of 1980, 1990, 2000. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events..

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Links: 1980: Summer CES sees attendance drop Toys, Hobbies & Crafts, July 1980, pg. 7

Coleco sales reach $136 million Plaything magazine, July 1980, pg. 11

Activision launches its first four games Plaything magazine, July 1980

Missile Command is targeting 50 cent play Replay July 1980, pg. 27 https://archive.org/details/Atari_Coin_Connection_Volume_4_Number_7_July_1980

Midway sues Universal over Cosmic Alien Replay July, 1980, pg. 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhYVcwhSWjI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ4rC_gAWPM https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7398

Japan is stepping up chip production Plaything magazine, July 1980

Computers are doing graphics... and some even in color https://www.nytimes.com/1980/07/06/archives/computers-that-draw-pictures-some-even-work-in-color-the-computers.html?searchResultPosition=3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull

Zork is coming! https://books.google.de/books?id=Uj4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT8&dq=infoworld+1980+june&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwia9sbu7p3qAhXQ3KQKHfFBA5IQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=infoworld%201980%20june%20zork&f=false https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork

Zork's Z-Machine explained https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198007/page/n81/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-machine https://www.mobygames.com/game/zork-the-great-underground-empire

Playing D&D on a computer is super easy https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan198007/page/n67/mode/2up https://classicreload.com/dungeon-masters-assistant-vol-1-encounters.html https://www.mobygames.com/game/neverwinter-nights

1990: Play Meter features PlayChoice Play Meter, July 1990, pg. 29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayChoice-10

NEC signs ICOM to develop for TG16 CD Plaything, July 1990, pg. 10 https://www.mobygames.com/company/rabid-entertainment-inc

EA goes 16 bit on Genesis Plaything, July 1990, pg. 10 https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/genesis/electronic-arts-inc/ https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/michael-katz-interview-part-2

Mario goes four colors Playthings, July 1990 https://archive.org/details/NintendoComicsSystemBookCollection/mode/2up

Nintendo sues Galoob over Game Genie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Galoob_Toys,_Inc._v._Nintendo_of_America,_Inc. Toys and Hobby, July 1990, pg. 14

9 year old sues Nintendo... and LJN... and Major League Baseball https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_18_July_1990 pg. 22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1F0bh4aVhQ

Tynesoft goes bust https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue821990July/page/n91/mode/2up https://www.mobygames.com/company/tynesoft-computer-software http://www.stairwaytohell.com/articles/KBlake.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJXgJ1c4vY https://www.mobygames.com/game/superman-the-game https://www.mobygames.com/game/superman-the-man-of-steel__

Nuclear War is coming to the C64 https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_73/page/n19/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/game/nuclear-war https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/nuclear-war/

Infocom is no more https://archive.org/details/thegamesmachine-32/page/n77/mode/2up

Apogee offers free "try-out" games https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_18_July_1990 pg. 22

2000: Sony announces $300 launch price https://archive.org/details/NextGen67Jul2000/page/n20/mode/1up https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Launch_price

Bleem gets court order against Sony https://archive.org/details/NextGen67Jul2000/page/n19/mode/1up

Bleem is coming to the Dreamcast https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20132%20%28July%202000%29#page/n41/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleem!

Bleem on Xbox? https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20132%20%28July%202000%29#page/n43/mode/1up https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-12-11-the-history-of-bleem

Microsoft buys Bungie https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue66/page/n3/mode/1up https://web.archive.org/web/20060502035147/http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6

The Sims gets an expansion pack https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_192/page/n35/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/sims-1-series https://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2013/03/17/bacon-wrapped-weapons-for-call-of-duty/

Can you smell what the iSmell is cooking? https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_192/page/n35/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISmell

Microprose halts development of M1 Tank Platoon 3 https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-2000-07/page/n8/mode/1up https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076257/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac

New Internet Computer Company releases a new internet computer https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue66/page/n15/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Internet_Computer

Logitech launches Personal Broadcasting software https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue66/page/n15/mode/1up https://www.itreseller.ch/Artikel/3902/Logitech_Video_fuer_jedermann.html https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/56459-98 https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2002/05/13/daily31.html

Micromania magazine has a guide to online abbreviations and emoticons. https://archive.org/details/MicromanaTerceraEpocaSpanishIssue66/page/n15/mode/1up

Infogrames kills GT Interactive https://archive.org/details/NextGen67Jul2000/page/n20/mode/1up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari,_Inc._(Atari_SA_subsidiary)

Recommended Links: 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/ The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/

Sound Effects by Ethan of History of How We Play.