July 1994 - Part 1

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

Sega's Saturn premiere flops, The Game Industry ditches CES for E3 & Nintendo goes for cheap VR

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: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/ and order his book here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

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Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1994-116535754 Or check out the complete version of this month's two-parter here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1994-116535754

7 Minutes in Heaven: Streets of Rage 3 Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-of-116533647 https://www.mobygames.com/game/11193/streets-of-rage-3/

Corrections: June 1994 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/june-1994-113403594 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ https://www.mobygames.com/group/427/dragons-lair-series-and-versions/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code_Authority Kelsey Lewin did a video on the Extertainment Bike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEuAWIU89sQ The bat was called the Batter-Up Bat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jt3Fa1c_zg I think Tom Kalinske is mixing memories with 1994 Summer CES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc4trf57Rgg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUn7cERhImY https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Lucas https://www.mobygames.com/game/4572/final-fantasy-ii/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/5202/final-fantasy-iii/

1994: Japanese console sales drop dramatically JAPANESE MARKET SHARES, Consumer Electronics, July 11, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 28 Pg. 15

Weak dollar hurts Japanese exports 95-YEN RATE DEVASTATING FOR MOST EXPORTS, Jiji Press Ticker Service, JULY 14, 1994, THURSDAY https://www.macrotrends.net/2550/dollar-yen-exchange-rate-historical-chart

Convertible bonds are big in Japan Issuances of convertible bonds swell Higher Rates Hold Down Volume Of Straight Bonds, The Nikkei Weekly (Japan), July 25, 1994, Section: FINANCE; Pg. 15 Sega's long-term debt rated A3, Japan Economic Newswire, JULY 28, 1994, THURSDAY

Semiconductor industry breaks mold Market Place; Are investors in semiconductor stocks living in the past?, The New York Times, July 15, 1994, Friday, Late Edition - Final, Section: Section D; ; Section D; Page 6; Column 3; Financial Desk ; Column 3; Byline: By John Markoff

Trip Hawkins leaves EA NEW PCMCIA NEWSLETTER; CMP STAFF TO INTERACTIVE WEEK; EWORLD EYES LARGE ONLINE ACCOUNTS; HAWKINS LEAVES PRIOR, FIRM, Advertising Age, July 04, 1994, Section: Pg. 35 MediaVision premises searched Media Vision Bankruptcy, The New York Times, July 27, 1994, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final, Section: Section D; ; Section D; Page 20; Column 5; Financial Desk ; Column 5; https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1994-07/page/n13/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Vision#Products

Time Warner wants to make ads interactive TIME WARNER INTERACTS WITH MORE THAN ORLANDO DEAL WITH INTERPUBLIC GIVES AGENCY GROUP ACCESS TO VIDEOGAMES, CD-ROMS, Advertising Age, July 04, 1994, Section: Pg. 18, byline: By Scott Donaton ARTERIAL AVENGER VIDEO GAME AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS/HEALTH FAIRS, PR Newswire, July 7, 1994, Thursday - 10:45 Eastern Time, Section: State and Regional News Video game offers early intervention in the fight against tobacco use; "Rex Ronan -- Experimental Surgeon" goes inside the human body to illustrate the dangers of smoking, Business Wire, July 15, 1994, Friday BATES USA SURVEY IS BULLISH ON INTERACTIVE PREDICTS $7.2 BILLION MARKET WITHIN 10 YEARS;ADS WILL SUBSIDIZE COSTS, Advertising Age, July 11, 1994, Section: Pg. 26, byline: By Scott Donaton Leagas Delaney 'Predator' commercial takes slot in World Cup computer game, Campaign, July 15, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. 31; https://www.mobygames.com/game/134894/tricky-quiky-games-die-suche-nach-den-verschollenen-seiten/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/6717/helicopter-mission/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/9244/bi-fi-roll-action-in-hollywood/ https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.07/page/n7/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.07/page/n9/mode/2up

McDonald's launches first FMV ad on AOL McDonald's to Post Golden Arches Along Information Superhighway, Wall Street Journal (3 Star, Eastern (Princeton, NJ) Edition), July 21, 1994, Business and Industry, Section: Pg. B7; Vol. 224; No. 14; ISSN: 0099-9660

HBO and Warner go interactive Home Box Office and Warner Music Group join Michael Nash in forming new multimedia partnership, Business Wire, July 12, 1994, Tuesday

GTE goes Interactive BITS AND PIECES, TELECOMWORLDWIRE, July 1, 1994

Jim Henson goes interactive Muppets' hand in interactivity, The Hollywood Reporter, July 21, 1994, Thursday, Byline: Scott Hettrick

Time Mirror goes interactive Rose CEO of TM Multimedia, The Hollywood Reporter, July 27, 1994, Wednesday

Nick Nicholas invests in VR Media Industry Visionary, Nick Nicholas, Becomes Major Investor in Zombie Inc., Business Wire, July 15, 1994, Friday https://www.mobygames.com/company/1266/zombie-studios-inc/games/

Havas and Sony join forces Alliance Havas-Sony dans l'edition electronique, Echos, July 21, 1994 Sony, Havas playing games, The Hollywood Reporter, July 22, 1994, Friday, Byline: Pia Farrell http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/articles/pdf/v12/12HarvJLTech561.pdf

France expands multimedia services Media Futures: The French connection - John Ridding looks at the country's growing multimedia businesses / The world's superhighways, Financial Times (London,England), July 4, 1994, Monday, Section: Pg. 15, Byline: By JOHN RIDDING

Telecom deregulation hits Japan Barrier lowered between cable-TV, phone firms, The Nikkei Weekly (Japan), July 4, 1994, Section: INDUSTRY DIGEST; Pg. 9, Byline: BY NORRI KAGEKI Staff writer

IDSA and SPA try to find common ground IDSA AND SPA MEET ON RATINGS, Consumer Electronics, July 11, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 28 Pg. 13 No Headline In Original, Consumer Electronics, July 18, 1994, Section: NOTEBOOK; Vol. 34, No. 29; Pg. 14

IDSA and SPA fail to find common ground 2 GAME RATING SYSTEMS, Consumer Electronics, July 25, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 30 Competing rating systems revealed Ratings Symbols Unveiled for Computer, Video Games, The Associated Press, July 28, 1994, Thursday, AM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer https://legacy.3drealms.com/tech/rsac.html https://legacy.3drealms.com/tech/esrb.html

Lieberman and Kohl weigh in on systems Ratings Symbols Set for Computer, Video Games, The Associated Press, July 29, 1994, Friday, PM cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer TESTIMONY REGARDING THE VIDEO GAME RATING ACT OF 1994 SUBMITTED BY MARK TRAPHAGEN - COUNSEL SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION JOINT HEARING OF THE SENATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE ON REGULATION AND GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND THE SENATE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON JUVENILE JUSTICE, Federal News Service, JULY 29, 1994, FRIDAY German voluntary game ratings begin https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1994.07/page/n9/mode/2up https://usk.de/ Nintendo signs onto CESI NINTENDO SIGNS FOR CES INTERACTIVE '95, Consumer Electronics, July 4, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 27; Pg. 13 IDSA AND SPA MEET ON RATINGS, Consumer Electronics, July 11, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS, Vol. 34, No. 28 Pg. 13 ISDA chooses E3 New L.A. interactive expo lines up Sony, Sega, IDSA; E3 will take on CES and VSDA next spring, The Hollywood Reporter, July 18, 1994, Monday, Byline: Scott Hettrick IDSA ENDORSES E3 SHOW, SAME DATES AS CES INTERACTIVE, Consumer Electronics, July 18, 1994, Section: THIS WEEK'S NEWS; Vol. 34, No. 29; Pg. 10 Namco consolidates coin op subsidiaries Play Meter, July 1994, pg. 14

Time Warner licenses Jaguar ATARI CORPORATION AND TIME WARNER INTERACTIVE INC. JAGUAR DEAL, PR Newswire, July 12, 1994, Tuesday - 07:53 Eastern Time, Section: Financial News, Dateline: SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 12 https://system16.com/hardware.php?id=778

Bally breaks up Play Meter, July 1994, pg. 28

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