copyright (c) 1999 Sam Pettus (aka "the Scribe"), all rights reserved
All copies must not be altered in any way, including but not limited
to reformatting and conversion to alternate document formats, without the
express consent of the author. The sole exception is for necessary
formatting changes that may be
required to adapt this document to suit your particular needs; however,
the complete original text must be retained in as
close a layout to the original as possible. For any questions
in this regard, please contact the author.
No copy may be reproduced in whole or in part within a for-profit commercial
publication or Internet site without the
express consent of the author. The author recognizes the right
of said vendors to reproduce limited portions of his work
under the "fair use" clause of the appropriate sections of U.S.
copyright law and the international
Berne Copyright Convention.
Any trademark to be found within this document is the exclusive property
of its respective owner,
and is reproduced here merely for reference.
Appendix C
Emulation Historical Timeline
I am deeply indebted to Ken Polsson and his
Chronology
of Events in the History of Microcomputers for providing much of the
information used as the primary backbone of this document. There
is a lot more in his compilation that I have omitted, and it is recommended
reading for anybody who may be researching the history of personal computers.
You can find his excellent timeline at http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson.
I must also tip my hat to VideoGameSpot's History of Videogames
for filling in many of the holes with regards to the videogame industry.
The article seems to come and go as of late, but you can usually find it
at http://www.gamespot.com/features/universal/hov/hov01.html.
I must also acknowledge the help of the folks at the SYS2064 web site for
their historical archives with regards to videogame emulation. They
are among the oldest emulation sites still to be found on the Internet,
and you can find them at http://sys2064.emulationworld.com.
Those of you familiar with Polsson's work
will instantly recognize the overall layout and much of the material contained
herein. I have tried to distill it and reorganize it somewhat with
regards to five specific concerns of the emulation industry: computer
industry developments, videogame milestones, emulation-related events,
Internet concerns, and legal issues. I know that the emulation community
will feel that a lot has been left out in their regard, and I apologize
for any mistakes and omissions on their behalf. I leave it to them
to help me fill in the gaps with regards to emulation and its evolution
over the years.
With this issue, I am also including notes
regarding my personal involvement in the computer scene so that the rest
of you
can have a yardstick to measure me by. I have been called crazy
by many, and I am no saint, but I can honestly say that I've "been there,
done that, bought the tee-shirt." I know that some of these comments
are going to raise more than a few eyebrows, especially among my readers
who count themselves among the vendors, but now is the time to finally
"fess up" with regards to my past. Some of you who doubt my credentials
with regards to this subject can now rest assured that I know at least
something of what I am trying to discuss in the EmuFAQ. Perhaps,
if there is enough interest, I just may share with you the story of that
fateful day back in 1990 when my interest in computer videogames received
a sudden and radical change....
Videogames
o Nolan Bushnell develops a simplified
hard-wired version of the popular minicomputer videogame SpaceWar
and
tries to generate
interest in vending it commercially. Rebuffed, he decides to found
his own videogame company.
Computers
o The 5.25" floppy disk first
appears.
Videogames
o Atari is founded by Alan Bushnell.
Their first product is the coin-op arcade game Pong.
Computers
o IBM releases the IBM 3340 hard
drive, code named Winchester during its development.
o Bob Metcalfe invents the Ethernet.
Computers
o Gary Kildall, founder of Digital
Research, develops the CP/M operating system for compters based on the
Intel
8080 CPU.
o Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie
develop the C programming language.
o The Altair 8800, the world's
first personal computer, is released in kit form. It is highlighted
in the December issue
of Popular
Mechanics, and magazine publisher Les Solomon receives the very first
production model.
Videogames
o Atari releases Tank,
its second major coin-op arcade, via Kee Games, a subsidiary in disguise.
Computers
o BASIC becomes the first programming
language to be made available for the fledgling personal computer market.
The particular
version involved is a compiler written by Bill Gates and Paul Allen for
the Altair 8800.
o Bill Gates and Paul Allen found
what would become the Microsoft Corporation (originally spelled Micro-Soft).
o MOS Technologies announces the
release of its 8-bit MC6501 and MC6502 CPUs. They are one-sixth the
cost
of the then-dominant
CPU, the Intel 8080.
Videogames
o Sears markets a home
console version of Atari's Pong under its Telegames label.
o Magnavox begins development
on what would eventually evolve into the Odyssey.
Computers
o David Bushnell publishes an
open letter from Bill Gates to the microcomputer hobbyists complaining
about software
piracy.
He then writes a second letter three months later, openly condemning it.
o The "twin Steves," Wozinak and
Jobs, build the very first Apple computer. The Apple Computer Corporation
is
subsequently
founded on 1 April 1976. They begin shipping "garage-built" Apple
I computers almost immediately,
and Steve Wozinak
begins designing for what would become the Apple II. Wozinak quits
his job at Hewlett-
Packard to devote
his full energies to the fledgling Apple computer company. A prototype
of the Apple II is
demonstrated
by the end of the year.
o Bill Gates drops out of Harvard
to concentrate on making Microsoft a viable computer company.
o Commodore Business Machines
buys MOS Technologies, makers of the MC6501 and MC6502. One of their
employees, Chuck
Peddle, designs the Commodore PET computer.
o The "twin Steves" make proposals
to both Hewlett-Packard and Atari that they develop personal computers.
Their
proposals are
rejected out-of-hand.
Videogames
o A number of vendors rush to
join Atari in the videogame market. Among them is one with the innocent-sounding
name of Coleco,
short for COnneticut LEather COmpany (they had originally been in the shoe
business). Coleco
markets its
own clone of Pong.
o Fairchild releases the Channel
F, the first programmable home videogame console. It also pioneers
the use of the
plug-in cartridge
for videogame software.
o Exidy Games releases the coin-op
arcade game Death Race. It is widely regarded as the first
violent videogame,
where players
are awarded points by running over people, and causes a major outcry. (sound
familiar, all of you
Carmageddon
fans out there?)
o Seeing no way to remain competetive
in the growing videogame market, Nolan Bushnell sells Atari to Warner
Communications.
At this point, Atari is still the number one manufacturer of videogames
in the industry.
Legal
o Digital Research copyrights
the CP/M operating system.
o The word "microsoft" becomes
a registered trademark owned by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
Personal
o The author gets his first taste
of the arcade coin-op videogames then available. It sparks a never-ending
passion
with computers
and computer technology.
Computers
o Charles Tandy, president of
Radio Shack, is shown a working prototype of the TRS-80 personal computer.
At
the same time,
they reject an offer from Commodore to market the PET computer. The
TRS-80 Model I is formally
unveiled in
August and becomes an instant hit, selling more units than any other personal
computer then available.
Radio Shack
opens its first retail store in October.
o Commodore shows its PET 2001
prototype at various trade shows in an effort to provoke interest in the
machine.
Its production
facilities finally gear up in time for the Summer CES.
o Apple unveils the Apple II computer
It is the first personal computer to employ color graphics. Company
president
Mike Markkula
makes it their avowed goal to add an affordable floppy disk drive to the
Apple II as soon as
possible.
Videogames
o Taito of Japan releases the
coin-op arcade videogame Gunfight, which is the first to use a microprocessor
instead
of solid-state
circuits. It is later vended in the United States by Midway Games.
o Bally toys with the idea of
entering the personal computer market.
o Atari introduces the Atari Video
Computer System (VCS), later renamed the Atari 2600. It is the first
widely
popular home
videogame console in North America, with units marketed by many major retail
outlets. The original
retail price
is US$250 for the console, an RF adapter, two joysticks, and two cartridges
(Pong and Tank).
Legal
o The Apple Computer Company is
formally incorporated.
o Microsoft is formalized as a
business partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
Computers
o Apple demonstrates a prototype
5.25" floppy disk drive for the Apple II at the Winter CES.
o Intel creates and then subsequently
releases the 16-bit 8086 CPU in just three weeks. It is a replacement
for the
troubled i432
project.
o The Altair 8800 personal compuer
is discontinued.
o Atari formally enters the personal
computer market with its Atari 400 and 800 systems, both based on the MC6502.
o Commodore successfully establishes
its own dealer network for product distribution.
o Apple begins work on a new generation
of personal computers using bit-sliced architecture. The prototype
is code-
named Lisa.
o Christopher Curry founds Acorn
Computer Ltd. in England.
Videogames
o Taito, a Japanese videogame
company, develops the coin-op arcade game Space Invaders.
It is an immediate hit
with the Japanese
public.
o Due to Atari's long-standing
practice of not crediting its programmers for its videogames, Atari 2600
game developer
Warren Robinett
creates the first "Easter Egg" for a computer videogame (Adventure).
It consists of a hidden room
accessed via
a special procedure in which is inscribed on the floor, "Programmed by
Warren Robinett."
o Bally ships its Bally Professional
Arcade game.
o Cinematronics releases SpaceWar
to the arcades. It is based on a popular game originally developed
for PDP
minicomputers
by Stever Russell back in 1961.
o Nintendo of Japan releases its
first videogame, Computer Othello. It set the standard for
Japanese coin-op arcade
gameplay prices
(one 100-yen coin per play).
o The popularity of computer videogames
soar to new heights as Atari releases Atari Football and Midway
imports
Space Invaders
from Japan. At the same time, Namco develops and vends Gee Bee
in Japan - the first
computerized
videogame based on the classic game of pinball.
o APF Electronics introduces the
MP-1000 videogame unit.
o Magnavox releases the Odyssey2
home videogame console.
Internet
o The first computerized bulletin
board system is started by Ward Christianson and Randy Suess. It
goes online in
February, and
is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Computers
o Radio Shack announces the TRS-80
Model II.
o Intel releases the 8088 CPU.
It is a scaled-down 8086, operating at 16 bits internally but using a 8-bit
data bus in
order to better
work with available hardware.
o Texas Instruments releases the
TI-99/4A personal computer system.
o Motorola releases the 16-bit
68000 CPU. Its name is derived from the fact that it incorporates
68,000 transistors
into its design.
o Ross Perot offers to buy Microsoft
from Bill Gates, but walks away from the reputed asking price of US$40-60
million.
o Alan Shugart founds Seagate
Technologies. He also develops the Shugart Associates System Interface
(SASI),
the direct ancestor
of SCSI.
o NEC releases the NEC PC 8001
microcomputer. It is Japan's first personal computer system.
o 300-baud modems become widely
available, although they are still a bit pricey (US$175-$400).
Videogames
o Atari releases the coin-op arcade
game Lunar Lander, its first game to use vector graphics.
Shortly thereafter it
the coin-op
arcade game Asteroids, also using vector graphics, which becomes
its all-time most profitable title.
o Mattel introduces the Intellivision
home videogame console.
o Sega of Japan releases the coin-op
arcade game Monaco GP - a franchise that it would continue with
many sequels
and various
adaptations and follow-ons for its various videogame consoles during the
ensuing years.
o The Bally Videocade Computer
System is offered for sale.
o Automated Simulations releases
Temple
of Asphai for personal computers.
o Atari manages to negotiate exclusive
deals with many of the coin-op arcade vendors of the day whereby home
console translations
are produced exclusively for the Atari 2600.
o Nolan Bushnell leaves Atari
to manage the Pizza Time Theater company. This is the holding company
for the Chuck
E. Cheese pizza
restaurant franchise.
Internet
o CompuServe begins the MicroNET
service for computer hobbyists. It is a combination of bulletin boards,
databases,
and on-line
games.
Legal
o The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) adopts a set of official rules for radio frequency interference
generated by
personal computers.
Personal
o The author receives an Atari
2600 videogame console and about a half-dozen cartridges as a Christmas
present.
Among the games
he receives are Missile Command and Adventure, which were
insistent requests on the author's
part.
Computers
o Computer Shopper commences
publication.
o Commodore founder Jack Trammel
announces in a company strategy session that he intends to build and sell
a
personal computer
in the U.S. market for the unheard-of price of US$300.
o 1200 baud modems enter the personal
computer market.
o Apple unveils the Apple III
computer
o Seagate sells the first 5.25"
Winchester-style
hard disk drives.
o Radio Shack unveils the TRS-80
Model III, the TRS-80 Color Computer, and the TRS-80 Pocket Computer.
o The EDLIN text editor is created
as part of Seattle Computer's QDOS 0.10 (Quick and Dirty Operating System),
Its projected
lifetime is approximately six months. QDOS itself is upgraded several
times before it is bought by
Microsoft as
part of an exclusive deal with Seattle Computer.
o IBM initiates Project Chess.
Its ultimate goal is to produce a viable microcomputer. Digital Research
is approached
about making
CP/M-86 (the latest incarnation of CP/M) available for the project, but
declines interest. Not to be
daunted, IBM
enlists the aid of Microsoft in designing an operating system for their
new machine. At the instance of
Bill Gates,
IBM dumps the Intel 8080 in favor of the 8086 as the heart of the machine.
In the meantime, Microsoft
buys all the
rights to a series of products collectively known as DOS (Disk Operating
System) from Seattle Computer
Products for
under US$100,000, with the intent of converting and adapting them into
a single package for use as the
operating system
on IBM's new personal computer.
o Sony and Philips invent the
compact disc (CD).
o Intel introduces the 8087 math
coprocessor. It is designed to handle intense floating-point operations,
hence the
alternate name
of floating-point unit (FPU).
o Commodore of Japan debuts the
system that would later be known as the VIC-20.
Videogames
o A number of disgruntled Atari
programmers, upset at the company's continued practice of discreditation,
openly
break with their
employer and found their own company, Activision. Their offerings
for the Atari 2600 soon gain
a reputation
for originality and dark humor, and tap into many subject areas that Atari
had previously ignored.
o Atari coin-op programmer Ed
Rotberg creates Battlezone, widely regarded as the all-time greatest
tank simulator
ever made (despite
its now-seeming simplicity). It proves to be so revolutionary that
the United States military
commissions
a special edition for training Army and Marine tank crews, thereby also
becoming the first real-time
computerized
military combat simulator.
o Bill Henieman of Whittier, CA
wins the First National US Space Invaders Competition, scoring 165,200.
His prize
is an Asteroids
tabletop unit.
o Namco releases Pac-Man,
the most popular (and cloned) coin-op arcade game ever made.
o Infocom releases the first of
the Zork roleplaying games for the Apple II and TRS-80.
Emulation
o Microsoft introduces its first
hardware product, the Z-80 SoftCard for the Apple II. This US$350
product gives the
Apple II full
CP/M capability, greatly adding to its software base and adding to Apple's
success.
o Microsoft releasex XENIX/OS,
a portable commercial version of UNIX. It is designed to work with
systems based
around the Intel
8086, the Zilog Z8000, Motorola 68000, and the DEC PDP-11.
Personal
o The author is finally able to
purchase a copy of Stellar Track for his Atari 2600. It is
an excellent port of Super
Star Trek,
that mainstay of mainframe gaming back in late 1960s and early 1970s (although
the author is unaware
of this at the
time).
Computers
o The Osborne I portable computer
is introduced, weighing in at 24 pounds. It uses the CP/M operating
system.
Other components
include a Zilog Z80 CPU, 64K RAM, 2 5.25" single-sided floppy disk drives,
and an internal
modem.
10,000 units are sold in a single month, far exceeding projections.
o The Atari 400 personal computer
is discontinued.
o The IBM 5150 Personal Computer
(IBM PC) is introduced into the market. It ships with 64K RAM at the
insistence of
Bill Gates. A single 5.25" floppy disk drive is standard, but provisions
are allowed for other kinds of
data storage.
Another option is the Color Graphics Array (CGA), a 16-color video card.
The IBM PC begins
production immediately
and units are shipped to buyers ahead of schedule - a first for the industry.
o Across the ocean, Acorn Computer
Ltd. introduces the BBC Minicomputer System.
o National Semiconducter releases
the 32000 CPU, the world's first 32-bit processor.
o The ANSI X3T9 standards committee
adapts SASI as a working model for a new system interface, which will be
formalized some
five years later as the SCSI standard.
Videogames
o Nintendo creates the coin-op
arcade game Donkey Kong, direct precursor to its Mario franchise.
The character
of Mario is
the brainchild of Nintendo artist Shigeru Miyamoto, and his given his name
by the American office of the
company in honor
of their landlord, Mario Segali.
o Konami releases the coin-op
arcade side-scrolling shooter Scramble - the game that would inspire
oh-so-many
such shooters.
(R-Type, Gradius, Macross, et. al.)
o Atari releases the hit coin-op
arcade game Tempest.
o Sega makes its mark on the American
videogame scene by releasing a licensed version of Konami's Frogger.
o A man dies of a heart attack
while playing Atari's coin-op arcade shooter Berzerk. To date,
this is the videogame
industry's only
known direct fatality.
o Bally enters into a licensing
arrangement with Commodore whereby Bally arcade games are ported to the
VIC-20.
They are released
as plug-in cartridges. Similar arrangements are made with Bally and
other companies for
Commodore's
new home computer project; among these is Walt Disney Software.
o Astrovision releases the Bally
Computer System.
Legal
o Microsoft reorganizes into Microsoft,
Inc., and several months later changes its name again to Microsoft
Corporation.
o Apple Computer signs a secret
agreement with Apple Records, the label of the Beatles pop rock band.
As part of
the deal, Apple
gets to retain use of the name while promising not to market any audiovisual
products with recording
or playback
capabilities.
o Intel and AMD agree to collaborate
on the design and production of new products.
Computers
o Commodore unveils a working
prototype of the Commodore 64 (C64) personal computer at the Winter CES
in
January.
It is the first personal computer with integrated sound synthesis technology,
and its SID audio processor
garners much
attention. Actual productions modes begin shipping that summer, along
with the VIC-1540 5 1/4"
floppy disk
drive. The drive uses a serial bus, effectively limiting its use
to the VIC-20 and C64.
o Apple reveals to Microsoft the
existence of several prototypes for a new personal computer system that
uses a
graphic user
interface (GUI) instead of the common command-line approach. Microsoft
is given one of these
prototypes in
order to develop compatable software.
o Microsoft MS-DOS is released
for the IBM PC.
o Columbia Data Products releases
the first working clone of the IBM PC.
o Digital announces the dual-processor
DEC Rainbow 100. It has both Z80 and 8086 processors, thus allowing
it
to run both
CP/M and MS-DOS programs.
o Franklin Computer unveils the
Franklin Ace 1000, the first working clone of the Apple II.
o Intel unveils the 80286 processor.
o Compaq Computer Corporation
unveils the Compaq Portable PC. It uses the Phoenix BIOS so as not
to infringe
on IBM's copyrighted
BIOS code.
o Andrew Fluegelman releases PC-Talk,
a communications program, free of charge. It is the world's first
shareware
computer program.
o Hard disk drives become available
for the IBM PC from several third-party vendors.
o Mouse Systems introduces the
first mouse for the IBM PC.
Videogames
o General Consumer Electronics
introduces the Vectrex, the first-ever home videogame system with a built-in
display
and the first
to employ vector graphics..
o Milton Bradley buys General
Consumer Electronix.
o Mattel releases the Intellivision
II.
o Emerson releases the Emerson
Arcadia 2001.
o Coleco releases the ColecoVision.
It is actually a scaled-down Japanese computer system in disguise.
Realizing
that Atari has
negotiated exclusive rights with Namco for ports of its arcade coin-op
titles, Coleco quickly negotiates
similar arrangements
with Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and Universal. Among the remarkably
accurate ports that it
offers for the
ColecoVision are Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Froggger, and Mr.
Do!
o Astrovision renames the Bally
Computer System as the Astrocade.
o Atari releases its ill-fated
Pac-Man
and E.T. videogames for the Atari 2600. They sell poorly and
are widely
derided as garbage,
where the bulk of the unsold cartridges eventually wind up.
o Activision releases Pitfall
for the Atari 2600, authored by David Crane. It is one of the year's
hottest-selling games.
o Atari releases the Atari 5200
home videogame console. Sales are poor because the software base
does not take
advantage of
the technology, resulting in games that are little more than souped-up
Atari 2600 ports.
o Midway releases Namco's Ms.
Pac-Man to the American arcade coin-op scene. It becomes the
most successful
arcade coin-op
game ever released. By this time, there are a number of official
(and unlicensed) clones, knock-offs,
and spin-offs
of the Pac-Man franchise.
o On 7 December 1982, Atari announces
that Atari 2600 sales have not meet projected expectations. Warner
stock
drops 32% of
its value by the end of the day. It is the beginning of "the great
shake-out" in the videogame industry.
Emulation
o Compaq backs the development
of the Phoenix BIOS, the first successfully reverse-engineered version
of the IBM
PC BIOS.
o Intel unveils the 80286 processor.
Little noticed at the time was its inclusion of "real 8086 mode" for full
back-
compatability
with 8086 and 8088 oriented software.
o Xedex Corporation introduces
the Baby Blue card for the IBM PC. It is a Z80 processor on a plug-in
card, thus
allowing the
system to use software developed for CP/M systems.
o Coleco provides a special adaptor
that will let the ColecoVision play Atari 2600 games.
Legal
o Atari vs. Coleco.
Atari sues Coleco over its Atari 2600 videogame cartridge adaptor.
The courts eventually rule
in favor of
Coleco, as Atari's technology cannot be shown as being unique in any way.
o Intel and AMD sign a 10-year
technology exchange agreement centering on Intel's x86 processor architecture.
o IBM vs. Phoenix.
IBM sues Phoenix Technologies and its sponsor, Compaq, over the development
of the
reverse-engineered
Phoenix BIOS. The courts rule that the Phoenix BIOS is a legal product
and refuse IBM's
request for
an injunction. This opens the floodgates on the PC compatible market.
Personal
o Late in the year, the author
decides to obtain a C64 as his very first personal computer due to its
video and graphics
capabilities.
It never enters his mind to consider any other system. Perhaps the
commercials featuring STAR TREK
star William
Shatner (longtime fan of the series) and music by Johnann Sebastian Bach
(a longtime fave) have a lot to
do with his
choice.
Computers
o Mattel introduces the Aquarius
personal computer.
o Apple officially unveils the
Lisa personal computer, with an estimated development cost of US$150 million
overall.
It is considered
slow, but innovative. It is the first GUI-based personal computer,
built around a Motorola 68000
CPU, and includes
a 5 MB disk drive. Although only 100,000 units will be sold, it will
serve as the basis for Apple's
next machine.
To quote Apple executive Steve Jobs, "We're prepared to live with Lisa
for the next ten years."
o Apple releases the Apple IIe
personal computer.
o Atari rolls out the Atari 1200XL
personal computer. It subsequently cancels it several months later
due to
production problems.
o Commodore releases the SX-64,
the first portable computer with a color display.
o Lotus Development releases Lotus
1-2-3 for MS-DOS based systems.
o IBM releases the IBM PC-XT.
It is the first product in the IBM PC line to adopt the 8-slot design for
expansion
cards, and also
the first IBM personal computer to include a hard drive (10 MB).
o As part of a nationwide sales
and rebate blitz, the Commodore VIC-20 becomes the first personal computer
with a
color display
available for under US$100 at the retail level.
o Microsoft gives a "smoke and
mirrors" demonstration of a new program dubbed Interface Manager
that appears to
be multitasking
various programs. In fact it is not, but it represents the first
known public demonstration of what would
become Microsoft
Windows.
o Sony introduces the 3.5" floppy
disk drive. Previous efforts by other companies with 2.5" and 3.25"
formats had
failed to gain
widespread acceptance.
o Radio Shack unveils the TRS-80
Model IV.
o Microsoft sells its first Microsoft
Mouse.
o The Coleco Adam is introduced
by Coleco at the Summer CES. It restores the more obvious personal
computer
elements to
the ColecoVision hardware that were deleted prior to its release.
o IBM announces, along with several
other systems, the PCjr. It instantly becomes the subject of much
vitriol by both
retailers and
users alike due to its poor design.
o Having sustained consistent
losses for some time, Texas Instruments abandons the personal computer
system market.
o Microsoft officially announces
the impending release of its Windows GUI. Nobody is interested,
and nobody really
cares, either.
o Apple redesigns the Lisa and
dubs the new system as the Macintosh. It runs the now-famous "1984"
add ahead of
schedule in
an obscure Midwestern market for the sole purpose of making it eligible
for awards during that year.
o Commodore releases the Datasette
and VIC-1541 floppy disk storage devices for its personal computers.
o Borland International is founded
by Phillipe Kahn.
o Sony and Philips develop CD-ROM
technology for personal computer systems, an extension of audio CDs.
o Bjarn Stroustrup creates the
C++ extension to the C programming language.
o Microsoft, SpectraVideo, and
14 Japanese computer companies collaborate to develop the MSX standard
for 8-bit
Japanese personal
computers.
Videogames
o Mattel announces the Intellivision
III, and then quietly abandons it several months later.
o Atari demonstrates an add-on
computer unit for the Atari 2600 called The Graduate.
o Starcom releases Dragon's
Lair to the arcades. It is the world's first laserdisc-based
coin-op arcade game.
Principal animation
for the game is done by Bluth Studios, founded by former Disney animator
Don Bluth.
o Atari ceases production of the
Atari 5200 home videogame console.
o Dan Silva founds Electronic
Arts.
o Over the course of the entire
year, the home videogame console industry in the United States begins to
slowly
collapse.
The period is afterwards referred to as "the great shake-out."
o Nintendo releases the Famicom
personal computer (i.e FAMily COMputer) in Japan. Also available
for it are
excellent ports
of a number of coin-op arcade titles, including Donkey Kong and
Mario
Brothers. This, with
certain alterations,
would become known in North American markets as the NES.
Emulation
o Atari provides a special adaptor
for the Atari 5200 that will let the system play Atari 2600 games.
o Video Technology demonstrates
the Laser 2001, a dual-purpose videogame console that works with both
ColecoVision
and Atari VCS game cartridges.
o Taiwan Happy Home Computer Company
shows the MultiSystem microcomputer at the Summer CES. It is
compatable with
both the Apple II and the IBM PC.
Internet
o Tom Mack releases RBBS for MS-DOS,
the first shareware BBS program.
Legal
o Apple vs. Franklin.
Apple files suit against Franklin, claiming copyright infringment of propretary
Apple microcode
stored within
its Apple system ROMs. The courts rule in favor of Apple, and
Franklin is forced to cease production
of its clones.
The resultant fines and court costs eventually force Franklin out of the
personal computer industry.
Personal
o The author receives his first
personal computer as a birthday present. It is a Commodore 64 with
a Datasette drive.
o A local UHF station begin showing
Star
Blazers on weekday mornings. It is the English-dubbed version
of the
legendary Japanese
anime space opera Uchuu Senkan Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato),
and the author is
instantly hooked.
Through repeated viewings, he is able to catch each and every one of the
original 48 episodes
and carries
that memory with him after the show goes off the air. He also recalls
seeing the Roger Corman English-
dubbed version
of Galaxy Express 999 around the same time, and becomes an instant
Captain Harlock fan.
Computers
o Apple formally unveils the Macintosh
personal computer, re-running its "1984" ad during that year's Super Bowl
game.
The machine
is almost identical to the Lisa except that it is smaller, twice as fast,
and uses 3.5" floppy disks drives. Its
marketing slogan
is, "Never trust a computer you cannot lift." It is an instant success,
with over 70,000 sold within the
first 100 days
on the market. At the same time, Canon secures the Japanese distribution
rights to the Macintosh from
Apple.
o Seiko displays the first wristwatch
computer.
o Commodore becomes the first
personal computer company to break US$1 billion in sales for a single model
- in this
case, the C64.
o Jack Tramiel, founder and president
of Commodore, resigns his post and leaves the company for good.
o IBM ships the PCjr.
o Apple retires the Apple III
product line, and at the same time unveils the Apple IIc. It also
proves quite popular with
the masses.
o Over at Microsoft, Bill Gates
and Steve Ballmer write an internal applications strategy memo regarding
the company's
commitment to
GUI-based systems such as the Macintosh and its then-developing Windows.
o Commodore releases the Plus/4
and C16 personal computers, and discontinues the VIC-20. The Plus/4
is the first
personal computer
to include applications software in ROM.
o A small startup company named
Amiga demonstrates a prototype personal computer, code-named Lorraine.
Impressed by
their showing at the Summer CES, Commodore buys out Amiga - lock, stock,
and barrel.
o Jack Traimel buys a controlling
interest in Atari's personal computer products from Warner for US$240 million.
o IBM announces the release of
the IBM PC-AT, running on Intel's 80286 CPU inside a redesigned system
utilizing
16-bit architecture
and 16-bit expansion card slots that are back-compatable with older IBM
PC and PC-XT
hardware.
At the same time, it announces the Enhanced Graphics Array (EGA) for the
new machine, supporting up to
16 simultaneous
colors on screen at 640x350 resolution. A 20 MB hard drive is offered
as an option, and Microsoft
makes sure the
MS-DOS 3.0 is ready in time to ship with the new system.
o 2400 baud modems become available.
o Mattel sells off the Aquarius
computer to Radofin Electronics.
o Hewlett-Packard introduces the
first LaserJet printer.
o Philips offers the first CD-ROM
drive for personal computers. It is a single-speed device adapted
from existing audio
CD drive technology.
Videogames
o Sierra On-Line releases the
first game in the King's Quest series
o The "great shake-out" continues.
The home console market goes bust as most folks, irritated by a constant
barrage
of low-quality
games (of which Atari is the major responsible party), turn to the superior
offerings to be found on
personal computer
systems. Atari 2600 game cartridges are dumped at bargain-basement
prices. Almost every
major player
bails out of the market by the end of the year, with the notable exceptions
of Atari and Nintendo.
o Milton Bradley discontinues
the Vectrex.
o Magnavox officially discontinues
the Odyssey and its derivatives.
o Nintendo offers Atari the opportunity
to market a retooled version of the Famicom within the United States.
Atari
shows interest
in the machine but eventually declines, as they are secretly developing
their own new console. Miffed,
Nintendo eventually
decides to go it alone.
o Atari introduces the 7800 ProSystem
home videogame console.
o subLogic releases the very first
version of Flight Simulator, written for the Commodore 64.
Emulation
o NEC successfully clones Intel's
8-bit 8088 and 16-bit 8086 processors via reverse engineering. The
low-cost
NEC V20 and
V30 CPUs subsequently find their way into many IBM PC and PC-XT clones.
Internet
o Tom Jennings creates the FidoNET
BBS network.
Legal
o IBM wins a copyright lawsuit
against Corona Data Systems for infringing on the IBM PC BIOS.
o Federal judge Harold Green orders
the breakup of the Bell System. AT&T is split off as an independent
company,
and the "Baby
Bells" are created from the old Bell System's various regional divisions.
Personal
o The author uses an Apple II
computer system for the first and last time as part of a special summer
program for
gifted youth.
Computers
o Commodore unveils the Commodore
128 (C128) at the first of the year. It is actually three computers
in one - a
fully functional
C64 mode for back-compatability, a new 128K operating mode (with 80x25
display text capability),
and a CP/M mode.
It also unveils the 1571 double-speed, double-sided 5.25" floppy disk drive,
the 1670 modem
(1200 baud),
and the 1902 combination chroma-luma/CGA monitor as accessories.
o Atari unveils its new Atari
ST line of personal computers, developed with the backing and aid of Jack
Traimel.
It is quickly
dubbed the "Jackintosh" as a result of his involvement.
o Coleco divests itself of the
Adam and leaves the personal computer business.
o Apple officially redesignates
the Lisa as the Macintosh XL. It is dropped from the product line
three months later.
Around the same
time, Steve Jobs is dismissed from his executive position at Apple and
is eventually forced to leave
the company.
o IBM discontinues the PCjr.
(YES!!! Sorry sack of $#!+!)
o Microsoft releases Microsoft
Windows 1.0 for the IBM PC. Nobody notices, and nobody really
cares, either.
o Commodore unveils the Amiga
personal computer at a special showing in New York. On hand is famous
pop artist
Andy Warhol
to promote the machine. It features the first true multitasking,
multithreading GUI-based operating
system for a
personal computer, as well as being the first computer to offer on-board
digital stereo sound synthesis.
The model that
debuted on that day would later be renamed the Amiga 1000 (A1000).
o Intel introduces the 80386 CPU.
It is a pure 32-bit processor through and through, and attracts the immediate
attention of
the PC clone makers.
o Commodore attempts to cease
production of the C64 several times during the year, but is forced to restart
each and
every time due
to popular demand.
o Intel introduces the 80287 FPU.
o Commodore releases the C128D
in Europe, a special version of the C128 with a detachable keyboard and
internal
1571 disk drive.
It is unable to release the machine in the United States due to its failure
to gain FCC certification.
Videogames
o Epyx releases Summer Games
II for the Commodore 64.
o Broderbund releases Karateka
and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? for the Commodore 64.
o Activision releases Hacker
for the Commodore 64.
o Nintendo begins limited marketing
its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America via its own
distribution
network. They create R.O.B. the Video Robot as a marketing ploy to
get the unit into retail outlets,
who are still
rather gun-shy after "the great shake-out." A number of games are
developed for release, but the three
that eventually
wind up in the original shipments are Gyromite (for the R.O.B. version),
Duck Hunt, and Super Mario
Brothers.
Emulation
o Mimic Systems introduces the
Spartan, an accessory for the Commodore 64 that transforms it into an Apple
IIe.
Sales are understandably
sluggish given the unit's high price, which is comparable to that of a
stripped-down Apple II.
o Among the announced accessories
for the new Amiga computer is the PC Sidecar, a hardware-software emulator
that offers
support for IBM PC and PC-XT software
Internet
o General Electric begins the
GEnie on-line service.
o QuantumLink, a Commodore-specific
telecommunications network, begins operations.
Personal
o The author scrapes up the money
to buy an Indus GT floppy disk drive for his C64. The major reason
for going with
the third-party
product is its built-in track indicator for the read/write head - which
proves to be quite useful in his
various efforts
at breaking the copy-protection schemes of C64 videogame software.
o The author makes his first connections
with the computer underground. Among the first programs he obtains
from
his new friends
is the legandary C64 disk duplication program Fast Hack'em, as well
as a copy of one of his all-time
favorite polygonal
shooters - Stellar 7.
Computers
o Intel begins production of the
80386 CPU
o Compaq introduces the Deskpro
386, the first mass-marketed 80386-based system, clocking at 16 MHz.
Videogames
o The NES begins widespread distribution
in the United States. It quickly establishes superiority, outselling
its closest
competitor by
a 10-to-1 margin. Almost all of Atari's cachet of licensors quickly
defect to the new system, which
has a suggested
retail price of US$250.
o Convinced that it has a shot
in the rebuilding American videogame market, Sega releases the Sega Master
System
in the United
States.
o Atari begins marketing the 7800
ProSystem home videogame console, which is directly back-compatable with
its
Atari 2600 videogame
base. By now, Atari's reputation is thoroughly shot, and most pundits
do little but snicker
at Atari's doomed
efforts to recapturing the home console market.
o Nintendo releases a disk drive
system for the Famicom in Japan. It decides not to bring the expensive
peripheral
to the American
market, deeming that it will not sell well.
o The Legend of Zelda,
the legendary Nintendo RPG, is released for the NES.
Emulation
o PC-Ditto is released
for Atari ST systems. It is the world's first pure software emulator,
allowing Atari ST users to
use software
for IBM PC and PC-XT systems
o Commodore releases the PC-Transformer,
a pure-software IBM PC emulator for Amiga systems.
Personal
o The author receives his first
"Beemer" - a Zenith PC-AT clone on loan from the U.S. Navy during his military
service.
Included with
it is a copy of Microsoft Windows 1.0. The author looks at
it for two days and then trashes it, noting,
"Too much overhead
for not enough function on my hardware." It is a comment that he
will wind up repeating with
each successive
version of Windows.
o The author buys his first IBM
PC game - Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set. It proves
to be an instant hit with
his shipmates.
o The author receives his first
bootleg IBM PC program. It is a working copy of Lotus 1-2-3 Release
2.0. The first
bootleg PC games
that he recalls receiving from his shipmates are CGA versions of Alley
Cat and subLogic's Jet.
Computers
o Commodore officially releases
the A500 and A2000 models of the Amiga, as well as the Commodore 128 and
128D 8-bit computers.
o IBM introduces Micro Channel
Architecture (MCA) in its new line of IBM compatible PS/2 personal computer
systems.
It is the first, but not the last attempt to escape the limitations of
the IBM PC-AT's 16-bit expansion bus.
IBM's proprietary
nature regarding the technology will eventually cause it to be abandoned
several years later,
although the
card connector design will later be adapted and transformed by Intel for
its own purposes.
o The Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP) is founded.
o Borland introduces Quattro,
a fast spreadsheet program that is fully compatable with Lotus 1-2-3
macros and
includes a copy
of its famous "slash-bar menu."
Videogames
o Sega sells the U.S. distribution
rights of the SMS to Tonka. The console is generally regarded as
inferior to the
wildly popular
NES.
o NEC debuts the PC Engine (TG16/PCE)
home videogame console in Japan. Its technology is developed in
cooperation
with videogame maker Hudson Soft, who subsequently shifts away from NES
development in favor of
the new console.
Legal
o AMD files suit against Intel
for breach-of-contract. This is the opening salvo in what will become
the Intel vs. AMD
dispute over
cloning the 80386 CPU.
Personal
o The author finishes his tour
of duty with the Navy and is forced to return his PC-AT clone. It
soon goes unmissed,
but he saves
all of the software that he obtained during its use - a fortuitous move,
as later developments will show.
o The author returns from his
stint in the Navy and resumes both his above-ground and underground computer
contacts.
o The author finishes coding what
will be his one and only commercial-level application, CRMP 2.0
for the C64.
The name is
an acronym for Church Records Master Program. Coded entirely in BASIC,
it employs module-
swapping techniques
to provide small churches with a means of building and maintaining simple
membership and
financial databases.
o The author becomes schooled
in the use of new C64 hacking technology available from Datel Computers
Ltd. of
Great Britian.
Among these is the original Action Replay cartridge.
o The author scrapes together
the money to buy one of the new and highly prized C128D computers via mail
order in
late summer
for use on his BBS. He is the only C128D owner within a seventy-five
mile radius of his home, as other
Commodore users
elect to keep their existing disk drives and upgrade to the cheaper C128
instead.
o The author obtains two additional
1571 floppy disk drives and a Lt. Kernal 20 MB hard drive for his C128D.
He
recalls getting
the floppy drives on loan from other users and paying almost US$900 for
the Lt. Kernal. He has now
become the center
of a burgeoning C64 "warez" community.
Computers
o The SCSI standard for data transfer
is formally adopted.
o The Atari ST continues its swift
decline in the light of the superior Amiga.
o Intel releases the 80386SX processor.
It uses 32-bit internal processing and a 16-bit data bus. Overall
performance
is not markedly
different from the tried and true 80286, but its chief draw is support
for the 80386DX's "extended
mode."
o Apple releases the Apple IIGS
- the last major variation on the Apple II product line. It is the
first Apple II to ship
with a GUI-based
operating system.
o Digital Equipment begins Project
Alpha, whose goal is to develop a next-generation 64-bit CPU.
o Steve Jobs unveils the NeXT
computer - a concept design that is supposed to represent the future of
personal
computing.
Although it is never accepted and the company eventually forced into bankruptcy
due to lack of sales,
several of the
concepts it embodied are later picked up by the industry. Bill Gates,
president of Microsoft, was
quoted as saying,
"Develop for it? I'll piss on it."
o GEOS 2.0 is developed for Commodore
8-bit computers.
o Digital Research transforms
CP/M into DR-DOS as a cheaper and compatable alternative to MS-DOS.
o The IBM PC-AT expansion bus
is given the formal name of Industry Standard Architecture (ISA).
Videogames
o NEC secures the support of such
licensees as Irem, Namco, and Capcom in a concerted effort to produce and
port
higher quality
titles for the PC Engine than are available for the NES.
o Spectrum Holobyte imports the
popular Russian videogame Tetris into the United States. It
is a first for the industry,
and the program
proves as popular in America as it is in its mother country. It is
the first popular puzzle videogame,
indicating a
previously untapped market, and the clones are quick in coming.
o Sega develops the MegaDrive
16-bit home videogame console in Japan. It is released to limited
success.
Emulation
o Readysoft unveils A-Max
at the World of Commodore show in November. It is the world's first
Macintosh
emulator - a
combination hardware-software product designed for use with Amiga computer
systems.
o At the same show, Commodore
unveils its A2088 and A2286 PC-Bridgeboards for the Amiga A2000.
Both are
combo hardware-software
emulators, with the first providing PC-XT compatability and the second
providing PC-AT
compatability.
Legal
o Atari vs. Nintendo.
Atari files suit over Nintendo's monopolistics practices
o Apple vs. Microsoft and Hewlett
Packard. Apple files suit over Microsoft Windows, claiming
that it is an
unlicensed "port"
of MacOS for use with PC compatible systems. It also claims the same
of Hewlett-Packard's
NewWave
product.
Personal
o The author establishes his own
"warez group," with a core of two veteran C64/128 hackers, one veteran
Amiga
hacker, and
one dedicated videogamer who is willing to serve as the group's chief "wareztester."
Other members
float in and
out to verify the useability of new warez as need dictates.
o The author buys an Amiga 2000
in September with a US$2000 bank loan. He raises part of the initial
capital by
selling his
beloved C128D system - the only time he has ever sold a personal computer
for the same price that he
initially paid
for it (US$450).
o The author obtains his first
piece of bootleg Amiga software sometime arount November. It is a
copy of the long-
discontinued
PC
Transformer emulator.
Computers
o The VESA standard for SVGA graphics
modes is formalized.
o Commodore discontinues the C128
and C128D; however, the popular C64 (which they were supposed to replace
remain in limited
production.
o Intel releases the 80486 CPU.
It is actually an 80386 CPU and 80387 FPU on the same mask, along with
16K of
internal cache.
This move effectively discards the then-current practice of a separate
FPU.
Videogames
o The NEC PC Engine is market
in North America as the Turbo Grafx 16. They also develop a CD-ROM
accessory
for the unit
(the PC-CD), and it becomes the first home videogame console to support
this new delivery system.
o Nintendo releases the first
version of its Gameboy handheld console for US$149.
o Atari devises its Rabbit
emulator as a means of bypassing Nintendo's proprietary lockout technology
for the NES.
They soon begin
releasing their own unlicensed NES games under the Tengen banner, and also
acquire the rights to
such popular
Sega titles as Shinobi and Alien Syndrome.
o Sega releases the Sega Genesis
in the United States for US$250. Altered Beast is the console's
flagship title.
o Atari releases the Atari Lynx
for US$180, the first hand-held color portable videogame console, made
in conjunction
with fellow
financially ailing Epyx Games. A number of Atari 7800 ports are developed,
but sales are poor and the
intended market
is plagued with constant rumors that Atari is about to discontinue the
product.
Legal
o Xerox gets involved in the Apple/Microsoft
dispute by filing its own action against Apple, claiming that the MacOS
incorporates
liberal portions of the Xerox Star operating system for Xerox workstations.
o Apple Records vs. Apple Computer.
The record label for the Beatles files suit against Apple, claiming that
the
development
of multimedia equipment and applications for the Macintosh, which makes
it possible to produce
digital renditions
of copyrighted Beatles songs, violates the terms of their 1981 agreement.
Personal
o The author encounters the retail
version of A-Max for the first time.
o The author strips the 20 MB
SCSI hard drive out of his old Lt. Kernal hard drive and mounts it on a
newly purchased
GVP combo card
(2 MB on-board) for use with his Amiga. He quickly runs out of room
and eventually winds up with
a 200MB Quantum
SCSI hard drive, having also gone through an 80 MB drive in the process.
o The software pirate group that
the author leads begins networking with other such groups. This marks
the beginning
of what would
become two year's worth of "road trips," culminating in the largest bootleg
software archive for C64,
C128, and Amiga
computer systems ever assembled in that part of the United States.
It is during one of the very first
of these road
trips that he obtains the infamous A-Max bootleg.
o The author develops his fondness
for Creative soundcards and ATI video cards around this time, due to extensive
testing and
usage involved as part of his then-current job as a free-lance computer
consultant
with an unnamed
major corporation.
o The author gets a sampling of
Microsoft
Windows 2.0 when he has to install it to run a particular presentation
program for
a local graphics company. It does little to change his distaste for
Microsoft's GUI-based operating
system.
Computers
o Microsoft Windows 3.0
is released. It is the first version of Windows to gain widespread
public acceptance.
o Commodore unveils the Amiga
A3000, representing the third (and final) generation of the original Amiga.
It is the
first Amiga
to incorporate the AGA chipset (among other things) - along with built-in
support for VGA monitors.
o Apple releases the Mac Classic,
and discontinues almost all models at the lower end of its computer system
line at
the same time.
Among the casualties is the Apple IIc+, the last of the Apple II series
computers.
o AMD publically acknowledges
that it is working on cloning Intel's 80386.
o The MPC Level 1 standard for
multimedia systems is established. It calls for an 80386SX-powered
computer with
2 MB RAM, a
single-speed CD-ROM, a 40 MB hard drive, and 640x480 8-bit VGA graphics.
o Stacker is released by
Stac Electronics. It is the first commercially available "disk-compression"
program, using
patented compression
algorithims to effectively increase the storage capacity of both hard and
floppy disk drives.
o Commodore officially discontinues
the C64. A derivant, the 64GS dedicated videogame console, lives
on in Europe
and other parts
of the world for about a year longer.
Videogames
o Nintendo releases Super Mario
Brothers 3, the all-time best-selling videogame cartridge. This
is generally
considered by
many as the console's best year for software production.
o Nintendo unveils its successor
to the NES, the 16-bit Super Famicom (aka the Super Magicom) in Japan.
Its
premiere title
is Super Mario World, and it takes the Japanese home console market
by storm.
o SNK debuts the NeoGeo System
in Japan. It is the industry's first and only 24-bit videogame system,
with its
hardware being
identical to the actual arcade coin-op machines that SNK also distributes.
The audiovisual power
of the NeoGeo
easily crushes its opponents, but the price of the NeoGeo crushes SNK's
sales.
o Sega releases an almost perfect
port of Capcom's well-received arcade coin-op Strider for the Genesis.
The
Genesis port
of Strider wins the prestigous Game of the Year award.
o NEC releases the TurboExpress,
a handheld version of the TG16/PCE. It is the first self-contained
portable.
console that
can play a dedicated videogame console's games (an earlier product by Atari
lacked a screen).
o Sega releases the handheld GameGear
system.
Emulation
o Hidden inside the newest release
of
Windows are a small number of emulators, including Calculator
and kludge code
for systems
not equipped with FPUs.
o Duo Computing releases the DuoPC,
which combines both a PC-AT and a NES into a single unit.
o IBM sponsors the "Patriot Partners"
program. Its avowed goal is one operating system for multiple platforms.
Legal
o Xerox's charges of copyright
infringement against Apple are thrown out of court.
o This years goes down in infamy
on the part of many hackers due to Operation Sun Devil, a massive nationwide
sweep
by the FBI against
the computer underground.
o Nintendo vs. Blockbuster.
The two media giants go to court, with Nintendo arguing that videogame
rentals cut into
its profits.
They eventually settle, with Blockbuster making arrangements with Nintendo
to legally rent any and all
present and
subsequent titles for its videogame consoles.
o The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) begins an investigation against perceived monopolistic practices
on the part
of Microsoft.
o The saga of Lotus vs. Borland
begins. Lotus sues Borland over Quattro, claiming that the
program unlawfully
duplicates the
"look-and-feel" of Lotus 1-2-3.
o Macronix vs. Nintendo.
Personal
o The author obtains a GVP 33MHz
68030/82 accelerator, an IBM 330 MB SCSI hard drive, and a tower case for
his A2000.
He also beefs it up with 24 MB RAM (8 fast, 16 on the 030 card), a 2 MB
Fatter Agnus, AmigaDOS
Kickstart/Workbench
2.04, a ProGen SVHS genlock, and the Shadow hardware-based floppy disk
duplicator.
o The author gets his first taste
of the NewTek Video Toaster. He (correctly) predicts to his friends
that it will
revolutionize
the personal computer industry.
o In late summer, the author narrowly
escapes arrest as part of the Operation Sun Devil sweep. As a result,
he swears
off any and
all involvement with software piracy and resolves to stay on the straight
and narrow from that point on.
Over this and
the following year, he unloads his vast collection of over 3000 C64, C128,
and Amiga bootlegs. It
will be a number
of years before he will even consider using a modem or doing anything even
remotely connected to
videogames.
Computers
o Commodore releases CDTV, available
as both a standalone unit and as an accessory for Amiga computers.
It is
almost universally
derided.
o Intel begins work on what many
call the 80586 processor. Although back-compatable with the 80486,
it employs
a 64-bit design
scheme.
Videogames
o Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog
for the Sega Genesis. Console sales skyrocket, and the Genesis begins
to gain
ground in sales
against the NES.
o Under pressure from soaring
sales of the Sega Genesis, Nintendo ports the Super Famicom to the North
American
market.
It is released as the Super Nintendo, but most folks call it the Super
NES or SNES for short.
o Sony and Nintendo announce a
joint venture to develop a CD-ROM drive for the SNES. The resulting
product is
to be called
the PlayStation.
o Galoob releases the very first
version of its Game Genie game enhancer, which is specifically designed
for use with
the NES.
o Capcom releases the highly popular
arcade coin-op Street Fighter 2, which breathes new life into fighting
games.
o Nintendo gains a one-year exclusive
contract with Capcom for its arcade game ports.
o Sega releases Time Traveler
to the coin-op arcades. It is the first videogame to employ holographic
imaging.
Emulation
o RDI announces the availability
of Mac emulation software for SPARC workstations.
Internet
o The ban on business advertising
is lifted on the Internet - a decision which many have regretted ever since.
Legal
o Intel vs. AMD.
Intel sues for copyright violation over the use of copyrighted Intel 80286
microcode within AMD's
new Am386 processor.
It also claims trademark infringement over the use of the term "386" in
AMD's product.
o Sega vs. Accolade. Accolade
is sued by Sega for marketing unlicensed videogames for the Sega Genesis
videogame
console.
Personal
o The author's brother buys a
NES. The author is unimpressed, commenting that the C64 could do
better.
o As part of his Commodore software
reduction, the author releases CRMP 2.0 into the public domain.
He donates
the original
program disks, source code, and master copy of the user's manual to a local
C64 software archivist.
o By this time, the author has
reduced his old software archies to a mere 100 or so Amiga titles and some
25-30 IBM
titles, almost
all of which are in 3.5" floppy disk format. The author begins to
seriously contemplate parting ways
with the Commodore
community.
o The author's love of anime (Japanese
animation) is reawakened by a chance viewing of the English-dubbed version
of Nausicaa
of the Valley of the Wind. Over the next seven years, he becomes
deeply immersed in what fans of
the scene call
"the third wave" of anime to hit the American market. This knowledge
base will prove useful in later
years.
Computers
o Intel introduces clock-multiplier
technology with its 80486DX2 series of CPUs. It also decides to adopt
the name
"Pentium" for
its new 64-bit processor instead of calling it the 80586, due to the fact
that both AMD and Intel are
preparing to
announce clone CPUs under the latter name. "Pentium" becomes a registered
trademark of Intel, with
the chip itself
code-termed P54.
o Microsoft Windows 3.1
ships, incorporating a number of significant enhancements to its immediate
predecessor.
This is the
version widely regarded by Windows aficionados as the first "stable"
version.
o Intel introduces the PCI bus
for system expansion cards, while the VESA consortium rolls out the VESA
VLB bus.
Together, these
represent the first significant major change to PC architecture since the
introduction of the original
16-bit ISA extension
for the IBM PC-AT. (NOTE: Some regard the inclusion of on-board cache
for 80386-based
systems as the
first significant change, but I do not since it only affected the CPU.
If you want to take that arguement,
then the use
of the 80386 itself would get first dibs.)
o The firstfruits of a joint IBM/Motorola
venture become evident as the first PowerPC CPUs hit the market.
o Philips unveils its CDi system.
o Apple's Macintosh Powerbook
becomes the first laptop comptuer to break the US$1 billion barrier in
sales.
o Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC) ships the first Alpha RISC processor, the first true 64-bit CPU.
The initial
incarnation
has a base clock speed of 150 MHz.
o The last old-style Amiga models,
the A600 and A1200, are announced. These are both AGA machines and
the first
to incorporate
the AGA 2 specification. By now it is public knowledge that Commodore's
profit margins are
shrinking, although
Commodore refuses to discuss the issue.
Videogames
o Sega releases the Sega CD (Mega
CD overseas) accessory for use with the Genesis for US$250.
It is the first
Genesis accessory
to give the console something of the power of the SNES/SFC (true sprite
scaling and zooming).
Its potential
is seriously hampered by Sega's reluctant access to development tools,
with the result that many of its
early titles
are either interactive moves or ports of popular Genesis titles with a
CD-quality soundtrack.
o Sony completes the prototype
for the SNES PlayStation CD-ROM drive. In a surprise move, Nintendo
decides to
drop the project.
Angered by Nintendo's behavior, Sony uses its experience to develop an
all-new 32-bit home
videogame system
from scratch, based around the CD-ROM delivery system that it originally
developed for
Nintendo.
The PlayStation name is retained, but rewritten as Playstation.
o Realizing that Capcom's best
programmers will be working on SNES ports and the effect that this deal
will have on
the Genesis,
Sega retaliates with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It comes out just
in time for Christmas and becomes the
all-time best-selling
game for the console.
Emulation
o The PowerOpen Association openly
calls for specifications for personal computer plaforms that can enable
them
(under emulation
if necessary) to provide cross-platform support for all Unix, MacOS, DOS,
and Windows
software.
Legal
o AMD vs. Intel.
AMD wins the legal battle when the courts rule that the Am386 is a legally
valid clone product, but
a later ruling
bars them from continued use of Intel microcode within its products.
AMD opts to re-license the code
from Intel rather
than having to reverse-engineer the offending code. The overall case
is hailed as a landmark by
the personal
comptuer industry.
o Lotus vs. Borland.
Lotus wins a preliminary injunction against Borland. Borland responds
by voluntarily removing
all 1-2-3
style features from Quattro and its descendant, Quattro Pro.
o Sega vs. Accolade.
A federal appeals court rules that Accolade's unlicensed videogames are
legal so long as they
do not trip
the Sega Trademark Security System (TMSS) within the Sega Genesis.
The two parties eventually settle
out of court.
In the process, the legality of the practice of "cart dumping" for the
sole purpose of software
development
and the concept of reverse engineering as a legal tool of developers are
confirmed - much to the chagrin
of the computer
software industry.
Personal
o The author breaks up his beloved
Amiga system to various interested parties, and eventually sells the original
A2000
base unit for
US$800. When asked why, he responds, "I can see the writing on the
wall. You can't sell a computer
without advertising
it, and Commodore won't pay for good advertising. They're running
the Amiga into the ground,
and I'm not
going to get stuck with an obsolete computer. I'm bailing out now."
Impressed, all but one of his friends
and many old
contacts also bail out of the Amiga scene around the same time or by the
end of the following year.
o The author builds his first
"Beemer" - a 40 MHz 80386 system disguised inside a stock PC-AT case
The only thing
it lacked apart
from the system he uses today in comparison is a CD-ROM drive, as those
were still rather pricey at
the time.
Computers
o The Macintosh finally "goes
color" and gets digital sound (and about damn time, too! - ed.)
^_^
o Microsoft and Intel begin development
of what will eventually become the Plug-and-Play (PnP) specification for
computer system
expansion cards.
o Intel officially unveils the
Pentium CPU.
o Microsoft introduces the first
version of Microsoft Windows NT, a pure 32-bit version of Windows
intended for
network usage.
Many power uses quickly gravitate toward this faster version of Windows
- a move that is not lost
on Microsoft.
o Apple offically discontinues
its Apple II product line.
o The MPC Level 2 specification
is adopted, calling for a 486SX-based PC compatible system with a 160 MB
hard
drive, a double-speed
XA-ready CD-ROM, 16-bit digital sound, and 640x480 15-bit SVGA graphics.
o Commodore's worsening financial
situation forces it to cease production of its PC clone line. It
decides to concentrate
all of its efforts
into the Amiga. (This is seen by many as the beginning of Commodore's slow
death)
Videogames
o Panasonic unveils the 3D0 for
US$700, the first 32-bit videogame console to hit the market and the first
to adopt the
CD-ROM delivery
format for its games. Backed by a huge consortium of developers (all
of the ones not aligned
with either
Sega or Nintendo, that is), the 3DO appears invincible.
o Atari releases the Atari Jaguar,
touted as the first 64-bit videogame console in history. This is
true only in a technical
sense, as the
actual technology and performance is only a step above existing 16-bit
systems. Sentiment for the
machine is high
(if not sales), due to the fact that it is the first "all-American" videogame
console in some time.
o Sega now controls 50% of the
American videogame market, thanks largely to its Sonic franchise.
o Both Sega and Nintendo announce
that development has commenced on its next generation systems.
o Sonic the Hedgehog CD
(aka Sonic CD) is released for the Sega CD as perhaps the only game
that can save the
platform.
It is a phenomenal accomplishment, but in a surprise move Sega changes
the music for the American
release.
Since the American soundtrack was retained for all subsequent releases,
including the PC port, the original
and superior
Japanese version of the game has become something of a collector's item.
o Berkeley Softwarks releases
Star
Trek: The Screen Saver, based on its popular After Dark engine.
Emulation
o 75 major computer companies
agree to adopt the Spec 1170 definition of Unix. The name is derived
from the fact
that it defines
a set of 1170 standard API calls.
o Apple demonstrates a hardware-software
PC emulator at Comdex, utilizing an expansion board called the DOS
Compatable Card
running MS-DOS on a 486SX CPU.
o Nintendo retools the NES with
"an improved cartridge slot." (!)
Legal
o The FTC decides not to take
any action against Microsoft concerning monopolistic trade practices.
Subsequently,
the Department
of Justice begins its own antitrust investigation against Microsoft.
o Incensed by the violent content
of such games as Midway's Mortal Kombat and Sega's Night Trap,
the U.S.
Senate launches
a congressional investigation into videogame violence. The eventual
results are the development of
the game ratings
system in use today by software vendors and the subsequent release of even
more violent games.
o Compton New Media receives a
patent on the search engine used in its Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia.
As a
result, Compton
begins seeking fees and back royalties from any other vendor using any
kind of search engine within
its own products.
o Atari sues Sega for patent infringement
(?!)
o Apple vs. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.
The courts deny Apple exclusive rights to a standardized GUI interface
for personal
computers, permitting them to copyright only a relatively small portion
of the over 180 elements that were
in dispute during
the lawsuit and the rest ruled as being covered under a prior 1985 agreement.
Apple appeals the
decision, but
their appeal is denied. The decision is widely seen as a tremendous
victory for Microsoft.
o Lotus vs. Borland.
A federal district court rules in favor of Lotus for copyright infringement.
Borland stock falls to
US$7 a share,
well below its all-time high of US$82 a share, and the company is all but
ruined due to its financial
misfortunes.
Borland is subsequently barred from including any 1-2-3 compatability
features in Quattro and its
derivatives.
Borland appeals the ruling.
o Stac vs. Microsoft.
The disk-compression software vendor sues, claming that Microsoft's DoubleSpace
violates
Stac's patent
on the Stacker compression algorithims.
Personal
o The author's brother buys a
Sega Genesis. The author is quite impressed at the time, but forces
himself to stay away
and stick with
his "Beemer." Still, he can't help sneaking an admiring peek now
and then, as its videogames bring
back many fond
Amiga memories.
o The author builds himself a
new "Beemer" - an 80486DX33 system with 32 MB RAM and the Quantum 200 MB
hard drive that
used to be in his Amiga.
o The author attends the Summer
CES in Atlanta as part of his current job as the vice-president of a small
startup
computer-based
training company. He is unimpressed with the Pentium CPUs then available,
and remembers leaning
more towards
the DEC Alpha ("Oh, if it were only PC compatible!"). He fondly recalls
the Berkeley booth, which
was a mockup
of the bridge of the original starship Enterprise, and came back
home with two boxes full of freebies
from the likes
of IBM, Microsoft, Intel, AMD, and so on.
Computers
o The Macintosh jumps on the clock-multiplier
bandwagon with the introduction of Newer Technologies' clock-
doubled 68040
CPU upgrades.
o Windows for Workgroups,
aka Windows 3.11 ships near the end of the year. The only
major changes are increased
network support
and an improved disk caching system reputedly lifted from the next-generation
version of Windows.
o Apple begins shipping the first
of its PowerPC Macs. 145,000 systems ship within the first two weeks.
o Commodore begins its long-overdue
self-implosion with the voluntary liquidation of two of its major branches,
Commodore International
and Commodore Electronics.
o Microsoft formally announces
the impending release of its new operating system, which will be called
Microsoft
Windows 95.
A series of alpha and beta versions of Win95 are shipped to registered
software testers over the
course of the
year, with bootlegs managing to escape "in all directions."
o Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 is released.
It will prove to be the last "straight" version of that operating system
officially
authored by
Microsoft. Around the same time, Novell halts all development of
DR-DOS, the chief competitor to
MS-DOS.
o Microsoft offers Netscape US$1
million for the right to license the Netscape browser. Netscape
declines. (NOTE:
several sources
claim that Netscape felt that Microsoft's price was way too low for this
evolving technology)
o Dr. Thomas R. Nicely discovers
the now-infamous Pentium floating-point bug. The resulting ruckus
causes Intel to
recall the Pentium
and offer free replacements to anybody with the defective version.
o Gary Kildall, author of CP/M,
dies in a bar brawl.
o AMD unveils its K5 CPU, the
first Pentium clone. It is also AMD's first purely reverse-engineered
CPU.
Videogames
o Nintendo releases Super Metroid
for the SNES, and also unveils the Super FX chip in a concerted effort
to keep
the SNES/SFC
competetive while it readies its next-generation console. The most
widely regarded Super FX
title is StarFox.
o Sega introduces the 32X upgrade
for its Genesis home videogame console, priced at US$180. The premiere
title is an
almost perfect port of idSoft's DOOM. The upgrade is a significant
one but Sega remains mysteriously
uncommitted
to the 32X, resulting in poor third-party support.
o Nintendo releases the Super
GameBoy adaptor for the SNES/SFC at US$60, which allows the console to
play
GameBoy games.
o Nintendo wows the crowd at an
industry trade show with the first Donkey Kong Country game, proving
that the
SNES/SFC can
hold its own against the 3D0 and Jaguar. It is the best-selling game
of the year, and it allows
Nintendo to
regain ground against Sega in the home console wars.
o Sega releases Sonic vs. Knuckles
for the Genesis. Sales are surprisingly poor, but videogame sales
as a whole are
low for that
year. Sega attributes poor sales due to massive market saturation
by the Sonic franchise, and eventually
winds up giving
away a significant portion of the cartridges.
o The home console industry witness
the near-simultaneous releases of the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation
in Japan.
The Saturn's
premiere title is Virtua Fighter. The Playstation's premiere
titles are Ridge Racer, Battle Arena
Toshinden,
and Space Griffon.
Emulation
o Apple discontinues the DOS Compatable
Card only 2 1/2 months after initally offering it. This turns out
to be in lieu
of a new version
for PowerPC Macs that incorporates a 50 MHz 486DX2, with full network and
sound support.
The entire inventory
of Houdini boards, as they are termed by Apple, sell out within a few months.
o Reply Corporation licenses DOS
Compatable technology from Apple, which it uses to release its own product
-
the DOS-on-Mac
PC coprocessor card.
o International Meta Systems files
a patent application for technology that will allow RISC processors to
emulate
instruction
sets used by other processors.
Internet
o Mosiac Communications ships
Netscape
Navigator 1.0 by Netscape Communications. It quickly becomes
the
most popular
"browser" on the Internet.
o The International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) adopts the V.34 spec, increasing modem speeds to 28.8 kbps.
Legal
o Microsoft is granted trademark
protection for use of the term windows with regards to comptuer
operating systems.
o Microsoft admits that it needs
to change some of its American and European marketing practices.
The Department
of Justice begins
the formal process of taking legal action against Microsoft.
o AMD vs. Intel.
The California Supreme Court uphold's AMD's victory in the lawsuit.
o Atari vs. Sega.
The two videogame giants elect to settle out of court, with Sega paying
Atari US$90 million in
exchange for
a 7.4% ownership share of Atari and rights to 70 of its patents.
o IMA vs. Compton.
The Interactive Media Association formally requests that the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office
(PTO) review
Compton's search engine patent. After doing so, the PTO throws out
all 41 of Compton's claims.
o Lotus vs. Borland.
Borland's financial weakness prompts it to sell away Quattro and
all rights with regards to it.
The reported
sale price is US$140 million.
o Stac vs. Microsoft.
A federal district court rules that Microsoft did in fact violate Stac's
proprietary patents with
regards to disk-compresion
algorithims. Microsoft is forced to release a new version of MS-DOS
(v6.21) that
removes DoubleSpace.
Later that year, Microsoft settles the dispute for US$83 million (US$40
million in stock and
US$43 million
in royalties) and licenses Stacker technology for use in its products.
Personal
o The author's brother purchases
a 3DO system against the author's advice.
o The author upgrades his "Beemer"
to an Am486DX4-100 with 32MB FPRAM and a 330 MB HDD initially for use
with Windows
NT, and then later with Windows 95 once WinNT proves
to be out of his price range.
o An old hacking contact of the
author provides him with the alpha version of Windows 95.
The author is not all that
impressed, but
recalls building a bootable DOS disk with the "DOS 7" commands included
on it for future use with
his utilities
collection, after which he trashed the Win95 alpha.
Computers
o Microsoft releases the much-reviled
Microsoft
BOB "superapplication." It is soon forgotten and quietly abandoned.
o Iomega introduces the ZIP drive,
initially offered in 25 MB and 100 MB sizes.
o The self-implosion of Commodore
ends when ESCOM buys all rights to the properties and technologies of the
now-
bankrupt Commodore.
ESCOM forms a subsidiary company based in Germany called, appropriately
enough,
Amiga Technologies.
o Apple introduces the PowerMac
9500 - first Mac to use the PCI bus instead of its own proprietary NuBus.
o IBM buys out Lotus for US$3.5
billion, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.
o Microsoft releases Windows
95 in August, with over 1 million copies sold through retail channels
in only 4 days,
4 million copies
after one week, and 7 million copies after two months.
o A unified Digital Video Disc
(DVD) standard is announced. This permits the development of DVD-ROM
technology,
which will eventually suppliment and then replace CD-ROM as the mass-media
format of choice.
o Intel announces the first successor
to the Pentium, the Pentium Pro (or P6). It does not receive a warm
welcome
due to various
compatability problems, the chief of which are the price and package design.
The Pentium and its
various clones
remain the processor of choice for most users.
o Amiga Technologies finally ships
the A1200 computer, which had been held up due to Commodore's collapse.
It also ships
the last 680x0 system in the Amiga line - the A4000T, whose base model
uses a 25 MHz 68040.
The company
then announces that future Amigas will use the PowerPC for its CPU.
o AMD buys out NexGen, makers
of the NexGen 5x86 CPU, for US$861 million.
Videogames
o Sega unveils a portable version
of its Genesis console called the Nomad. It is similar to the GameGear
system, but
slightly large
and can handle standard Genesis cartridges.
o Nintendo officially discontinues
the NES, and about the same time unveils the dismal Virtual Boy for US$180.
o Sega and 3DO announce a joint
venture to develop a new 64-bit video technology called M2. The talks
break off,
and Panasonic
quickly snaps up M2 as a perceived means of upgrading the fast-failing
3DO videogame system.
o Sega releases the Sega Saturn
in the United States ahead of schedule for US$400. The move causes
the premature
death of the
32X. Among the early releases hailed for the unit are Daytona
USA and Panzer Dragoon, but the
remaing bulk
of titles are considered to be garbage.
o Sony releases the Sony Playstation
to the American market for US$300. Initial sales are strong, and
the console
receives much
praise from both users and reviewers alike. It soon surpasses the
Sega Saturn in sales.
o Under public pressure from its
customer base, Nintendo displays a working prototype of the N64 at the
Shoshinkai
trade show in
Japan running the game that will become Super Mario 64. Rumors
persist that very little software is
in development
for the new machine.
o Feeling that it has left the
public confused after bombarding the public with several new Genesis peripherals,
the 32X,
and the Sega
Saturn in a very short time, Sega decides to drop its planned Neptune all-in-one
console. This would
have combined
the Genesis and the 32X into a single unit. By the end of the year,
Sega officially abandons support
for both the
Sega CD and the 32X.
Emulation
o Apple offers an upgraded version
of its Houdini board running on a 486DX2-66 and offering video support
up to
800x600 SVGA.
The asking retail price is US$740.
Internet
o Microsoft "asks" Netscape not
to develop a version of its Netscape browser for Windows 95.
Netscape "politely"
refuses their
request. Microsoft is forced to develop its own browser, Internet
Explorer, using technology licensed
from Netscape's
former vendor Mosaic. It also appears, based on court documents,
that Microsoft began to
consider ways
of shutting Netscape out of the browser market around this time.
Legal
o Microsoft and the Department
of Justice reach an initial settlement with regards to Microsoft's marketing
practices.
Shortly thereafter,
a federal district court approves the consent decree, which will govern
Microsoft's marketing
practices for
the next 6 1/2 years and bars it from trying to link any unrelated software
licenses to its products.
o AMD vs. Intel.
At the beginning of the year, AMD and Intel settle their remaining differences
out of court. AMD
pays Intel US$58
million in damages and the right to continued use of Intel x86 microcode.
Intel pays AMD US$18
million in court-ordered
levies.
o Lotus vs. Borland.
The U.S. Court of Appeals overturns the district court decision and rules
in favor of Borland,
saving Borland
from having to pay US$100 million to Lotus in damages.
Personal
o The author's brother shows him
a brochure of the up-and-coming M2 upgrade for his 3DO. The author
says
nothing except,
"That's nice."
o The author finally purchases
his first CD-ROM drive - a Mitsumi 4X - based on its favorable reviews.
o The author is impressed with
Windows
95, but notes that it is still quite buggy and "requires too much for
what little
it offers."
He decides to stick with Win31x until a suitably debugged Win95
service release comes along.
Computers
o Microsoft begins shipping its
Direct3D SDK for Win95 to developers some eight months behind schedule.
It is a
universal framework
to provide 3D accelleration for various vendors' video cards under Win95.
o Visual Information Technologies
purchases Amiga Technologies GmbH.
o Intel unveils MMX technology
for its Pentium line of processors, providing an additional instruction
set for 3D-based
applications.
Not surprising, the Pentium Pro is not slated for a MMX upgrade.
o Late in the year, Microsoft
released the much-acclaimed SR2 version of Win95, fixing a number
of bugs and adding
many new features.
This is widely considered to be the first "stable" version of Win95.
Videogames
o The CD-ROM format becomes the
delivery system of choice by most videogame developers, with Nintendo being
the lone holdout.
Nintendo does not want to adopt the CD-ROM format for the simple reason
that old-fashioned
videogame cartridges
have more stringent legal protections (which it helped to put in place)
and it doesn't want its
games to be
marketed in a easily copyable format.
o Sega releases the arcade coin-op
Virtua Fighter 3, shattering previous records for 3D polygon counts.
o Stores begin to dump their stocks
of 16-bit cartridges for all systems as the new 32-bit and better systems
become
more popular.
Nintendo quietly announces its 1 billionth cartridge sale, while Sega takes
huge losses on warehouses
full of unsold
Genesis games. Acclaim, a well-known third-party vendor for both
the Genesis and SNES, takes even
smaller but
even more damaging losses on warehouse full of really bad 16-bit games.
o Atari officially discontinues
the Jaguar by announcing that it has already been unofficially discontinued
for months.
o Amid much hoopla, Nintendo officially
announces its eagerly awaited N64 home videogame console. After the
opening day
antics in both Japan and the United States, sales of both the console and
software prove to be
surprisingly
poor. Most industry pundits attribute this to a lack of decent software,
with the only titles of not being
Super Mario
64, StarFox 64, and LucasArt's STAR WARS: Shadows of the Empire.
o Capcom's Street Fighter
franchise hits the end of the line and is quietly forgotten (by all but
its fans).
Emulation
o Apple publically demonstrates
MacOS running on a PowerPC-equipped IBM personal computer system.
o Neil Bradley releases EMU,
one of the very first arcade coin-op emulators.
o David Spice releases Sparcade,
a combination arcade/console emulator.
o Nicola Salmora releases a Pac-Man
emulator. This program will eventually evolve into MAME, the
Multiple Arcade
Machine Emulator.
o Peter Sharp releases Massage,
the first widely accepted Sega Master System/Game Gear emulator.
o Markus Gietzen releases GenEm,
the first decent emulator for the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive. (Editor's
note - there
was an earlier
effort called MegaDrive, but who did it? It was garbage, anyway...)
o The first version of the open-source
SNES9X
Super Nintendo emulator is released. It is also the first SNES/SFC
emulator with
full sound and Mode 7 support.
Legal
o AMD and Intel sign a five-year
patent cross-license agreement. (sigh - will they ever learn?)
o Lotus vs. Borland.
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the reversal of the district court ruling
in the case, making it
a clear slam-dunk
legal victory for Borland. This becomes a landmark legal case with
regards to the issue of "look-
and feel" in
computer software.
Personal
o The author resumes a serious
interest in videogames, having received a shareware copy of DOOM
from one of his
old Amiga hacking
buddies (who also converted to "Beemerdom" not long after the author).
The author is so
impressed by
DOOM
that he eventually purchases the full retail version of the game, and begins
to soak in the many
changes that
have occured since he last paid serious attention to the videogame scene.
o In the spring of the year, the
author is given an original CD of the Packard Bell version of Microsoft
Windows 95
(SR0) in exchange
for his services with a balky old 486 computer upgrade. He finally
upgrades to Win95 at this
time, even though
SR0 is known to be notoriously buggy.
o The author buys a copy of Microsoft
Windows 95 (SR2) for about US$110 as soon as it becomes available..
Computers
o Intel begins developing the
Pentium II, the second successor to its Pentium line. It is little
more than a Pentium Pro
with extra cache
and MMX support.
o Microsoft releases a beta version
of WinNT 5.0 at that year's Microsoft Professional Developer's Conference.
Although never
released commercially, this version would prove to be the basis for Win2000.
o Microsoft releases the widely
derided Internet Explorer 4.0 version of its web browser.
The product survives due
to sheer marketing
muscle, but more knowledgable users jump ship in favor of Netscape Communicator
4.0.
Videogames
o Sony releases the NetYaroze
SDK workstation for US$750. It is a matte-black Playstation with
special accessories
intended for
interfacing with a PC compatible computer that permits users with deep
pockets to develop their own
custom Playstation
games .
Emulation
o Thierry Lescott releases System/16,
an emulator for Sega's 16-bit arcade coin-op videogames.
o Neil Cortlett releases Multi-Gauntlet
Emulator (MGE), the first emulator to support the popular multiplayer
arcade coin-ops
by Atari.
o Bloodlust Software releases
both the Genecyst emulator (Sega Genesis/MegaDrive) and NESticle
(Nintendo NES)
for PC compatible
systems. They are widely hailed both for their ease of use and surprisingly
high level of
compatabilility
with the software base available for both emulated systems at the time.
Later in the year they release
Callus,
an emulator based on Capcom's CPS-1 arcade coin-op hardware (Street
Fighter 2 and various other such
games).
o MAME hits version 0.30,
now supporting over four hundred different arcade games and their variations.
o Steve Snake releases the first
version of KGen, widely regarded as the best DOS-based Genesis/MegaDrive
emulator ever
made.
o Paul Kahler and Kurt Mahan develop
an emulator for Cinematronics games.
Internet
o The Internet emulation scene
begins in earnest, with a number of now-revered sites making their debut.
Among the
remaining survivors
from that time are Archaic Ruins, Dave's Video Classics, SYS2064, and Zophar's
Domain.
Other sites
of note are Atmospherical Heights, ROMlist, InsertCoin, and Node99.
Legal
o The Department of Justice asks
a federal district court to hold Microsoft in contempt of court over their
original
marketing agreement,
due to the way in which Microsoft is forcing its Internet Explorer
broswer on Windows
vendors instead
of allowing them to offer the superior Netscape browser instead.
The court agrees and issues a
a preliminary
injunction permitting vendors so inclined to offer Netscape without
fear of reprisals by Microsoft.
Personal
o The author finally comes out
of his "hidey hole" and gets an Internet account. By this time, he
has just upgraded his
AMD K5-100 tower
system with a Pentium 200-MMX. He also takes the opportunity to bump
his system memory
up to 64 MB
EDO RAM. He is now quite pleased with the overall performance of
Win95
SR2 (although he is still
of the opinion
that it has way too much overhead).
Computers
o Intel begins shipping the Pentium
II processor.
o Microsoft releases Windows
98 to the public. It immediately draws fire as being little more
than a bloated and slower
version of its
immediate predecessor, Win95 SR2, and more knowledgeable users refuse
to upgrade.
o Red Hat Linux 5.2 is
released. This commercially vended version of the public domain Linux
operating system cuts
a noticeable
chunk out of Microsoft's share of the operating system market.
Videogames
o Sega previews its new Dreamcast
videogame console in Japan. It is the industry's first 128-bit videogame
console.
o Paradigm Simulations announces
the Vega UltraVision development system. Among its many modules
is one for
developing N64
games on Silicon Graphics and WindowsNT workstations.
o Sega releases the coin-op arcade
game Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
Emulation
o Peter Hirschberg releases the
Vector Dream emulator.
o SNES9X development is
resumed in early spring. It becomes the first Super Nintendo emulator
to offer support for
the Super FX
chip (albeit limited), with its chief competitor ZSNES adding support
several months later.
o Johan Koehler releases the very
first NeoGeo emulator. It supports only one game, Nam 1975.
o MAME v0.33 now supports
over 500 ROMs." Among these is the unreleased sequel to the popular
arcade coin-op
Q*Bert,
released into the public domain by its author. It is the first recorded
instance of a former commercial arcade
coin-op game
released into the public domain for use with an emulator.
o Anders Nilsson and Janne Korpola
release NeoRage, one of the most popular NeoGeo emulators in existence.
As
a direct result,
those with the resources begin dumping NeoGeo "ROMs" right and left as
fast as they can find them.
o Callus v0.40 becomes
the first videogame emulator to offer network play support (via TCP/IP).
o MESS makes its
initnal debut. It is a multiconsole emulator along the same lines
as MAME.
o MAME v0.34 is released
in August, supporting a total of 629 "ROMs."
o Neil Bradley and Mike Cuddy
release the first verison of Retrocade.
o Nao releases M72, a dedicated
emulator for IREM coin-op videogames.
o MAME adds preliminary
support for NeoGeo games (release v0.34)
o Generator is the first
Genesis emulator with open source code.
o Jason Meehan releases a version
of his VGen Sega Genesis/MegaDrive emulator that offers support
for the Sega CD
BIOS.
It is widely hailed as the "first" Sega CD emulator.
o Connectix releases Virtual
Game Station, the first commercial emulator of the Sony PSX for Macintosh
PCs.
o Bleem LLC releases bleem!,
the first commercial emulator of the Sony PSX for PC compatibles.
o Both SNES9X and ZSNES
simultaneously develop support for the DSP chip used in certain Super Nintendo
games.
o ZSNES becomes the first
Super Nintendo emulator to offer support for both the C-4 chip (MegaMan
X3) and for
48-mbit memory
maps (Tales of Phantasia).
Internet
o Atmospherical Heights, the brainchild
of Jan van Hertog and one of the most popular emulation sites on the Internet,
shuts its doors
for good.
o The IDSA begins a major crackdown
on Internet "ROM" sites starting in the spring and running until sometime
in
late summer,
after which it tapers off. Among the casualties are such well-known
and popular sites as The Dump
(Genesis/MegaDrive)
and SNESmerism (SNES/SFC).
o Netscape makes the source code
for its Netscape browser freely available.
Legal
o In May, the Department of Justice
and twenty state attorneys general file suit against Microsoft under the
terms of
the Sherman
Anti-Trust Act, charging Microsoft of attempting to establish an illegal
monopoly in the Internet brower
market.
o Microsoft asks for and receives
a limited stay in the 1997 ruling regarding Internet Explorer so
it will be able to
ship Win98
on time. The chief reason is that Microsoft has incorporated Internet
Explorer into the Windows core,
making it an
integral part of the operating system.
o Sun Microsystems, who hold the
copyrights to the Java programming language favored for Internet applications,
takes legal
action against Microsoft for implementing a non-standard version of Java
with Internet Explorer 4.0.
o President Bill Clinton signs
the Digital Millenium Copyright Act into law. Among other things,
it makes the possession,
use, and distribution
of security bypass technology illegal within the United States and its
territories. Cart dumpers are
but one of the
many existing and previously legal technologies rendered illegal by this
new law.
Personal
o The author becomes aware of
the emulation community near the first of the year (late January?) after
linking to a
banner for Amiga
Emulators Central, which eventually leads him to the original Atmospherical
Heights. The addition
is instant.
Later, he becomes appalled at the lack of general information for average
users concerning games for his
favorite videogame
console, the Sega Genesis, and resolves to do something about it
o In conjunction with The Dump:
Genesis, the author begins writing The Genesis Game Guide (G3).
Eidolon's Inn
picks up sponsorship
of G3 after The Dump: Genesis folds, where (thanks to the author's
dogged research and the
contributions
of many others) it is released by the end of the year. It becomes
universally recognized as the
authoritative
guide on Genesis/MegaDrive titles.
o Later that year, the author
buys his first Voodoo board (the Intergraph Extreme Voodoo Rush card).
o Near the end of the year, Zoop
of EmuCamp talks the author into expanding his emulation research to include
the
SNES/SFC.
The SNES Software Source (S3) and the SNES Chart are born
at this time.
Computers
o Shane Brooks develops 98lite,
a shareware utility that allows users to strip out Internet Explorer
from Win98 and
replace it with
Win95's
Windows Explorer. The resultant patched operating system gives users
the performance of
Win95
and the features of Win98 without the slowness that resulted from
Internet
Explorer serving as the operating
shell.
o Intel unveils the Pentium III
processor. They catch a lot of flak due to the CPU's serial number,
which is now encoded
inside the chip.
A sizeable number of users feel this is a violation of their privacy rights
and instead turn to CPUs made
by AMD and Cyrix.
o Red Hat Linux 6.0 is
released.
Videogames
o Nintendo confirms that its new
N2000 console will use a variation of DVD-ROM format. They become
the last
major videogame
company to abandon the cartridge format for its console games.
o Sega releases the Sega Smash
Pack for PC compatible systems. It uses a modifed form of Steve
Snake's KGen
Genesis/MegaDrive
emulator to run eight classic Sega games. It is the first time in
the community's history that an
original system
vendor has licensed a freeware videogame emulator for commercial use.
Many view it as a form of
unofficial endorsement
by Sega for Steve Snake's excellent emulator.
o Sega releases the Dreamcast
videogame console in the United States.
o Sega releases the Star Wars
Trilogy coin-op arcade game. Its graphics are favorably compared
to the computer-
generated graphics
used by Lucasfilm in its "special edition" retooling of the original three
films.
Emulation
o UltraHLE, by Episilon
and RealityMan for PC compatible systems, earns the dubious distinction
of being the
world's first
working N64 emulator.
o ZSNES becomes the first
Super Nintendo emulator to support the SA-1 chip (Super Mario RPG).
o Omar Cornut and Hiromitsu Shioya
release MEKA, widely regarded as the best Sega Master System/Game
Gear
emulator ever
made for DOS systems.
Internet
o Emulators Unlimited is
the first Internet site to offer UltraHLE.
Legal
o Nintendo threatens the authors
of UltraHLE with prompt legal action, forcing them to shut down
their support site
less than 24
hours after it goes online. They are unable to stop the widespread
distribution and use of the program.
o ASCII Software of Japan becomes
the first vendor to threaten legal action against the makers of a translation
patch
for a "ROM."
The group involved is KanjiHack of the United Kingdom, and the program
in question is RPG Tool
Super Dante
2.
o Millions of lawsuits are filed
across what is left of the globe after the Earth's moon is blown out of
orbit in early
September, due
to a massive series of thermonuclear explosions on its dark side.
^_^ (yes, I'm a longtime fan)
Personal
o The author buys a copy of Win98
for
legal reasons, but refuses to use it until he gets a copy of 98lite.
He later
purchases a
copy of Red Hat Linux and begins preparations to change operating
systems, due to the reputed size
and system requirements
for Win2000.
o By this time, the author is
using a homebuilt PC clone running on an Intel Pentium II at 350 MHz, with
128 MB
SDRAM, two multigig
hard drives (one 4.0 GB, the other 12.0 GB), an Iomega ZIP drive, a 36x
CD-ROM, a
CD-ROM burner,
an ATI All-in-Wonder SVGA card, and a Voodoo2 3D accellerator card.
o The author develops the N64
Chart in order to determine just how well the new UltraHLE emulator
really works.
o Worried at the prospects of
possible legal action by Nintendo with regards to his documents, the author
pulls all of
his emulation-related
works off of the Internet
o The author releases Emulation:
Right or Wrong? (aka the EmuFAQ). It is the first serious
study on the legal
issues surrounding
emulation.
o Concurrently with the development
of the EmuFAQ, the author re-releases both the Genesis Game Guide
and the
Genesis Chart
thanks to the unexpected intervention by legendary game and emulator developer
Steve Snake. The
Nintendo-related
documents (S3, the SNES Chart) continue to be held in abeyance
at this time, as their legal status
remains in doubt.
other sources
Kent, Stephen; Horwitz, Jer; and Fielder, Joe. "The History of
Videogames." Internet document: VideoGameSpot, 1998.
Current URL: http://www.gamespot.com/features/universal/hov/hov01.html
The SYS2064 news archive - August 1997 to present.