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

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM!

This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in July 1994. 
As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost.  Check out his podcast here:
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Links:
If you don't see all the links, find them here:
    https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1994-116535754
Or check out the complete version of this month's two-parter here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/july-1994-116535754

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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