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imagic game release order?


broncoman

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Do you have links to those?

 

The EG issues are all on the Internet Archive. Just search inside the August, September and October 1983 issues for "Solar Storm" and it will direct you to the appropriate pages. The ad in the August issue does seem to be the first mention of the game in EG, unless I'm missing something.

 

https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-magazine

 

The Logical Gamer issue is on Digital Press. The mention of the upcoming Solar Storm review is on the last page, I think.

 

http://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/logical_gamer/

 

As for VGU/CE, here's a scan of the appropriate page from the August, '83 issue. As I mentioned before, the game never showed up previously in their "coming soon" lists, and this is the only time it was ever mentioned in the newsletter (as confirmed by the master index), so that really helps pin down that it actually became available around July, in my opinion.

 

15dxap4.jpg

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As for VGU/CE, here's a scan of the appropriate page from the August, '83 issue. As I mentioned before, the game never showed up previously in their "coming soon" lists, and this is the only time it was ever mentioned in the newsletter (as confirmed by the master index), so that really helps pin down that it actually became available around July, in my opinion.

Thanks. If you get a chance to scan in all of the pages that you have over time, it would be very helpful.

 

The catalog and Numb Thumb News said that Moonsweeper would be available in July and that Solar Storm is available now, so that's why I have "this game had to be released before July" on my page. It would be nice to know when now was.

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The catalog and Numb Thumb News said that Moonsweeper would be available in July and that Solar Storm is available now, so that's why I have "this game had to be released before July" on my page. It would be nice to know when now was.

 

There are not enough issues of Numb Thumb News for us to get a handle on the frequency of publication.

 

The contest in Volume 1 ended on January 31, 1983 -- so Volume 2 appeared sufficiently after that date to have selected the winners. The contest in Volume 2 had an end date of June 15, 1983, so there needed to be time for readers to get their entry submitted. Hmmm... I'm going to say that the issue was published in March or April.

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Have you guys considered cross referencing with the Arcade Express newsletters? I believe that came out bi-weekly from the editors of Electronic Games geared towards the industry as opposed to consumers. They have news and reviews, and I would suppose they are more timely than regular magazine issues. If they have reviews or release announcements they might further help nail down release dates. (at least to the month).

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Have you guys considered cross referencing with the Arcade Express newsletters? I believe that came out bi-weekly from the editors of Electronic Games geared towards the industry as opposed to consumers. They have news and reviews, and I would suppose they are more timely than regular magazine issues. If they have reviews or release announcements they might further help nail down release dates. (at least to the month).

Yep, Arcade Express is mentioned all over my pages. Here's one example:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1982.html#history_ae_aug_15_p3_empire

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Yep, Arcade Express is mentioned all over my pages. Here's one example:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1982.html#history_ae_aug_15_p3_empire

 

Oh, sorry man, I should have looked. I love your "timeline". It's something I've worked on myself in the past. I have a huge long word document called "Atari Timeline" that has 100's of dates, but it's like 15 years old now.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks. If you get a chance to scan in all of the pages that you have over time, it would be very helpful.

Looks like somebody already did. I was given this link in a PM:

 

smspower.org/forums/15291-ComputerEntertainerNewsletterTheVideoGameUpdate

That thread links to this: ia600806.us.archive.org/15/items/ComputerEntertainer/

 

A lot of good stuff in the big PDF, as long as you read it backwards to help weed out the incorrect information.

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I've been compiling my own release lists for a lot of those early game consoles, and the Computer Entertainer/Arcade Express scans have been invaluable resources for pinning down release months to my own satisfaction. My only complaint is that there are no scans online of the last year of CE or the last couple years of Arcade Express, after it changed names. It's a limiting factor in nailing down some of those releases. I understand the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX has all those latter-day Arcade Express newsletters, they just haven't been scanned in yet... but Computer Entertainer is a tougher nut to crack for January-July 1990.

 

The Library of Congress copyright search isn't too bad either, if incomplete. I've actually been having a lot of trouble with those pre-82 release dates for games on numerous systems due to having extremely limited sources, and prior to discovering the late issues of Computer Entertainer the post-crash dates were extremely hard to figure out too for the 2600 (and the 7800).

Edited by ubersaurus
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so i might be wrong but trick shot first then demon attack ?

 

This is from Videogaming:

 

In March 1982, Imagic released its first three games, Trick Shot, Star Voyager, and Demon Attack. Demon Attack quickly shot to the top of the bestseller lists and stayed there. Demon Attack money helped Imagic adapt to the changing market . . . for a while.

This is from The Video Game Update or Video Take-Out or whatever they called themselves in the early part of 1982:

 

A brand new company, with former ATARI & INTELLIVISION whiz kids running it! The first games (compatible ONLY with ATARI) have been announced for late April (the graphics are TERRIFIC!)

 

IA-3000 TRICK SHOT $18.20

IA-3200 DEMON ATTACK $23.60

IA-3201 STAR VOYAGER 23.60

IC-5000 VIDEO ACTION 23.60

 

Get your pre-orders in now. These games will be hot!

 

More cartridges on the drawing board and plans call for cartridges for your INTELLIVISION system by the FALL!!

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thank you what is video action ?

 

It's called Video Action Center here:

 

archive.org/stream/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_05_1983-02_Pumpkin_Press_US#page/n75/mode/1up

 

I don't know what it is.

 

 

Update

 

The Imagic Press Kit says that IC5000 is a video storage center.

 

post-13-0-55369500-1463537790.png

 

 

 

post-13-0-55369500-1463537790_thumb.png

 

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A little off topic: I know Intellivision had 14 released Imagic games including Ice Trek, Swords & Serpents & Tropical Trouble which were not on list in 1st post. I would be curious as to how many Imagic releases there were for the Atari 2600 as I know some titles were exclusive to both systems. But yeah definitely never disappointed with the Imagic releases.

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There are not enough issues of Numb Thumb News for us to get a handle on the frequency of publication.

 

The contest in Volume 1 ended on January 31, 1983 -- so Volume 2 appeared sufficiently after that date to have selected the winners. The contest in Volume 2 had an end date of June 15, 1983, so there needed to be time for readers to get their entry submitted. Hmmm... I'm going to say that the issue was published in March or April.

I'm going to look at the info one more time and see what happens.

 

 

Imagic Info:

 

Numb Thumb News said that Solar Storm was available now (one of 3 new blockbusters) and that No Escape was a new release (with no mention of a date). Looks like No Escape was released before Solar Storm since No Escape was slapped on page 6 with other 'new' releases like Dragonfire (December 1982).

 

The sneak preview sheet said that Solar Storm and No Escape were available now.

 

Numb Thumb News and the sneak preview sheet said that Moonsweeper would be available in July and Fathom would be available in August.

 

 

What did we learn?

 

If we can believe the preview sheet and Numb Thumb News, Solar Storm and No Escape were available before July.

 

 

 

 

VGU information:

 

The Video Game Update for April 1983 said that No Escape would be released in April. No Escape was also reviewed in that April newsletter.

 

This was in the June 1983 VGU newsletter:

"Five to seven new cartridges are planned for the Atari VCS, including TARANTULA [subterranea]; SOLAR STORM, where you fight laser-shooting invaders, while being bombarded by flaming meteors, sun spots, and Sizzloids, which are so hot that just a few of them can set your world on fire! If you hit enough targets the scene shifts to an orbiting gun platform and you fire at enemy spaceships . . ."

 

As Brain Breaker posted earlier, Solar Storm was reviewed in the August 1983 newsletter with Moonsweeper. VGU said that Moonsweeper was released in July.

 

 

What did we learn?

 

There doesn't seem to be a reason to doubt that No Escape was released in April of 1983. Solar Storm was mentioned in June as a planned cartridge. Seems like they would have mentioned that it was already available if the game was released in March or April.

 

 

 

 

Magazine ads:

 

There doesn't seem to be an ad for Solar Storm in any magazines before August 1983.

 

There doesn't seem to be an ad for Moonsweeper in any magazines before September 1983.

 

 

What did we learn?

 

We know that Moonsweeper was released in July, so it took 2 months before ads appeared in magazines. If there was also a lag of 2 months for Solar Storm ads, that would mean the game was released in June.

 

 

 

 

Are We There Yet?

 

Does anyone have a problem with me using June as a best guess on my 1983 release date page for Solar Storm? I'll also stick No Escape in the April 1983 section while I'm at it.

 

 

 

 

My Atari 2600 Imagic Release Date List:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html#imagic

 

Demon Attack (Best Guess: March 1982)

Star Voyager (Best Guess: March 1982)

Trick Shot (Best Guess: March 1982)

Atlantis (July 1982)

Cosmic Ark (August 1982)

Fire Fighter (August 1982)

Riddle of the Sphinx (August 1982)

Dragonfire (Best Guess: December 1982)

 

Shootin’ Gallery (Best Guess: March 1983)

No Escape! (Best Guess: April 1983)

Solar Storm (Best Guess: June 1983)

Moonsweeper (July 1983)

Fathom (August 1983)

Quick Step! (Best Guess: September 1983) [working title was Hop To It]

Laser Gates (Best Guess: October 1983)

Subterranea (Best Guess: December 1983) [working title was Tarantula]

 

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  • 8 months later...

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