Pop Culture Timelines Go-To Thread

What if Blade Runner (1982) is a roaring success at the box office, instead of the beloved but financially disastrous box office flub it was IOTL?

Multiple Oscar wins for effects, style, and music? Best picture?
More noir styled thrillers in the 80’s?
Massive take up of cyberpunk/ revival of punk in general?
Harrison Ford ends up with another role he dislikes?
General plundering of sci-fi for more movies until the Airport! folk make a paradox that shits it all down in the early 90’s.
 
Multiple Oscar wins for effects, style, and music? Best picture?
More noir styled thrillers in the 80’s?
Massive take up of cyberpunk/ revival of punk in general?
Harrison Ford ends up with another role he dislikes?
General plundering of sci-fi for more movies until the Airport! folk make a paradox that shits it all down in the early 90’s.

Even more Phillip K. Dick adaptations in the 80's and 90's.

Man in the High Castle in mid-80's?

Anti-fascist piece in the middle of the Reagan/Thatcher years? Someone is likely to run with that.
 
This collection of VHS distributor logos by Reagan Ray has some new ones to me, via Kottke who links to Ray's work on cars and railways and airlines and a few more. Several of these are begging to be major studio players in AH lol.

"Trust the Rooster!" Screen Shot 2019-05-20 at 23.31.22.png
 
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STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

In December 86, Greg Strangis pitched a possible Star Trek continuation to Gene Rodenberry. The studio were making the show regardless and Rodenberry did not want to be involved, but the studio wanted his consent anyway.

Upon hearing the details of the Strangis pitch, Rodenberry reportedly decided he didn't like several of the ideas and came onboard the proposed continuation.

But what if he didn't? What if he was happy to receive the royalties into his account, and simply gave the pitch his approval.

1987 witnesses the debut of a new Star Trek, with Yaphet Kotto as Captain Rhon of the USS Odyssey, Billy Campbell as his First Officer Commander Kincaid, Jenny Agutter as Doctor Hart, Roscoe Lee Brown as Chief Engineer Gage, Dustin Nguyen as Cadet Brik, Jessica Steen as Cadet Joyce and Clancy Brown as the ships Klingon Military Attache, Commander Mynk ...

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STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

In December 86, Greg Strangis pitched a possible Star Trek continuation to Gene Rodenberry. The studio were making the show regardless and Rodenberry did not want to be involved, but the studio wanted his consent anyway.

Upon hearing the details of the Strangis pitch, Rodenberry reportedly decided he didn't like several of the ideas and came onboard the proposed continuation.

But what if he didn't? What if he was happy to receive the royalties into his account, and simply gave the pitch his approval.

1987 witnesses the debut of a new Star Trek, with Yaphet Kotto as Captain Rhon of the USS Odyssey, Billy Campbell as his First Officer Commander Kincaid, Jenny Agutter as Doctor Hart, Roscoe Lee Brown as Chief Engineer Gage, Dustin Nguyen as Cadet Brik, Jessica Steen as Cadet Joyce and Clancy Brown as the ships Klingon Military Attache, Commander Mynk ...

Now that is an interesting premise. Gene taking the cash but not the showrunning job would have certainly changed a ton of TNG details.

That Enterprise seems to balance a lot better than the 1701-D....
 
Now that is an interesting premise. Gene taking the cash but not the showrunning job would have certainly changed a ton of TNG details.

That Enterprise seems to balance a lot better than the 1701-D....

I think the pitch for this version of TNG is quite interesting. You can see where some of the ideas came from (the Klingon Military Attache becomes Worf) in the version we ended up getting.

I'm tempted to do a full thread, but it won't have the justice done that it deserves.

I did a take albeit with Gene sidelined. I felt so bad for Patrick Stewart I flipped him in—the key flaw with the post, next upcoming go-around I’m afraid I won’t be that nice lol. Way more granular to boot.

Your take was very interesting. Good work on that.
 

Huehuecoyotl

Monthly Donor
The Gaming Thread Omnibus
Hey all! I wasn't able to find anything comparable on this thread or on the wiki, so I decided to construct an omnibus directory of all of the video/computer gaming timelines, WIs, and AHCs that I could find on the board. The vast majority of these are from this very sub-forum, though I decided to include space for Shared Worlds and Future History threads about the subject because I figure there's an overlap in interest.

If you have any corrections or notable threads that I missed, let me know and I'll edit them in.

Here is a key for the tags/identifiers I'm placing under each link:

(A) - Timeline active
(H) - Timeline on hiatus
(R) - Timeline retired or locked

A - Atari focused thread
N - Nintendo focused thread
S - Sega focused thread
PS - Sony/PlayStation focused thread
X - Microsoft/Xbox focused thread
O - Thread focused on other manufacturers

Timelines
1970s
Changing the Game by StomperYoshi (2018 -) (A) O A N S
Starting when RCA takes the bait and buys Ralph Baer's machine, gaming in the 1970s and 80s has started to look very different indeed as this timeline has progressed.

1980s
Earthquake Weather by Electric Monk (2012 - 2015) (R) N S A
This is a general pop culture timeline arising from the cultural effects of a big Japanese earthquake in 1986. There's generous coverage of changes in the video game industry, including a shakier introduction of the NES to North America.

Dirty Laundry by Andrew T (2012 - 2016) (R) A
Although another general pop culture timeline, this one with a POD branching off of former Eagles frontman Don Henley's career choices in the early 80s and thus not focusing primarily on games, this timeline does feature some interesting butterflies for the video game industry, particularly Atari.

Playland by Duc4AlternateHistory (2018) (H) O A
A timeline set in the intriguing early 1980s video game landscape, before the big crash. Features a Hasbro console and some interesting changes among Atari, Mattel, and Coleco.


1990s
Cronus Invictus by Thande (2009) (R) N PS S A
Considered by some to be the original video gaming timeline on this board. It uses the classic POD of a successful Nintendo/Sony SNES-CD deal and proceeds into the late 1990s from there. Although the POD is at the end of the 1980s, the differences don't truly start to emerge until after 1990.

Final Fantasy in Television: A Retrospective by DAv (2012) (R)
A one-shot timeline about a prospective Final Fantasy television series.

Player Two Start / Massively Multiplayer by RySenkari and Nivek with contributors (2013 -) (A) N PS S X O
Like "Cronus Invictus", this timeline explores the consequences of a Nintendo/Sony deal at the turn of the 90s, but this one is massive! So massive it had to be split in two. This timeline is still ongoing and features extensive butterflies both within the pop culture world and beyond.

Of Koopas and Kremlings + Redux by starwarsfan (2013 - 2014) (R) N S
The original and the redux actually have quite different premises, with the original starting in the early 2000s with Satoru Iwata assuming the presidency of Nintendo early. The latter begins with a Sega-Namco merger in 1994. Some interesting ideas are on display here.

A Dream Reborn by Asami (2013 - 2015) (H) S X
Beginning at the very tail end of the 1990s, this timeline explores a very special relationship between Microsoft and Sega, resulting in a different trajectory for the Dreamcast.


Beyond the Genesis by Confortius (2014) (R) S N O

Focuses on a series of different decisions on the part of Sega, with knock-on effects for the 32-bit era and beyond.

The Challenge Will Always Be There by The Storyteller (2014) (R) N PS S
Sharing a similar POD to "Cronus Invictus", this brief timeline offered some tantalizing hints of an alternate history for both Nintendo and Sega.

64 and Beyond, Of Bits and Bytes, and Tons of Bits and Bytes by Beta.003 (2017) (R) N PS S O
Although primarily focusing on an alternate Nintendo 64, this trio of takes on a single timeline also branches out to explore more dimensions of another timeline's fifth-gen console war.

Altendo and A Death in the Family: The Nintendo Story by Suzon (2017 -) (A) N
A timeline focusing on the consequences of an early death of Hiroshi Yamauchi. Freshly restarted as of June 2019.

Nintendo - Project Atlantis by Will Lucky (2017 - 2018) (R) N S X
Everything changes when Nintendo releases a phenomenal successor to the original Game Boy in the late 1990s.

At Your Service by Beta.003 (2018) (R) S N PS
In this timeline, the 32X is axed and Sega throws everything it has into the Saturn, ensuring that it has a happier time in the fifth generation.

The SEGA Generation by EternalMadness1997 and Nivek (2018 -) (A) S PS N O
What if Sega had swallowed its pride and partnered with Sony in the 1990s? This timeline has the answers, and features strong showings from both 3DO and oddball pick Nokia, among other surprises.

2000s
Microsoft's Gambit: A New World by Ondennik (2016 - 2018) (R) X
Albeit not primarily a gaming timeline, this story where Microsoft goes big in the mobile market has knock-on effects for the history of the Xbox, too.


Titans Collide by Suzon (2017 - 2018) (R) N S

This brief timeline explores the immediate consequences of a Nintendo acquisition of Sega when the Dreamcast fizzles out.

Burying the Hatchet by Gaminguy010 (2019 -) (A) N S
Like "Titans Collide", this timeline offers a take on Nintendo acquiring Sega in 2000 and appears to have more interesting things in store for the future.


2010s
The 47 Percent by starwarsfan (2014) (R) N PS X
A somewhat atypical timeline with a split focus on US politics and video gaming. Starts with an alternate slate of eighth generation consoles.

Switchin' Things Up by Beta.003 (2019 -) (A) N
A reboot of the FH timeline listed below, this time with a POD in 2016 instead.


Future History
Switchin' Things Up by Beta.003 (2019) (R) N PS X O
A somewhat unique future history of the video game industry, starting in 2019 and moving forward.

WIs and AHCs
AH Challenge: Delay Video Game Development
AHC/WI: The Video Arcade remains popular.
AHC: Make a failed console game console successful
Popeye instead of Mario?
CH: Make the Canadian video game industry dominate the market

Nintendo keeps its deal with Sony
AHC: Keep Sega in the console game
DBWI: 8th-Gen Console Roundup
Gaming WI: The "tycoon" subgenre without the contributions of Chris Sawyer

AHC/WI: Sonic does better in the 3D Era
Challenge: Xbox 360 outsells the Wii and PS3
AHC: Make Terrible Games Good!
AHC: Europe, Home of Videogame developers
AHC: A Decent Atari
Alternate Video Games and Consoles
Technologies and Products that Might Have Been More Successful
WI: Halo Remains a Computer Game
WI: Gaming Killed in 1985?
Could Nintendo's R.O.B. have been a serious peripheral?
WI: 1983 Video Game Crash never happens?
NEC ARM 32bit Arcade Cabinet and Console?
The predecessor for the PS1 GPU dates 1986!
How well does the "Atari Famicom" do in the USA?
Video Game WI: How Long Can The 16-Bit Era Last?
WI: Microsoft broken up?
WI: Earliest CD-based Video Gaming?
Atari survives the bit wars
WI: Atari releases the 7800 in 1984?
WI: Worse Video Game crash of 1983?
The SEGA PlayStation?
WI: Magnavox Kills Atari?
WI: Sega PlayStation
AHC: Progressive Gaming Culture
AHC/WI Video game console propaganda wars in Europe
WI the Nintendo Entertainment System failed?
WI/AHC - Ultra Competitive Videogame Console Wars
How could PC gaming become/stay relevant in Japan?
DBWI: Video games were more heavily marketed for boys.

AHC: an Soviet Union Company makes video games in 1972
A British Atari?
A French Console?
AHC: Sega and Nintendo defeat Sony in the 90s Console War

AHC: Nintendo outright loses the console wars like SEGA in 1990s?
WI: Shigeru Miyamoto works for SEGA
DBAHC: Screw Atari (as bad as possible)
WI: Nintendo and Sega didn't exist?

WI: Nintendo Enters PC Gaming in 1990?
Soviet Video Games Industry

Top Video Games never made
Turn poor video games into great ones
Computer What-If, Jack Tramiel Has A Clue

WI: The Atari Panther was released?
WI: Nintendo tries to directly compete with PS4 and Xbox-1?
DBWI: Electronic Arts didn't go bankrupt

WI: Violent video games banned or restricted in USA
WI: Touhou Project on SEGA Saturn?
WI: Nintendo Bought Sega?

WI: Shin Megami Tensei becomes popular enough to gain controversy.
Your personal Nintendo adaptation idea.
Challenge: N64 defeats PS1
Popculture AHC: Video Game Movie Boom
DBWI: The Sony PlayStation was more successful?
WI: No Goldeneye 007
AHC: Nintendo remains as prominent as PlayStation?
AHC: Gamecube wins console wars
WI: No Pokemon
Give Me a Timeline: Video Gaming After the 1983 Crash
Video Game PoDs, TLs, and TL Ideas

AHC: Save the Wii U
A Tale of an AH Console War
Shared Worlds
(Watch this space...)
 
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Huehuecoyotl

Monthly Donor
I appreciate the kind words, Jcoggins. This is all stuff that I turned up while doing my own research and reading, since I'm gearing up to devise a gaming TL myself. Something to do with a more successful Saturn, I think, because I'm a masochist.
 
I appreciate the kind words, Jcoggins. This is all stuff that I turned up while doing my own research and reading, since I'm gearing up to devise a gaming TL myself. Something to do with a more successful Saturn, I think, because I'm a masochist.
Thanks for the hard work, some old timeline i loved to, thanks for it, good luck with your TL too
 
Hey all! I wasn't able to find anything comparable on this thread or on the wiki, so I decided to construct an omnibus directory of all of the video/computer gaming timelines, WIs, and AHCs that I could find on the board. The vast majority of these are from this very sub-forum, though I decided to include space for Shared Worlds and Future History threads about the subject because I figure there's an overlap in interest.

Absolutely superb indexing job, @Huehuecoyotl. Very well done indeed!

I appreciate the kind words, Jcoggins. This is all stuff that I turned up while doing my own research and reading, since I'm gearing up to devise a gaming TL myself. Something to do with a more successful Saturn, I think, because I'm a masochist.
As long as the Playstation suffers. Sony delenda est!
 
Here's one I just started today, about a TL where Disney's early films are more successful, resulting in other studios like Fleischer, Warner Brothers, MGM, Universal, and Terrytoons making their own successful animated features and competing with Disney, resulting in Disney becoming a lot less special than they are IOTL.
 

Deleted member 100251

Speaking of this, might anyone versed in 1990s gaming history be willing to proofread what I've put together so far? I'd like to run it by someone to check it for plausibility before I publish it.
I'm open for it (has been a while since I've read anything bout it so I might be slightly rusty)! :)
 
Speaking of this, might anyone versed in 1990s gaming history be willing to proofread what I've put together so far? I'd like to run it by someone to check it for plausibility before I publish it.

I’m happy to offer constructive criticism, but you’re on your own for proofreading lol :).
 
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