WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

[DucNguyen0131]

September 2, 1987

Namco is entering into the both Cassette System and QuadSystem fray, by planning on to release a new FMV title Class of '88, employed by Japanese teenagers, which was proposed for release in 1988.

Namco already entered the Disk System format last week with The Living Daylights, an adaptation of the 007 title.

And the Mark III Cassette Adapter is officially released by Sega Enterprises, with Astron Belt serving as the first title that was created for the Cassette Adapter. A U.S. version is proposed next month.

Sony says a crime title Serve & Protect could come out in the early of 1988, but offers movie-like quality on a 8-bit console, with cassettes.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 7, 1987

Kemco (Kotobuki Systems Co., Ltd.) had reached a deal to license from Ocean Software to bring Jon Ritman's Head Over Heels into the Famicom Disk System. Kemco's other marketplace products include more Disk System ports.

Kemco also had a license to bring a visual adaptation of Douglas Adams' Bureaucracy to the Famicom Cassette System with some FMV cutscenes.

Kemco has currently producing ports of computer games to the Famicom, like Spy vs. Spy.

Kemco also had to enter the sporting business with a license agreement with Electronic Arts to bring World Tour Golf to the Famicom Disk System.

-

Meanwhile, over at TV, here it was:

High Rollers debuted in first-run syndication, including ABC affiliates. Jim Caldwell is the host, with Dean Goss serving as the announcer. Here is the theme:

Hints & Plays also debuted in syndication, with Steve Doocy as the host, and JM Productions is producing. The show currently carries in most markets.

A third Robotech television show, Robotech III: The Odyssey debuts from the Sony subsidiary Harmony Gold. It has at least 65 episodes produced in the series. More Robotech series were excepted early next year.

 

[stratonapba]

Also on September 7, 1987:

A Revamped Version of Catchphrase called Puzzle Roulette is debuted on ABC Daytime with Jim Lange (from The Dating Game) hosting with Karen Marie Thomas (Star Search '86 Spokesmodel runner-up) as the Roulette Girl, Dean Goss is the announcer as the shows airs at 11:30 AM ET/10:30 AM CT right after Finders Keepers.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

Well really amazing.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 10, 1987

Konami is getting the details by giving them the video game rights to Taft's The Running Man, and adapted into a side-scrolling platformer for the Famicom Disk System. Development of the game would follow shortly.

The Running Man is expected to come out to theaters on November 13, 1987 in the United States.

It is reported that a new FMV game was expected to be produced for the Famicom Cassette System.

But Sunsoft says it's almost finished with the Dragon's Lair and Space Ace projects on the Famicom Cassette System.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 14, 1987

Nintendo of America, Inc. said that the Nintendo Cassette System, an adapter to run VHS tapes was near completion, for time on September 22, 1987. Project is developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, tool developer and designer for Family Computer.

Other prospected Sony projects include the QuadSystem, the TriSystem (HardSystem in Japan) and a new technology app Famicom FM Sound System.

Sony collaborated with Square on the sound conception for Final Fantasy, which was a new Famicom Disk System title.

Another science fiction game was in the works for the Famicom Cassette System and the Famicom Compact Disk System (a Sony-developed product) for the NES.

-

Also today:

New cartoons Dinosaucers, from DiC and Coca-Cola Telecommunications, BraveStarr from Filmation and Group W Productions and Maxie's World all arrive in syndication. DiC, producers of Maxie's World hopes to follow the program up with a 65-episode adaptation of the Barbie cartoon. This came only a week after Robotech III: The Odyssey debuted in syndication.

The popular 1950s game show Truth or Consequences is back in syndication with Larry Anderson hosting and Ted Ziegler announcing.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 22, 1987

The Nintendo Cassette System is officially launched. 600,000 add-on units were shipped with a price tag of $200, while 150,000 TriStation combo sets (NES/NES Disk/VHS add-on combined) were shipped with a price tag of $500. Included with the add-on was Family Kid, a NES controller, a set of connecting cables and a coupon for $50 off any Nintendo Cassette game. The TriStation combo set shipped with Family Kid, two NES controllers and connecting cables.

The launch, covered by news outlets, were successful as the Japanese launch, with few sell-outs reported in the first week of sales. The economy is still flagging and North American buyers reluctant to purchase an expensive new peripheral so soon after the launch of the two high-profile add-ons, Nintendo expected the low sales, though sales were a bit lower even than their projections. The VHS-based add-on with three games at first from launch, Family Kid (the pack-in title), Fascination, with the Zapper light gun, and Stealth Attack, with the Zapper.

The launch game, Stealth Attack, was the highest seller with a very high purchase rate for all add-on buyers, particularly the ones who shelled out the full $500 for the TriStation cassette. But the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons would pick up all sales.

Upcoming titles promised were Sun Corporation of America's Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, both of them were originally for the arcades, and Tengen's Firefox, based on the movie of the same name.

-

On the same day:

WSFN is getting a new graphics makeover and theme song, in a similar way WJZ and KNBR-TV is doing with the "Chroma Cues" medley. (IOTL this was used as WTVJ's theme from 1988 to 1989), dropping the "Circle 4" logo:

On the other hand, KCNC is getting a new makeover, with a new music package, also by Jerome Gilmer of Newsmusic Central:

 

[MegaToon1234]

Looks good so far, and any updates on the Mega Man games ITTL?

 

[DucNguyen0131]

ITTL MegaMan started on the Disk System.

 

[MegaToon1234]

ITTL MegaMan started on the Disk System.

Ah, ok, and was it any different ITTL?

 

[DucNguyen0131]

Yes.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 23, 1987

The initial reviews for the Nintendo Cassette System is in:

Fascination (3 stars/2 stars). The first fully Nintendo game designed for a mature audiences. We must use a Zapper light gun to shoot with a footage of a Swedish woman who had to shoot, taking all the clothes off, until it was fully naked at the end. It was easy, so it was unusual that it was a version of the Laser Clay game that was lost, until Sony executives rediscovered it.
Recommended (MSR $49.99)

Family Kid (4 stars/4 stars): The first motion picture-esque game to come out on videocassette. We begin as the family was running as it was one of the most ambitious heroes. We must kidnap the villain and we must kill the bad enemies, and the final boss is to attack a big clown who was living at the circus. It's a great movie-style game to fit among the Cassette System's technicians.
Really Good
It should have been noted that Family Kid holds a candle to the live-action movie genre as what a decade earlier Nintendo was doing with Wild Gunman. Family Kid is a family-friendly game that follows the controller very well.
Recommended (MSR $49.99)

Stealth Attack (2 stars/2 stars): It was a clone of an old arcade game. We must follow was the stealth fighter was attacking all the enemies, and decided that we must shoot towards the sky, and the stealth fighter is shooting all other jets and enemies. We must follow is the Zapper, which was designed to shoot any kind of enemy, but avoid the heroes.
Disappointing
It was a clone of an earlier game made by Atari, called Firefox. We must use the same gameplay format. It was also a clone of Action Max's VHS games, and also had the trigger to shoot.
(MSR $39.95)

-from the October 1987 issue of Computer Entertainer

It is reported that Capcom would release Mega Man for the Nintendo Disk System, and Sunsoft came close by releasing Dragon's Lair and Space Ace for the Nintendo Cassette System by early 1988 (better than OTL's NES Dragon's Lair game from Elite). Atari Games says he's releasing The Living Daylights, developed by Namco, for the Nintendo Disk System by early next year.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 30, 1987

A new company founded by former Atari programmers has been founded. Called VideoDream, Inc., it was headed by Howard Scott Warshaw, Keithen Hayenga, Carol Shaw and Hal Finney, who helped programming and designing games for the 2600.

It was based in San Francisco, California, as California is the home town for developing games.

Its main purpose was to develop games for the Nintendo Cassette System. Nintendo also granted a developer's license for the NES and its accompanying add-on Nintendo Disk System, Nintendo Cassette System and the upcoming Nintendo CD System.

Its first title was a full-motion video comedy game My Dysfunctional Life, which is set to star real actors.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 6, 1987

Nintendo Co., Ltd. has officially releasing the Famicom FM Sound System, which was developed by Sony, who went on to co-develop the SNES-CD and its succeeding consoles. Among the games that make use of it was newer Nintendo games.

The FM Sound System will be used in future video games like Final Fantasy, Rockman and Contra.

Konami says they abandoned the cartridge version of Metal Gear for the Famicom (unlike OTL's), so it was better suited as a title for the Famicom Cassette System.

Representatives at Konami said they had more time to develop it with FMV action-looking cutscenes.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 9, 1987

Square was in the works in order to finish Final Fantasy, which was a title for the Famicom Disk System. Capcom was also in the works to finish Rockman, who was also a Famicom Disk System title.

Meanwhile, let's do over at Konami. Konami wants to convert Metal Gear into a title for the Famicom Cassette System, and considered abandoning development of the cartridge version of Contra, so it was suited more for the Disk System.

Konami's American unit says it's working on a shell subsidiary Ultra Games to extend its annual library to ten games a year, so Konami would be five games and Ultra would be five games.

They let Nintendo to make loopholes, so it would avoid getting unlicensed. (All the flaws on Tengen were butterflied away, so it remained a Nintendo licensee).

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 13, 1987

Nintendo has officially been releasing the Famicom Highcolor System, a processing tool developed by Sony, first in Japan. New technologies were developed later on in 1988, probably as a joint cooperation with Sony.

The former Atari employed VideoDream, Inc., has been renamed to Silicon Video Software, which was a new FMV video technology company developing movies.

The Atari 10400 is scheduled to go by the Winter CES 1988, and was set for release in the February of 1988.

It would be compatible with existing Atari ST software, in a similar manner when the 5200 and the XEGS runs the Atari 8-bit software engine.

 

[MegaToon1234]

So, do you think the live action Super Mario movie from 1993 never exists ITTL?

 

[DucNguyen0131]

Probably.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 16, 1987

Nintendo of America, Inc. has officially confirmed that the date for the NES FM Sound System would be released on November 17, 1987, a week before the Thanksgiving holidays, and it would also be before the Christmas.

Sony is the developer behind the FM Sound System, and would later go on to develop the critically-acclaimed SNES CD console.

The FM Sound System would compete with Sega's FM Sound Unit, which is about to released this November.

Also that date, Sega has officially confirmed that the Master System Cassette System would be out on October 20, 1987, with the first title Astron Belt.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 20, 1987

The Master System Cassette System is out, and we had the first and only title Astron Belt, as well as Cobra Command and Galaxy Ranger. More Cassette System titles, like Kids, will be out this Christmas. Astron Belt will be the pack-in title of the Master System Cassette System.

Meanwhile, Mark Cerny, who was in the process of converting Dragon's Lair and Space Ace to the Cassette System recalled that VHS tapes is in finest of its quality.

A new company formed by Atari programmer Joel H. Martin, as well as Laura Nikolich and Ed English, former Parker Brothers programmers formed Odyssey Video to develop FMV-based titles for the Master System Cassette System.

Odyssey Video was then awarded to a developer's license by Sega Enterprises Ltd. and Sega of America, Inc.