Into The Vertical Blank

What was Atari's biggest mistake? To truly be inside The Vertical Blank is to ruminate on "what could have been." For Atari, there are many "what could have been" moments. What if they produced The Amiga computer? What if they released the NES? In this two-part season opener we delve into, what we believe, was the biggest mistake Atari ever made. Any mention of the games Pac-Man and E.T. for the A...

Remember back in the 70's, after May sweeps, when   in the TV Guide it would say Happy Days had a (New) episode, but when you watched, it was just Fonzie, Ritchie and Laurie Beth reminiscing about what-not or whatever, as an excuse to play old clips and save money on production.  This is that, but oh so much worse.  Enjoy! Includes: - A new discussion with updates on past episodes - Clips from all...

In this season 2 bonus episode, Steve makes a  visit to CES 2020 and looks in all corners for signs of retro games.   Some photos here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2020/01/15/s218-bonus-2-porch-cjops-and-retro-games-sizzle-at-ces-2020/

This episode is a quick apology for mixing an episode of The Alarm podcast into the Into The Vertical Blank Feed.   This episode contains content that never made it into season 2 including book reviews for Galaga from Boss Fight Books and American Nerd, The Story Of My People, as well as a remote collecting excusrion and a lost intro for S2:E15.   Again, sorry about the mix-up. 

Republished Decamber 24th 2023 From 2019: The best @#$! Chrustmas Ever! The Season 2 finale of Into The Vertical Blank. In this episode we pull out all the stops and explain exactly why Atari means so much to us. This honest, naked, all-cards-on-the-table, frank episode includes an Eponymous Story named "The Best #*@! Christmas Ever" that tells all. There is also discussion and a remix that incorp...

In this episode we dig into American Thanksgiving 1986 and discuss our transition from the Atari 800 to the Atari ST with the Atari 7800 squeezed in between. Tony Longworth: https://patreon.com/tonylongworth Some of the music in this Episode was created using an 8bitweapon Loop Library: https://8bitweapon.com/ The original Atari playfield From 8bitrocket.com http://www.8bitrocket.com/2018/07/28/at...

We salute Asteroids 40th anniversary with a discussion of how things have changed since 1979, and with a rebroadcast of the story "Escape To The Asteroids Zone"

Into the vertical Blank: Generation Atari Season 2 Episode 13 : The Haunting of the Vertical Blank See some photos of the actual ESP tests here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2019/10/20/s2e13-the-haunting-of-the-vertical-blank/ This time the guys discuss “scary” Atari games (mostly *not* scary all), some real-world experiences that beg the question “Was Jeff and Steve’s 520 Atari ST haunted?”, a story...

In the follow-up episode to the Season 2, Episode 12, Steve and Jeff continue their discussion of the impact that Star Wars on their video game experience and video games in general.   They also add in a story by Steve and have a game play session of the Arcade, Atari 2600, and Atari 400/800/XL/XE version(s) of Star Wars Death Star Battle. Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod FaceBook:   htt...

In this two-part series we delve deep into Star Wars (or Star Wars:A New Hope for those who didn’t see the movie in the summer of 1977).  We examine the movie’s affect on us as 70’s kids and how Atari’s 1983 coin-operated “Star Wars: The Arcade Game” finally gave us the chance to be Luke Skywalker. See the photos from Sept. 26th, 1977 here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2019/09/22/s22es2e11-star-wars-...

To salute the end of summer, w e are re-running a story from last season named "Big Mouse And Little Mouse" that has been updated, expanded and remastered.   This is a story about the type of imaginative play that occurs when kids are trying to discover the world.   This was play in world of the mid 70's, without screens (except the wood console one on the living room).  The events in this story a...

Into the vertical blank: Generation Atari: Season 2, Episode 9 DragonStomper In the episode, Steve and Jeff take a deep look at the Atari 2600 game Dragon Stomper, what it meant to them in the grand scheme of gaming, and also how it had an effect on early 80’s video and computer games as a whole.  AtariProtos.com Dragon Stomper Page http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/dragonstomper/dragonstom...

In this short summer bonus episode, Steve explores what he thinks is the exact moment Nintendo beat everyone and and won the video game war.  I imagine, it's not exactly what you expect.

Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari - Season 2 Episode 7 : Emits a shower of sparks: How we stopped playing  soccer and started playing Atari (along with Pele) In this episode, Steve and Jeff cover Pele’s Soccer for the Atari 2600, and the cultural as well as business atmosphere surrounding the game. This game fit perfectly into the summer episode slot as Soccer in the USA is mostly a summer...

This is a rebroadcast of the the story 'Claw Hammer' from season 1, episode 2. specially for father's day.

In this episode, Steve and Jeff have a frank discussion about what they collect and why they collect Atari.  Also includes a couple segments from Steve's "Fultonbot's Atari Quest" blog series, as well as an impromptu live remote visit to their favorite retro game store. 

In this epiosde of Into The Vertical Blank: Generation Atari, Steve and Jeff celebrate the magazine that started it all. The first publicaion in the USA that was strictly devoted to video and electronic games.  The brothers bring you two stories of thos glories magazine, each featuring a different issue of that impacted their childhood in a remarkable way.  Digital Press Landing pages for Electoni...

What were some of hidden factors that led to the fall of Atari and the  golden age of classic video game consoles?  Did the world at large really understand video games at all?  In this episode we set out to prove, through the lens of some truly awful products and ideas, that the industry might have killed itself. The back pages and new products sections of Electronic Games magazine in 1982 and 19...

Steve and Jeff provide two new stories about wanting to work for, with, or somehow adjacent to classic Atari. The pair also answer feedback, to explain recent Irata, and give some responses to their favorite podcasts.   Tony Longworth’s incredibly melodic industrial grunge track “Into the Vertical Blank” again accompanies this episode, along with original music and audio  productions from the Fult...

This week we are inspired by  one of our all-time a favorite podcasts This American Life.  Taking a cue from Ira Glass’s often copied, but never duplicated style, we have collected three new stories on single topic: Going Going, Gone. Our first “Going” story from myself, Steve, called “Surprise Box” is about a seaside arcade that is destined to close forever.   Our next “going” story S from Jeff c...

This week, 8bitjeff gets into a some awesome listener feedback and provides some of his own for the Atari 5200 Podcast.  First up some questions and answers for Tony Longworth, who’s Into The Vertical Blank song gets its own full length airing in the episode. Next up is an incredible story by Bill Lange about his father, his childhood, Christmas and Lionel Trains.  To finish off the episode, Jeff...

In this first episode of season 2 the Fulton’s dive into a mystery: Why hasn’t Atari’s magnificent 1983 game “Food Fight” appeared any of their retro game collections? Where has it is gone?   Episode features an in-depth interview with the fabulous Jonathan Hurd, creator on the Food Fight arcade game for GCC and Atari. Atari 2015 IP Catalog: http://news.calyptus.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Atar...

In this Bonus podcast between Season 1 and Season 2, Steve takes his family to the Retro City Festival in Pomona, CA . Mild, family friendly hijinks ensue.

In this season 1 finale, the Fulton brothers discuss the early years of Atari and Christmas, culminating in a Christmas story that ties a bow on a few of the previous stories and themes from this season. There are also some surprises, weird occurances, and awkwardness. Lots and lots of awkwardness. What were you expecting?  Some Images To Illustrate The Podcast Probably the first ad we ever saw in...

S1:E9: The Weird Family Thanksgiving In the Vertical Blank In the penultimate episode of season one of Into The Vertical Blank, travel back to Thanksgiving holidays of the past to find out how pop culture,  games and Atari fit into The Vertical Blank.    This episode features a story by Steve Fulton named "The Weird Family" and Story by Jeff Fulton named "4 Days In November" Notes: See images ment...