goatdan Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Could someone do me a favor... I remember reading somewhere about a program started in Flordia I think where gamers could "rent" games by downloading them via a phone cable into their Atari 2600. I'm working on a paper detailing the evolution of games and the internet, and I'd like to get some more information on this. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 And if I'm not mistaken, I think that company eventually evolved into.... *gulp*... AOL. But there's obviously a lot more to the story than I know offhand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Master Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 From what I understand the idea was cancelled because of Emulation and roms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Slocum Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 The box tells how it worked. The company didn't last too long. http://www.mindspring.com/~paul-slocum/sc_...c_gameline.html There's actually one on Ebay right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1391639473 -Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 I have one of those, they are huge and weigh a ton ! I wouldn't be surprised if a Jr. would tip over with one of those inserted. Hehe, I'll have to try that. Oh, hey Paul, is that your box or did you "borrow" the scan ? I wouldn't mind the box for that unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelen Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Did they program games for it that could only played with this module, or did they use normal cartridge games ? Thelen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 I think there were some original games, I believe the rumor was that Sean Kelly recovered the computer that hosted the games. I don't know what ever happened to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Yancey Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 I remember it was called the Gameline. I wanted it then, but I couldn't have been calling long distance over the phone for game downloads! Back then LD was more expensive than the cost of playing the games! I would have needed a Capn' Crunch whistle to reverse the charges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Slocum Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Oh, hey Paul, is that your box or did you "borrow" the scan ? I wouldn't mind the box for that unit. It's my box. -Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduardo Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 dyancey wrote: I wanted it then, but I couldn't have been calling long distance over the phone for game downloads! Back then LD was more expensive than the cost of playing the games! I would have needed a Capn' Crunch whistle to reverse the charges! From the Gameline: "calls are always local or via a toll-free 800 number" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raijin Z Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 I would have needed a Capn' Crunch whistle to reverse the charges! I bet maybe 10 people here get that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy_Dude Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 #2600# - 'clunk' - Hello operator..... Any one for a conference call? And it would Not reverse the charges. good practice was to call a toll-free number. or the number of someone you hate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyImpmon Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 There's actually one on Ebay right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1391639473 -Paul I got to ask something. The auction description has "AND IT's GUARANTEED TO WORK!!" and that would lead me to believe I could still hook it up and download games to play. Think the seller should have rephrased that before the bidder tries using it and ends up with AOL spash screen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 I would have needed a Capn' Crunch whistle to reverse the charges! I bet maybe 10 people here get that. I did, so who are the other nine? I actually think that estimate is too low if you consider the high percentage of people here who are probably computer nerds as well as gaming geeks (and I use those terms in the most affectionate way, since I'm BOTH). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Oh, hey Paul, is that your box or did you "borrow" the scan ? I wouldn't mind the box for that unit. It's my box. -Paul Want to sell it or trade for something ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindfield Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Gameline offered some original titles, as well as loads of commercial titles available for download. Now, if I remember correctly (and I may be wrong here) Gameline went under and eventually came back as GCP (Games Computers Play) which was a similar idea, but took the form of an online service you dialed up to (like GEnie or Compuserve) and, with the use of a special terminal program, allowed you to play games online, graphics and all. I think it was available for C64 and Atari 8-bits, and I recall seeing ads in Compute! and Antic/Analog back then. That, of course, disappeared, and the owner then went and started America Online years later. What a waste of creative vision. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raijin Z Posted October 23, 2002 Share Posted October 23, 2002 I would have needed a Capn' Crunch whistle to reverse the charges! I bet maybe 10 people here get that. I did, so who are the other nine? I actually think that estimate is too low if you consider the high percentage of people here who are probably computer nerds as well as gaming geeks (and I use those terms in the most affectionate way, since I'm BOTH). I was being generous, what with this being the 2600 forum and all. DUH DUH DUUUHHHHH! HAXX0R PHR34KZZZ UN1T3!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyImpmon Posted October 23, 2002 Share Posted October 23, 2002 Gameline offered some original titles, as well as loads of commercial titles available for download. Now, if I remember correctly (and I may be wrong here) Gameline went under and eventually came back as GCP (Games Computers Play) which was a similar idea, but took the form of an online service you dialed up to (like GEnie or Compuserve) and, with the use of a special terminal program, allowed you to play games online, graphics and all. I think it was available for C64 and Atari 8-bits, and I recall seeing ads in Compute! and Antic/Analog back then. That, of course, disappeared, and the owner then went and started America Online years later. What a waste of creative vision. :-) Didn't that service at one time ran Q-Link service for C64? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Slocum Posted October 23, 2002 Share Posted October 23, 2002 Want to sell it or trade for something ? It was a gift and I'd like to keep it. I've pretty much got the complete Gameline collection with all the instructions for the games and both Gameliner magazines. -Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted October 23, 2002 Share Posted October 23, 2002 I was being generous, what with this being the 2600 forum and all. DUH DUH DUUUHHHHH! HAXX0R PHR34KZZZ UN1T3!!! 4T4R1 Z L337! G4M3R5 R4Wk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindfield Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 Didn't that service at one time ran Q-Link service for C64? I've no idea. The Compute/Antic/Analog ads were about the only way I'd ever even heard of the service. I remember being impressed by the idea and wanting to try it out, at the same time knowing I'd never be allowed to. :-) The few screenshots they gave in the mag ads appeared to be the old line-draw-and-fill routine -- y'know, like those old networked computerized information kiosks like Teleguide that they'd have in malls and libraries back in the 80s. No sprites or anything like that, all line-drawn and flood-filled and maybe some redefined character sets. I guess it made economical sense at the time, considering most connections were 300 baud and you had to pack as much punch in as thin a data stream as possible. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatdan Posted October 24, 2002 Author Share Posted October 24, 2002 Thanks everyone for the information! The paragraph from the paper reads: The first attempt to utilize an Internet-like feature on a console system was a small company called Control Video Corporation in 1983 with their GameLine adapter for the Atari 2600. According to the packaging of the GameLine, the “Master Module” would “bring an endless stream of video games into your home – through your telephone!” In the future, the packaging promised, “the Master Module turns your video game console into a communications terminal (Scans: GameLine).” Unfortunately, the GameLine was released in June of 1983, right about the same time that the video game crash occurred (Third Party Profile: Control Video Corporation). The GameLine never caught on, and many of the ideas that had been presented through its service were never delivered. All of the knowledge gained by the GameLine experiment was not lost. The president of Control Video Corporation was William F. Von Meister, who went on to found America Online (Third Party Profile: Control Video Corporation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Slocum Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 I believe that Q-Link was what became AOL. I've heard that several times, but I wonder if someone can confirm it? I actually had Q-Link service for a month on my C64. It had a lot of similarities to Gameline and AOL. -Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumpbucket Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 I believe that Q-Link was what became AOL. I've heard that several times, but I wonder if someone can confirm it? I actually had Q-Link service for a month on my C64. It had a lot of similarities to Gameline and AOL. There was also Playcable for the Intellivision that used the cable TV network. In fact, two people figured out how to download stuff to it from their computer and wrote a game. They were hired by Mattel, mostly to stop them telling anyone else how to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobf Posted October 24, 2002 Share Posted October 24, 2002 I've pretty much got the complete Gameline collection with all the instructions for the games and both Gameliner magazines. Cool! Whats in the magazines?? Fancy scanning them? Jobf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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