Anyone ever written to the owner/MD of their favourite games/computer shop

[carmel_andrews]

This comes on the back of something i remember doing back in 1990 (i think), I sent/fired off a 'strongly worded' letter to the MD/CEO of Silica systems/SDL (which used to be one of the leading Atari/Amiga dealer/distributors in london/southeast) basically attacking sillica's decision to start stocking the c64 and the spectrum and also the crummy games systems (i.e sega, nintendo etc) And not showing full support for the A8 etc (even the c64 had more shelf space then the A8 in sillica)

 

Can't remember the name of the MD etc but he did reply (albeit a typed reply) basically saying that Atari had dropped the A8 had 650x based systems (i.e 2600/7800 etc) this was two years before Atari actually did so (Jan 1st 1992) and that sillica were basically trying to sell off what they had (though they didn't mention that Atari had already done a deal with Derek Firn/Aka Microdiscount to offload off Atari 8bit hardware and component supply) and that in order to stay 'in business' sillica had no choice but to start supporting/stocking rival platforms (perhaps they foresaw what was going to happen at atari)

 

shame of all this was, was that Sillica went under before Atari did (infact, they went under several times in the space of 3/4 years, i think the deathnell came about 1995 when they closed down all their concessions in london, mainly debenhams outlets and selfridges)

Edited August 2, 2010 by carmel_andrews

[high voltage]

This comes on the back of something i remember doing back in 1990 (i think), I sent/fired off a 'strongly worded' letter to the MD/CEO of Silica systems/SDL (which used to be one of the leading Atari/Amiga dealer/distributors in london/southeast) basically attacking sillica's decision to start stocking the c64 and the spectrum and also the crummy games systems (i.e sega, nintendo etc) And not showing full support for the A8 etc (even the c64 had more shelf space then the A8 in sillica)

 

Can't remember the name of the MD etc but he did reply (albeit a typed reply) basically saying that Atari had dropped the A8 had 650x based systems (i.e 2600/7800 etc) this was two years before Atari actually did so (Jan 1st 1992) and that sillica were basically trying to sell off what they had (though they didn't mention that Atari had already done a deal with Derek Firn/Aka Microdiscount to offload off Atari 8bit hardware and component supply) and that in order to stay 'in business' sillica had no choice but to start supporting/stocking rival platforms (perhaps they foresaw what was going to happen at atari)

 

shame of all this was, was that Sillica went under before Atari did (infact, they went under several times in the space of 3/4 years, i think the deathnell came about 1995 when they closed down all their concessions in london, mainly debenhams outlets and selfridges)

 

Once they crossed the road in Tottenham Court Road, into a smaller outlet, Silica was never the same. I went to Silica many times, and each time the Atari stuff was less, and the Amiga /C64 stuff was more. But, hey, they tried to support the Atari right up to the end, and that's made them well worth it.

 

 

What I wanna know is whatever happened to Derek Fern, and whatever happened to the Atari HQ warehouse in Slough? That warehouse was full of Atari goodness, I visited it many times.

 

I once wrote to Activision UK they should put all Activision VCS games onto disks for PC, and I got a reply saying that at the moment they put Infocom games onto CD/floppy for PC, but have no plans to do that with any other software of Activisions property. I still have that reply:

Of course, a few years later they did release Activision Atari 2600 Action Packs

Edited August 6, 2010 by high voltage

[Welsh Wizard]

 

 

 

 

What I wanna know is whatever happened to Derek Fern, and whatever happened to the Atari HQ warehouse in Slough? That warehouse was full of Atari goodness, I visited it many times.

 

 

http://www.avexshow.com/site/index_exhibitor_profile.php?AVEX_COYID=94199 maybe this is him

Edited August 20, 2011 by Welsh Wizard

[LoTonah]

I once wrote to Steve Wozniak after watching Pirates of Silicon Valley. He fired back an email which actually answered all of my questions, not a form letter at all.

 

My hero worship of him jumped quite a bit from that. Still have that email printed out and archived to this day (12 years ago?). Pretty cool of him.

[roland p]

I had a little email conversation with RJ Mical (Atari lynx). I also asked Doug Neubauer (Star raiders) a few questions and he answered them all.