If they made a Activision Anthology 2, what would it include

[NovaXpress]

How ungrateful can you people be?! Ken shouldn't feel obligated to respond to ANY of this whiny garbage. He did an incredible job with Activision Anthology. What more do you people want?? Okay, there are little things that can be nitpicked, but so what? It's near-perfect, and I am damn glad to have it. As far as I'm concerned, we should all be kissing Ken's feet for making Activision Anthology a reality. I hope any plans for a sequel aren't scrapped because of the needless complaints on this board. We are a hell of a lot better off WITH Anthology on store shelves than without it. Just remember that before you start moaning for no reason.

 

So we should take whatever we're given and ask for more? You can keep begging for Activision's table scraps if you want. Activision is in a unique position to really make an impact for classic gaming. They have the ability to give us all the historical extras that classic games want but aside from running their commercials, they have chosen not to do so. Activision is a billion dollar company with decades of experience, yet their classic gaming emulation is inferior to many programs that are produced by guys working in their spare time.

 

Let me ask this question: if AtariAge had somehow acquired the right to release such a compilation don't you think that the people around here would have done a far better job? Would the emulation be better? Would the historical context be provided? Would people have broken their backs to make it perfect?

 

I say that they would have exceeded everyone's expectations because they truly care. After owning Activision's compilations I feel that they don't care.

 

I sure as hell don't want them to stop releasing these collections. I just want them to live up to expectations for once. I want them to be as good as they should be.

[NovaXpress]

More clarified thoughts:

 

From all accounts Ken Love is a guy who truly cares about this scene. He is an employee of Activision which means he has to follow their orders, adhere to their budgets and schedules. He wanted the downloading feature included in the last anthology but was overruled by his bosses. I believe that he also wishes to film the interviews and collect the rare games and everything else that we ask for. It is up to Activision whether of not he is allowed to do this.

 

When Ken posts on this board he always does so as a representative of Activision products. And so I direct my complaints about the product to said representative. I hope that he copies these complaints and sends it to the budget people, saying "the last one sold well enough, but if you you give me the resources and freedom I need then we will make a killing on the next one."

 

There is nothing wrong with criticism that hopes to inspire better creations in the future. Look back on the old posts and you'll see many complaints over these anthologies. Over time apparently many have gotten to know and like Ken which has stopped much of the criticism. Many also have the attitude that something is better than nothing. I have the belief that a properly done anthology could be a boon to classic gaming and am saddened that I have not seen it happen yet when so many capable hands are around.

[mos6507]

Exactly. Such a simple and obvious feature that us old fans would love..

 

It's not really THAT simple.

 

Game companies don't really understand how to do educational software. Turning the Anthology product into an interactive encyclopedia of history is a foreign concept to a game company.

 

If you ask Digital Eclipse, they did most of their interview and historical stuff on their discs for Midway and Hasbro as an afterthought to the publishers. It wasn't done as a primary requirement, but as something they had to somehow squeeze in with next to no resources allocated.

 

Even though these games are mostly over 20 years old, companies like Activision still see products like these as primarily GAME titles. Give them an interface to launch the games and that's all you really need, basically.

 

The idea of jazzing it up with archival content, community features (high score saves), meta games (80s mall simulator, swap meet simulator, etc...), etc.... That's just not on the minds of the people who make the real decisions... Not speaking for Ken specifically. If it weren't for Ken this project probably never would have happened at all. I'm sure it's been a battle all the way.

 

 

But the bottom line is if Anthology 2 is going to be released on the PC, then it HAS to offer something more than the combines experience of running Stella (for the games) and browsing Atari Age (for the history and community).

 

They have to build a better mousetrap.

 

One thing Brad Mott was going to build into ActiveStella for Hasbro was a true high-score save routine which would interface with the emulator by basically monitoring specific memory locations like a debugger and waiting for a particular state change and then grabbing the bytes out. Each game could have its own configuration or monitor script based on the known locations of the score and game state RAM.

 

This was probably going to hinder performance since at the time the average PC was a PII350. However, these days the slowest PC people typically use is a 1GHZ Celeron so I think this approach is viable, and it's something that hasn't wound its way into any free emus yet.

 

The programmer for Anthology must already have the raw hooks to do something like this. I'd really like to see this become a full net-enabled high score save for the Anthology 2.

 

Then you'd have an emulator feature that allows you to do something really cool with the 2600 games that you simply wouldn't be able to do with the real thing.

 

Maybe because of latency you can't have true head-to-head play over the internet, but you could still have 1-1 challenge matches to fight for the best scores...

 

Another thing is that by making the emulation an ActiveX control (as ActiveStella was going to be) it would be embeddable on a webpage. This opens up all sorts of possibilities as you can imagine. If the 2600 emulation is simply an ActiveX control then you don't even really have to ship a physical product. You can sell a dot com subscription site where you pay small fees to download DRM-ed ROM packages. Then you basically put all the interactive stuff on the web rather than having to author it for a CD-ROM. That way the content can be ever-expanded out just as Atari Age has done over the years. The emulation and the games simply become the gimmick to get people to "hang out" at your site, and when you get the community going then you can make ancillary income on the advertising, email spamming, etc....

 

But of course game publishers also don't know how to make good dot coms.

 

Case in point, Hasbro's GAMES.COM. It's now running on autopilot (barely)

[Retro Addict]

So we should take whatever we're given and ask for more? You can keep begging for Activision's table scraps if you want. Activision is in a unique position to really make an impact for classic gaming.

 

I personally think that Activision HAS made an impact on the classic gaming scene. Before Anthology, most of those compilations had 5-6 games at most and a few interviews. Whoopee! I'm much happier with 49 games. Other companies are finally being more generous. For example, the upcoming Midway Arcade Treasures will have 20+ games. Yeah, I wish it had a lot more, but they included some real gems.

 

They have the ability to give us all the historical extras that classic games want but aside from running their commercials, they have chosen not to do so.

 

Yes, added historical extras WOULD be nice, but is it really a catastrophe that they weren't included? I was personally blown away by all the stuff we did get: commercials, box scans, manuals, etc. What really matters are the games. Remember, Activision isn't going to spend millions of dollars for what is essentially a niche product. Also, it was released at $30 (and is now selling for $20 at most places). A lot of people would've hesitated to pay $50, but $20-$30 is just right. It takes time and money to put historical features and interviews together. Yeah, I'm aware that there's old footage on the net that Activision could've used, but they would've also had to spend a lot of time and money tracking people down for new interviews, footage, etc. Is it really worth it? Let's face it: As much as we'd all like it to, Anthology is not gonna sell as many copies as something like Vice City. Therefore, in order for it to be a reality, Activision HAS TO look at the bottom line. Again, I say we're better off WITH Anthology than without it.

 

Activision is a billion dollar company with decades of experience, yet their classic gaming emulation is inferior to many programs that are produced by guys working in their spare time.

 

The emulation isn't perfect, but it is very, very good. Purists will obviously notice any little mistakes, and I agree that they should've been rectified beforehand, but for the most part, the games look and play great.

 

Let me ask this question: if AtariAge had somehow acquired the right to release such a compilation don't you think that the people around here would have done a far better job? Would the emulation be better? Would the historical context be provided? Would people have broken their backs to make it perfect?

 

I say that they would have exceeded everyone's expectations because they truly care. After owning Activision's compilations I feel that they don't care.

 

I sure as hell don't want them to stop releasing these collections. I just want them to live up to expectations for once. I want them to be as good as they should be.

 

If Activision didn't care, they would've stuck 6 games on one disc and released Anthology in installments (like most of the other companies have done), but they gave us almost their entire collection of 2600 classics, along with box and manual art and the ability to unlock bonuses like commercials.

 

More clarified thoughts:

 

From all accounts Ken Love is a guy who truly cares about this scene. He is an employee of Activision which means he has to follow their orders, adhere to their budgets and schedules. He wanted the downloading feature included in the last anthology but was overruled by his bosses. I believe that he also wishes to film the interviews and collect the rare games and everything else that we ask for. It is up to Activision whether of not he is allowed to do this.

 

I agree, it's rather unfortunate that Ken's bosses overruled him on those issues, but I don't think they did it just to be meanie corporate moguls; they obviously had to take monetary and other concerns into account. Like it or not, this is a business, and in order to survive, you have to keep your eye on the bottom line.

 

It's a shame that the online component wasn't included at the last minute, but one of the reasons for that may have to do with how Sony deals with its online games. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I've heard a few complaints about Sony in that regard from other companies. I'm fairly new to this board (I had another name before but I lost the password), so I'm not sure if Ken has already explained exactly why the online feature was aborted at the last minute, but I'm assuming Sony had something to do with that.

 

When Ken posts on this board he always does so as a representative of Activision products. And so I direct my complaints about the product to said representative. I hope that he copies these complaints and sends it to the budget people, saying "the last one sold well enough, but if you you give me the resources and freedom I need then we will make a killing on the next one."

 

But would it really make a killing? I'm not trying to discourage the extra features that you want (I'd love 'em too), but you have to keep in mind that AtariAge users are a smarter niche audience. The average Joe who sees Anthology on store shelves isn't gonna care about how many interviews are on the disc, he'll just say, "Cool! I loved these games as a kid. I gotta get this!" Sad but true.

 

There is nothing wrong with criticism that hopes to inspire better creations in the future. Look back on the old posts and you'll see many complaints over these anthologies. Over time apparently many have gotten to know and like Ken which has stopped much of the criticism.

 

I agree that criticism is good, but so is giving credit where it's due.

 

Many also have the attitude that something is better than nothing. I have the belief that a properly done anthology could be a boon to classic gaming and am saddened that I have not seen it happen yet when so many capable hands are around.

 

Well, when all of those half-assed six-games-per-disc compilations were released for PSX, I complained about them because I knew that the companies could've included so much more than they did. As a result, I ended up not buying most of them. I regret that now, even though the comps were severely lacking, because most of those collections are currently hard to find. Activision, on the other hand, included 49 games and a lot of nice extras. That's a huge improvement over what we've seen so far. Of course, it is human nature to always want more, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but when you think about how much we got with Anthology, you have to appreciate it. Back in the day, each one of those games set us back God knows how much, but now 49 of them can be had for $20-$30. We've never had it so good.

[NovaXpress]

You were happy with the product. I wasn't. I'm not satisfied, simple as that. I do think they could sell a lot more than 250,000 of the next edition if they put the energy into it.

 

Mos6507 has some good thoughts on the matter. Particularly:

But the bottom line is if Anthology 2 is going to be released on the PC, then it HAS to offer something more than the combines experience of running Stella (for the games) and browsing Atari Age (for the history and community).  

 

They have to build a better mousetrap.

I feel they can build something better and I challenge them to do so. Piling on extra ROMs isn't the solution. I have all the ROMs and that goes for the arcade games as well. At least the Namco collections showed the proper respect for their history.

 

Retro Addict, you offer a favorable review of the product. I offer an unfavorable review of the same product. It's all just a matter of opinion and in the end everyone will decide for themseves after playing the next collection.

 

I have all the 2600 ROMs and Z26. So do most of you. That's why Activision needs to give us more than the minimum if they want our dollars.

[moycon]

1st off, I want to but do not yet own this game.

Hopefully will pick it up shortly as I have been putting it off for some time.

That said I can't comment on it too much.

 

Just reading others reviews and product descriptions..

One thing that would have been cool is if there was an option to unlock updated state of the art graphics. I thought when they were listing options before the game was even released that something like this would be included.... They were talking about graphic modes you could unlock and I thought, man wouldn't it be cool to have the option of playing my old favorites with updated graphic... I guess similar to the Atari compilations where you could play the original Missle Command just like in the arcades or the updated version with 3D looking bases and guns against gorgeous backdrops of deep space planets.

 

I imagined a River Raid with realistics planes and huge firey explosions. More boats and realistic looking forests etc.... I think this is the type of things NovaXpress is talking about. Something to push the games over the edge. Instead the unlockable graphic modes were akin to playing the game on a rotating 3D cube.... Hu????

 

I suppose this would be very difficult and time consuming however, especially for a game slated as a budget release. Like I said I cant really say too much because I haven't played what was released. But I will say if the game included unlockable advanced graphics I'd already own it.

[liveinabin]

Bought the first anthology today. VERY cool front end - the freeway and barnstorming movies were nice. Some games were pretty unplayable on a PS2 joypad (kaboom, Space shuttle..), some played rather better on the analogue stick than the original joystick (pressure cooker..).

I can't do Dragster on this either which is odd because I absolutely RULE at Dragster. I did notice that on my 20th (or so) blown start, I got awarded the patch. I thought you had to fulfill the original requirements to get a patch (below 6 seconds etc.)

 

Anyway, overall, a really nice package. I've discovered a few games that I'd never played before (Demon attack kicks ass) and it's nice to see the games I already own in really pin-sharp display on my TV.

And it has 'Take on me' on the soundtrack, so my wife loves it as well:)

[+Nathan Strum]

I was thinking more along the lines of the...

 

Imagic

M-Network

US Games                            ... and possibly

Data Age

 

I suppose the Parker Bros. titles would be a nightmare to license... but I'd sure like to see those in an anthology. Tigervision, too.

 

The interface for it would take place in a Department Store from that era. Complete with all the other consoles surrounding it. That is... "For those of you who grew up during that era, that remember what it was like."

 

Something else that would be very cool along those lines, would be to have a multi-system emulator. Intellivision, Atari 2600, Vectrex, etc. Maybe even some of those great little handheld/tabletop games (Mattel Auto Race, Coleco Pac-Man, various space invader wannabes, etc.)

 

One visual that sticks with me to this day was how you could walk into almost any store back then, and they'd all have displays for each system running the games (usually half weren't working) and a bunch of the handheld games strapped down that you could play (and usually most of them weren't working due to dead batteries/unplugged A/C adapters). You still see that in electronics stores and toy stores now, but back then... nearly every store seemed to be selling video games. Even 7-11 was selling Activision carts for awhile.

[MegaManFan]

If they re-release it, make sure they debug Pitfall II first this time. That's all I ask.

[NovaXpress]

People came down on me for being negative about this, but the reviews seem to be an almost unanimous: it has problems but its better than nothing. Even the positive reviews soon get into the poor controls, buggy special features, off emulation.

 

Like I said: the lack of care shown in this project is inexcusable.

 

IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MONEY. Look at all the talent on this board who turn out better work for free! Because they care.

 

If Activision wants you to spend money on them (a billion dollar company who craps out a classic gaming comp now and then) instead of spending your thirty bucks on a homebrewer or AtariAge product (people who live and breath for the classic scene like the rest of us) then they'd better damn well make a good comp. No excuses for the bugs and horrible programming.

 

The classic gaming "amateurs" give us quality, why can't the "professionals" do the same?