Question on Flashback franchise

[AAA177]

Does anyone know how many units the franchise has sold? Do game programmers still earn royalties from the sales?

 

Also, can Activision if it wanted put out its own Flashback (not necessarily in the shape of a 2600) without paying royalties to Atari? I know there were joystick-Activision games, and I often wondered if, just because the games were made using the old Atari operating system (if I am understanding how that works), the company would be obligated to license new releases of their catalog. The company should put their entire catalog (at least all the early games up until the licensed stuff) into a Flashback-type device and release it.

 

Makes me think -- could Disney release all its old NES/SNES/Genesis games in its own device? Would it have to pay Nintendo?

[TrekkiELO]

They already did three times, 2001, 2004 (reissue) & 2006!

 

http://thegenericopinion.com/go_article/atarifb/tna2600.html

 

Toymax Activision Game Pad

 

The Activision TV games Game pad was made by Toymax in 2001 and was amongst the first retro-gaming plug and play TV devices to hit the market.

 

Jakks Activision Joystick

The Jakks Pacific Activision Joystick comes about by their acquisition of Toymax who made the original device. This new version is the same on the inside and there has been no change to the game lineup. The only real change is cosmetic as it now resembles a Wico Joystick with a ball top and a top fire button. These were a common third party joystick for the Atari 2600, just like Activision was a popular third party game supplier.

 

Atlantis (Imagic)
Ice Hockey
Boxing
Pitfall
Crackpots
River Raid
Freeway
Spider Fighter
Grand Prix
Tennis

 

http://thegenericopinion.com/go_article/atarifb/tsa2600.html

 

Techno Source Activision Game Pad

The Activision 10 IN 1 Plug and play controller from Techno Source plays recreations of Activision games that were originally made for the Atari 2600. The controller is designed like a gam pad. It is slightly better designed than the original Toymax Activision game pad. This new game pad includes 10 more games, with Spider Fighter being the only one duplicated. The selection of games actually makes a bit more sense as none of them are two player dependent.

 

Barnstorming
Pitfall 2
Chopper Command
Pressure Cooker
Fishing Derby
Spider Fighter
Frostbite
Seaquest
Kaboom!
Robot Tank

Edited January 12, 2015 by TrekkiELO

[AAA177]

Thanks for the info. Do you think they will ever be released again? And also, I would love Activision to release all their games -- including Imagic titles, maybe even "Dracula" for Intellivision -- on a new device. There has to be money to be made from something like that, I don't know.

 

And contract Crane to make "Pitfall 3" with 2600 technology! Or, at least release that Sega-arcade "Pitfall" thing again. I don't want to just watch YouTube videos of that, I want to play it.

[atari181]

 

And contract Crane to make "Pitfall 3" with 2600 technology! Or, at least release that Sega-arcade "Pitfall" thing again. I don't want to just watch YouTube videos of that, I want to play it.

David is a member here. He has already discussed that he won't be doing a pitfall 3

[TrekkiELO]

Thanks for the info. Do you think they will ever be released again?

 

I don't know and am not sure, probably not, you can still find Used ones by Jakks/ToyMax on eBay and at Amazon...

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XJakks+Activision&_nkw=Jakks+Activision&_sacat=0

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jakks+Activision

Edited January 12, 2015 by TrekkiELO

[OscarGungan]

I know the Flashback 2 had a couple of Activision games on it, but I wonder what the chances of licensing their whole catalog, to be included in Atari Flashback 6 and Intellivision and ColecoVision 2. In some cases it would double the number of games on the system and make dome of the more definitive titles for those consoles available.

[+LS650]

I know the Flashback 2 had a couple of Activision games on it

True, the FB2 has both River Raid and Pitfall included. I've always wondered why Activision evoked the permissions to use those games.

[Saneless]

Or, at least release that Sega-arcade "Pitfall" thing again. I don't want to just watch YouTube videos of that, I want to play it.

Pitfall II arcade is easily available in MAME.

 

And if you can tolerate phone screen controls, Activision has released all their games on android and iOS. And probably most of them on Nintendo DS/GBA.

[AAA177]

^{Is Mame something I can legitimately buy? Or is it a download-emulation thing? I get nervous downloading stuff that might be illegal.}

 

^{A couple computers ago, I had downloaded Stella. I played a lot of games I couldn't get my hands on (including stuff like Frankenstein's Monster -- which I love -- and Halloween). Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to download Stella or ROMS these days. And I heard about that Archive.org thing. From what I understand, its legality is up in the air. I wish this stuff would be settled, or if we could somehow pay for the games.}

[+wood_jl]

Question: WHO OWNS THE "FLASHBACK" BRAND?" On the Colecovision and Intelliviison Flashbacks, the term "Flashback" is copyrighted. However, as we all know, the original Flashback was commissioned by Atari (or the functioning entity currently calling itself "Atari.") However, the CV and INTV Flashbacks are also called the copyrighted term "Flashback" and do not appear to have anything to do with Atari. What gives?

[mitchd61]

There is no "Flashback Brand". Each of the different flashback models is an independent entity with the trademarks held by their respective owners, (CV, INTV, Atari) and used by AT Games in the production of the different units.

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4803:iy04tt.2.37

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4803:iy04tt.2.6

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4803:iy04tt.2.2

 

Multiple entities use the term flashback in a variety of trademarks that have nothing to do with video games.

Edited January 16, 2015 by mitchd61

[+LS650]

Hmm. I could sell a machine that runs a collection of crappy little Flash-based games, and call it the... FLASH FLASHBACK!

[+RichG1972]

David is a member here. He has already discussed that he won't be doing a pitfall 3

Technically didn't he already do that for the NES in the form of Super Pitfall? Because essentially that would qualify as Pitfall's 3rd installment under the Pitfall name