carlsson Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 10/10/2019 at 11:04 PM, Flojomojo said: There's no company left. Just a brand name. Skills, development, and innovation are in short supply at "Atari." They can rent out their name, and their portfolio of aging intellectual property. They're strip mining any value the brand had left, until there won't be any left. Some say that's already happened. Not only aging IP, I believe it was posted before how Atari SA were selling off some of their remaining IP, the parts that are not strictly vintage Atari related. I stumbled across a UK company called Subversive who have specialized in picking up intellectual properties of smaller entries. From Infogrames (i.e. Atari SA) they have acquired the rights to Melbourne House/Beam, Ocean Software and the Philips Videopac (!) games. They have also acquired the rights to Imagine/Beau Jolly and Microdeal plus smaller labels like Artic Computing, Automata and Pixel Productions (a handful games for the VIC-20 and ZX Spectrum). https://subversive.uk/trademarks (Who kept track of that Infogrames/Atari would hold the rights to the Videopac G7000 catalog? Perhaps the O2/G7000 community knew) Kind of exciting that games from Imagine, Melbourne House and Ocean Software now would be owned by the same company. Combined they had a bunch of decent games that perhaps are available through the Antstream service (hard to tell as their site doesn't state publisher and I don't want to cross reference lists by hand). I haven't looked up if Subversive is good or bad regarding how they use their rights, but time will tell. Their site at least is a little more fleshed out than say Tin Giant. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaysWithWolves Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 46 minutes ago, carlsson said: Not only aging IP, I believe it was posted before how Atari SA were selling off some of their remaining IP, the parts that are not strictly vintage Atari related. I believe Piko Interactive has obtained some as well. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Yeah. Since Atari were interested in game shows before in form of that Million Dollar Pong which may or may not become a reality, perhaps they're interested in a special edition of The Price is Right too. 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 @carlsson Their site just says Philips. Are you sure it's Videopac (what my people call Magnavox Odyssey 2) and not CD-I? If you look at the Atari IP portfolio PDF posted on their site, it looks to be almost exclusively vintage stuff in there. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 The Subversive page says "the Videopac series (many titles to include Air-Sea War, Battle, Race, Spin Out, Cryptogram, etc. etc.)". Race / Spin Out / Cryptogram happens to be Videopac Game #1 while Air-Sea-War / Battle is #4, so certainly they mean G7000, not CD-I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Magnavox_Odyssey²_games 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacman000 Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 10/16/2019 at 3:09 AM, JBerel said: Doe-Ho-Ho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMaddog Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 1 hour ago, carlsson said: Yeah. Since Atari were interested in game shows before in form of that Million Dollar Pong which may or may not become a reality, perhaps they're interested in a special edition of The Price is Right too. More like Let's Make A Deal... 3 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBerel Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Fixed that for ya..... 1 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 57 minutes ago, carlsson said: The Subversive page says "the Videopac series (many titles to include Air-Sea War, Battle, Race, Spin Out, Cryptogram, etc. etc.)". Race / Spin Out / Cryptogram happens to be Videopac Game #1 while Air-Sea-War / Battle is #4, so certainly they mean G7000, not CD-I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Magnavox_Odyssey²_games Thanks. They have different names in North America. I wonder if the rights are worldwide or just in UK and/or Europe? Spoiler fucking lawyers 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACODON Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 3 hours ago, PlaysWithWolves said: Would sending my out a single AtariVCS in December fulfill their promise to start shipping to backers by then? If I was to guess. I bet they ship out a few to select pigeons or maybe a few YouTube people to just say, hey everyone we shipped something out to backers! Of course they will be very picky about who gets them, only folks who will praise the thing like the second coming. At any rate they can claim they shipped them then claim they hit a snag and had to stop production short because they want only the best product to be shipped out to backers... Also those that do ship will probably have better fit and finish or even more complete programming so it doesn't seem like the shitty empty box it really is... They will claim this all as a victory and the social media interns and supporters group on Facebook will rejoice. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 24 minutes ago, Flojomojo said: I wonder if the rights are worldwide or just in UK and/or Europe? I had the exact same thought. If the code is virtually the same, there ought to be only one source of ownership, right? I mean Philips bought Magnavox in 1974-ish, the Videopac G7000 was released in Europe prior to the Odyssey^2 (ok, only by three months but still) so most likely the actual rights to the games released by themselves sat at Philips all the time, and someone decided to sell off the properties or perhaps that particular subsidiary simply was shut down. OTOH perhaps some games were transferred to the original programmer, like Ed Averett ones, which in that case further would dig holes into a catalogue of games for which either company owns the rights. If Subversive had close to 60 titles of those, they would not limit themselves to mentioning two cartridges which respectively hold 2 and 3 games. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunksJumpUp Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 5 minutes ago, TACODON said: If I was to guess. I bet they ship out a few to select pigeons or maybe a few YouTube people to just say, hey everyone we shipped something out to backers! Of course they will be very picky about who gets them, only folks who will praise the thing like the second coming. At any rate they can claim they shipped them then claim they hit a snag and had to stop production short because they want only the best product to be shipped out to backers... Also those that do ship will probably have better fit and finish or even more complete programming so it doesn't seem like the shitty empty box it really is... They will claim this all as a victory and the social media interns and supporters group on Facebook will rejoice. I could definitely see this happening. Brandon Harris & John Phelan would have to be at the front of the line. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBerel Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 To ship a single unit, they'd need an AMD board that worked and fit in their goofy box. Based on everything we know......not happening. Based on what we don't know, but can confidently surmise.....they probably won't even have a working prototype by December let alone any kind of working software beyond a Linux distro. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACODON Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I'd also guess that what ever they do send out, it will be more like handmade prototypes then a real production model. Basically it will be more smoke and mirrors but I'd bet a few dollars they will release a small number of units, even if Fred is hand assembling them, just to claim they hit that goal and get something into the hands of a positive group of shills before they claim production issues have shut down the factory. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 6 minutes ago, TACODON said: even if Fred is hand assembling them Ha! Like he would ever get his hands dirty in that way. I agree with everything else you said. Limited distribution to known friendlies certainly seems likely. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCAT Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I expect a unit to be shipped to a never-seen-before Youtuber. Just like Bethesda shipped out those nice canvas bags. Remember the AtGames Bandai Namco Flashback Blast? How they sent out Arcade ROM youtube influencers, then produced NES versions to sell to the masses? When it comes to $$$MONEY$$$, these Skeezy Breezy Greazy Sleezies will do anything for it. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Hey guys, I'm sorry that I don't keep up with all the latest and greatest news about the VCS. It's possible this amazing revelation has already made it to this group, but I wanted to share this in case it hadn't reached you yet: VCS Halloween Edition: Spoiler 2 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DurradonXylles Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, JBerel said: To ship a single unit, they'd need an AMD board that worked and fit in their goofy box. Based on everything we know......not happening. Based on what we don't know, but can confidently surmise.....they probably won't even have a working prototype by December let alone any kind of working software beyond a Linux distro. To have a custom Linux distro with that menu interface, and not violate the various open source software licenses that they are released on, they need to not only have programmers to build the architecture and interface (as well as make sure that it works on the AMD APU since they're known for not playing incredibly well with Linux), but also copyright lawyers that specialize in software licensing. This is something that's been bugging me for a while, especially because I'm fairly certain Atari SA/Gamebox LLC isn't thinking about this at all: Atari will undoubtedly have to rely on the open source community in large strokes to make anything resembling these mockups from the IGG page. This isn't speculation, it's already certain between knowing how the industry works, Atari World being openly touted as Linux-based, and knowing that Atari can't or won't pay programmers to make a completely proprietary interface (they aren't even planning on having basic web apps like Netflix developed for their "console" ffs). The big three console manufacturers use many pieces of OSS in their products, from web architecture to even the operating systems running the devices (eg: OpenBSD for the PS3 and PS4's operating systems). Hell, in the classic/mini consoles released up to now we've seen everything outside of the emulation running the games use almost exclusively OSS (except for Sony which cheapened out and used PCSX-ReARMed for the PS1 emulation), and all of them, even the more recent Flashbacks by AtGames, are running some form of Linux optimized for ARM chipsets or straight up a customized, lean build of Android. Why is this bothering me so? Well, Atari seems to subscribe to the idea of "it's easier to ask for forgiveness after than ask for permission before", especially because of all of the payouts they've been giving to people they formerly worked with or paid royalties to. AtGames had the good sense to consult with libRetro and MAME over proper usage of their software, as well as license Stella and Genesis Plus GX for the latest editions of the Atari and Sega Genesis Flashbacks, respectively, and they are currently getting the pants sued off of them from two companies they had done business with before over violation of legal agreements. Atari SA doesn't even have that much sense when it comes to legal minutia, and that's been a large part of their business for the last decade. I cannot imagine "Atari" having the good sense to follow licenses like the GPL, LGPL, MPL, Apache, CDDL, EPL, BSD or even one as dead simple to follow as the MIT license. While open source licenses have been, and are still getting, abused, there are organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation that have been helping these smaller entities get their day in court when they have a good enough case. If Atari SA, which would be a large target because they have been a household name for decades, was found to violate OSS licenses, what's to stop a class action suit from starting on behalf of every individual, group or organization they pissed off with the legal backing of EFF? Of course, this is all speculation; we still have yet to see that the prototype board they've only shown pics of, with that LED turned on, can even boot into a Linux desktop without crashes or a novella's worth of errors at startup. Edited October 16, 2019 by DurradonXylles 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgman Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 27 minutes ago, Flojomojo said: Ha! Like he would ever get his hands dirty in that way. Atari: Now hiring. Engineer who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty, come work for us Rob: 3 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 This is a very good history of tacos, and you should read it. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/an-oral-history-of-hard-shell-tacos 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldLeader Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 20 minutes ago, mgman said: Rob: Maybe he's just adjusting the BASS on his SpeakerPants. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACODON Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 50 minutes ago, Flojomojo said: Ha! Like he would ever get his hands dirty in that way. I was more figuratively speaking on that part but somebody with a hot glue gun and some stick-on wood-grain is going to be very busy one night soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 2 hours ago, TACODON said: If I was to guess. I bet they ship out a few to select pigeons or maybe a few YouTube people to just say, hey everyone we shipped something out to backers! If they did this, it would literally be a mirror image of the ZX Spectrum Vega+ fiasco. It would also be Atari SA's fall-on-your-sword moment. 2 hours ago, TACODON said: Of course they will be very picky about who gets them, only folks who will praise the thing like the second coming. Agreed - but by the same token, if they ship something as mediocre as it appears they'd be likely to, I'd expect at least one of those pigeons to wake up, smell the coffee, and basically call it out for what it is. Expect comedy gold to ensue from that point forward. 2 hours ago, TACODON said: At any rate they can claim they shipped them then claim they hit a snag and had to stop production short because they want only the best product to be shipped out to backers... Also those that do ship will probably have better fit and finish or even more complete programming so it doesn't seem like the shitty empty box it really is... They will claim this all as a victory and the social media interns and supporters group on Facebook will rejoice. Or they go the Chinese eBay merchant route: send out a cork or some other low-value item packed in with a, "sorry, your Ataribollocks(tm) is in another production facility, and will maybe get to you at some point" note included. This basically lets them fulfill the need to ship and provide a tracking number while letting the faithful think they're actually going to receive that thing they paid for. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy the Atarian Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Here's an upcoming console I just heard about (kind of like the Switch, but focused on classic handhelds) that I expect to see available before the Ataribawx: https://www.analogue.co/pocket/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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