Keystone Kapers II Found

[Supergun]

Agreed, I took that joke too far. So Ill come clean now.

 

In all seriousness, there is nothing for anyone to lose sleep over in that pile of Activision carts. And I played the Keystone Kapers review cart & I didnt notice anything different from the final.

 

On topic again, I played Dan Kitchens Crackpots for awhile with my daughter & she was laughing the entire time! She loves the characters facial expression & the entire premise of the game is really silly, but yet so much fun. She kept asking me about spiders & how & why they would do such a thing to a building, etc. We really enjoyed it.

 

In fact, I think I recall in an old interview with Dan K that he said he actually preferred to make the games less serious (like shooters are) and more funny. And he said that video game programming was a perfect fit for him because it involved both technical knowledge & skills but also an artistic talent & imagination.

[Andromeda Stardust]

In fact, I think I recall in an old interview with Dan K that he said he actually preferred to make the games less serious (like shooters are) and more funny. And he said that video game programming was a perfect fit for him because it involved both technical knowledge & skills but also an artistic talent & imagination.

I agree with this sentiment. I've played some whacky gun games. The FPS plunger segments in Raymond and Rabbids Wii were comedy gold. So was the Wiimote faux light gun game Chicken Shoot. One of the first budget titles released for Wii, you are a farmer who went off his rocker and shoot the chickens, who agg you on the whole time. It's so rediculous, I couldn't stop laughing and played it over and over...

[TikiDan]

Hi everyone! I want to thank all of you for your supportive comments and suggestions on my Kickstarter question. I'll keep everyone updated on my Kickstarter plans and Keystone II's progress.

[Inky]

Dan, in another thread, someone was wondering if you were working on an updated DPC chip when the crash happened. Is this true?

[Supergun]

Well, not an updated chip per say, more as to why was the chip never used again in other games?

 

Pitfall II with its DPC chip was absolutely amazing. That was 1984 right before the video game market crash. So its understandable that it wasnt used again & was all for nothing at that time.

 

But the question is, in 1986 - 1988 when Activision & Absolute were releasing 2600 games again, why wasnt DPC used again?

 

Did David Crane have a stranglehold on it? (such as he didnt share hiow to use it or maybe wanted too much money for using it)

 

Why was the DPC never used again?

[TikiDan]

Hi Inky and Supergun!

Thanks for writing!

I've never used the DPC or any other chip for the Atari 2600. All my games, including Keystone II and the new version of it that I'm now finishing up (renamed GOLD RUSH!™) are written in pure 6502 with no additional RAM or hardware support.

Dave created the DPC chip because he wanted to create a stunning version of Pitfall 2. Adding the DPC to a cartridge would greatly increase the manufacturing cost, so by the time Pitfall 2 had been released and the market crash had occurred, it was more imperative then ever to make games in the smallest and cheapest configuration. It was purely a management cost decision, Dave had nothing to do with it. As far as I know the DPC was never used after Pitfall 2.

As an aside, many people call the DPC the "Display Processor Chip". The truth is it was named by Dave for his full name "David Patrick Crane".

Please check out the latest on my development of GOLD RUSH!™ at my new Retro Game Site:

www.dankitchengames.com

Thanks again for all your questions! Keep 'em coming!

Dan Kitchen

[Andromeda Stardust]

Hi Inky and Supergun!

 

Thanks for writing!

 

I've never used the DPC or any other chip for the Atari 2600. All my games, including Keystone II and the new version of it that I'm now finishing up (renamed GOLD RUSH!™) are written in pure 6502 with no additional RAM or hardware support.

 

Dave created the DPC chip because he wanted to create a stunning version of Pitfall 2. Adding the DPC to a cartridge would greatly increase the manufacturing cost, so by the time Pitfall 2 had been released and the market crash had occurred, it was more imperative then ever to make games in the smallest and cheapest configuration. It was purely a management cost decision, Dave had nothing to do with it. As far as I know the DPC was never used after Pitfall 2.

 

As an aside, many people call the DPC the "Display Processor Chip". The truth is it was named by Dave for his full name "David Patrick Crane".

 

Please check out the latest on my development of GOLD RUSH!™ at my new Retro Game Site:

 

www.dankitchengames.com

 

Thanks again for all your questions! Keep 'em coming!

 

Dan Kitchen

Yeah bargain basement games were selling fir $5. With the race to the bottom, having a chip in your game that cost more than $5 is a bad contengency plan. You'll want to break even if the game price gets drastically slashed.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I wonder how much extra cost the DPC added back then. Do we know?

[Arenafoot]

As an aside, many people call the DPC the "Display Processor Chip". The truth is it was named by Dave for his full name "David Patrick Crane".

I always knew this, not sure how the Display Processor Chip interpretation got started.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

There earliest info I found is from September 2001. There is an with Alan Miller interview here.

 

Also at Activision, the Display Processor Chip (DPC, named after its creator, David Patrick Crane) was created, which added additional power to the VCS.

 

So there you have the wrong and the right explanation in one sentence.

 

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

There earliest info I found is from September 2001. There is an with Alan Miller interview here.

 

 

 

So there you have the wrong and the right explanation in one sentence.

 

It is entirely possible that both interpretations are correct. As an example, the codename for Nintendo DS while in development was DS (developer system). This abbreviation was later changed to DS (Dual screen) for the final product. This in contrast to Dolphin (Game Cube), Revolution (Wii), and NX (Switch) which did not retain their original development codenames.

 

So internal reassignment of DPC (David Patrick Crane) who created the DPC, to Display Processor Chip for the final name, makes sense.

 

Sometimes humorous phrases alsk develop from proper names or acronyms, for instance Ford = Fixed or Repaired Daily, Found on the Road Dead; or Peta = People Eating Tasty Animals.

 

It does not take a skilled linguist to come up with a professional or satirical acronym that makes logical sense and matches an existing word or abbreviation.

 

The military uses many acronyms for technology which layer become proper words. LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) and RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) are examples which became standard English words which do not require capitolization.

 

So I think DPC chip may have originally stood for the developer's initials but likely got reassigned in the process.

[Supergun]

Excellent post. And very insightful. Thank you.

 

I will never forget an argument I had with a classmate back in high school. I was telling him how I felt SONY televisions had the best picture quality and how skilled the Japanese were getting with technology.

 

He then proceeded to tell me that I was wrong in that SONY was not a Japanese company, rather, it was American company. I told him he was crazy, but he insisted, and explained that it was as American as apple pie and the name stood for: Standard Oil New York

 

I was 99% sure that he was wrong. But he said it so matter of fact and it sounded so convincing, that it made me actually doubt myself.

[awhite2600]

He then proceeded to tell me that I was wrong in that SONY was not a Japanese company, rather, it was American company. I told him he was crazy, but he insisted, and explained that it was as American as apple pie and the name stood for: Standard Oil New York

 

On a similar note, whenever I see the name of the fashion company DKNY, I always think "Donkey Kong New York".

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Search the web for "Standard Oil New York" Sony.

[Asaki]

On a similar note, whenever I see the name of the fashion company DKNY, I always think "Donkey Kong New York".

Wait, that's not what it stands for???

[thetick1]

Wait, that's not what it stands for??

 

Hehe I actually bought an Armani Exchange hat because it looked like AIX (the OS I was working on at the time).

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

He then proceeded to tell me that I was wrong in that SONY was not a Japanese company, rather, it was American company. I told him he was crazy, but he insisted, and explained that it was as American as apple pie and the name stood for: Standard Oil New York.

Standard Oil New York.

 

Loving that one. I think Sony went a long way to open consumers up to Japanese tech equipment, even well before the PS1 years. Their Walkman line, later followed by discman, was iconic. Portable music well predating the iPod generation.

 

Though decades later South Korean tech firm Samsung is giving the Sony empire a run for it's money on the consumer electronics front.

 

On a similar note, whenever I see the name of the fashion company DKNY, I always think "Donkey Kong New York".

I always pronounced it like "DiNKY." Also King Kong = New York, Godzilla = Tokyo.

 

Hehe I actually bought an Armani Exchange hat because it looked like AIX (the OS I was working on at the time).

 

I have Armani Exchange AX glasses...

[lazzeri]

Hello Mr. Kitchen. Welcome to our little madhouse. :-)

 

Once again, I wanted to thank everyone for your accolades, support and comments.

 

I actually have a question for all of you that I would love your opinion on:

 

I'm thinking of starting a Kickstarter campaign for Keystone II (and potentially my other 2600 games to follow) to pre-sell the game and raise the funds for the game's manufacturing. I'm thinking about offering different pledge rewards that include:

 

- Receiving only the cartridge

- Receiving the cartridge with a box and full color manual

- Receiving a limited edition signed copy of the cartridge

- Receiving a full size poster with the boxed game

- Participating with me in the design of the game by designing an enemy character that I'll program into the game

- Securing an invitation to the game's launch event (date & location TBD)

 

As retro game players, collectors, historians and experts, I'd love to know what you think about a Keystone II Kickstarter Campaign.

 

Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback!

 

Dan K.

 

This is indeed a great idea.

 

One thing you might already have discovered is that today there´s a lot of different kind of buyers of atari games. Some people would happily just pick a cart for playing; some would care for a cart & manual; some would love a complete copy and some other would go for extras. You can see this on AtariAge and even take a look of what the typical prices are.

 

Those sound like a great list of pledge levels. As some pointed out maybe a cart + color manual might be a good deal.

 

I´d love to have a signed, limited (numbered) edition. Maybe 100 or 200 or those might be easy to sell. Those can be the "limited collector´s edition", with an added poster perharps?

 

Anyway, love to hear about it & really glad you joined us. Can´t wait for the finished game!

[TikiDan]

Hi Moonsweeper!

Thank you so much for your input. Yes, I plan to have a limited edition of signed games with a color manual, box and poster. We'll also be adding a complete set of the Collectible Trading Cards for the game. You can view the first card and subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.dankitchengames.com. The game will have almost 75 enemies and obstacles which will be highlighted on these Trading Cards.

The game is now called DAN KITCHEN'S GOLD RUSH!™. In my upcoming newsletter I'll be releasing images of the train cars and obstacles.

Thank's again for your kind words!

Dan K.

Edited November 2, 2018 by TikiDan

[Brian O]

 

Hi Moonsweeper!

Thank you so much for your input. Yes, I plan to have a limited edition of signed games with a color manual, box and poster. We'll also be adding a complete set of the Collectible Trading Cards for the game. You can view the first card and subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.dankitchengames.com. The game will have almost 75 enemies and obstacles which will be highlighted on these Trading Cards.

The game is now called DAN KITCHEN'S GOLD RUSH!™. In my upcoming newsletter I'll be releasing images of the train cars and obstacles.

Thank's again for your kind words!

Dan K.

 

Sounds awesome!

[atari181]

I can't wait for this release! glad to hear Dan.

[Atari_Bill]

I just LOVE the look of this. Definitely in for a limited one!!!!

[AtariLeaf]

 

The game will have almost 75 enemies and obstacles which will be highlighted on these Trading Cards.

 

 

 

Wow that's really impressive for a 2600 game

[+lawdawg710]

Well, take my money sir, because I am all in for this!! Amazing quality work so far, thank you for your contribution to our community and a very heartfelt welcome to the Atariage forums.

[TikiDan]

Hi lawdawg710!

 

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm honored to be a part of the Atari Age Forum.

 

Dan Kitchen