Leonard Tramiel Exclusive Text Interview - Great Commodore & Atari Insight

[Lostdragon]

I forgot to mention when updating the research into Jane Whittaker claims, this was put to John Maitheson, as it's often quoted and used by various sites, RG Magazine original Jaguar article byJohn Sczanpaniek etc:

 

 

According to Jaguar developer Andrew Whittaker, "Some of that [Loki] technology also found a home in a machine called the SAM Coupé, which was manufactured and produced in the UK by MGT technologies (Bruce Gordon and Alan Miles, both ex-Sinclair staff also). It shared many interesting features with the Jaguar in terms of its video chip, but the machine sold very badly in Europe and the company folded."

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki_(computer)

 

 

We weren't at all surprised to find John disputed a lot of the claim. 

[JagChris]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:05 AM, Lostdragon said:

Always found it an curious choice of title for Atari to do a special edition version of, given how the cartridge version had been received at review and the CD version suffered the same polarized reviews at the hands of the European and US Press. 

 

When  you had the scant resources Atari had in terms of talented coding teams and individuals, they were always going to find themselves in demand. 

Despite its inefficiencies I think it's rather impressive that the engine is also doing anti-aliasing and what appears to be some kind of filtering. The edges of those polygons are nearly glass smooth. That's got to cost something in terms of processing power.

[+Sauron]

2 hours ago, JagChris said:

 That's got to cost something in terms of processing power.

Tree-Fiddy.

 

 

[+CyranoJ]

3 hours ago, JagChris said:

The edges of those polygons are nearly glass smooth.

Only on a CRT.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

3 hours ago, JagChris said:

Despite its inefficiencies I think it's rather impressive that the engine is also doing anti-aliasing and what appears to be some kind of filtering. The edges of those polygons are nearly glass smooth. That's got to cost something in terms of processing power.

IIRC from a thread about HS years ago(I want to say that Scott LeGrand is the one who mentioned this, but it's been a while), it was MIP Mapping. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Shaggy the Atarian

[JagChris]

12 minutes ago, CyranoJ said:

Only on a CRT.

Haven't looked at it otherwise yes. I'm sure things are more noticeable. And if it is I'm sure it would be worse without it. But back then CRT was the norm and it was doing a great job and still cost something. 

 

Even today with a more efficient engine you could still use those techniques with more wiggle room and I'm sure it would help. 

[JagChris]

I believe Eric Smith got those techniques from the graphics gems collection. They seemed to be his Bible. 

[Yak]

Jesus Tapdancing Christ.

 

I thought I'd reached the bottom of the Jane Whittaker rabbithole but I was wrong. I decided to take a look outside the regular games sites, at some of the more flight sim oriented sites, and there's stuff out there which makes mere claims of programming the ZX81 with his toes whilst in hospital in order to produce and sell a hugely successful game that nobody can find any trace of, or being kept like a pet by the Tramiels, seem like nothing.

 

"Anklesock Littlegirlsocks is a real world 747-400 Captain at a major airline."

"this is Anklesock’s real name having been given it at the age of 8. It stuck hard, and that name became legal at the age of 16."

"Capt. Jane-Rachel Whittaker, a Virgin Atlantic Airways ATP, with a multi-Boeing rating"

 

and if THAT's not bonkers enough I came across traces of an entity called "Janey" who was a fixture on a very peculiar conspiracy-nut website and some of the claims on there are just... words fail me.

 

Holy cow. Holy cow, ox, yak, wildebeest, holy every single member of the genus Bovidae, the only thing that could surpass it would be if they claimed they were actually called Jane Armstrong and landed on the moon at age 3 after having had one leg amputated and with the stump covered with a little girl's sock.

 

I've only been anywhere near as completely stunned by sheer bananasness that one time at a computer exhibition when I was talking to some guy and he told me he'd written Trip-a-tron on the ST.  It's just... wow.

[JagChris]

I think he could give the laird a run for his money with making up shit. I'd like to put them in a fishbowl environment and watch the show. See them try to outdo each other with wild stories 

 

It's good to see you around here @Yak you have a good sense of humor.

[Lostdragon]

6 hours ago, Yak said:

Jesus Tapdancing Christ.

 

I thought I'd reached the bottom of the Jane Whittaker rabbithole but I was wrong. I decided to take a look outside the regular games sites, at some of the more flight sim oriented sites, and there's stuff out there which makes mere claims of programming the ZX81 with his toes whilst in hospital in order to produce and sell a hugely successful game that nobody can find any trace of, or being kept like a pet by the Tramiels, seem like nothing.

 

"Anklesock Littlegirlsocks is a real world 747-400 Captain at a major airline."

"this is Anklesock’s real name having been given it at the age of 8. It stuck hard, and that name became legal at the age of 16."

"Capt. Jane-Rachel Whittaker, a Virgin Atlantic Airways ATP, with a multi-Boeing rating"

 

and if THAT's not bonkers enough I came across traces of an entity called "Janey" who was a fixture on a very peculiar conspiracy-nut website and some of the claims on there are just... words fail me.

 

Holy cow. Holy cow, ox, yak, wildebeest, holy every single member of the genus Bovidae, the only thing that could surpass it would be if they claimed they were actually called Jane Armstrong and landed on the moon at age 3 after having had one leg amputated and with the stump covered with a little girl's sock.

 

I've only been anywhere near as completely stunned by sheer bananasness that one time at a computer exhibition when I was talking to some guy and he told me he'd written Trip-a-tron on the ST.  It's just... wow.

Some of the testimonial material I was shown regarding Jane and will be going before the judge in the legal case, made me feel very uncomfortable. 

 

These  best sum up the public ecposure:

 

https://www.icemark.com/blog/archives/2018/04/16/midwinter-sid-meier-and-the-chinese-restaurant/

 

https://airentertainment.biz/jane-whittaker-proven-to-be-an-industry-fraud/

 

 

https://airentertainment.biz/jane-whittaker-keystone-games-blue-sock-studios-and-the-exploitation-of-disabled-people/

 

What's out in the public domain is only the tip of the iceberg and the rest is best kept for the legal teams. 

 

 

The ZX81 title, which Jane claims sold 1000's of copies worldwide, was an utter farce. 

 

So Jane coded PAL, NTSC, SECAM etc versions all from the hospital bed ?

 

 

He stated it was advertised in specific UK Games Press at the time, so of course many more hours wasted trawling the pages of specified and non specified magazines, looking at adverts and classified adverts.. 

 

 

Not a sign of it it's never been on any ZX81 archieve site.. 

 

Jane can't produce any evidence to prove it existed. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Lostdragon

[Yak]

Imagine if just a couple of those claims had actually been true, and he changed his name at age 16 then became a Virgin Atlantic 747 captain.

 

You're on the plane flying across the pond. The seatbelt signs go off and:

 

"BONG! This is your Captain speaking, Captain Anklesock Littlegirlsocks here, I'll be looking after you on our transatlantic flight tonight. Now it's going to be around ten hours until we reach our destination, and being in a pressurised cabin at altitude can make your feet swell, so for your comfort I would recommend that you take your shoes off and move around the cabin in just your socks, lovely socks, mmmm. Long socks, short socks, girl socks, boy socks, they are all highly recommended for my in-flight comfort. Actually not really boy socks so much, rather... stockings. And hose. Yes. Mmm. And if you could kind of pull them slightly off the end of your stumps... ERR I mean feet... that would be... fantastic, so very fantastic.  

 

So please just relax, kick off your shoes and make myself comfortable and shortly I shall be passing through the cabin to inspect all those lovely lovely socks. Beautiful, exquisite, lovely socks, all floppy and hanging off your limbs, pink socks, blue socks, hundreds and hundreds of socks, holy cow. Thank you. BONG!"

[+Sauron]

Didn't Jane make a post on here a long time ago with a photo of the AvP box with some leggings tossed on top? What a fetish to have...

 

 

[+Stephen]

38 minutes ago, Yak said:

Captain Anklesock Littlegirlsocks

More like Twinkle-toes McFingerbang.

[Zerosquare]

17 hours ago, Lostdragon said:

https://airentertainment.biz/jane-whittaker-keystone-games-blue-sock-studios-and-the-exploitation-of-disabled-people/

Holy crap. He's definitely competing with The Laird for the "Mythomania and toxicity" award.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Zerosquare

[JumbleJag]

The Laird,he was trying to recruit programmers on some of the dev forums I'm on a while back,his handle was epyx.

[+Sauron]

38 minutes ago, Zerosquare said:

Holy crap. He's definitely competing with The Laird for the "Mythomania and toxicity" award.

I just read that, and now wish I hadn't. 

[JumbleJag]

1 hour ago, Sauron said:

I just read that, and now wish I hadn't. 

Terrible

Edited August 11, 2021 by JumbleJag

[+Sauron]

19 minutes ago, JumbleJag said:

The Laird,he was trying to recruit programmers on some of the dev forums I'm on a while back,his handle was epyx.

There, you can thank me later.

 

 

 

[JumbleJag]

Thanks Sauron

[Lostdragon]

14 hours ago, Sauron said:

Didn't Jane make a post on here a long time ago with a photo of the AvP box with some leggings tossed on top? What a fetish to have...

 

 

He's been a regular in terms of posting photos of him sitting cross legged or legs stretched out wearing the socks.. 

 

We saw this recently :

 

 

 

 

Jane Whittaker (@WhittakerGames) Tweeted:
@OmoNekoVN @ONeillCam @VenusImprobable @MacDaddyMattyd I can write assembler code for complex algorithms all day long. Just don't ask me to pull my socks up! https://t.co/qkZzCy6K0w https://twitter.com/WhittakerGames/status/1413097629672689669?s=20

 

 

 

The socks are where the fetish appears to start, but goes deeper than that or so it's been alleged... 

 

 

The photos just struck me as yet more attention seeking by Jane, something to get people talking and further deflection away from fact he was lying about role/involvement on titles he's pictured photographed with. 

 

 

For example sat in stockings with big box version of Dark Seed and makes claim he did the games graphics, H. R GIGER approached him to make the game. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Lostdragon

[Lostdragon]

An old one, Wayback Machine only way to see it but... 

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20180907133417/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-08-10-death-threats-false-personas-and-philanthropy-the-untold-story-of-jane-whittaker

 

Given Jane's newsgroup posts, interviews with Alive,Pocket Gamer, Atari Explorer online, Game Pro, in the Atari Jaguar Guide, with ZX Spectrum press, team photo with Mirage from the UK press, interview with Edge and Next Generation magazine previewing Power Crystal on M2 trying to find a buyer for it... 

 

This statement alone, let alone the siamese twin claim and Graftgold claim, was ridiculous, Jane also ran his own website at the time, photos galore.. 

 

 

 

"There's not a lot of imagery of me on the net, there's not a lot of interviews and stuff - and that's because I was deliberately keeping to the background because I didn't want to promote myself as somebody else. I've had 35 years in the games industry, but all discussions or mentions of me on the internet are almost incidental.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Lostdragon

[youxia]

44 minutes ago, Lostdragon said:

the siamese twin claim

So has this been exposed as false? I can live with the other fantastical industry claims, but faking this kind of stuff makes me all sorts of angry.

 

Here is their page from ZXDB database. Its creators are about as thorough as you can get, but there's not much there apart from one type-in. Certainly no mention of a bestselling ZX 81 game...

 

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/x-list?label_id=19056

[ThatGuyMike]

1 hour ago, youxia said:

So has this been exposed as false? I can live with the other fantastical industry claims, but faking this kind of stuff makes me all sorts of angry.

 

Here is their page from ZXDB database. Its creators are about as thorough as you can get, but there's not much there apart from one type-in. Certainly no mention of a bestselling ZX 81 game...

 

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/x-list?label_id=19056

It is false. The type of siamese Jane claimed is literally medically impossible, and there are no records or press surrounding such a medically impossible and groundbreaking seperation operation.

The story around the siamese twin thing has changed several times too. 

[Yak]

Ah I hadn't seen that gamesindustry.biz one, only seen mentions of it. The thing of having to hide his identity just doesn't make any sense. I worked out in California for a few years myself in the mid 1990s, and one of the things I noticed about the Silicon Valley culture at the time was that they really couldn't give a wet slap about your private life, sexual orientation, or preferred gender identity - as long as you could do the work you were admired. I suppose if someone were really publicly embarrassing about that stuff they might get the sack, but if it was just a part of your life and you performed well at your job nobody would bat an eyelid at your orientation or kinks.

 

He says that he wasn't allowed to be credited on a game as Jane because that would reflect negatively on the game. *How* exactly? Have you ever heard of anyone looking at the list of dev credits on a game and going "hell no, not buying that game, there's a GIRL'S NAME in the credits"? It's simply absurd.

[Editorb]

30 minutes ago, Yak said:

Have you ever heard of anyone looking at the list of dev credits on a game and going "hell no, not buying that game, there's a GIRL'S NAME in the credits"? It's simply absurd.

This reflects poorly on me, but I usually think, “I wonder if she’s hawt?”