Atariage has been aquired by Atari.. fyi

[+5-11under]

2 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

Interesting viewpoint from a non-subscriber. Not to be a sneetch but I'm not the one giving a speech about paying to keep the site in the user's hands.

At some point I determined that because I basically live here, I should at least pay a small token of rent, by subscribing. I'll continue to subscribe... I'm sure it will still help Albert and it will still help the entity known as AtariAge, and there's some other benefits.

[+bent_pin]

3 minutes ago, 5-11under said:

At some point I determined that because I basically live here, I should at least pay a small token of rent, by subscribing. I'll continue to subscribe... I'm sure it will still help Albert and it will still help the entity known as AtariAge, and there's some other benefits.

Me too. After I logged about 40 hours in a week, started talking, and learned a bunch, I felt it was time to support the site.

[+FarmerPotato]

I've been a subscriber since I first learned to post here--and I pay the renewal notice more quickly then I process my other bills!

[+hloberg]

I for one welcome our new corporate overlords. 😁

seriously, I'm sure @Albert thought this through long and hard. Running a website this large is this is a lot of work. I mean he could have just said f' it walked away and let the site die (as so many other sites I've seen do).

I was one of the 1st that transitioned from the old Yahoo! TI99 (remember that) site to here and have never regretted it.

I think it was a good call.

[+bent_pin]

2 hours ago, hloberg said:

I for one welcome our new corporate overlords. 😁

Makes me think of Howard the Duck and the Dark Overlords of the Universe

Though I expect this to turn out better.

[doctorclu]

6 hours ago, Elia Spallanzani fdt said:

I still believe that the real problem is that companies buy for little money the content painstakingly created by users, and users let them do it. Ten thousand users could spend a dollar a month each to keep the forum, but they don't. It has already happened many times. I believe that this is one of the greatest processes of wealth theft since enclosures, and it is still the same phenomenon.

I totally agree on this point.   A lot of skill and talent went into this place to form a community, and I'm pretty sure the people that contributed it did so with the idea it was more of a combined hobbyist idea, not contributing to a money making corporation in the end for free.  Oh totally get it!

6 hours ago, bent_pin said:

Interesting viewpoint from a non-subscriber. Not to be a sneetch but I'm not the one giving a speech about paying to keep the site in the user's hands.

 

Edit: I'd like to add that this reads to be a lot snippier than I intended

 

Yeh that was pretty snippy because we've had a lot of valuable information given on this website from people that started as non-subscribers.

 

I was a subscriber for the last two years, and would be currently but the payment system was not working for whatever reason.  Al said he was looking into that back in April, and that was the last I heard of it.  So there could be people that wanted to subscribe and just simply couldn't.

[Albert]

1 minute ago, doctorclu said:

I was a subscriber for the last two years, and would be currently but the payment system was not working for whatever reason.  Al said he was looking into that back in April, and that was the last I heard of it.  So there could be people that wanted to subscribe and just simply couldn't.

I updated the forum software recently, which I believe fixed the problem. 

 

I have never pressured anyone to subscribe, and I never put any important functionality behind the subscriptions, as I hate when sites do that.  I wanted people to be able to use the site for free, without advertising on the site, and if you subscribe, then you get some nice bonuses (such as a much larger PM inbox, although the default size is pretty reasonable), but nothing you really need.  And that will continue (the site being free and without ads). 

 

 ..Al

[+bent_pin]

14 minutes ago, doctorclu said:

 

Yeh that was pretty snippy because we've had a lot of valuable information given on this website from people that started as non-subscribers.

 

I was a subscriber for the last two years, and would be currently but the payment system was not working for whatever reason.  Al said he was looking into that back in April, and that was the last I heard of it.  So there could be people that wanted to subscribe and just simply couldn't

I subscribed in May, so it wasn't a problem then. I added the edit immediately to prevent hurt feelings, but I stand behind the original message. I said nothing about the importance of non-subscribers. I just pointed out that someone not subbed complaing about people not supporting a site is the pot calling the kettle black. 

[+Schmitzi]

9 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

Fine.  Where is your guarantee that what you want to do will last?  That you will not get tired of it, or not have someone to pass it off to, or not have someone take it over and kill it, or not meet your untimely doom skydiving with super models, or not have your web provider of choice just blow a gasket, or, or, or...

 

There are no guarantees in life.  Sometimes you just have to go with the best bet.  Hope for the best, but still plan for the worst.  Start archiving, start building outside Wikis to contain the data we have here.  No one is stopping anyone from doing that.  At the very least, archive.is works great, though you have to archive every page of a thread.  Or you can just submit a single post with important details.

 

 

Yes of course, I cannot guarantee anything, that´s clear.

 

But that´s the reason why I try to ask for and to find a way to something like "not only one person nor a money driven "competition" company should host and own it (the domain where forum runs & data resides), but some people from the todays inner 99ers community should do that" (this "community of heirs" what I was talking about, maybe something in the sense of a free foundation or so)

 

If and in what way ever this could be done and regulated has to be found out. And time has come to think about...` If not now, when then ? Wait for a catastrophe ? I already can see clouds gathering in the sky... OK, maybe that´s only me

 

And so I am arguing for TI 99ers estate and heritage here, and not for Atari´s or Al´s, like others do here.

Please dont misunderstand me, I really love   Al and all his efforts and work, but for me, influence and responsibility has massively and fundamentally changed with this (gladly) act of conserving and saving the Atarian community, but it´s just a question of time to recko that in a bad way for us 99ers...

 

Call me paranoid again, but not thinking about and not doing anything now will surely end in an Armageddon one day. And we can prevent from that with a good plan, I am sure.

I also asked all this questions here some years ago, but sorry I cannot find it. (as maybe it was on FB)

 

xXx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+retroclouds]

First of all I like to thank @Albert for hosting our TI-99/4a forum for so many years now.

Heck, I remember when I asked Al if we could be part here. He said sure, but you do have to find a few others TI-99’ers to join. 😁

Look how big the place has become. It’s just amazing.

 

Working for a corporate company for many years myself, I can understand the concerns and to be honest I’m also a little biased.

But in the end it boils down to trust. Perhaps some things will change in the long run. Some for the better, some for the worse. 

No one can predict the future, but honestly my take on it is to stay cool and not to panic.

 

Even if Al would not have done this move, who can guarantee you that Atariage would keep on to exist?

Myself I am not in favour of moving to another forum, this will just cause more fragmentation.

In the end it’s where the community hangs out, that’s what matters. 

 

I feel this is the next step in our communities’ journey and am looking forward seeing how it further develops.

Looking from the positive side of things, perhaps good things will come out of this.

 

Myself I would love to see more TI-99/4a homebrew cartridge games with nice packaging and artwork like our colecovision friends have.

And not only for games, perhaps as part of community efforts we can get more new hardware to tinker with.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

retroclouds

[Elia Spallanzani fdt]

I was making a general speech. I don't think that the value (or non-value) of an opinion depends on the person expressing it. My interest in this forum is limited, I don't even have a ti99, but I would have done well to contribute anyway. I belong to the set of users whose behavior I criticize. Having said that, it remains to be seen whether the opinion I expressed is valid or not.

[+OLD CS1]

1 hour ago, retroclouds said:

Myself I would love to see more TI-99/4a homebrew cartridge games with nice packaging and artwork like our colecovision friends have.

And not only for games, perhaps as part of community efforts we can get more new hardware to tinker with.

@Albert has expressed his interest in doing games production for the TI.

[Asmusr]

29 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

@Albert has expressed his interest in doing games production for the TI.

Would Atari be selling those games, then?

[+Retrospect]

31 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

I would love to see more TI-99/4a homebrew cartridge games with nice packaging and artwork like our colecovision friends have

As it happens ... There's a few of my smaller projects been cancelled in order to make a new updated Eric in Monsterland intended for cartridge release with artwork hopefully.

How's about that.... we won't go short of games on here there's plenty of us capable we just need the time

[+OLD CS1]

38 minutes ago, Asmusr said:

Would Atari be selling those games, then?

Good question.  I do not completely understand the relationship between the AtariAge store and Atari at this point.

37 minutes ago, Retrospect said:

As it happens ... There's a few of my smaller projects been cancelled in order to make a new updated Eric in Monsterland intended for cartridge release with artwork hopefully.

How's about that.... we won't go short of games on here there's plenty of us capable we just need the time

I still think a full physical release of Buttplug Simulator is a moral imperative.

 

 

 

 

[+hloberg]

11 hours ago, bent_pin said:

Makes me think of Howard the Duck and the Dark Overlords of the Universe

Though I expect this to turn out better.

Ha, ha. I forgot that one. good one.

here's what I was thinking of

 

[unhuman]

Here's my bit.  I don't care.  Hopefully, Albert has the terms of what's he's been offered actually under contract.  Of course, who knows what will occur when Atari changes hands or it, itself, gets parted out. 

 

I enjoy the forum.  I enjoy our community.  We're small enough and any relocation attempt will fragment us.  I'm not interested.  My contributions are here.

 

Now, for folks paying membership fees - that's on you.  I am not a paying member now.  I definitely wouldn't pay a corporate ownership that is inevitably going to exploit our participation for profit.  I don't see a problem with that, but I wouldn't pay more.  They'll get their money, or fail.

 

Anyhow, congratulations are due for Albert.  His hard work has paid off for him and allows him to continue his passion.  As long as he is content, since it seems his motivations were pretty golden here, I think we'll be fine.  When he departs, you'll know the ruse is up.

Edited September 9 by unhuman

[+Ksarul]

11 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

I still think a full physical release of Buttplug Simulator is a moral imperative.

I have made a few of those cartridges, actually. I still have to send @Retrospect his evil surprise copy. . .it has been sitting in my outbox for far too long.

[+acadiel]

On 9/8/2023 at 4:32 PM, OLD CS1 said:

Fine.  Where is your guarantee that what you want to do will last?  That you will not get tired of it, or not have someone to pass it off to, or not have someone take it over and kill it, or not meet your untimely doom skydiving with super models, or not have your web provider of choice just blow a gasket, or, or, or...

 

There are no guarantees in life.  Sometimes you just have to go with the best bet.  Hope for the best, but still plan for the worst.  Start archiving, start building outside Wikis to contain the data we have here.  No one is stopping anyone from doing that.  At the very least, archive.is works great, though you have to archive every page of a thread.  Or you can just submit a single post with important details.

I think that's why we have a thing called a "community".  🙂  It's the best thing that ever happens to something.

[Tursi]

21 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

@Albert has expressed his interest in doing games production for the TI.

Hey, if we could slap an AtariSoft logo on them, I'd happily go for some new titles.

 

[InfernalKeith]

8 hours ago, Tursi said:

Hey, if we could slap an AtariSoft logo on them, I'd happily go for some new titles.

 

I know it was a Parker Brothers conversion back in the day, but if one of you master coders gives me a good Atarisoft Gyruss for the 99/4A, I'll toe whatever corporate line you tell me to.

[JB]

34 minutes ago, InfernalKeith said:

I know it was a Parker Brothers conversion back in the day, but if one of you master coders gives me a good Atarisoft Gyruss for the 99/4A, I'll toe whatever corporate line you tell me to.

Sadly, Konami owns Gyruss. I think the corporate line for it was buried under a septic system a few years back.

[SteveB]

Man, I've been offline for four days and missed the party...

 

I totally trust @Albert that he acted in the best interest of the community to keep AtariAge up and running. I am convinced he has a clear vision of the foreseeable future, which seems to be aligned with Atari and @TrogdarRobusto. Atari bought a fan base and access to vivid influencer of the retro world. Savvy move.

 

Are they in it for the milk or the beef? Successful new companies learned to maintain a long-term relationship with their customers. I think we simply do not have a short-term value to be cashed on. As happy ambassadors we are more useful.

 

Everything is finite, things are always changing. I don't see an immediate threat, but a due change. 

 

I am taking their stated intentions serious and look forward with optimism. 

 

[+RXB]

I am more of a Realist.

 

Old story:

 

A Pessimist is dropped into the desert will die by saying what is the use and gives up.

A Optimist is dropped into the desert will die by looking for a McDonalds.

A Realist is dropped into the desert and finds something to kill and eat and keeps on till he gets out.

 

Moral: 

Pessimist gives in to easy to apathy.

Optimist has unrealist expectations of success.

Realist sees the world as it exists and how to deal with it.

 

You can be what you choose but history is not good for Corporations treatment of non stock holders.

[+OLD CS1]

@RXB So, are you a pessimist, or do you advocate for sticking around until something good or bad happens?  With my innate distrust of corporate culture, I am advocating as a realist: keep participating while planning for the bottom to fall out.  As I said before, start collating needed information from here into places like Ninerpedia, &c.  Every one still active surely has copies of what they have done and can contribute to these collections for posterity^*.  Many people have their stuff on Github, so all is not lost, there, until it is.  Others run their own websites.

 

In the meantime, splintering and dividing us up into new forums or what-not is not beneficial.  If AA takes a shit tomorrow, it is easy enough for us to take up occupancy elsewhere.  It is not as easy to preserve what is here, so I see that as an imperative versus setting up a new camp.

 

 

*