John Stamos Mullet Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Just curious, but since Activision were the most prolific and well loved 3rd party 2600 game publisher, and also the only one still in business, I wonder if this has been discussed or even pondered? I'd love to see official re-releases of some of the classic Activision games. I know they're mostly available on eBay/grey market avenues, but I think it would benefit both sides. But I also recognize that carts aren't the profit center they were before, and Activsion likely couldn't be bothered, but since they've licensed a bunch of their classics via the Flashbacks, maybe there's room to talk? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 I doubt this would be discussed in public. 2 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5399809 Share on other sites More sharing options...
scifidude79 Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 The people left at Activision are probably busy trying to hang onto their jobs, after Microsoft bought the company and then gave a lot of them the boot. (as does happen when companies are acquired) Assuming Microsoft now has ownership of their entire IP now, that no doubt adds a wrinkle when talking about licensing. I'm not saying anything is impossible, I'm just saying you have another entity to deal with. But, as @Thomas Jentzsch said, anything that might be happening is likely happening behind closed doors. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5399894 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Karnov Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 9 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said: Just curious, but since Activision were the most prolific and well loved 3rd party 2600 game publisher, and also the only one still in business, I wonder if this has been discussed or even pondered? I'd love to see official re-releases of some of the classic Activision games. I know they're mostly available on eBay/grey market avenues, but I think it would benefit both sides. But I also recognize that carts aren't the profit center they were before, and Activsion likely couldn't be bothered, but since they've licensed a bunch of their classics via the Flashbacks, maybe there's room to talk? See below and related posts: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/358034-collecting-for-the-2600/?do=findComment&comment=5395176 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5399901 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Karnov Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Our man @JetmanUK has already made contact, so hopefully that gets the ball rolling 3 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5399902 Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane857 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 On 1/30/2024 at 7:17 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said: I doubt this would be discussed in public. No, probably not. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5400875 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 Doesn’t Activision own all the Imagic titles as well? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5400979 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jeremiahjt Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 19 minutes ago, OscarGungan said: Doesn’t Activision own all the Imagic titles as well? There is much debate to that. Some people swear they do, and some people swear they do not. I lean on the side that they do own the Imagic stuff. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5400992 Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Stamos Mullet Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said: There is much debate to that. Some people swear they do, and some people swear they do not. I lean on the side that they do own the Imagic stuff. I mean, they released them in some of their collections, so if they don't have the rights to them, they would have been subject to a lawsuit, but nobody sued them for it. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5401043 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slider271 Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 1 hour ago, John Stamos Mullet said: I mean, they released them in some of their collections, so if they don't have the rights to them, they would have been subject to a lawsuit, but nobody sued them for it. Unless even the current owners don't know they own it which given the state of some old copyright is fairly likely haha 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5401094 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) I got curious about the Imagic titles and did some research and I’m a bit confused. On Wikipedia, it says Imagic was bought by Activision but they do not have a source for that statement. I dug around on the USPTO website, which is the US government patent and trademark site. Searches for Imagic as a video game company show it as a dead trademark. The same goes for Demon Attack, Cosmic Ark and Riddle of the Sphinx. The listings all said Imagic was the last owner of these trademarks. For the heck of it. I looked up Megamania by Activision and it said that was a dead trademark. I looked up Yar’s Revenge and as you’d expect is live trademark. I went over to the US copyright website and looked up the previously mentioned titles and it just mentions Imagic as the most recent owner. No mention of Activision. So, I’m not sure if I’m looking at something incorrectly but it has me wondering if they are in some kind of trademark and copyright limbo. Edited February 5 by OscarGungan Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5404719 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben from Plaion Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) Imagic games are just the best. The quality of the overall proposition is unmatched as a 2600 third party. And I'll tell you why, firstly the chrome foil packaging that not only elavates the box over its competitiors, the cartridge sticker also has it and is just a joy to look at and have in the hand.. Secondly the consistancy of packaging design is kept throughout the 17 releases, I know that they released games via activision late on but I consider these as not true Imagic releases. What you end up with is a really collectable range. Thirdly, the design and build quality of the carts is top notch, they tooled their own molds for carts in a great alternate aesthetic design to anything else at the time - its a debate I have with myself whether Tigervision cart designs were better! And then in all my testing I always knew a Imagic game would boot over any other cart, they were just built better, the PCBs were bevelled perfectly and widths on PCB were consistant ensuring a perfect fit every time. Lastly and most importantly the games were so damn consistanly of a highly playable quality, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack and Atantis are real high points in the 2600 catalogue. Edited February 5 by Ben from Plaion 14 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5404748 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelevance Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 2 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said: Imagic games are just the best. The quality of the overall proposition is unmatched as a 2600 third party. And I'll tell you why, firstly the chrome foil packaging that not only elavates the box over its competitiors, the cartridge sticker also has it and is just a joy to look at and have in the hand.. Secondly the consistancy of packaging design is kept throughout the 17 releases, I know that they released games via activision late on but I consider these as not true Imagic releases. What you end up with is a really collectable range. Thirdly, the design and build quality of the carts is top notch, they tooled their own molds for carts in a great alternate aesthetic design to anything else at the time - its a debate I have with myself whether Tigervision cart designs were better! And then in all my testing I always knew a Imagic game would boot over any other cart, they were just built better, the PCBs were bevelled perfectly and widths on PCB were consistant ensuring a perfect fit every time. Lastly and most importantly the games were so damn consistanly of a highly playable quality, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack and Atantis are real high points in the 2600 catalogue. So you're saying there's a chance!? 😄 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5404851 Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Stamos Mullet Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 (edited) 4 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said: Imagic games are just the best. The quality of the overall proposition is unmatched as a 2600 third party. And I'll tell you why, firstly the chrome foil packaging that not only elavates the box over its competitiors, the cartridge sticker also has it and is just a joy to look at and have in the hand.. Secondly the consistancy of packaging design is kept throughout the 17 releases, I know that they released games via activision late on but I consider these as not true Imagic releases. What you end up with is a really collectable range. Thirdly, the design and build quality of the carts is top notch, they tooled their own molds for carts in a great alternate aesthetic design to anything else at the time - its a debate I have with myself whether Tigervision cart designs were better! And then in all my testing I always knew a Imagic game would boot over any other cart, they were just built better, the PCBs were bevelled perfectly and widths on PCB were consistant ensuring a perfect fit every time. Lastly and most importantly the games were so damn consistanly of a highly playable quality, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack and Atantis are real high points in the 2600 catalogue. I agree with everything here except with the actual games quality. They were certainly playable. Decent to really good graphics, but man were they repetitive and boring. but yeah, they did look nice on the shelf. Edited February 6 by John Stamos Mullet 1 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5404919 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 It would be cool to see reissues of them. I’d always assumed Activision owned them because some of them ended up on compilations or Flashbacks along with Activision titles. I’m just not finding evidence they actually do. Here is another odd thing I’m remembering. During the whole Amico debacle they claimed new versions of Demon Attack, Dracula, Dragonfire and Microsurgeon were coming to the system. No mention of anything Activision. Did they actually have a licensing agreement with someone or were these titles they felt safe to announce because no one had a claim on them and by naming them it looked like they had a lot of stuff in the works. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405022 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nurmix Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 47 minutes ago, OscarGungan said: It would be cool to see reissues of them. I’d always assumed Activision owned them because some of them ended up on compilations or Flashbacks along with Activision titles. I’m just not finding evidence they actually do. Here is another odd thing I’m remembering. During the whole Amico debacle they claimed new versions of Demon Attack, Dracula, Dragonfire and Microsurgeon were coming to the system. No mention of anything Activision. Did they actually have a licensing agreement with someone or were these titles they felt safe to announce because no one had a claim on them and by naming them it looked like they had a lot of stuff in the works. The evidence you aren’t finding is leading you down the correct path. 🙂 Yes. There was an agreement in place. That was legit. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405048 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Karnov Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 15 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said: Imagic games are just the best. The quality of the overall proposition is unmatched as a 2600 third party. And I'll tell you why, firstly the chrome foil packaging that not only elavates the box over its competitiors, the cartridge sticker also has it and is just a joy to look at and have in the hand.. Secondly the consistancy of packaging design is kept throughout the 17 releases, I know that they released games via activision late on but I consider these as not true Imagic releases. What you end up with is a really collectable range. Thirdly, the design and build quality of the carts is top notch, they tooled their own molds for carts in a great alternate aesthetic design to anything else at the time - its a debate I have with myself whether Tigervision cart designs were better! And then in all my testing I always knew a Imagic game would boot over any other cart, they were just built better, the PCBs were bevelled perfectly and widths on PCB were consistant ensuring a perfect fit every time. Lastly and most importantly the games were so damn consistanly of a highly playable quality, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack and Atantis are real high points in the 2600 catalogue. Don't forget Subterranea! Fantastic game Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405152 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetmanUK Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 20 minutes ago, Dr Karnov said: Don't forget Subterranea! Fantastic game Just a little pricey, for some of us anyway. 😜 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405159 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 9 hours ago, nurmix said: The evidence you aren’t finding is leading you down the correct path. 🙂 Yes. There was an agreement in place. That was legit. Interesting. Would you happen to know who the agreement is with? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405320 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nurmix Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 1 hour ago, OscarGungan said: Interesting. Would you happen to know who the agreement is with? Yes, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it (NDA). I was working with Intellivision at the time - 2018 until I left in 2021. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405382 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 38 minutes ago, nurmix said: Yes, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it (NDA). I was working with Intellivision at the time - 2018 until I left in 2021. Very cool. Thank you for the breadcrumbs. Totally get the NDA thing. I’ve played with the idea of doing some kind of research project into Imagic. It looks like a challenge because there isn’t a ton of info without doing some deep dives. When I was a kid the Imagic titles got a lot of play and there was certainly a mystique to the art of the packaging and cartridges. Now, I’m geeking out about it. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405444 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 6 hours ago, Dr Karnov said: Don't forget Subterranea! Fantastic game I can't find even a loose copy for under $100. That would be a great one to re-release! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405449 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 On 1/31/2024 at 6:11 PM, jeremiahjt said: There is much debate to that. Some people swear they do, and some people swear they do not. I lean on the side that they do own the Imagic stuff. They do own many of the Imagic titles and I believe a handful of other non-Activision titles. Activision was hit or miss with licensing and/or using their classic IP prior to the Microsoft acquisition, so it may or may not be any different now. Certainly Rare content has been licensed out previously, so it shouldn't be completely out of the question with vintage Activision from Microsoft. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405468 Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarGungan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 I’m thinking Evercade made an attempt to do Activision and the deal fell through. Not sure the details. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405483 Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane857 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 22 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said: Imagic games are just the best. The quality of the overall proposition is unmatched as a 2600 third party. And I'll tell you why, firstly the chrome foil packaging that not only elavates the box over its competitiors, the cartridge sticker also has it and is just a joy to look at and have in the hand.. Secondly the consistancy of packaging design is kept throughout the 17 releases, I know that they released games via activision late on but I consider these as not true Imagic releases. What you end up with is a really collectable range. Thirdly, the design and build quality of the carts is top notch, they tooled their own molds for carts in a great alternate aesthetic design to anything else at the time - its a debate I have with myself whether Tigervision cart designs were better! And then in all my testing I always knew a Imagic game would boot over any other cart, they were just built better, the PCBs were bevelled perfectly and widths on PCB were consistant ensuring a perfect fit every time. Lastly and most importantly the games were so damn consistanly of a highly playable quality, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack and Atantis are real high points in the 2600 catalogue. Yes, quality games. 👍 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/360356-has-there-been-any-talk-between-atariplaion-and-activision/#findComment-5405493 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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