Shaggy the Atarian Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or if it has been posted already (I looked around and couldn't find any similar posts yet) but the latest issue of GameInformer talks about the situation with InfoAtari and the opinion about it here on Atari Age. Atari says that it's not their intention to get on the bad side of the classic gamers and they are "not the enemy of the classic gaming community". Anyone else have a chance to read this yet? It's on page 28. Thoughts about it (I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here )? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscott27 Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 eh cant find it online, although i did check out their forums a bit scary what passes for a classic game nowadays http://forums.gameinformer.com/gi/board?bo...d=classic_games anybody ever post over there? looks reasonably active. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 I just ignore the modern definition of a "classic" game. If it's not at least 15-25 years old, it's not a classic to me. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy the Atarian Posted November 9, 2004 Author Share Posted November 9, 2004 eh cant find it online, although i did check out their forums a bit scary what passes for a classic game nowadays http://forums.gameinformer.com/gi/board?bo...d=classic_games anybody ever post over there? looks reasonably active. Hmm, I've never passed by their forums before. But you're right, it's amazing how quickly something can become a "classic" game according to that forum. Diablo 2 is already a classic game! If I had a scanner I'd post a scan of the article. The one I had bit the dust though. Of course I've got some time on my hands, I could type it out I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjk7382 Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 What month issue is it? I will go out to barnes and noble tomorrow and pick one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 What month issue is it? I will go out to barnes and noble tomorrow and pick one up. I would like to read a scan of the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
video game addict Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 It must be the Dec issue as I didn't see it in the Nov issue I have now. If it was in the Oct issue, then I've already threw away, so I can not check or scan. I do not recall seeing anything about that in that one either though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiecraig Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Yeah, it must be in the December issue (#140). It's not in the October issue (138), either. But I just got my November issue. Why are my issues so far behind? BOO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy the Atarian Posted November 9, 2004 Author Share Posted November 9, 2004 It is the December issue. Sorry about that. Basically the article states that there was worry going through the classic Atari community, especially here at Atari Age, and that GI spoke with Atari about the issue. Atari says that they don't consider themselves the enemy of the classic gaming community and they said something to the effect of "as long as it's original they can release as many homebrews as they want. Just no using our logo and such" (I'm paraphrasing of course) and "Saboteur is not a homebrew, it was developed by Atari and it's always been ours". Sorry, I left the issue somewhere else and I don't have it handy at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbid Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 It is the December issue. Sorry about that. Basically the article states that there was worry going through the classic Atari community, especially here at Atari Age, and that GI spoke with Atari about the issue. Atari says that they don't consider themselves the enemy of the classic gaming community and they said something to the effect of "as long as it's original they can release as many homebrews as they want. Just no using our logo and such" (I'm paraphrasing of course) and "Saboteur is not a homebrew, it was developed by Atari and it's always been ours". Sorry, I left the issue somewhere else and I don't have it handy at the moment gotta love corporate asshats, if it werent for this community, then nobody would have ever heard of saboteur. i really cant believe that they wouldnt allow a small publisher like AA to produce a limited number of carts. what is there to lose on their part? dont they know that a good chunk of this community knows how to play ROMs of this game on real hardware either via cuttle cart or burning their own carts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy the Atarian Posted November 10, 2004 Author Share Posted November 10, 2004 OK, here's the main beef of the article. It's title is: " Homebrew Gaming Under Fire?" Recently, a scare swept through the homebrew development community when some retro gaming sites, such as www.atariage.com, were asked by Atari to stop selling copies of already existing retro games that programmers had added their own content to, carts known as hacks (such as Combat Plus and Asteroids DC Plus). Also targeted were previously unpublished Atari titles, like Howard Scott Warshaw's Saboteur. Rumors around the retor community were that Atari was sending out cease and desist letters to stop homebrew games and it's technology,...but Game Informer found no evidence of this. They then go on to explain that hacks of Atari games were the main target and that homebrew games can still be sold. Game Informer talked to Nancy Bushkin, vice president of corporate communications for Atari, who told us that the company is not interested in stifling the creativity of it's many fans. When we asked if a homebrew gamer would be legally pursued by Atari if they made their own 2600 title, for example, she replied, "Of course not. An original product is just that: original. And let's be clear: Saboteur was not a homebrew game. It was developed by Atari, has always been Atari's IP, and has only been Atari's to sell." It's too bad that they never sold it back in '83. But Atari was cutting costs back then. It goes on further until it gets to Ms. Bushkin (I keep thinking Bushnell) saying: "Atari is not the enemy of the classic gaming community, in fact, quite the opposite. We value these fans and want to do all we can to ensure that they have legitimate, easy access to the titles they've loved for so many years." In that case I wouldn't mind seeing a reproduced Atari 7800, with A/V hookups and repros of some of their existing titles. Of course new games for the classic systems would always be welcome, but I'd never expect a company like Atari to actually develop and release a game for the 2600 or 7800 now. That would be interesting to see though. But of course that is why we have homebrew developers, to take care of that. Still, some in the homebrew community are less than pleased with Atari, claiming that it is the fact that the classic community has carried the torch for old systems like the 2600 that have allowed the name to survive and flourish to the point where the French company Infogrames could resurrect it. I find that last part amusing. They just end the article saying that "Atari is within its legal rights to protect its copyrights and trademarks". Not too big of an article but they have a huge picture of Asteroids DC Plus there, so it catches your attention rather easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xot Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 Ah yes, typically excellent fact checking, as there has never been a hack called "Combat Plus." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 Interesting, I'll have to see if this issue is in stores so I can pick it up. Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't aware that this issue had made it into a mainstream gaming magazine. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 video game addict wrote: If it was in the Oct issue, then I've already threw away You THROW your gaming mags AWAY??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shep Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 video game addict wrote:If it was in the Oct issue, then I've already threw away You THROW your gaming mags AWAY??? I used to keep em too, but they get in the way, and I can look up anything I would have wanted to online now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 I guess, but I like to have it onhand right there. I often go back & read reviews & stuff, before or even after I get a game. The review compendium lists in some mags are invaluable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Here's a scan of the article.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Er...I said! HERE is a scan of the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Thanks! Nice to see my now forbidden labor of love one last time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari_aaron Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I'm confused... didn't all the old 2600 Atari games were made public domain at one point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I'm confused... didn't all the old 2600 Atari games were made public domain at one point? No, this is a common misperception. Hasbro, which owned the Atari rights at one point, dropped the licensing requirements for the Jaguar at one point, allowing people to create new games for the console without having to first obtain a license. At no point did Atari ever put any of their games (for any of their systems) into the public domain. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radio F Software Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 You guys remember when I said "I talked to Game Informer over the phone and they intereviewed me concerning the Hombrew news I submitted"? That's based off MY submission! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flack Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Really thorough and impartial reporting there. You would have thought they might have contacted Atari Age to get their version of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Really thorough and impartial reporting there. You would have thought they might have contacted Atari Age to get their version of the story. And for the record, they didn't try contacting us via email or phone, so I was just as surprised when a full page article on this issue surfaced in the magazine. It's still good publicity, but it would have been nice for them to show a bit of journalistic integrity. Not that I really expect that from gaming magazines. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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