Hey Group,
Sure has been quiet around here. Read an interesting article below to share....
Brian
From Armchair Arcade Forum....
Yeahronimo Announces That Commodore Returns to the Electronic Gaming Market with 18 Million Euro Joint Venture Agreement
Tuesday September 27, 9:15 am ET
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2005--Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc. (the "Company") (OTC:YNMO - News), an integrated media content and service provider, has announced that Commodore will return to the Gaming market. YMV and The Content Factory ("Content") (www.content-factory.nl) entered into a joint venture (the "JV") agreement to form a new company, provisionally named "Commodore Gaming," which will specialize in retro gaming software and hardware products, the development of branded gaming hardware and accessories as well as in the publishing of new game licenses, built around the "Commodore Games" software-publishing brand. YMV Inc., who bought Commodore earlier this year, will receive a total consideration of 18 Million Euro from Content, 6 Million for a 49% in the shares in "Commodore Games" and 12 Million Euro in cash, which will be paid over a period of five years.
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"Establishing this joint venture is a groundbreaking event for Commodore and allows this classic gaming brand to once again take-off in the electronic gaming market. The business will be developed in three phases: Initially, the focus will be on exploiting the numerous existing C64 retro game licenses through plug-and-play, mobile and handheld devices. The second phase will be to create a range of specialised gaming hardware products and accessories. The third phase will be to work with Commodore's existing partners to issue new game licenses under the Commodore brand name, focusing primarily on the mobile and handheld market in addition to the PC and console market, which have its stronger licenses. Commodore has traditionally been one of the strongest gaming brands in the world," states Ben van Wijhe, CEO and President of YMV. Mr. van Wijhe further stated that "it is only natural that Commodore should extend its current product portfolio with hardware gaming products."
At this year's IFA, YMV presented the return of Commodore to the German market by offering a great variety of consumer electronic products, such as MP3/MP4-players, C64-Joysticks, multimedia download terminals and home media centers for customers and retailers.
For more information on Commodore products and downloads, please go to www.commodoreworld.com.
About Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc.
Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc. (OTC:YNMO - News), which acquired Commodore International B.V. from Tulip Computers in 2005, is a designer, creator and full-service provider of digital media products, content, and services. The Company, through its Commodore subsidiary, sells a complete line of digital media player products under the "Commodore" brand name. The Company, through another subsidiary, provides legal music downloads, live sports programs, and live concerts, all with multi-channel distribution through broadband, cable and satellite.
About The Content Factory
Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, The Content Factory B.V. (TCF) has been active in the gaming industry since 2002 with interests in both the hardware and software sectors. On the hardware side TCF distributes gaming related products and accessories in more than 15 countries worldwide for unique and revolutionary products such as the Z-board and GameTrax(TM). Concerning its software activities TCF is involved in the co-production and financing of PC and Video game software, working together with developers, publishers and finance houses on several titles to be released in 2006.
Additionally TCF has a number of strategic investments in companies and projects focusing on the commercialization of multi-media content and products across both traditional and emerging media and technology platforms.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact our PR agency ad publica Public Relations GmbH in Germany.
Contact:
Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc., The Netherlands
Ben van Wijhe, +31 (0) 35 543 05 07
Fax: +31 (0) 35 543 50 54
press@yeahronimo.com
www.commodoreworld.com
or
Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc., United States
Ronald S. Tucker, 760-771-0036
Fax: +31 (0) 35 543 5054
press@yeahronimo.com
www.commodoreworld.com/corporate
Commodore Returns Article
Sorry, but yawn. The C64DTV is already known, and would not have existed if it wasn't for Jeri's motivation. I know there exists a few cell phone emulators too, but their impact seems marginal. Tulip in co-op with Ironstone et.al. also announced how much they were going to focus on the Commodore brand and retro gaming. Not until Yeahronimo actually can present a new product, I will raise my eyebrows.
That Commodore used to be a classic and one of the strongest gaming brands, isn't that pure marketing BS? In the early days of the VIC-20, they sold their own games, sometimes unauthorized arcade clones, but I always thought they spent this development money to ensure a software selection for the customers. The 3rd party game developers more immediately catched on the C64, so not so much Commodore's own benefit. Fast forward to the early days of the Amiga, and from what I read, Commodore were very reluctant, if not hostile towards game developers who wanted to get an Amiga system to develop games. In Commodore's eyes, the Amiga was a productivity and multimedia machine rather than for gaming.
When it comes to issue new games under the Commodore brand, I have an idea from where these come, but I don't quite understand the comment about PC and console market. Will Commodore Games sell PC games consisting of an integrated C64 emulator and a new game (or even an emulator of a non-existing computer that has Commodore's look and feel)? If console refers to Sony/Microsoft et.al, I suppose you have to obtain a license to sell games for these machines. If so, does e.g. Sony have any quality assessment and would not grant a license to sell a C64 emulator with what in modern terms would qualify as a 64K minigame?
I don't neglect that there is commercial potential in retro gaming such as TV games, handheld and mobile, but if it ends with talking about potential products and some vague licensing threats towards the existing followers, the investment may turn out to be a dead horse rather than a mine of gold.
That Commodore used to be a classic and one of the strongest gaming brands, isn't that pure marketing BS? In the early days of the VIC-20, they sold their own games, sometimes unauthorized arcade clones, but I always thought they spent this development money to ensure a software selection for the customers. The 3rd party game developers more immediately catched on the C64, so not so much Commodore's own benefit. Fast forward to the early days of the Amiga, and from what I read, Commodore were very reluctant, if not hostile towards game developers who wanted to get an Amiga system to develop games. In Commodore's eyes, the Amiga was a productivity and multimedia machine rather than for gaming.
When it comes to issue new games under the Commodore brand, I have an idea from where these come, but I don't quite understand the comment about PC and console market. Will Commodore Games sell PC games consisting of an integrated C64 emulator and a new game (or even an emulator of a non-existing computer that has Commodore's look and feel)? If console refers to Sony/Microsoft et.al, I suppose you have to obtain a license to sell games for these machines. If so, does e.g. Sony have any quality assessment and would not grant a license to sell a C64 emulator with what in modern terms would qualify as a 64K minigame?
I don't neglect that there is commercial potential in retro gaming such as TV games, handheld and mobile, but if it ends with talking about potential products and some vague licensing threats towards the existing followers, the investment may turn out to be a dead horse rather than a mine of gold.
Anders Carlsson
-
Centallica
- Pinballer
- Posts: 1090
- Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:26 am
The C64DTV is nice but has it's limitations unlike a full console is endless. The Commodore name is a recognizable name to the 80's and thus Retro Games on a console under Commodore would be recognized to the public.
The only concern is trying to compete against the Big Boys like Sony, Microsfit and Nintendo...don't think there's much room for another competitior unless it's a cut above what's coming out.
All and all, still nice to see the Commodore name surface in discussions of a comeback in console form
Brian
The only concern is trying to compete against the Big Boys like Sony, Microsfit and Nintendo...don't think there's much room for another competitior unless it's a cut above what's coming out.
All and all, still nice to see the Commodore name surface in discussions of a comeback in console form
Brian
-
Lloyd Mangram
- Vic 20 Drifter
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:33 am
I can't see why these companies buy the rights to names like Commodore - The DTV only had a few companies games on it (as they are the only ones they could presumbaly get the rights to). The DTV was launched way too late in the uk and the Commodore brand name seems to be being passed from one place to another.
Calling all readers/forum users of Retro Gamer magazine -
New forum at:
http://forum.retrosurvival.co.uk/
New forum at:
http://forum.retrosurvival.co.uk/
It is true that Commodore - at least among us who still are interested - bears a certain ring to it. A lot of people still remember the Commodore 64, even if they don't know exactly what it is. For that reason, it is a brand name that is somewhat well recognized and affordable whenever the previous owner wants to free some money.
Dunno if the DTV is too late. Has Atari released their Flashback2 yet? While some of the other TV games producers have begun to move on to 16-bit TV games (a'la Sega Megadrive emulation) or better, if the games are playable it still should sell well. People in comp.sys.cbm claim that the NTSC units still sell remarkably well in the stores that have them, maybe because they are priced really low ($10 or so?). Of course, if you could get license from any software house you wanted, they could sell upgrades, games from the Internet and just like you can put together your own CD with music, you could put together your own TV game with favourite games. But this is currently not possible.
What I object are the press releases, stating that now, things will happen and promising a marvellous future. Regarding multimedia download terminals, I read the other day that Amstrad is cutting the e-m@iler, a lo-fi Internet product equipped with a ZX Spectrum emulator and games. Does it make sense if Y in that situation would develop their own similar device, loaded with e.g. a C64 emulator and release, maybe on the US market rather than UK?
MP3 players seem a bit 2003'ish, and the existing Commodore branded ones are the same Chinese players you can find everywhere, but with the Commodore logotype on it. At work, we imported MP3 players from the leading Chinese manufacturer, and after some detective's work, we determined which factory they came from and how all other "brands" have models that look exactly the same, in many cases with the same firmware too. It's only about ordering a big quantity, and you can design it with your own specs.
I still wonder about the PC and console market. Would DS, PSP etc loaded with official Commodore emulators qualify as handheld, consoles or both? While I doubt they would get into that segment, it is the most reasonable explanation I can find.
Oh well, we'll see. Maybe Y turns out to be very open about exactly what rights they have, creative and active on product development and caring about the existing Commodore communities. Maybe they'll ban fan sites and bring most part of us underground. Maybe they'll not even bother about it at all, and whenever someone else comes by with more money than what's good for them, the brand and any rights that they have are up for sale again.
Dunno if the DTV is too late. Has Atari released their Flashback2 yet? While some of the other TV games producers have begun to move on to 16-bit TV games (a'la Sega Megadrive emulation) or better, if the games are playable it still should sell well. People in comp.sys.cbm claim that the NTSC units still sell remarkably well in the stores that have them, maybe because they are priced really low ($10 or so?). Of course, if you could get license from any software house you wanted, they could sell upgrades, games from the Internet and just like you can put together your own CD with music, you could put together your own TV game with favourite games. But this is currently not possible.
What I object are the press releases, stating that now, things will happen and promising a marvellous future. Regarding multimedia download terminals, I read the other day that Amstrad is cutting the e-m@iler, a lo-fi Internet product equipped with a ZX Spectrum emulator and games. Does it make sense if Y in that situation would develop their own similar device, loaded with e.g. a C64 emulator and release, maybe on the US market rather than UK?
MP3 players seem a bit 2003'ish, and the existing Commodore branded ones are the same Chinese players you can find everywhere, but with the Commodore logotype on it. At work, we imported MP3 players from the leading Chinese manufacturer, and after some detective's work, we determined which factory they came from and how all other "brands" have models that look exactly the same, in many cases with the same firmware too. It's only about ordering a big quantity, and you can design it with your own specs.
I still wonder about the PC and console market. Would DS, PSP etc loaded with official Commodore emulators qualify as handheld, consoles or both? While I doubt they would get into that segment, it is the most reasonable explanation I can find.
Oh well, we'll see. Maybe Y turns out to be very open about exactly what rights they have, creative and active on product development and caring about the existing Commodore communities. Maybe they'll ban fan sites and bring most part of us underground. Maybe they'll not even bother about it at all, and whenever someone else comes by with more money than what's good for them, the brand and any rights that they have are up for sale again.
Anders Carlsson