dj_convoy Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 What is important here I think is to be very carefull not to judge people who are simply into coleco Forgive me for saying so, but it's pretty obvious this convention had very, very little to do with any aspect of COLECO. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuggerVideoGames Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 This is a very accurate statement, IMO. Oh I do not deny we are a niche, but so is "Coleco" and in all fairness, the reach we see on our socials is fairly strong. Don't underestimate that. TPR's right. The fan page has over 33,000 followers (and plenty of engagement) while the "official" page of "Coleco" has 6,448 (and they have virtually no engagement on their page). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 It's interesting to compare and contrast the final speakers schedule (first picture) against that still advertised on the Expo website (second picture): Differences are: CANCELLED - Jack Scala - supposedly due to flood. ??????? - Guest DJ- DJ Whutever - was this dude just playing music? Was he even there? Why was he listed as being a panelist? Good grief!!! CANCELLED - Mark Thomann - why the hell would anyone at a retro gaming convention want to listen to this bottom feeder anyway? CANCELLED - Darnell Hicks - who???? CANCELLED - Joe Delbeato (sp?) - likely a good call of Joe not to attend. So, not only was it a lackluster lineup to start with, but it got even worse with all of those panelists who did not attend as advertised. Cardillo clearly knew about the cancellations as he would have had the "Coleco Panels" board printed ahead of time and yet did NOT update the website. Highly misleading keeping the website out of date. And I'm guessing that Cardillo made no apologies, to those who paid to attend, about the cancellations either. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Shame on Lapetino for being a spineless twit trying to absolve Cardillo of his wrongdoings in a feeble attempt to play devil's advocate. Man up and tell it like it is. People who write books about video games can't afford to be political about this stuff. They need access to the companies to get information for their books. Sure, it's self-serving, but as he points out, it's also "just business." It's both. I don't expect The Art of Atari to be The Washington Post, this isn't exactly investigative journalism, but it's probably hard enough to be an author in this space without people piling on for their choice of venue. Evoking Rodney King ("can't we all just get along?") seems pretty clueless coming from a person who publishes words for a living, though. It's nice that the paid guests were treated well. It also looks like the venue was clean, uncrowded, and there were no lines for the bathrooms! Cardillo, hit me up if you want a quote! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 CANCELLED - Mark Thomann - why the hell would anyone at a retro gaming convention want to listen to this bottom feeder anyway? That's the one person I would want to hear from! Everything else is fan service, but asking questions of Thomann (so many WHY???) would have been illuminating. Did he give a reason for not showing up? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuggerVideoGames Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 That's the one person I would want to hear from! Everything else is fan service, but asking questions of Thomann (so many WHY???) would have been illuminating. Did he give a reason for now showing up? My guess would be shock in seeing that his delusions of grandeur had its bubble burst. The guy's ego would never allow him to speak in front of such a small gathering - if three people in a room can even be called a gathering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercylon Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Forgive me for saying so, but it's pretty obvious this convention had very, very little to do with any aspect of COLECO. Sounded like they simply used a PC and an emulator for the one Colecovision compatible game they were promoting at the expo. If one can't be bothered to have one working working Colecovision console up and running, then you are right, this had little do with paying homage to Coleco. Even a display of old school Cabbage Patch dolls would have been something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1500 Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 How much advance time was this Coleco expo announced? It seems like it wasn't enough. If you announce close to a year in advance, you could have more time to get vendors, speakers, attendees, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 How much advance time was this Coleco expo announced? It seems like it wasn't enough. If you announce close to a year in advance, you could have more time to get vendors, speakers, attendees, etc. It was posted here back in November 2016: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259302-the-coleco-expo-2017/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg2600 Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 In fairness to Tim and Len Herman, they were honest. They were treated well, and they sold books. What more would you like them to say? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 In fairness to Tim and Len Herman, they were honest. They were treated well, and they sold books. What more would you like them to say? They acknowledged that there was "controversy" surrounding Cardillo and the event and yet appear to have chosen to either not educate themselves about the facts or to have ignored those facts. Whatever their reason, their decision to attend and subsequently post public support for it is self-serving, a disservice to the ColecoVision fan community and borders on the disingenuous. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Maybe they actually had a good time and were satisfied with the turn out (and sold a few books too)? They're entitled to their own opinion you know. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 He also posted a bunch of Chris Christie jokes, that's worth something. Here are the ones from video games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 7, 2017 Author Share Posted August 7, 2017 I have to say something about this, I just have to... https://www.facebook.com/thesubcon3/posts/10214218591282475 I'm sorry, but what was reported was not "fake news." It was mentioned that there was a ColecoVision Flashback. It was mentioned that a handful of ColecoVision systems were being sold at vendors. I did not see anyone mention or post a picture of a system with Sydney Hunter, but I don't doubt that it may have been there. That being said, to say that "ColecoVision was decently represented" is the actual *FAKE NEWS.* I'm sorry, but this was the "Coleco Expo" with the ColecoVision logo everywhere. Having *ONE* Flashback that was just sitting on a table, or *ONE* system with Sydney Hunter is not at all well represented. And anyone who would say that I have zero respect for. Here is what "decently represented" looks like in my own home: And you know what? If Cardillo had been remotely decent to us, I would have been more than happy to ship him pieces of my collection for a display at the show. I wouldn't have even thought twice about it. It frustrates me to see these kind of comments from the people who presented because it reads completely delusional. I'm sorry, I just cannot believe anything those people say. "ColecoVision was decently represented." What show were you guys at?!?!? smh.... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 7, 2017 Author Share Posted August 7, 2017 One more... https://www.facebook.com/thesubcon3/posts/10214218591282475 The photos did not go "out of their way to make it look like there were zero people there." The photos posted were not taken by anyone here in this thread. The photos taken were from people who were mostly unaware of any of the Coleco drama. The photos taken were of regular guests who went to the show and they photographed what they saw. The photos were an honest depiction of the show. Some of the photos taken came from the *ACTUAL OFFICIAL COLECO EXPO* page. Again, these people are delusional. it's a real shame. I do not understand what they gain by making comments like this. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 If there were any justice, the great Cardillo would just gift the whole damn Coleco name and whatever assets are left to TPR. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 The photos did not go "out of their way to make it look like there were zero people there." The photos posted were not taken by anyone here in this thread. The photos taken were from people who were mostly unaware of any of the Coleco drama. The photos taken were of regular guests who went to the show and they photographed what they saw. The photos were an honest depiction of the show. Some of the photos taken came from the *ACTUAL OFFICIAL COLECO EXPO* page. It wasn't just photos. There have been plenty of videos panning around the expo in different locations filmed on both days at different times by different people. They ALL show the place to be pitifully under attended. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 I do not understand what they gain by making comments like this. Are any of them members here (other than Leonard)? Maybe they can chime in as to why. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 (edited) "Ahhhh finally back home after a 4 hour drive... What an amazing weekend with fellow writers and getting to meet so many passionate fans. Coleco Expo was well worth the trip from my perspective. Time to sleep for a few hours and go to work... But Game On is just around the corner!" The way I read this is a good time may have been had with the actual people that actually showed up. Whatever the number. And that's ok. But the text "Coleco Expo was well worth the trip from my perspective" is a qualifier. It could very well be the honest truth as viewed from one person's perspective. But from mine (or other attendees) it could be the exact precise opposite. With that disclaimer statement in place he isn't fibbing one iota. And he knows that. And he knows it's a cover-up sentence for disappointment. Textbook YMMV. Edited August 7, 2017 by Keatah 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuggerVideoGames Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Yep. But for whatever reason this group of "writers" all want to tell a different story. Again, what do they have to gain from it? It's painfully obvious to everyone that the story they are trying to sell isn't the real story. Again, it's such a shame. I really had some great respect for a lot of those people whose names I keep seeing appear on those Facebook posts. Honestly, I just need to stop reading it as it's kind of bumming me out on the whole retrogaming community. Looks like my judgement of Lapetino and others was SPOT-ON! Sometimes I hate being right... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuggerVideoGames Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 And just to make it clear: I'm not disappointed that Lapetino didn't rip into Cardillo like a monkey into a cupcake. What disappoints me is the phoniness of his posts on Facebook trying to spin some B.S. that isn't real. Most of all, I'm disappointed that he tried to make it sound like it was the community's fault with his "hurt feelings" remark and his refusal to put any blame on Cardillo's side.I know, I know... self-serving and "business" and all that jazz, but the fact remains that actions like that alienate people and will end up costing you business later (have they not learned anything from Cardillo, for crying out loud?). 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 "Where you sit is where you stand." They have everything to gain by being nice to everyone -- reputation, access, likelihood of being invited back. Selling and signing books and talking about your favorite topics with like-minded people seems like it would be their own reward. Especially if it's in your neighborhood and there are few other expenses. I would think that a semi-captive audience who just paid $20 to get into a drafty convention center would be way more motivated to buy a $40 tome about old video games than the average drive-by Amazon shopper or Kickstarter browser. Who wants to go home empty handed? Buy a book, the authors are right over there, and there's no line! It could be argued that TPR has a bit of a disproportionate hate-on for Coleco and the House That Spuds McKenzie Built®. Those 3 amigos seemed to have an OK time, and Rolenta got to meet the scion of Atari, AND might just be able to get a great deal on replacement windows! Click Here to See For Yourself! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 s and getting to meet so many passionate fans. So many passionate fans? I guess if there was 2 people it is justifiable to use the word "fan" in a plural sense but the videos don't lie, that place was empty and far from worthy of saying "many". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColecoJoe Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 I would have expected to see a wall of original ColecoVision consoles set up with every game ever released ready for people to play, not a freakin' Flashback and that's it??? I do love how that Facebook posts boasts about how many consoles were there, AT VENDOR BOOTHS !!!! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 7, 2017 Author Share Posted August 7, 2017 I would have expected to see a wall of original ColecoVision consoles set up with every game ever released ready for people to play, not a freakin' Flashback and that's it??? I do love how that Facebook posts boasts about how many consoles were there, AT VENDOR BOOTHS !!!! My feelings EXACTLY! For example, when you go to the "Nintendo Store" in New York City, they don't just have Nintendo stuff to sell, but there is a giant display of Nintendo's history that takes up a good chunk of space in one of the rooms upstairs: I refuse to believe that they didn't have the resources, even after pissing all of us off, that they couldn't get a decent amount of ColecoVision hardware to set up a table or two with games from their past. Why wasn't there a few systems showing off some of their milestone games? Donkey Kong, Burgertime, Venture, Zaxxon, etc? Why wasn't there some of the Coleco Minis? Why wasn't there a Telstar console? They could have had a system running the Cabbage Patch Kids game as a nice Coleco History Mash-up! So many *SIMPLE* ideas to actually put "Coleco" content into the "Coleco Expo" but none of them happened. And why is it that we all can see that this is such low-hanging fruit for them to have put together but this group of panelists don't seem to think it was required or that the brand and it's history was already "decently represented" at the show. Ugh, this is all so frustrating. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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