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Pipercub

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Posts posted by Pipercub

  1. Posted

     

    Definitely! And in my neck of the woods there were way more Colecos sold than Ataris.

     

    I asked for an Atari the Christmas that the Coleco first became available, I wanted an Atari because it was what all my friends had. They traded carts on the back of the bus and playground and I wanted to be part of that scene. I was somewhat let down when I opened it, I thought what the heck is this off brand thing? But after spending the morning playing DK, SubRoc and Time Pilot I was blown away at how far ahead the CV was. I ended up getting a 2600 as well, but until the NES came along the CV was definitely the high end condole in my opinion.

    • Like 2

  2. Posted · Edited by Pipercub

    One thing I just can't reconcile is THIS Chris Cardillo Vs the one I dealt with. When the DVR in a Jag story was breaking the impeccably honest Willie started a 3 way text with myself and Chris. He plainly said that the guys trying the hardest to take you down (we had the Chameleon twitter and website) are your best allies and SoCal is a crook, you two should talk. I replied to Chris that I would be happy to talk but that he would probably not want to hear what I had to say but the call was arranged. Chris and I talked and I gave him the back history of the transfer of assets, multiple companies etc. and he listened. I told him to verify before acting and he did. I explained to him the technical impossibilities that were claimed and he was very contrite. I asked him why he didn't break out a screwdriver and demand Socal opened it and he was very humble that he would know nothing about what he was looking at if he did. When we talked again he asked what he should do and I told him to establish a written test standard that would describe the article and the standards as well as the time frame. I was the engineer that "Coleco" referenced when they demanded the prototypes for inspection. Of course they could not meet that because any minimally informed person knows that there was no prototype from the New York Toy Fair nor the KIckstarter preparation. Coleco did this publicly and I could not imagine any more responsible behavior. But this new harassing fan pages over content creation that was settled since about 3rd party manufacturers is so damn crazy that the entire RGR family could only wonder if the same powers are at play?

    • Like 5

  5. Posted

     

    Is this a stab or an attempt to a stab at me? I am genuinely asking; I would double think before taking a stand like that on me Scott; Why not ask Mike UK to put you up to speed on some of my plans? Cause I very well start double thinking on my end as well.

     

     

     

    Unfortunately typed words do not carry tone of voice, I meant what I said exactly as I typed it, I am genuinely perplexed that you would want the thing. UK mentioned he talked to you but we did not discuss specifics as it was assumed to be a private conversation. The idea that ANYBODY would want that poison pill is so strange to me that I can't imagine a reason why. Saying that isn't intended as a stab, anything that ecosystem had or has could be created fresh without the toxic reputation in the community and potential legal pitfalls. So yes, with no rational reason I wondered if you were jerking Socal's chain for the mess he caused you in the CC debacle, which would be pretty funny. Whatever your plans are, I am at a loss to think of one that would benefit from paying money to acquire that train wreck.

    • Like 7

  6. Posted

    No, I should be able to defend myself when I'm brought up, especially when the one calling me out is completely full of it. I'll make sure they know that they are and they need to get their facts straight next time.

     

    This is nothing new, we went after everyone involved in the Chameleon project and it's messy but this thread feeds off the drama. Now my turn came up but that doesn't mean I have to take it sitting down. I contributed a lot to this thread and I'm not going to put up with being called a leech.

     

     

    Internet content is a funny thing. During the CC debacle StopDrop&Retro generated excellent content, and I thought his work was first rate. We even fed him some inside the room details here and there. But looking at the spectrum of coverage out there quality and views were nearly inverse. Some of the worst coverage was over a million views with horrible speculation and not one thing right. This one guy, something like review tech usa or some such was wrong on every detail yet was heard and believed! We (RetroGaming Roundup) had more inside baseball knowledge than any entity involved other than MK himself and when we spoke it was fact, not speculation, yet we never came close to a million. SDR created great content that was well researched and presented and I give him full credit for that.

     

    The head scratcher in this never ending saga is Pico's obsession with buying the remains of the GG empire. At first I thought that Eli might be super trolling by promising a buy only to pull some last second swerve, but I think he really wants the thing! I am sure he has seen "a" version of the paperwork but from the investigation we did in preparing to litigate if the CC had funded no two copies are alike. And I am willing to bet that Eli/Pico/attorney have never seen the complete picture including stuff like stock buyback agreements that have not been honored. What if Eli turns one of these ventures around? Maybe the sale of the company insulates him from the ghosts of the past, but maybe not.

    • Like 9

  9. Posted · Edited by Pipercub

     

    One night Parrothead had been drinking too much gin.

    He felt very nice and enjoyed it very much.

    Then all the sudden he saw a stranger walking.

    Not just any stranger because real strangers dont exist!

    This one was evil!

    Parrothead ran to stranger and hit them, it was AtariAge Hater Brigade!

    "How dare you..you.. villain! I kill you by murder!"

    "Yes, we fight now!"

     

    No Mike Kennedy screamed in agony. and he screamed a lots you know. it really really hurt. the pain that is. Trust me, youd scream hurt!

    Our hero took his mighty weapon and went balistik on he.

     

    "Oh no! It was my friend! And my friend there is really a man!"

    "My friend! said Mike Kennedy, you are a man!" he said and saying he did!

     

    "Oh that is good" said Mike Kennedy

    "No it is not! Mahaha!!. You see i must kill you because I was told to by my lamp

    "But not today!", with that the villianess villian ran off into the sunset.

     

    Fortunately Mister Lee worked at a newspaper nowadays and he used the database of the newspaper to find out home turf of AtariAge Hater Brigade's ruffians.

    Their search led to a night club in the darkiest and stormiest part of SoCal. Mike Kennedy was a little hesitant to go. It was rather scary and it was dark and stomy in that secting of SoCal. But the courage in him was greater than his fear because with his Cornering the market on retro gaming he should be able to accomplish anything, right, Mike Kennedy thought to himself.

    And Mister Lee would join Parrothead.

     

    So not to fall out of fashion they both donned their most gothyest clothing. Mike Kennedy had to admit that Mister Lee looked kind of sexy in that outfit of his. But Mike didn't dare to comment on that (Mike had only just discovered he was bi, and was a little angxious over that. He wans't sure if his othre friends would accept that!.

    Mike Kennedy instead poored down his soul into his make-up. He bore gorgeous blood-rose coloured finger nails with black streaking zig-zags and gave Mister Lee matching treatment. Mister Lee lovely eyes met Mike Kennedy's and for a moment they were both swimming in a pool made of a gorgeous combination of their eyes colours. It was romance they knew, but they didn't know whether it was a forbidden one or not!

     

    Then they went off and defeated AtariAge Hater Brigade.

    And when everyone was ready to go, suddenly, the door opened!

     

    "????!!" questioned Mike Kennedy exclaimingly.

    Because in the doorway, no other than AtariAge Hater Brigade stood!

     

    But instead AtariAge Hater Brigade's usual smirk, there was confusion on his face!

    "Who.... who am I?" mutered AtariAge Hater Brigade

    "Who are you?!" Parrothead said.

    "Who *is* he?!" SNEZZZZZZZ also said (a/n lol she aint very smart lol).

    "Who... who am I?" AtariAge Hater Brigade repeated... "I don't know who I am!"

    "Zomg, AtariAge Hater Brigade lost his memory!" concluded Sir Flojo Mojo smartly.

    "Indeed, that is the only logical explanation," said Mike, who of course had thought of it before Sir Flojo Mojo did but was too noble and modest to say so.

     

    "Well, I say we kill him now." said Mister Lee.

    "That is a good idea," said Mike Kennedy and he reached for his rifles.

     

    But then all the sudden, they were surrounded! By AtariAge Hater Brigade's Mercenaryss!

    "Lord!" they said. "We have brought you the Kickstarter Pledges!"

    The Kickstarter Pledges! Parrothead saw it within the hands of the highwayman. As ever as revoking as it always had been.

    If only Mike Kennedy could get to it!

    Then Mike Kennedy remembered... He had the power of Talking big but not delivering!

     

    Before AtariAge Hater Brigade could turn to the gaurd, Mike lept forward and grabbed the Kickstarter Pledges from ninja's hands. Mike Kennedy then apologised profoundly and patted the lackys on their back.

    "AtariAge Hater Brigade," said Mike Kennedy, "I'm sorry, but it's better for you never ever to remember who you were." And with Mike Kennedy's Cornering the market on retro gaming, he crushed the Kickstarter Pledges.

    "Noooooo!" AtariAge Hater Brigade said, "Now I will never know who I am!"

     

    "We'll get you sorted out," said Mike Kennedy wisely. AtariAge Hater Brigade looked happy.

    "AtariAge Hater Brigade should pay for his crimes!" yelled Mister Lee.

    "But he doesn't know what he did, so it's unreasonable to kill them for it," Parrothead said wisely.

    Mister Lee recognised that he was being an arse and that Mike was right all along.

    "All we can do is to help AtariAge Hater Brigade," said SNEZZZZZZZ, "And heal he with the power of love." she said as the usually stupid and naive girl she is.

    But Mike thought long and deep about SNEZZZZZZZ's speech.

    "I know a way to solve it," Mike said. But let's first go home. I'm tired. We've done enough adventuring for today.

    And then they all went home.

     

    A/N Stay turned for more about AtariAge Hater Brigade's trauma and how the power of love heald him! It's gonna be an awesome story!.

     

     

     

    post-4118-0-38223100-1493867047.jpg

    • Like 7

  11. Posted

    I'm amazed he still thinks he can turn this around. Mike knows his name is poison, and he shows it by avoiding all two-way communication. This, on the other hand, prevents him from marketing himself at all or even communicating with the six people who still trust him. He's painted himself into a corner but still expects to walk away ahead.

     

    Seriously, does this guy have some sort of behavioral disorder? This is the pattern of a narcissist or borderline patient.

     

    In a word, yes. The SOcal of a decade ago was a very different person, well grounded with a passion for the hobby, and the entrepreneurial aspect was there but it was for the right reasons. Today, it is like the last days in the Berlin bunker, sitting in a flop house in Az rearranging non-existent assets, worthless heaps of unwanted junk, imaginary partnerships, and prospective investors into deals that will never come.

    • Like 6

  12. Posted · Edited by Pipercub

     

    I hope you realize who we're talking about here. This is the guy who supported a video calling out Sean Robinson because he claimed it backs up his version of the events where Sean ripped him off and he was just a blissfully ignorant victim. A victim who paid a sketchy guy $10,000 for a prototype he never opened, never wondered why it uses a proprietary SNES video output jack, nor asked why it only plays SNES games... off a SD2snes he previously reviewed. Yep. Totally a victim.

     

    Mike will play the victim card wherever the opportunity presents itself. This has nothing to do with him not owning the molds anymore and has everything to do with preserving the facts of what happened here.

     

    "Yeah, I had the exact same idea back when I owned the molds. But the haters and trolls on AtariAge burned down my campaign. I'm glad to see someone's out there carrying on the spirit of the Retro VGS!"

     

     

    Once again proving you are a board certified mikeologist. Almost to a word you have described EXACTLY his world view.

     

    He blames the following for his present state of affairs:

     

    1. A small vocal minority of haters on the internet.

    2. Me.

    3. The jerks on Atari Age.

    4. Mr Lee.

     

    He accepts that his name is poisoning anything it is associated with but is adamant that it is due to the above reasons and no fault of his own other than the missteps of coming into contact with those forces. He's looking to offload the company in a variety of ways as convoluted as any other business venture to date but is quite certain that his ventures will soar with just a few minor tweaks. That last bit reminds me of every busted coin-op game on craigslist that just needs a fuse. I am certain that if he found a buyer to put enough cash in his pocket to erase the debts in exchange for the mag that what SDR predicted would not be far behind.

     

    For #1 he can't comprehend the community as a whole, except for a small minority, rejected the schemes. He also shows no understanding of the nature of the challenge in business ethics he made on #2. There are some dogs you just don't look in the eye and challenge them, and when you hear that growl developing your only real option is avert your gaze and halt what your doing and start backing away, even then you might end up turtled till its over. What can you say about #3, exposing those fake prototypes was only spun as a good thing once when the attempt was made to parrot Chris's thank you to the community for exposing it all, other than that AA was seen as a hated foe. And last but not least, that boogie man under the bed, Sean's fault was that he was willing to give the smoke and mirrors mock-up that was asked for and compromised enough to be a scape goat when that mock-up was claimed to be the real thing and it backfired.

    • Like 12

  15. Posted

     

    I remember a few classmates in college who were into it ... it's very transgressive and taboo if you're a young adult. Seems it was a little fad for a while, too.

     

    Back on topic, the tire fire Retro Patreon is still smoldering.

     

    attachicon.gifliterally on fire.png

     

    I am almost interested in the next issue, featuring Ed Averett who wrote a large number of the games on the Magnavox Odyssey 2. But I think I'll get by with the excellent (and freely available!) interviews by James Hague and William Cassidy.

     

     

     

     

     

    That deadline for March 29th (originally Feb) for the new goal of 1/2 of the minimum amount necessary for an issue run has come and gone btw...... Simple as that.

    • Like 5

  16. Posted

    Comment.

     

     

    Similarly, and to go back on topic with this thread, yes, it was fun to shop for and collect game cartridges way back when. It's super special to be able to buy a limited release homebrew in the original medium. But to re-create that with a new-old console like the Chameleon is just nostalgia for its own sake, it makes no sense in today's market for most modern customers. /obvious

     

    I think that there is a small market, but not "mass" market for a modern retro console. There are markets for "new old things", take Harley Davidson for example. HD makes a bike that is not all that different in appearance and performance from what they made 50 years ago but they sell them faster than they can make them and they do so in spite of modern options that outperform them in every case. I am a serious gamer, I have just over 100 pinball/arcade/etc. in my collection and most consoles from the Odyssey to the PS1 but I don't have a PS4 or Xbox One or Switch. It isn't about the cost because I will order a new Stern/JJ pin at 20X the cost and do so with a smile. What keeps me away is that I walk down the game case and see maybe ONE game that interests me and the rest is FPS, sports, crappy racers etc. etc. and I see no point in buying systems that I won't play.

     

    There are a steady flow of new games for older systems and I do buy those, but I have always liked the excitement of a new system. If there was a new production system that featured both emulated and original content and that original content was done in the style of console/PC/coin-op gaming from the 70's - 2000, and it didn't have a lifetime tether for updates that could alter the functionality or defeat mods, and the content was supplied on durable media without the need for servers that always cease to exist one day I would be a buyer. If there was a new system on the shelf with a selection of games that met that criteria I wouldn't care if it cost as much as any other console and I wish somebody would make one. The point I made to Socal early on was that I didn't think that there were enough of "me" out there for a large production run and that the technical challenge of making such a console isn't the limiting factor, it is the demand.

    • Like 5

  17. Posted

    I hope so but my remark was about "them" as in the RVGS/CC-gang (once kevtris left, even he ever was in even).

    I'm quite sure they could NOT have delivered. As they proved to be incompetent on so many levels and so many times.

     

    You could have given them a perfectly working lawn-mover and a perfectly flat meadow to mow to test in on and they would have driven off path, broken the mower, pretend it was a helicopter, attempt to sell it as a car and while doing so ruining the meadow so that so even the maps had to put a TOXIC sign!

     

    Oh no doubt. I said it before that IF "they" had somehow gotten that thing funded the console would never have seen the light of day. Some of the GameGavel shareholders (Socal's company that the molds were purchased under and the dev work up until 30 days before the Indigogo started) had a turn key lawsuit over those assets being transfered ready to fire. When that case was finally over, whatever was left would be left to a project that had no real prototype/design. At that point IF they got a board developed to stuff in the case the China fabs would have eaten them alive and nothing would have been delivered.

     

    In a funny twist, I STILL own some of GameGavel and got my annual tax documents, you know as a "Small minority shareholder for a small amount of money who doesn't matter and a partner who isn't really a partner because GameGavel partners aren't really partners" per Socal. It may have cost me a few bucks but not my job/house/friends/etc. like it did him, so moving forward LOL!!

    • Like 9

  18. Posted

    I would spend almost as much getting the card stock, printing it and folding it correctly than what I paid for it

     

    Remember the Socal (now SoAz) post where he bellowed that he was the only one who lost anything: money, reputation and what not? Chris Cardillo did make mistakes in not vetting Socal's claims and history, mistakes that he has owned up to, but his honest intent was to push the return of Coleco and he is still working at that. If he makes a few bucks from selling the flyers I am fine with that, he lost allot at the hands of Socal's scam and Mark Thomann was damn understanding in not canning him for that debacle. Having a disaster like the Chameleon on your hands is not exactly career enhancing. Chris is spending his own time and money to put on the Coleco Gaming Expo in August and having funded CGE2K14 out of my pocket I know exactly what he is taking on. Make no mistake he is one of the good guys so please cut him some slack.

     

    https://www.colecoexpo.com/

    • Like 4

  21. Posted

    I had a tidbit pointed out the other day and once again it seems we have a famous countdown to success on one of these projects. Hanging out near the bottom of the Patreon page with it's meter hanging at around 10% of funded is this

     

    DEADLINE TO GET IN ON THE MAILING LIST FOR ISSUE #13 - February 28th, 2017

     

    That would jive with the 2 month window where each issue of the mag would be funded by the roaring crowd and the next two month window opens up for the following issue and the regular bi-monthly pace of Retro is established and the success of Nintendo Force is mirrored. Moving forward, what if the meter (and this is crazy) doesn't leap to fully funded by the 28th? Does it get delayed to MAKE IT EVEN BETTER due to the whirlwind of interest?

    • Like 8

  23. Posted

    I also wanted to apologize to you all for the delays that have plagued this second year campaign. It was fraught with lots of challenges, the greatest of which was the under-funding of the campaign followed closely with my supreme idiocy with a derailed side project.

     

    Underfunded? Funny because the Patreon cost per mag dollars/copies is within a few cents of the kickstarters, so repeating the same mistake twice? Like with fake prototypes.

    Because of some changes inside the RETRO team early on in this campaign, the cost to produce the magazine increased after the campaign completed. And that led to the last two issues of RETRO being self funded by myself to finish out the obligations set in motion from this campaign. So the delays were caused mostly by me waiting for the personal funds required to finish out the issues and the campaign. In the end, all six magazines were produced and I hope you enjoyed them all despite the inconsistent releases.

     

    You mean like hiring Daniel Kaiser giving him a bunch of cash and stock only to have him ride away like Shaggy and Scooby Doo on their invisible motorcycle? And draining the business funds for the fake consoles didn't help matters.

    I do have a couple dozen shirts and posters that still need to be sent out and if you backed at those levels, and are still waiting you will get what you paid for. It is just that I focused all my attention on making sure the magazines all were published first and foremost. The other awards took a backseat to finishing out the magazine.

     

    Technically everything is dozens, there are a couple of dozen mosquitoes in the world by that math.

    Moving forward,

     

    I think this phrase is built in at a genetic level.

    I have seen how successful Nintendo Force has become using Patreon and Lucas (the Head Honcho at NF) has been a great help in explaining to me the benefits of this service for us indie magazine publishers. So, if you have enjoyed RETRO over the past couple years, please consider CLICKING TO OUR PATREON PAGE and continuing on the journey with us to keep print video game magazines a thing of the future. My team and I really enjoy working on RETRO and are depending on our readers to keep us going. If we can reach our goal on Patreon, then we will be able to produce RETRO on schedule, bi-monthly. All of you can help us get to that goal.

     

    Monkey see, monkey do = PROFITS!!!!!


    This issue of RETRO is our shortest print run to date, with only 2,500 printed issues.

     

    Way to sell decline as collect-ability.

    I want to personally thank you all for your support with this campaign and hopefully your continued support moving forward with our third year of RETRO Video Game Magazine over on Patreon. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

     

    And thus ends RETRO mag, not with a bang but with a whimper.

    • Like 12

  24. Posted

    OK, I'll play.

     

    My favorite moment, was the moment my phone rang mid morning the day after the DVR card was identified and it was none other than Socal Mike who I had not spoken to since the Indigogo era, who was no doubt following up on the email he sent to UK Mike and I earlier that morning trying to plant to story that he woke up and saw the DVR pics posted on our FB site and almost fell out of bed and desperately wanted to talk to us because he was clueless as to what was going on. That story of course runs counter to the images being deleted from their FB page within about 20 min of the DVR card being identified. But, even if I had been inclined to take the call, I was busy on the phone with Chris at River West/Coleco advising him on how to effectively demand the prototypes be submitted for inspection. I recall saying to him, HOLY SMOKES Chris, you will not believe who just tried to call me!

     

    Never doubt that RIver West/Coleco were deadly serious about doing the right thing as soon as the evidence was in front of them, their quick thinking and default position of honestly likely saved the brand for future re-emergence.

    • Like 12

  25. Posted

    I really can't believe the way that Mr. Kennedy decided to address this whole debacle. Even a year later after initially hearing about all of this, I'm dumbfounded regarding the way this was addressed. Almost like it would have been better to say nothing at all.

    So you are looking to start this Coleco project and basically do no research into whom your hiring or to even check if they are qualified to do what they say they can do, despite the aforementioned issues with the original idea, never take one look at what was being made, if it worked correctly, how it ran...etc. Why in the world would you feel confident going to ANY convention with no knowledge on anything regarding the development, how the unit worked or what was going on with the project at all?? What sort of person managing a project and trying to build a multi-million dollar Kickstarter campaign would do something like that? You either have to be an effing MORON or you know you are trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes AGAIN. In this case it sounds like a little bit of both.

     

    I in no way would go into a convention presenting ANY type of product without knowing 100% how the unit was built, what hardware it ran off of and the development process. Especially for such a high profile project.

     

    How can you complain about someones criminal history if you never bothered to look into ANY of that before you hired the person? I'm not saying that "Lee" wasn't shady, but people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

     

    With regards to anyone that signed onto the project to possibly develop games, why would you do so without seeing a working demo and meeting with the entire team? Who the hell in business takes peoples words for stuff without any proof? Not to beat a dead horse, but hopefully these people have learned a valuable business lesson. One that they probably should have learned LONG ago.

     

    From my experience (part owner of the original company that the console originated from, original designer on the project, many years of knowing MK as a close friend and co-host, and having spent DOZENS of hours on the phone with Sean as he was involved with this console) I think it all boils down that MK wanted to get past the gatekeepers by shortcutting the prototype process because he didn't have the resources to properly develop one. His master plan was to get the funding then worry about the design (other than words), and as I have said in the past China would have eaten him alive and the thing would have never shipped. He expressed that thought to me citing that he felt OYOU didn't really have a prototype, and asked Sean, Clay Cowgil, and I believe one more person, for a smoke and mirrors prototype for Kickstarter. Remember, they tried the RVGS Indigogo with a mountain of renders and only produced the first fake prototype when it started spiraling that they didn't have any prototype. While the others asked flatly refused to create a fake Sean was willing to. Perhaps that speaks to his alleged past, or not. However he was compromised enough by that past to be a plausible scapegoat, at least in MK's view, others didn't buy it. I believe that Sean did exactly what MK asked, gave him a smoke and mirrors prototype that MK knew was fake and MK went out and presented it to the world as the real deal. If you want to read a few hundred pages back we along with Stone Age Gamer proved that RetroGaming Roundup received and reviewed the SD2SNES multicart that MK claimed was an original prototype made by them. I mean shit, it had the word prototype printed right on it! LOL. So when the heat came down that the NYC and DVR prototypes were fake, true to the established pattern someone had to go under the bus and be the scapegoat and Sean was damn convenient.

     

    And add to that the fact that MK knows nothing about software/hardware development, that is why the project was totally absent of any of the normal ephemera that would surround such an undertaking. The only semblance of a normal development environment was what Kevtris, myself, and Clay tried to inject and it was rejected out of hand by MK in favor of more buzzwords and hype. Again, a few hundred pages back our thoughts on the total lack of a normal managed development process are pretty clearly stated.

    • Like 10
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