Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store  

wongojack

+AtariAge Subscriber
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    4,828

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by wongojack

  2. Posted

    There's something very appealing about this picture you took.  I wouldn't have bought this from you even if I had seen it in time, but this photo just seems to capture efficiency and careful placement while mixing in the right amount of nostalgia.

     

    I think it's the box labeled both clearly and sorta carelessly, combined with the empty disk sleeve.  Its partner is obviously in the drive (with the activity light lit) and its menu is clearly displayed on screen to show us the items are working.  Not to mention the reference book left opened as if you needed to be reminded of the directory command in order to take the photo . . . There's also no distracting bullsh!+ in the background.

     

    Brilliant!

     

     

    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    51 minutes ago, Agamon said:

    Why are everyday joes too dumb to figure out console names, but not smartphone names?

    Isn't it the same thing? 

     

    You hear - "I want the new iPhone!" "I want the new Samsung!" "I want the new Google!"

    Not - "I want the iPhone XR" or "I want the new Google Pixel 4a"

  4. Posted

    15 hours ago, JamesD said:

    The total number of computers sold in the year 1980 were in the region of $40 million, but grew to nearly 500,000 by 1981.

    . . .

    In 1982, it was reported that there were computer sales between 150,000 to 300,000 units.

            In the year 1983, the sales crossed more than 2 million units of computers.

    In the years 1984, 1985 and 1986, sales of computers were between 2 million to 3 million units.



     

     

    I was thinking the crash as being '83 and after that - slower growth.  Here's how these figures that you posted might plot assuming a steady increase.

     

    image.png.b4f0292fee7ebc48358f2d3c2424474d.png

     

    There's 2x as much growth from '80 to '83 (really just in '83) as from '83 to '86.  With '86 usually marking the end of the NoAm crash with the release of the NES that same year.

     

    Still - definitely no computer crash, but less boom.

    • Thanks 1

  5. Posted

    3 hours ago, youxia said:

    The fact that C64 sold most units does not mean that all the other micros have "failed", or that they were "wannabes". Yes, C-16 and some others were abject failures, but the likes of Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit or Spectrum have thrived and had millions of fans, plus heaps of quality software. All these machines had different strenghts and weaknesses, and while C64 indeed was the best of the lot it also wasn't without limitations, such as low res gfx and dull colour palette.

     

    As for specs in general, the most powerful does not mean the best, it's much more complex than that. If it wasn't, N64 would trounce PSX, Xbox PS2, and Amiga would fold as soon as PC got VGA & Adlib. In regard to Spectrum, being at the bottom of the hardware ladder has proven to be an unexpected boon:

     

    These limitations also forced the devs to be more innovative and daring, with the likes of Ultimate kickstarting the whole isometric adventure genre with Knight Lore. They went on to found Rare later... And ZX was hugely influential not just in UK, but in the rest of Europe too. For example, the CEO of CD Projekt Red started  as a ZX Spectrum pirate :)

     

     

    I actually just managed last month to get all the items in the cauldron on Knight Lore, and you'll find no argument from me on this statement I underlined.  Americans had things sorta dumbed down to them with consoles despite the evidence in this thread to the contrary.  Here's another quote from the same book about that:

     

    "Other parts of the world evolved more slowly, with England and other European countries still favoring price over performance.  In particular, this meant more sustained competition within the personal computer scene . . . The vibrancy of the European market in this generation also birthed a whole army of "bedroom coders" whose skills would soon be appreciated the world over, giving the Americans a run for their money . . ."

    • Thanks 1

  8. Posted

    10 hours ago, JamesD said:

    Here is what I found reguarding computer sales for the 1980s just from the first few pages of results on duckduckgo.

    "In 1982, Apple Computer is the first personal computer manufacturer to hit the $1 billion mark for annual sales."

    "In the year 1980, there was an issue from popular computing which revealed that there were more than 100 varieties of manufacturers who sold brands that were not compatible. The total number of computers sold in the year 1980 were in the region of $40 million, but grew to nearly 500,000 by 1981.

    The year 1985 was supposedly a good year for computer sales as it shot to 3.7 million units but the best year was yet to come and in 2000 more than 132 million computers were sold. The approximate computer sales that have happened are: 

    In 1982, it was reported that there were computer sales between 150,000 to 300,000 units.

    In the year 1983, the sales crossed more than 2 million units of computers.

    In the years 1984, 1985 and 1986, sales of computers were between 2 million to 3 million units.

    1987 saw a dip in computer sales dropping down to 1 million to 2 million.

    1988 and 1989 was drab for sales of computers, going further down to 1 million to 1.5 million units. 

    Even the 1990s saw the decline in sales for computers and it went down to 700,000 to 800,000 until 1991.

    1992 was bad for sales and the number of computer units sold was 650,000. However, the worst year could be 1993 where computer sales hit rock bottom at 150,000 to 200,000."


     

     

     

    So no crash for computers but perhaps a slower growth rate than from 80 to 83

     

    I also found the quote I was thinking of from Bill's (and Matt Barton's) book regarding machines in-between 8bit and 16bit.  It is on page 116 of Vintage Game Consoles: The Greatest Platforms of All Time.  This is an excellent book and despite its title, it dips deeply into computer platforms.  I was expected to flip through and just re-read things I already knew, but instead, it is deeply engaging with anecdotes and helpful context explanations about each era as well as console/platform.  The quote is this:

     

    " . . . no single computer model would ever again enjoy the market share of the C-64 in its heyday.  In hindsight, there was simply no way to replicate that special combination of power and price that the C-64 embodied.  This was evident by the long list of failed competitors in its class, including Commodore's own C-16 and Plus/4, or with enhanced variations like the C-128 or unreleased C-65 prototype., which promised to be the ultimate 8-bit computer.  The problem for these wannabes, however, was that for millions of fans, they already owned the "ultimate" 8-bit computer and would accept no substitutes."

     

    And I will insist on my opinion of the ZX Spectrum (the only computer in the Spectrum line I've ever tried).  Based solely on looks, it is the ultimate example of "you had to be there."  As someone who didn't live through the popularity of that platform, it simply looks like a downgraded compromise.

    • Like 3

  9. Posted

    Interesting thread.

     

    The topic about why there weren't more options (in the USA) in-between low cost 8bits and expensive 16bits is an interesting one.  I think @Bill Loguidice tried to answer this in his book "Vintage Game Consoles."  Many compromises were tried, but in the end, people seemed to decide that they already owned the 8bit computer they wanted (or could buy it easily).  Those other in-between options just didn't offer enough to justify a (slightly) higher price.

     

    Something that no one has mentioned is that I thought in the height of the crash that computer sales ALSO went down.  It was crash for computers too.  I didn't bother to look that up, but I thought it was a known fact.

     

    Also about the ZX Spectrum.  As a typical USA computer user from the 80's, I had no idea about the Spectrum line.  I have now dipped into some of the games in emulation.  There's some really interesting gameplay there, but they look horrendous to me.  The color limitations are immediately recognizable especially on the games that are converted to the C64.  I wouldn't have been able to handle that as a kid.  If those screenshots had been on the back of the box, it would have been an immediate disqualification for me.  Just looking at the C64 update of Atic Atac for instance has made me never want to play the Spectrum version again.  I'll also add that Spectrum stuff just looks nothing like the Colecovision or the MSX.

     

     

    • Thanks 1

  10. Posted

    On 9/2/2020 at 2:50 PM, wongojack said:

    One of the things that is hurting arcades during COVID is they often get segregated from other entertainment industries and treated more harshly BECAUSE of this old reputation about them being places that encourage truancy and drug abuse.  The guys at Free Play are very vocal about how bowling alleys, pool halls and other places were allowed to re-open before they were and blamed this old mischaracterization as the reason why.

    Example

    https://reason.com/2020/09/09/are-video-arcades-more-dangerous-than-casinos-during-a-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR2s2_WtELAUXl1Vghyy458-kwdqALDGOiMTBPuvCLtxC0yQe5Hc8JwRO2w

  11. Posted

    @Atariboy - I dunno man, I heard very distinct language about the backwards compat at some point that said they were committed to making everything on Xbox 1 work on the series X.  That was enough for me.

     

    "Microsoft has also confirmed that every single game that runs on Xbox One will work on the Xbox Series X, including OG Xbox games and Xbox 360 games that are backward compatible. "

     

    Here's a article dated Sep 1st, but I heard this last year:  https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-series-x#:~:text=All of your current headsets%2C controllers%2C and other,the single resume available on Xbox One consoles.

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    I'm not really sure where the idea that the original XBox and Xbox 360 library would be 100% supported came from.  Every official statement that I've read (and there's no way I've read them all) has been careful to say that things currently running on Xbox One will run on XSX.  That means that the slice of both libraries that currently runs on XBox One will work on the new machine.  That's definitely NOT 100% of 360 games and not even all the OG Xbox titles that would run (or start as @Atariboy points out) on the Xbox 360.  And I agree that the backwards compatibility from 360->OG left A LOT to be desired.

    • Like 2

  15. Posted

    A2600
    Stay Frosty 2 24

     

    A7800
    Baby Pac-Man 299
    Ms. Pac-Man 40
    Robotron 2084 86
    T:me Salvo 147

     

    As promised, I put some fairly heavy time into some homebrews this week.  It truly is amazing to be able to play Baby Pac-Man at home.  The game is just as brutal and unforgiving as the original - LOL

     

    Time Salvo is a nice homebrew too. I'll have to play one of the games it's based on at some point. (Crossfire, Targ, etc).

     

    I also went ahead and ordered a copy of Rikki and Vicki.  Long live the 7800!
     

    • Like 4

  16. Posted

    At least some agree on Yar's. 

     

    Most of the time I hear people criticize Asteroids because they don't try the various difficulty options.

     

    Berserk aged VERY fast. It was an amazing adventure that taunted you when it was in the arcade.  Then it was kinda dumbed down for the 2600 and then just quickly surpassed.  A sci-fi hack of Adventure would have probably been a better "home" game.  Night Stalker for instance has aged better.

     

    I usually will criticize Freeway and Keystone Capers when this topic comes up.  Atlantis is another that people view with a bit too much nostalgia.

     

  18. Posted

    I have that version of Goldeneye and the full set of movies that were released in that "Special Edition" packaging.  It is everything before Die Another Day.  I have probably watched Goldeneye at least twice in the years I've owned it.  I didn't know I had it so good with the quality.  What I like about that edition is all the special features that come with the movies.  It is possible that the "Ultimate Edition" also has the same special features (I've never owned those), but the Blu Rays you buy now often include absolutely nothing besides the actual movie.

  19. Posted

    6 hours ago, RampantOctopus said:

    I mean, don't get me wrong-- this is quite pretty-- but am I the only one who's disappointed it's not a LCD game?

     

    https://gameandwatch.nintendo.com/?cid=N1049-01:ch=eid&eid=Direct09032020&crmid=FE7A6DAB-257B-4530-8470-D1A2E827D56B

    No you are not.  I can already play SMB a million different ways.  Although, I think I would need there to be a full collection of LCD games on there to get me interested.

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    One of the things that is hurting arcades during COVID is they often get segregated from other entertainment industries and treated more harshly BECAUSE of this old reputation about them being places that encourage truancy and drug abuse.  The guys at Free Play are very vocal about how bowling alleys, pool halls and other places were allowed to re-open before they were and blamed this old mischaracterization as the reason why.

    • Like 2

  23. Posted

    I think this might be a local thing that has happened here in Dallas, but we had a renaissance of local arcades pop up since about 2017.  I don't mean barcades either (although they do usually have bars).  These are places that cater to classic gamers and stock a huge floor of classic games and pinball.  Well, the pinball tends to be less classic, but still.

     

    Sadly, we are seeing a new "crash" because of COVID 19.  These places can't really open and are going down one by one.  A local chain called "Free Play" is doing everything they can to sell food to go and stay open as much as they can, but it doesn't look good.  Its a real shame.  Here's a list of local places that I know of just off the top of my head.  I've visited all of these:

     

    BOS Pinball Lounge (Garland) <- Closed pre-Covid

    Cidercade (Dallas)

    Free Play Arlington

    Free Play Denton <- Closed

    Free Play Ft Worth

    Free Play Richardson

    National Video Game Museum

    Realms of Arcadia <- merged with another arcade but still had to close

    Regeneration <- Closed

    Texas Pinball Museum <- Closed pre-Covid

    Quarter Lounge Arcade

     

    And I didn't even count the Axe Throwing place or the Nicklerama that has more modern stuff but still keeps a wall of modern pinball machines.

     

    Here's the Free Play website.  Buy a T-Shirt from them or something: http://freeplayinc.com/savethearcade/.  These guys are the real deal and are committed to having ZERO emulation on their floor.  They are also now liquidating their warehouse of games that aren't on the floor.  I see them posting games for sale on Facebook all the time.  Sad stuff <sniff>.

    • Like 1
    • Sad 1

  24. Posted

    3 hours ago, cimerians said:

    Finally beat Uncharted 4, not exactly my favorite but it was pretty good. If I had to rank them it would be 2 ,3 ,4 ,1.

     

    This game seems to come up a lot on AtariAge.  I played it within the last few years too, and I was just discussing it in another thread.

     

    Regarding Uncharted 4 - I played U 1-3 on the PS3 and over there, I thought they were great. I don't think U4 was a bad game, but it was my least favorite.  With U4, right away, I didn't like the stupid sitcom marriage that they portrayed for Nathan.  He wants to run away, but can't.  But does anyway and lies to his perfectly understanding wife?  He just seemed like the dumbest husband ever.  That got me on a sour note right from the start.  Then something about the way the game transitioned between "slide down rocks" and "murder 20 dudes" just felt like I could  see the design of the game in a way that was too transparent.  I felt like you were playing this home-life simulator and then the loveable (but stupid) husband character flew off to slide on some mountains and freaking choke some b!tch3s out.  The pieces were good but together they didn't fit.  Finally, when you got to the part with the Jeep in Madagascar, I just got bored.  They made driving around and exploring a real chore.  It just wasn't fun and took a long time to get on with the rest of the game.  Same thing with the boat a little later.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    No one has mentioned this yet, but I would also give Pac-Man some credit for popularizing the game play mechanic of clearing all the dots/things on the screen.  I know about Head On who did it first, but Pac-Man really taught people to do it.  Heck, maybe you could even give it credit for things like collecting coins in a platformer.  Just because it isn't being done in a single screen maze doesn't mean it wasn't an influence from Pac-Man.

     

    Also, no one has mentioned the Pac-Man Championship Edition series.  I was just playing that last week.  Modern Maze Game.

    • Thanks 1
AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2021 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...