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Atari engineer resume


Allan

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I read the stuff he wrote on this site. Tho he says he didn't program Kangaroo and Pole Position, I think he should get most of the credit.

 

He was the one that ported the versions over from the 2600 version, I think I read that right.

 

He was responsible for creating the TOOL that was used to make Kangaroo possible on the Atari 5200. Tho he wasn't the one that MADE the Atari 2600 version of it.

 

Kangaroo for the 5200 is much better, so I'd give him credit for it.

 

He's just being modest.

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Well that explains who did the original header file that came from those old disks I had. I still need to compile some of the old programs that are on those disks. I recognize the aquarium one and the menu select at the bottom of the screen. Really need to see if any of it can be configured as 5200 programs. Jungle River Cruise and Tumbleweeds released for the 5200 would be cool.

AlanD

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I sent an email to the man who had made warlords. He sent me this email back tonight.

 

Subj: Re: Atari 5200 Warlords

Date: 6/17/2002 12:51:41 AM Central Standard Time

From: leiterja@adelphia.net (James Leiterman)

To: Mcgrail777@cs.com

 

 

 

 

Even 20 years later, warlords is a licensed property. It would be unethical for me to give it out or sell it.

 

It was incomplete as I was terminated before I finished it. It was being written for both 1200 and 400/800 but I only remember making a disk and 800 cartridge form.

 

Since I'm constantly tweaking my website especially these days since so many people seemed to have raided the Atari vaults that my guess someone will be posting that stuff. I've had numerous historical groups requesting the same stuff.

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I don't understand why it would be unethical for someone to make Warlords for the Atari 5200.

 

Weren't companies in the business for the enjoyment of gamers? Oh wait, maybe all they cared about is profit.

 

Is it because the original maker of Warlords wants a piece of the profit even tho it has been 20 years since it was in production and distribution?

 

 

If I made a game 20 years ago, and people were trying to improve upon it today, I would be flattered.

 

If it were a year ago, THEN I might be concerned if they were trying to take away my "rightful" profits.... These would be profits I'd deserve at the time, but not 20 years down the road.

 

 

 

It is too bad the original maker HIMSELF doesn't make an Atari 5200 version of Warlords, that would be PERFECT. But he was fired, and so he probably doesn't have the tools or interest to do it.

 

Why make games if I can't get a profit out of it, is that what he's thinking?

 

 

Or perhaps I'm being too cynical, please tell me if I'm off base here.

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Well, that's to bad he won't release Warlords but I completely understand. It doesn't mean someone couldn't make the game again from scratch. It doesn't seem like a hard game to make on the 5200 although from the description it sounds like there are at least 6 or 7 players on the screen. That might be difficult. The only saving grace is that the four player sprites are limited to the corners so that might make a possiblity with some Interrupts. It would help if we could get a better picture of the screen he has and also a better description of the additional elements added to the 8-bit/5200 version. Anybody willing to try? I think this game would work great with the 5200 controllers.

 

Allan

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Kaz,

 

You're way off base!

 

Just because a company does or not does not choose to release a product, the work of its engineers and creative staff, but the property of that organization is totally that company's decision.

 

There are 100's of unreleased games - thousands of demo's that never get signed off into production made every day around the world on every platform since the dawn of video games...

 

Its not the fan's right to see those games, interesting though they may be (believe me I've seen stuff you would DIE for!!!)...

 

Many of those unreleased games are based on properties a company has the rights to exploit on several platforms, only one of which may see the light of day. But now 20 years later those properties are still owned (by Infogrammes right now) and they MAY wish to explot those properties on other platforms (look at the Midway PS2 remakes, the Nokia phone games, the Palm products) and if those properties were made freeware, albeit on OLD platforms, the ownership may be called into dispute at some point, so keeping copyright ownership is VERY important.

 

If your paycheck depends upon making this stuff, you would be protective. I've seen my and my collegues hard work ripped off so many times I cannot keep count!

 

sTeVE

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I suppose it could be possible that Warlords would be released as some sort of "Atari 2600" classics on some advanced console in the future. Being as such, I agree with you about it being intellectual property.

 

Funny that the classic games released in The Playstation form about 3 years ago (Activision Classics) sucked so much. The games hardly played like the original Atari 2600.

 

That does sound horrible how people stole your ideas (and made a profit on it too).

 

A programmer would have to be very secretive, so that their ideas don't get out (and stolen). Might be a bunch of industrial espionage going on in programming companies I would think.

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I have been planning it for a while and I have a socketed 5200 cart to start working on it, but I've had too many other projects to work on. After CGE, I'll be choosing my next project which will probably be either 5200 Warlords, C64 Synthcart, Vectrex Synthcart, Zelda or Zelda-like game for 2600, or a FPS for the 2600. I've had some interest in 5200 Warlords, but it would be hard to make one as good as that one that's already been done.

 

-Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...
If your paycheck depends upon making this stuff, you would be protective.

 

While this may be true for the modern games, Infogrames seems more protective of bootleg Atari T-shirts than prototype releases for Atari hardware systems.

 

With high-profile releases of protos going on at conventions and the like for which Infogrames (or Hasbro before it) can NOT claim ignorance, there seems to be tacit approval of this activity.

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A programmer would have to be very secretive, so that their ideas don't get out (and stolen).  Might be a bunch of industrial espionage going on in programming companies I would think.

 

The only things game companies really have to protect these days are the raw sourcecode files. There isn't a lot of innovation going on in the gameplay itself anymore.

 

Someobody finding out you are doing yet another RPG or driving or fighting game isn't any kind of trade secret.

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OOPS! I should have posted something a few days ago. He actually e-mailed me asking about the 5200 equates file I had on my web page :) So, I am the mysterious one with the technical documentation. Pretty cool, but when I asked questions he just referred me to his webpage.

 

calamari

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cybpunks - a lot of companies may well "turn a blind eye" to the releasing of old games by people who find them....

 

But if you STILL work in the industry (like many of us do) - then you don't mess around with copyright material you worked upon without the copyright holder's approval...

 

Many employers are wary of such issues since lots of developement contracts are very tightly worded about code and idea ownership...

 

sTeVE

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  • 9 years later...
  • 1 year later...

Bump. His NDA isn't in force because Atari Inc ceased to exist and Atari Corp thereafter.

 

Sure, there's Castle Crisis now but this is the real deal. The A8 version code he has exists; it could be converted to the 5200. Get the one person at "Atari" Interactive still in the office keeping the light on to agree to a $1 royalty and ROM rights for any future emulation app and then start producing this cart stat!

 

Personally, I wish it were closer to the 2600 original and not the arcade adaptation (which was released first).

 

Call it "Real Warlords".

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