My opinion as a coleco owner and homebrewer

[Gorf]

Do what you enjoy and there are many that will appreciate your work and efforts, everyone one else can go to hell.

[newcoleco]

I'm sorry to bother you with that but I've to know. I want to know if it's the general opinion you have about me or if it's 2-3 persons.

 

As a dream comes true, I did finally got information about Coleco programming, did my own devkit, tools, demos and games; and share my knowledge and everything with the entire world. Despite of that, I had bad critics and false accusations, like bad printing quality and hiding information.

 

Today, I had a revelation about what other programmers may think of my hobby of Coleco programming, and it's something I want to verify. Actually, if it's true, I think it means nobody think Coleco programming is a hobby but a business, not a passion but commercial opportunity.

 

I like to think that I program games first for fun and share this fun with others, like any other hobby we can think of. Unfortunately, it appears that not only I'm wrong, but also what I've done is also wrong.

 

Basicaly, the opinion I've heard is that no Coleco homebrew in its real meaning is possible, it should be a company production or it's crap. And also, all projects should be planned based on commercial potential instead of passion and free expression.

 

And there is more... after all my years of programming in different languages and for different computers, my studies in music and my passion, I can do my own videogames by myself. But, guess what, it's also wrong.

 

Do I make Coleco homebrew scene looking bad? Seriously, it's certainly not my perception, but if I'm so wrong I can't see the reality. So, go ahead and tell me. You can use private messages if you think it's better this way, but I want to know.

 

In year 2000, John Dondzila told me that Dacman was not my game and it took me weeks to understand what he did means by that because I certainly programmed that rom, but PacMan is not my game, it's someone else game. Same thing for Breakout and Bejeweled, and I wanted to be appreciate for something, showing what I'm capable to, and I did it... but it's all wrong apparently.

[+5-11under]

Hi Daniel,

 

A few comments...

 

First of all, remember that you can't control what other people think or say or do. You can only control how you react.

 

That said, you've got a wide variety of games, some of which are based on existing games, and some of which are original. There are many shades of grey, of course, between the two.

 

I think you've done a lot of work that has benefited many CV programmers. Scott, myself (if I can still be counted as one), and many others are using tools that you had a hand (or two) in making. You've continued this support through the years.

 

You've sold a bunch of games, but you've given away all or most of the ROMs, too. I don't see any greed here.

 

With the proper tools, ColecoVision programming isn't too difficult. It's definitely manageable for one person to do on their own, if they have some moderate skills in several areas (programming, art/layout, music, math, etc.). One can argue one way or the other about the merits of corporate versus individual creation. In the least though, homebrew creation is typically not constrained by time or the whims of managers or committees.

 

My advice: try to ignore anyone who gives you a hard time. For many of us, this isn't easy, because we don't handle rejection very well. Create the games you want to make and play, and there will likely be others who share your vision.

 

Have fun,

5-11under

[S1500]

I think the CV homebrew situation/scene/etc is doing a lot better than that other console. There, I said it.

[GroovyBee]

Speaking as one developer to another I think that homebrew games should be as much fun to develop as they are to play. Who else would work for hundreds of hours on a new project for little/no financial gain? I'll tell you. Artists! Thats who. Artists with a passion. Its our passion that drives us forward, to try new things, to push our retro machines in new ways and to bring our ideas into the world.

 

I say just ignore the critics. At the end of the day we make games that we (as developers) want to play. If other people appreciate that and want to play them as much as we do its fantastic and it makes the hobby worthwhile. However, the people that don't like them can just skip on by in my opinion. Its not worth losing sleep or leaving the scene for. You can't please everybody all of the time. Thats just the way life is.

 

Just keep on making Coleco games and doing your own thing in your own time. Its only a hobby at the end of the day.

[newcoleco]

 

This audio file, put as a video file here in my Youtube channel, talks about Ghostblaster... and at the end, I've lost the credits for this game somehow because one of them think it's one of Eduardo's work. Oh well, I hope at least their listeners don't think it's a clone of NES Ghostbusters.

Edited November 6, 2009 by newcoleco

[gdement]

told me that Dacman was not my game and it took me weeks to understand what he did means by that because I certainly programmed that rom, but PacMan is not my game, it's someone else game. Same thing for Breakout and Bejeweled, and I wanted to be appreciate for something, showing what I'm capable to, and I did it... but it's all wrong apparently.

 

I don't know the person you mentioned, but

 

I think many non-programmers have a misunderstanding that stems from the word "port". Many seem to believe you can just plug in the ROM for arcade Pac-Man into some sort of "conversion" process, and get a Coleco/Atari/whatever ROM out the other end. They don't realize that the game has to be written from scratch, 100% your own code, and is thus just as difficult as any original game would be. Because it looks like an existing game, they think you copied something.

 

Many people also don't appreciate the technical challenge involved with writing a computer program. There were several washouts in my earlier programming classes, and I'm pretty sure none of them realized what they were getting themselves into.

 

Writing a complex program is something I'd compare to writing a novel. It's sort of like art for engineers.

Edited November 8, 2009 by gdement

[newcoleco]

I don't know the person you mentioned...

John Dondzila is one of the first ColecoVision homebrewer, who released games for Vectrex, ColecoVision, Odysee2 (I guess) and more. His advices are rare but words of wisdom. Telling me that PacMan is not my game is totally true. Even if I code from scratch, which is the case for all my projects, if it's based on another game, under legal terms and copyrights what I'm coding is not my games. So, Dacman is not my game because PacMan is not my game, and to reflect that I erased the copyrights logo on the box, label, and in the ROM file.

 

Many people also don't appreciate the technical challenge involved with writing a computer program. There were several washouts in my earlier programming classes, and I'm pretty sure none of them realized what they were getting themselves into.

true.

 

Writing a complex program is something I'd compare to writing a novel. It's sort of like art for engineers.

true again.

 

As for ports, it's not my thing. There are enough programmers who are doing this and I love doing my own stuff.

 

However, I wanted to see by myself how hard it can be to port a game from SG1000, very close to ColecoVision indeed. After reading a web page talking about SG1000, another about the coding structure in Konami games, I've decided to give it a try. So, I did an experiment of programming a tool to help me in the process of porting a game. Well, after a single day, I did develop an interface that uses a disassembler with a rom and instructions on how to patch the result to make it ColecoVision compatible. I did try this tool with 4 different games, including Mr.chin, and the best result was with Sokoban : sokcv.zip Programming Sokoban from scratch may take weeks, but here I've got a result in a day, not perfect but it was more than I was expecting in the first place. Five days later, Video Flipper : flipcv.zip So, yeah, working so-so, no sound, but that was enough for me... I stopped the experimentation... I had my answer.

Edited November 8, 2009 by newcoleco

[PkK]

Today, I had a revelation about what other programmers may think of my hobby of Coleco programming, and it's something I want to verify. Actually, if it's true, I think it means nobody think Coleco programming is a hobby but a business, not a passion but commercial opportunity.

 

Just looking at the small number of people still playing on these classic systems shows that programming for them can't be a commercial opportunity (that's probably true even for systems more popular than the CV). IMO all of us ColecoVision developers put much more money into this than we would ever get from selling a few cartridges.

 

Basicaly, the opinion I've heard is that no Coleco homebrew in its real meaning is possible, it should be a company production or it's crap. And also, all projects should be planned based on commercial potential instead of passion and free expression.

 

I have heard that opinion, too. Never from developers though. It seems to me, though that the opinion is common among game collectors. In their opinion homebrew games are not "real" games and they won't even take a look at them*. Their hobby (classic gaming) is more focused on the games being from the past than on games running on the CV. Just like some musician playing a historic instrument might prefer to play only pieces written in the past for it, ignoring pieces written after the instrument's rediscovery, even if these new pieces might bring aspects of the instrument to light, that were left in the dark during the instruments heyday.

 

Philipp

[youki]

As Collector i had never been interrested by Homebrew game.

As Player , i had interrested in the past , but all that i had tried was disapointing.

As Developper, i have been always interresting by homebrew, i like see what others does.

 

But recently, i have discovered very high quality homebrew (on all plateforms) , i have the feeling that now the homebrewing comes to maturity.

And Now as Player i become also very interrested.

 

And i have discovered "homebrew" like that opcode does , that are for me... not real homebrew , they are more professional than "homebrew"

(with high quality packaging). As well packaging done by Collectorvision, It like you had bought your cartridge in 1982 in a shop.

Seing this kind of production that give really the feeling to buy a New REAL game for your old console , is fantastic. And i start to find an

interrest as "Collector" too.

 

I would love to see again Professionnal publisher for these old console. Now, the quality is Professional , but the management is still "homebrew".

 

 

To awser newcoleco about "Portage". There is "portage" and "portage".

To port a SEGA SG1000 game to coleco it is relativly easy. But to Port Prince of Persion or Castlevania on a Atari 2600 , it is another thing...

But i agree that portage is always easier than doing a new good game.

[newcoleco]

Well, notice that I've never said that ALL ports are easy. Programming from scratch is something I always do and I know it can be a pain in the ass.

 

My experimentation was about seeing by myself how difficult is to port from something very close to the ColecoVision game system. About Sega SG-1000 games, I had to deal with a few things of course like the not non-maskable interrupt (no nmi), a couple of extra ports for various reasons like keyboard support, and joystick interpretation. I didn't touch the conversion of the sound routines because my objective was not to make ports but to see how difficult it can be to get a result. So, porting in this case is easier than I had expected in the first place... the coding part is all done, adjustments are necessary of course, and VOILA, new games for the ColecoVision. I was able to see a pattern in these listings and it became easier to deal with the next one. But, I've never said that all ports are easy, neither than porting everything is a good idea, but in some cases the hard part is only about adjusting what your disassembler gave you and you figure out what you can do to make it compatible and that's it. At least, some programmers who do ports like this also give some extra like improved graphics, which is cool, but not that difficult either.

 

I have no intention to continue these ports from my experimentation and I probably lost my source files anyway, so don't ask me.

[+thegoldenband]

Ports of arcade games (or games from other systems) are interesting because in a way, they're a dialogue with the original game. It's a little bit like writing an arrangement in music, where you're taking a piece written for one set of instruments and adapting it for a different set of instruments. Sometimes the result is revelatory, sometimes it's disappointing, but it always tells you something about the essential qualities of the original. When one composer arranges another's music (as many have done), it can be like hearing the two of them having a conversation.

 

(A similar example would be the way jazz musicians tend to record and re-record a core set of 100-200 well-known songs. Each of them offers up their own interpretation of a particular "text", and our experience listening to Coltrane's interpretation of "Body and Soul" is enriched because we've heard Coleman Hawkins's, or Billie Holiday's, or...)

 

Ports from more to less advanced systems are also interesting because of the idea expressed in that quotation used in Racing The Beam, that "you can't have art without resistance in the materials." Of course that's also true of original homebrews as well, since in either case the high-wire act of pushing the system to its limits is the same. But when you're porting an arcade game, you're dealing with a fixed objective -- the recreation of a particular experience on console hardware, to make it as close as possible to the look, feel, gameplay and spirit of the genuine article. That provides a fixed standard by which a game can be measured -- "Does it play like the arcade?" -- but an all-original title doesn't have that.

 

I love a good port (especially one that improves on the source game), but I don't think homebrewers' efforts are best spent making sure that every console has its own version of Dig Dug, Defender, Q*bert, or whatever. Ultimately it starts to seem redundant. OTOH I really like to see obscure or one-of-a-kind titles ported, especially when it's really well suited to the destination hardware. (Still hoping for a Fire Truck port on the 2600 someday!)

 

Above all, it's a wonderful feeling to play an original homebrew that's written specifically for the hardware, and pushes that hardware to its limits. Even better is a genre or style that's not represented on that particular console. And I think that's really the ultimate horizon for these machines, because it's one thing to brew up every possible permutation of 1983, but it's another to really write a kind of game that's never been tried on a particular console. I understand their reasons for abandoning the respective projects, but I was really excited by Bruce Tomlin's Colecovision RPG and Paul Slocum's Homestar Runner RPG for the 2600 -- in both cases, it was shaping up to be a wild leap past what had already been done.

 

I'd like to see more games that push those limits -- not just on a technical level, but also in terms of aesthetics, storytelling, and atmosphere. I just played the Dark Tower proto for Vectrex for the first time, and though it's no doubt deeply flawed, it has a wonderful atmosphere and ambience thanks to the pseudo-3D landscape that emerges as though from a fog. Perhaps another word for what I'm looking for is "depth" -- the feeling that there's a bit more than what meets the eye...

Edited November 9, 2009 by thegoldenband

[PkK]

Sorry for being off-topic, but...

 

Ports of arcade games (or games from other systems) are interesting because in a way, they're a dialogue with the original game. It's a little bit like writing an arrangement in music, where you're taking a piece written for one set of instruments and adapting it for a different set of instruments. Sometimes the result is revelatory, sometimes it's disappointing, but it always tells you something about the essential qualities of the original. When one composer arranges another's music (as many have done), it can be like hearing the two of them having a conversation.

 

(A similar example would be the way jazz musicians tend to record and re-record a core set of 100-200 well-known songs. Each of them offers up their own interpretation of a particular "text", and our experience listening to Coltrane's interpretation of "Body and Soul" is enriched because we've heard Coleman Hawkins's, or Billie Holiday's, or...)

 

Ports from more to less advanced systems are also interesting because of the idea expressed in that quotation used in Racing The Beam, that "you can't have art without resistance in the materials." Of course that's also true of original homebrews as well, since in either case the high-wire act of pushing the system to its limits is the same. But when you're porting an arcade game, you're dealing with a fixed objective -- the recreation of a particular experience on console hardware, to make it as close as possible to the look, feel, gameplay and spirit of the genuine article. That provides a fixed standard by which a game can be measured -- "Does it play like the arcade?" -- but an all-original title doesn't have that.

 

I love a good port (especially one that improves on the source game), but I don't think homebrewers' efforts are best spent making sure that every console has its own version of Dig Dug, Defender, Q*bert, or whatever. Ultimately it starts to seem redundant. OTOH I really like to see obscure or one-of-a-kind titles ported, especially when it's really well suited to the destination hardware. (Still hoping for a Fire Truck port on the 2600 someday!)

 

All the examples you gave - homebrewers porting games, composers arranging one another's music, jazz musicians re-recording songs typically are done without the original author's consent and thus copyright violations. Most of these go unpunished, because those that hold the rights don't know about the violations or don't even know they have the rights. Nevertheless, those homebrewers, composers and musicians are breaking the law. And law-abiding people won't commit those crimes.

 

IMO this nicely illustrates that the law is broken. Copyright (which these days, for all practical purposes lasts forever) is not working for, but against innovation. It does not result in a greater abundance of art, of music, of games. It does not "promote the Progress of Science", it hinders progress.

 

I think copyright, lasting, as in the statute of Anne (Copyright Act 1709 8 Anne c.19), for 14 years from publication, can work. I know that today's everlasting copyright does not work.

 

Philipp

[newcoleco]

Sorry for being off-topic, but...

Not off-topic at all. You gave your opinion and it's exactly what this thread is for.

 

All the examples you gave - homebrewers porting games, composers arranging one another's music, jazz musicians re-recording songs typically are done without the original author's consent and thus copyright violations. Most of these go unpunished, because those that hold the rights don't know about the violations or don't even know they have the rights. Nevertheless, those homebrewers, composers and musicians are breaking the law. And law-abiding people won't commit those crimes.

Back in 2003 (I think), I had the bad idea to ask a question about why a cartridge like Space Invaders Collection should not be considered as commercial... a lot of flamming messages telling me that I'm jaleous and everything is almost all I've got. So, I guess the copyrights subject is taboo.

 

Well, I know I'm a bad person, I've got bunch of messages telling me that you know, but I try to be better. And I had so many bad ideas like using a GhostBusters sound alike music for one of my projects, I'm really stupid. Based on the concept of copyrights, as an homebrewer, I'm a criminal who deserves to be punished into the black hole or whatever.

 

I do ColecoVision projects, so what. That's my hobby, that's my fun. I've never claimed copyrights on them, specially after what John Dondzila told me, you know, about DacMan and PacMan. Yes, I do cartridges for the fans, so what. They can also use an emulator, or make their own cartridge or use a multicart, I don't care, the rom files are free.

 

In a more concret level, I was able to talk by email with someone who pretends to get the rights of Exidy's videogames. And we all know at least 2 Exidy's games that should be in cartridge since the 80s based on the silver catalog : Rip Cord and Side Trak. And beside that, some of the games Steve Begin was trying to port are Exidy's videogames. So, yeah, I did contact the guy and the answer I've got was that they support the retro gaming community... I don't know really what this means exactly but I guess it's a good sign if really I was talking to the right person.

 

There are two things I've heard from the Dreamcast homebrew scene and the first one is never do games with Nintendo properties, and you can do games with Sega properties but don't sell them. I guess it means, don't fuck with them.

[+thegoldenband]

All the examples you gave - homebrewers porting games, composers arranging one another's music, jazz musicians re-recording songs typically are done without the original author's consent and thus copyright violations.

Actually, I believe most jazz recordings take advantage of what are called "compulsory licenses". Basically, this means that the original composer/author literally can't refuse to give someone permission to record their music, as long as it's been released in some form. The recording party pays a set fee, and in return they have the automatic right to record their own version (though public performance or broadcast is a different issue).

 

But your basic point is well taken, that copyright law itself is broken and isn't serving the public interest anymore. Shorter terms would help (and I passionately agree that 70 + life is downright criminal), but I also think the compulsory licensing model is a good one. When a coder replicates the experience of Mad Planets or Tempest on the CV, it's a little bit like hearing Jimi Hendrix cover a Beatles song. A small per-copy fee seems fair to me, and I think most of us would accept paying a couple extra bucks if it went to the rights holders. But the current system encourages only the extremes (nothing, or big bucks).

 

By the way, newcoleco, one of the truisms of the Internet is that anyone who does something worthwhile will almost always be the recipient of "flaming" and other forms of unkind or unjust criticism. I hope you don't let the negative comments outweigh the pleasure that people take from your creations. At a certain point, you just have to decide that you can't please everybody, and that the people you do please are more important than the ones you don't. This is different, of course, from constructive negative criticism, especially from people whose opinion matters to you -- but sometimes you have to ignore even those people, if you really believe in your ideas and need to see them through.

Edited November 10, 2009 by thegoldenband

[PkK]

That's my hobby, that's my fun. I've never claimed copyrights on them, [...]

 

Unfortunately that's another problem with today's copyright laws: You have copyright by default on all your works, no matter if you want it. It is no longer necessary to "claim" copyright or register with the copyright office as it once was. Not having a copyright to a work is harder than having one. In many jurisdictions it's not even possible to release one's own works into the public domain.

 

There are two things I've heard from the Dreamcast homebrew scene and the first one is never do games with Nintendo properties, and you can do games with Sega properties but don't sell them. I guess it means, don't fuck with them.

 

We are lucky that the ColecoVision is not one sue-happy copyright owner's radar. Just imagine how the situation would be if people got sued for stuff like creating Coleco BIOS versions that allow to skip the intro, or just disassembling the BIOS.

 

Philipp

Edited November 10, 2009 by PkK

[opcode]

While I understand everybody here is entitled to an opinion, I just don't understand why we need threads like this, to discuss which games should be made for the CV and which games shouldn't.

I believe every programmer here is free to create whatever they want as long as the experience is good for them. If someone else is going to support or buy, that is a different matter. I don't think I need to come here to justify my choices or worst, to indirectly bash someone else’s work by point out things I don't like (and believe me, I don't like a lot of stuff, but so what, I just ignore them). From the games I have released I think it is pretty obvious what I like and what I don't. I don't need to come here to preach we should have more games like this or that… And I don't need to do that because I am a programmer; if I think the CV need more board games, instead of waste my time whimpering, I go ahead and program the damn board game myself! Other programmers should take note…

You know, this is the typical thread that shows how terribly ugly the CV homebrew scene is, with programmers that hate each other, lots of jealousy going on, people who likes to point fingers to someone else's work, never ending feuds and a lot more that I prefer not to mention here. The Atari scene has a nice atmosphere, people get along pretty well, lots of collaboration, other scenes are similar, but truth is, not here. I am not holding my breath that is going to change, but at least we should try to go take care of our own business and ignore each other.

The other day I was answering an interview and the interviewer asked me how the CV homebrew scene was like, if people did get along well and such. Scott was also answering the same interview, and since we always had this kind of very friendly relationship I thought it would be rude to say something negative, so I said, yeah, we are all friends, the scene is very friendly, etc, etc. I was lying, this is the jungle folks, this is the jungle…

Edited November 10, 2009 by opcode

[Bill Loguidice]

Well, the worst-behaved homebrew scene has to be for the Atari Jaguar, so it's not ALL Atari homebrew work that's so harmonious. It's interesting what communities develop around what systems and why. It's all kind of a grey area, where there's real work involved but only limited commercial return. It's kind of like writing books is these days, frankly.

[+5-11under]

You know, this is the typical thread that shows how terribly ugly the CV homebrew scene is, with programmers that hate each other, lots of jealousy going on, people who likes to point fingers to someone else's work, never ending feuds and a lot more that I prefer not to mention here.

 

Is this really true? I don't see it.

5-11under

[opcode]

Well, the worst-behaved homebrew scene has to be for the Atari Jaguar, so it's not ALL Atari homebrew work that's so harmonious. It's interesting what communities develop around what systems and why. It's all kind of a grey area, where there's real work involved but only limited commercial return. It's kind of like writing books is these days, frankly.

 

Personally commercial return was never a concern (though I am talking about homebrewing here, not books. I understand that writing books is something you usually do professionally, not as a hobby). I am fortunate to have what I consider a good job, and that makes me more money a month than games have done for me in 5 or so years. So I make games because I enjoy. I just wish the scene was friendlier, or at least we should learn to ignore each other... what is in fact a good idea, to use the forum ignore list…

[opcode]

You know, this is the typical thread that shows how terribly ugly the CV homebrew scene is, with programmers that hate each other, lots of jealousy going on, people who likes to point fingers to someone else's work, never ending feuds and a lot more that I prefer not to mention here.

 

Is this really true? I don't see it.

5-11under

 

The better for you...

BTW, you have nothing to do it this, sorry if you felt involved or if I generalized too much...

Anyway, I don't want to waste my time or expose innocent people to this. I am just putting my ignore list to good use and that is it... Or perhaps I should leave, for a while at least...

Edited November 10, 2009 by opcode

[+thegoldenband]

Sorry to read that there's tension going on "behind the scenes" among CV developers. From the end-user's perspective, the CV homebrew community is a great one, and has collectively done some amazing things for the console -- it's certainly gotten me far more interested in the platform than I used to be, both as an end-user and as a potential developer (at least in some small way), and I think many others would say the same. I hope everyone involved can find a way to get along, or at least peacefully coexist, since one of the things that's most appealing about the CV scene is its pluralism.

[newcoleco]

I'm not perfect, and english is not my cup of tea. I'm typing this message during more than an hour now, in the hope I'm selecting the right words.

 

After reading the reccent messages in this thread, difficult to deny that copyrights can screw up our fun. Anyway...

 

I'm happy to see the Coleco scene alive and this is not possible alone. I did try the first years when I had the feeling to be the only programmer around, but the pressure I did put on myself was really bad. So, each time a new Coleco programmer show his work, I'm happy. And to see even more programmers, I try to share my knowledge and passion, I help new Coleco programmers when it's possible; getting started is not an easy step for everyone. Each time one succeed by releasing a new game, I'm proud, I take it as a victory... doesn't happend all the time but I guess I can mention a few projects : 421, Amazing Snake, CV Drum, Maze Maniac, Spectar, etc.

 

I had more than one time this pressure to succeed, to impress even more, and this was before 2004. If you did watch my video titled "my passion", you know that I did a depression at the time when the Coleco scene was doing very well... I guess it's why I've got messages telling me that I was making the Coleco scene looking bad. Now that I feel a lot better, the Coleco scene is doing even more better, and that means, at the worst case, I'm a non factor. Better to be a non factor than being responsible of making the Coleco homebrew scene looking bad. I'm sure I have an impact, hope to be a positive one. Making even more games, more tools, getting more visibility by various media, trying my best again to share my passion... all this is positive.

 

What I don't understand is the jungle analogy. If it's the presence of a lot of games, I see there are many games and getting the spotlight is like being in a jungle... but it's more a problem for new games than ports strickly comparing on the number of views of each thread. The other possibility I can think of is the economic situation somehow forcing the Coleco fans to select more wisely games they want, making this situation of a lot of games released during this year only a never seen before conflict.

 

I don't see the tension between programmers. I see programmers, including myself, trying to do their best, trying to reach goals sometimes impossible and getting mad. I see programmers asking questions and answering questions. I had some problems to express myself, putting me in trouble of a misunderstanding. I was able to share everything with you guys, hiding nothing except when I didn't want pressure on a particular project in progress, so I don't understand the problem.

 

Yes, that's all I did write after about an hour and a half of time. Anyway, longer texts than this are not appreciate.

Edited November 11, 2009 by newcoleco

[VectorGamer]

What was the goal of this thread?

[newcoleco]

What was the goal of this thread?

At first, it was me giving my opinion as a coleco owner and homebrewer, and because it's part of an active forum, a discussion started. So far, various interventions keep this thread alive.

 

Instead of hearing only my opinion, it's interresting to hear others' opinion too.

 

Well, maybe I should say it once for all to be clear, I don't have any jealousy whatsoever toward any Coleco programmers. I do know it's almost impossible to do something totally original, but I try anyway. I do think that new games for the console should be games not already available. And I do understand that saying this can be interpreted as jealousy, but it's not. It's simply my opinion, it's like telling you my favorite ice cream, it can be the same or different than yours.

 

I don't hate any of you, or any of your projects.

 

And as for ignoring others, i don't do that because I believe it's in our interrest to share information, to get feedbacks, to test different projects, etc.

 

A few examples : I did follow the progression of PkK's work, and I remember he disappears for months and then back again to finally make his devkit and his first Coleco games. Because of PkK, I'm now using SDCC for my devkit; he did help me a lot to make this evolution and I thank him for that. Before PkK, I was contacted by many new Coleco programmers, and I did try to help them, even when I had problems myself. I did fix an important bug in CVDrum, and just in time for the official release; the bug was using ROM as RAM. I did a long technical support to help S.E.T. with his project Amazing Snake ( I suggested him to use this title ), and at the end he said to me that the game was more my game after all. I was one of the first testers for Opcode's Space Invaders Collection project and I was very enthousiast, giving him a warning about a different result (more glitchy) when running it with a Dina 2-in-1 console. I can't forget Scott Huggins, I did help him once and I was not helping once because of lack of free time and problem to write in english which cause a misunderstanding, but it's fine now between us... still have to improve my english but I'm making progress.

 

This thread is about opinions. I'm giving mine, with the risk of getting bad comments. I assume the responsability of my choices and try to be better, keep learning english, z80 assembly and much more.

Edited November 11, 2009 by newcoleco