Atlantis Games Group Presents: Exidy's Venture

[Kjmann]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

(Screenshots)

 

Map Screens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 1 Room Screens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 2 Room Screens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 3 Room Screens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Goochman]

Yes Yes Yes Yes!

 

Would also be great if there was some expansion on the levels (even if it is just 1 more )

[+Philsan]

I hope this time you'll make a good package like GR8 Software (Hobgoblin, Robbo Forever, Bomb Jake).

Your games deserve it!

[Retro Rogue]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

Edited November 28, 2009 by wgungfu

[devwebcl]

Great game, I always wondered why wasn't made a conversion to a8... I hope you'd finished it.

[spookt]

Excellent - can't wait to see this one finished. (Mind you - my bank balance can, so many new releases lately!)

[ralphbutler]

Awesome!!

 

Great game especially if you can get the music done right too.

[Kjmann]

Awesome!!

 

Great game especially if you can get the music done right too.

 

Here is the soundtrack in SAP Format. =)

 

 

[oky2000]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

 

The whole copyright bullshit situation decided by talentless money grabbing idiots is to be kept OUT of the thread thanks. We don't want it we don't need it and it borders on trolling thankyou.

[nathanallan]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

 

 

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

 

The whole copyright bullshit situation decided by talentless money grabbing idiots is to be kept OUT of the thread thanks. We don't want it we don't need it and it borders on trolling thankyou.

[Tempest]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

 

The whole copyright bullshit situation decided by talentless money grabbing idiots is to be kept OUT of the thread thanks. We don't want it we don't need it and it borders on trolling thankyou.

Yes god forbid people should protect their copyrights.

 

A few things you should know:

 

1. Venture and most/all? of the Exidy game copyrights are now owned by Mean Hamster software and they are actively using them. They also frequent these boards and probably wouldn't be too pleased by this.

 

2. Tempest is (and always was) owned by Atari. Atari is also actively using this property. Wgungfu should know, he used to do work for them.

 

3. Nothing Wgungfu said bordered on trolling in any way shape or form. Your comments however do.

 

I would suggest you rethink what you just said and to whom. No one here is going to run and rat people out to the copyright holders, but it was a fair question.

 

Tempest

[nathanallan]

Avoid problems. Recolor, rename. "Inspired By" always seem to do the trick. "Remember the good old days when..." and all that. It's all in the name of fun and games, anyways.

 

I have to agree with what Tempest and Wgungfu said. But again, it's all in the name of fun and gaming.

[Tempest]

I have to agree with what Tempest and Wgungfu said. But again, it's all in the name of fun and gaming.

Agreed, but the problem is that there's money to be made here so fun and gaming go out the window and business takes over. Sometimes it sucks, but that's the way it works.

 

Tempest

[nathanallan]

Don't I know it I wish a tornado would come and take my house to OpenZource (Oz).

[+poobah]

Here are some screen shots of what we have for the room and Map Designs So Far. We have some of the Sprites Complete and the Main Guy Moving Around. but we will show that stuff when there's a little more to see. =)

 

 

Hope you guys got permission to release it, it's still a protected property and recently purchased by another software firm. I noticed you're selling Tempest Xtreme as well, did you get permission from Atari for that?

 

The whole copyright bullshit situation decided by talentless money grabbing idiots is to be kept OUT of the thread thanks. We don't want it we don't need it and it borders on trolling thankyou.

 

Bullshit or not, the law is pretty clear on this.

When they slap a C&D letter followed by a civil suit, that post could come back to haunt you.

[peteym5]

Actually most companies don't really pay attention to obsolete platforms like the Atari 2600, 8-bit, NES, Sega Master System, Commodore 64, ect. So we are pretty safe to write what ever we want. It would be a different story if someone were releasing for the PC, Wii, XBox 360, or Play Station 3. However Lance over at Video 61 has acquired some of these rights to manufacture Atari games for the 8-bit and is our distributor. Most of these games do not generate more than $500 for the author so I don't think any law firm or government agency will bother.

Edited November 30, 2009 by peteym5

[Retro Rogue]

Actually most companies don't really pay attention to obsolete platforms like the Atari 2600, 8-bit, NES, Sega Master System, Commodore 64, ect. So we are pretty safe to write what ever we want. It would be a different story if someone were releasing for the PC, Wii, XBox 360, or Play Station 3. However Lance over at Video 61 has acquired some of these rights to manufacture Atari games for the 8-bit and is our distributor. Most of these games do not generate more than $500 for the author so I don't think any law firm or government agency will bother.

 

 

That's actually not the case with regards to Atari and their properties, including for release on old consoles, and Nintendo gets pretty rabid about protecting theirs as well.

[PeteD]

It tends to be nothing to do with revenue, loss of or otherwise, at least not directly. It's to do with a "brand" name. If some big company is releasing or thinking of releasing a game and some bedroom coder starts touting their version for whichever computer, that big company will pounce on it because they don't want anything that might be sub standard having anything to do with the name of their product. Remember, people are stupid someone might think a game on A8 actually has something to do with a 360/PS3/Wii version.

 

 

Pete

Edited December 1, 2009 by PeteD

[Retro Rogue]

The whole copyright bullshit situation decided by talentless money grabbing idiots is to be kept OUT of the thread thanks. We don't want it we don't need it and it borders on trolling thankyou.

 

 

The only trolling going on is your response. I suggest the doorway if you don't like the topic, copyright violations are copyright violations. And as Tempest stated, I did (and actually currently do) contract work for Atari. My interest in bringing it up with regards to Venture, is because I'd much rather see it settled with Mean Hamster now rather than cause problems later. I'm interested in seeing these ports come out.

 

Regarding the Tempest ripoff, that is still a very active and protected property. WTF are you thinking that it's ok to rip off a property? Or are you just that clueless when it comes to copyright protection? Every single non-licensed release, no matter what the platform, weakens the copyright protection claim if not followed up on. I.E. if a big name corporation suddenly releases said game unlicensed, the holder sues, big name can and will use every single instance of an unlicensed appearance to weaken the case of the holder's validity. Doesn't matter if its a 2600 game, a keychain, or a paper napkin with the logo on it. As in you can't pick and choose what you want to enforce your copyright holding on, or risk loosing it altogether.

Edited December 1, 2009 by wgungfu

[peteym5]

One thing that should be mentioned is that we did contact a few of these companies and replied with go right ahead because the Atari 8-bit is an old platform and any software written for it is not going to have a huge impact. However I admit I am skeptical about getting involved with those Mario Bros. projects I am seeing floating around here because Mario is a major trademark of Nintendo.

 

Now I am not sure if people want me to complete Venture or not. Progress is going way slower than I want because I am working full time and cannot spend much time working on it. One thought that was bought up is taking these routines I developed for Venture and rework it into RPG/Adventure game engine. This is a possible project after Venture is completed. I do not want to make overly complicated RPG/Adventure games that requires you to read a 50 page manual. Make it primarily use the joystick and occasionally the keyboard.

[Rybags]

5 or so years ago, retro stuff was just that.

 

But thanks to mobile phones/PDAs etc and the boom of retro stuff via virtual console and XB/PS download services all that's changed.

 

My suggestion is to just take the Bomb Jake approach. Make the name similar and introduce sufficient visual change over the originals such that the grey area becomes bigger.

 

Going on past history what's the worst that can happen? Game withdrawn from sale and/or profits surrendered. Given that the typical homebrew that gets sold might make a few hundred bucks profit, not exactly a huge risk.

[Retro Rogue]

One thing that should be mentioned is that we did contact a few of these companies and replied with go right ahead because the Atari 8-bit is an old platform and any software written for it is not going to have a huge impact. However I admit I am skeptical about getting involved with those Mario Bros. projects I am seeing floating around here because Mario is a major trademark of Nintendo.

 

I really doubt Atari Legal would have said that with regards to Tempest. There's why Adventure II for the 5200 had to be redone from Castle Crisis, or why Saboteur repros had to be withdrawn. As far as Mean Hamster they do their own retro platform titles, so I doubt they would have bought the properties to not exercise them themselves.

 

Now I am not sure if people want me to complete Venture or not.

 

I don't think anyone has said that, and at least for my self I haven't. I stated I want these to come out, but in a manner that's legally responsible and beneficial to all parties to make sure that the release isn't cut short. Try contacting Mean Hamster, they may even work out for you to publish under them.

[+poobah]

Now I am not sure if people want me to complete Venture or not.

 

No, no, we'd love to see it... your work looks fantastic thus far. What we'd hate to see is that you do all that work, end up getting a cease & desist letter, and the project dies.

 

Wasn't there some very high profile homebrew/mod project a couple years in the making that SquareSoft crushed days before release?

[+Stephen]

AA member Gorf had a really bad experience a few years back. He coded a spectacular Gorf replica for the Jaguar CD. He went so far as to get permission from Jamie Fenton. Unfortunately, Jamie didn't have the rights, and Midway pulled the plug on him. Real bummer all around.

 

*** EDIT ***

Just a guess, but if I were a betting type I would say someone blew a rather loud whistle on him just to prove a point. The whole situation was ugly, and led to a flame filled ROMs discussion. I'm glad the A8 crowd is overall much calmer.

 

Stephen Anderson

Edited December 2, 2009 by Stephen

[Shawn Jefferson]

Regarding the Tempest ripoff, that is still a very active and protected property. WTF are you thinking that it's ok to rip off a property? Or are you just that clueless when it comes to copyright protection? Every single non-licensed release, no matter what the platform, weakens the copyright protection claim if not followed up on. I.E. if a big name corporation suddenly releases said game unlicensed, the holder sues, big name can and will use every single instance of an unlicensed appearance to weaken the case of the holder's validity. Doesn't matter if its a 2600 game, a keychain, or a paper napkin with the logo on it. As in you can't pick and choose what you want to enforce your copyright holding on, or risk loosing it altogether.

 

IANAL, but it's my understanding that copyright cannot be diluted because you don't take action against every violation-copyright is an automatic right that you have to your produced works, and there isn't anything that can take that away from you as far as I know-until it expires. Trademark however, can be diluted, and a company has to take reasonable action or risk losing the rights to their trademark.

 

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

Edited December 2, 2009 by Shawn Jefferson