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Unauthorized copies of ColecoVision homebrew games


opcode

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Yowzer! How did he get a hold of the Gulkave ROM??? It looks like an older version, from the screenshot...

 

and if I remember it right, its not playable!

 

He send me cash yesterday because he "so much want" Pooyan

 

Well, ... now I understand why!

 

 

Keep that shit.

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I'm not taking one side or the other because I don't know for sure what's going on, but:

 

1. Last time I looked on David's web site (about a week ago) I didn't see any games for sale. He did have some roms up, but they were older ColecoVision roms that you can get dozens of other places. (**See addition below)

 

2. I know he's sold games on eBay, but it was my understanding these were legitimately purchased cartridges he didn't want anymore.

 

I would hope no one would sell copies of new releases because this will certainly kill development of any new games.

 

** Huh! I did take a look and that whole SD package for sale hadn't been there before.

 

A friend brought to my attention that someone is selling unauthorized copies of all my games on web. To my total surprise it seems to seller is no other than David Harley.

Now, perhaps some of you are familiar with David, his contributions to the Intellivision scene, etc. That makes it all very surprising that someone involved in the scene is selling someone else’s work without authorization, but the real shocker here is that David is the keeper of the Opcode Games website!!! Well, not anymore…

And he is selling ROM images of my games on his website. Actually he is selling images of almost every homebrew and commercial ColecoVision game out there (so other developers take action).

I would like to ask people here to not support him, please do not buy from David or you are going to jeopardize the scene.

 

Eduardo

Edited by jblenkle
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I called him out on the AtariMax forum a few days ago, regarding the selling of ROMs. He recently posted a 'package' containing ROMs along with modified screenshots and manuals for the new SD based flash card. I'd have no problem with him selling the screenshots and manuals (as long as he created them himself), but have a huge issue with him including ROMs in a package for sale. He didn't like that and argued he was doing nothing wrong. Glad to see he might be forced to change his way.

 

I didn't even notice the homebrews on the site. Had I seen them, I would have definitely let you guys know sooner.

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Ah yes! greed, that famous human trait has reared it's ugly head once again.I knew this would eventually happen.There's always someone out there to ruin a good thing.Anyways, good luck Ed in sorting out this crap, you don't deserve this, really unfortunate.This is an unbelievably disrespectful thing to do. :x

Edited by Rik
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What piece of crap! I cant believe he thinks there is nothing wrong with what he is doing.

I looked at the list of games included on his "SD package", and indeed homebrew games are one there, including ones that are still in the works/ yet to be released.

 

Not only is he hurting the community, but he is also illegally selling ROM images. I'm sure the Blue Sky Ranger, creators of Intellivision Lives! would not be to happy either that on the same page, he is also selling an Intellivision "SD package" for the CC, which also includes illegal copies of ROM images still being sold by BSR, as well as homebrew Roms!

 

Intellivision Lives! has a facebook, and there is a contact on the official website, perhaps someone should inform them with a link too..

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While I've long asked and lobbied for the ROMs of homebrew games to be made available to actual buyers of the cartridge versions, or even to buy just a rom file from the author, for use on things like the SD Cart, this is not at all what I was hoping for.

 

Has anyone sent the $20 to see what's actually in the ZIP file? I saw the list shows the homebrews, too, but I'm hoping that was in error. *fingers crossed*.

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Has anyone sent the $20 to see what's actually in the ZIP file? I saw the list shows the homebrews, too, but I'm hoping that was in error. *fingers crossed*.

 

I was VERY tempted to do so, to use as proof against him. I just can't get myself to click the 'Buy' button. I don't want to put $20 in his pockets.

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I'm glad you guys haven't deleted this thread yet - you have to give everyone a chance to actually see it, y'know. My titles are up there too, and are explicitly licensed as "not for distribution" from my site. So I've also sent a note. In a week or so I will have a friend order the package, and see if my ROMs are on it.

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I asked him to remove all of my meager ROM files from his web site, and not to sell or give them away. Mine are all freely available from other sources, but are definitely not meant to be part of a purchased package.

 

5-11under

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Nothing has changed so far, and unless he went to CGE I doubt he hasn't read all the emails yet. So I think Albert's suggestion is the way to go. Mark was kind enough to send me the webhost link, so if someone here needs it please send me a private message.

 

Eduardo

Edited by opcode
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Not to be a drama queen or anything but, sometimes I wonder...

 

I take a break for a couple of months, enjoy family, my newborn son, play Wii, Atari 7800, 800, of course some ColecoVision, spend some time enjoying my video game collection, do some casual research here and there about miscellaneous stuff, help with the 7800 module, make new friends, and still make some good money selling prototypes. All very nice, relaxing and fun.

Then I get back to work (I mean, to CV work), getting ready to spend all the money I made and some more, I find my webmaster selling copies of my games, a spoiled publisher pushing me because I haven't yet delivered all the ports I promised him (even think he haven't put a single game out of the door yet, and that isn't my fault) and people over the 7800 forum (in a demonstration of total lack of creativity or absolute reverence to the ColecoVision scene) strongly considering to use the "Super Game Module" name with their module (which by the way I am part of the team). While none of this is the end of world and can be managed, it isn't hard to see where I would prefer to be...

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a spoiled publisher pushing me because I haven't yet delivered all the ports I promised him (even think he haven't put a single game out of the door yet, and that isn't my fault)

I'm not pushing you, Eduardo. In fact, I won't be pushing you for anything anymore. So there's no need to complain publicly about things that are, for all intents and purposes, already resolved.

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I was one of the folks who voted for "Super Game".

I didn't know that it had anything to do with Colecovision... :-|

I still think that choice is a superior name to the other choices in the poll.

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I can't speak to what he was selling before, but the site that is up now does not contain any ROMS for homebrews that I could tell. He give the roms that are freely available, but only a screen and manual for those made by the scene. Is this a misunderstanding or was it fixed?

 

Secondly, as buyer of most of these games (and I can prove it) shouldn't I be able to play them on the new flash cart if I decide to purchase it? Why not offer digital versions with a hidden signature?

 

It is in no way right to profit from someone else's work.

 

AX

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I can't speak to what he was selling before, but the site that is up now does not contain any ROMS for homebrews that I could tell. He give the roms that are freely available, but only a screen and manual for those made by the scene. Is this a misunderstanding or was it fixed?

 

Secondly, as buyer of most of these games (and I can prove it) shouldn't I be able to play them on the new flash cart if I decide to purchase it? Why not offer digital versions with a hidden signature?

 

It is in no way right to profit from someone else's work.

 

AX

 

I'll address your first question.

 

At first, nearly all the homebrew was freely available for download. It seems that, over the past 24 hours or so, he has removed the download links for most of the homebrew (not all). Regardless of whether or not he took the links down, he's still including those ROMs in the package he's selling. He has a list of the package contents on the site.

 

EDIT: I'll take a stab at your second question too.

 

It's a tricky slope here. The releasing of ROMs for these homebrew games could deny the developers of profit should they want to sell more carts in the future. I don't think any of the homebrew devs would have an issue if the original owners of the carts dumped their own ROM to play through a flash cart (please correct me if I'm wrong), but they don't want that ROM spreading around.

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Again, english isn't my cup of tea, and I'm using this expression since Albert here told me that long time ago... so I suspect that I've improved enough to talk about this subject.

 

Since that Telegames just stopped (or about to stop) their activities related to their 8bit stuff, they tend to no more complains about the commercial rom files being available here and there in the Internet. So, I don't expect any action from their part.

 

I suspect that filling up DMCA claims isn't a good idea either because most of our homebrew projects are related to and based on copyrighted materials from other companies... well, except maybe a few roms. So, based on the laws, the copyrighted names like "Breakout" and "Pacman" allow companies like Namco to say "that's my copyrighted material" and put David and homebrewers into trouble. And no, I'm not saying this to bash on Opcode, just remember that I did also a Breakout-like and a PACMAN-like game for the ColecoVision long time ago.

 

I don't defend David's action but I suppose what he wanted to do is preserving all the roms by doing a cd-rom and sell copies at a fair price for the job of collecting and putting up all these rom files, instructions and more.

 

It's an odd situation but it's the Internet and this kind of situation tends to happend soon or later... specially with eBay and ignorant ebayers. As a side note, it's not like there was never for sell a ColecoVision multicart with commercial games in it, or a web site collecting our files.

 

So, what can we do? Maybe not much except talking with David at first. I can also inform some people about the situation by using Youtube. But I'm afraid that even stopping David of selling cd-roms will not stop the situation going on. It's inevitable to see our stuff distributed here and there because there is a mania going on of collecting as much rom files as possible for every game system and computers we love or that ever existed.

 

Long time ago, I've decided to always released my rom files because after all I can't defend my situation of homebrewer as legal even if I try to make original games instead of using copyrighted material. So, I'm not gonna complain about the cd-rom, not because I'm not shocked, but I can't legaly do something about it.

 

But... if a company like Namco or Nintendo do heard about the cd-rom and put David into a situation of closing his web site and stop selling cd-roms, that might work and scare others who will want to do the same. But I guess these companies will not do this kind of action for us and we may put their attention toward the homebrewers if we choose this solution, which some of us don't want at all if we want to release the new games we expected.

 

Ok, maybe I'm just rambling now... so, ignore this message and do what you want.

 

Take care! and Good luck!

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