Curt Vendel Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share Posted September 18, 2010 Hi, The Pre-Order storefront pages will go up on Sunday, sorry got tied up a lot in things last 2 days, plus my daughter's birthday coming up so I had to push back a little bit... Will post a new thread announcing the pre-order pages once they go up, thank you to everyone for your support and interest in this project. Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corby Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Option 2!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipj Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 YES YES YES... OPTION 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariNerd Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Need to get something up today, Curt, to meet this, even a simple thread with some paypal instructions and an email. Make it editable so you can list who has paid , and how much. There are bound to be indeterminable delays along the chain, but human capacity for patience is a finite thing. You know how people are... A confident public is a loyal public..Start it with a roar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Need to get something up today, Curt, to meet this, even a simple thread with some paypal instructions and an email. Make it editable so you can list who has paid , and how much. There are bound to be indeterminable delays along the chain, but human capacity for patience is a finite thing. You know how people are... A confident public is a loyal public..Start it with a roar. Well I can wait as long as it takes, as long as I don't miss out is all I care about. When you are taking about a home made anything you have to be very patient. I think the main thing is keeping us informed on the progress is important, Curt did say that he has his daughter's birthday and family to me is always #1. There probably is some angles he has to figure out to make this preordering sound fair and trustworthy and that in itself may take some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightbit Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Exactly. I have two kids, and I get backed up sometimes myself. This is a homebrew project that you KNOW will happen. Not a big deal if we have to wait. Shit, you'll have to wait two months from the point you pay anyway...so what the hell? Curt has been around for a long time, and I am certain this will be well worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dino Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Exactly. I have two kids, and I get backed up sometimes myself. This is a homebrew project that you KNOW will happen. Not a big deal if we have to wait. Shit, you'll have to wait two months from the point you pay anyway...so what the hell? Curt has been around for a long time, and I am certain this will be well worth the wait. I agree. You can rest assured Curt will deliver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAC-MAN PRIME Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I agree as well. As long as we are informed and updated so that none of us here who really want it don't miss it when it happens, I am ok with waiting for everything to be just as it is planned to be. Thank you Curt for your hard work on this. Whenever you're ready, I will be too. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariNerd Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) Oh, I concur..family comes first and understand the hobbyist angle and that this is a free-time endeavor. I can wait...'til it's done. This will take a few months, if not longer, when all is told. Edited September 20, 2010 by AtariNerd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Hi, Order page is now up for full payment (with 10% discount) pre-orders, will have 50/50 order page up, tomorrow, having a problem with the pending 50% remaining and not double charging on shipping, so I have an email to the Zencart people so I can get a work around... http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/169640-pre-order-page-is-now-up-for-7800-expansion-module/ Payment methods are on the system: Mailed Check Mailed Money Order eCheck Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discovery and Amex) Sorry, I do not use Paypal, got burned for over $5,000 in lost revenue a few years back and will never use that service ever again. Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariNerd Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Money sent - now to let the code-monkeys and evil scientists do their invocations and gradually bring this lil beastie to life - muhahahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyBritish Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Money sent - now to let the code-monkeys and evil scientists do their invocations and gradually bring this lil beastie to life - muhahahaha! Perhaps Groovybee could have his C system ready in time for launch Jonny "Please dont force me to learn 6502" British Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Perhaps Groovybee could have his C system ready in time for launch Have you seen my todo list? . Jonny "Please dont force me to learn 6502" British It'll make you a better "C" programmer if you do . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyBritish Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Perhaps Groovybee could have his C system ready in time for launch Have you seen my todo list? . Jonny "Please dont force me to learn 6502" British It'll make you a better "C" programmer if you do . Did some x86 and Z80 way back when but not done ASM in years. One reason to get back into Atari was to play with asm on the 6502 (I spend all my time in work in C#). I would be very interested in learning enough 6502 to control the sound chip ie the 2150. Honestly I was not even thinking about getting a 7800 until this expansion board was announced. Over the weekend I played with Beef Drop, the qbert game, also wasps - this in particular I really liked. Sprite design was fun - great game GroovyBee!. The fact you coded it in C is even more impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Did some x86 and Z80 way back when but not done ASM in years. One reason to get back into Atari was to play with asm on the 6502 (I spend all my time in work in C#). I would be very interested in learning enough 6502 to control the sound chip ie the 2150. Honestly I was not even thinking about getting a 7800 until this expansion board was announced. Having projects to work on is a good way to learn. Over the weekend I played with Beef Drop, the qbert game, also wasps - this in particular I really liked. Sprite design was fun - great game GroovyBee!. The fact you coded it in C is even more impressive. Thanks for the compliment. My games Worm! and Harry's Hen House are both done in "C" too (binaries are available in the homebrew section). The Halloween and Monster! games (no binaries available yet) are also written in "C". The 7800 is quite a versatile machine and wasn't really pushed back in the day . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyBritish Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Did some x86 and Z80 way back when but not done ASM in years. One reason to get back into Atari was to play with asm on the 6502 (I spend all my time in work in C#). I would be very interested in learning enough 6502 to control the sound chip ie the 2150. Honestly I was not even thinking about getting a 7800 until this expansion board was announced. Having projects to work on is a good way to learn. Over the weekend I played with Beef Drop, the qbert game, also wasps - this in particular I really liked. Sprite design was fun - great game GroovyBee!. The fact you coded it in C is even more impressive. Thanks for the compliment. My games Worm! and Harry's Hen House are both done in "C" too (binaries are available in the homebrew section). The Halloween and Monster! games (no binaries available yet) are also written in "C". The 7800 is quite a versatile machine and wasn't really pushed back in the day . Funny you say that, I was looking at your game and also Beef Drop and thinking wow these in general are better than the commercial releases way back when on the 7800. One question though, I am about to buy a 7800 and thinking well if I buy say Beef Drop or Wasps etc then what happens if you guys release new versions to take advantage of sound etc..can i get these reflashed with a new version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 One question though, I am about to buy a 7800 and thinking well if I buy say Beef Drop or Wasps etc then what happens if you guys release new versions to take advantage of sound etc..can i get these reflahsed with a new version? I have no interest in upgrading Worm! or Wasp! to make use of the expansion module. I'll be targeting expansion module only games and other games that will work on a stock machine. I won't be doing any games that fall back to a "lesser experience" if they don't detect an expansion module. The current 7800 homebrew carts use either OTP or EPROM parts so in both cases they are not upgradeable without sending the cart back to the author. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atariappleman Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I know the expansion module won't be ready for several months, but in light of Curt's pre-order page going live today (I already ordered mine!) I wanted to toss this idea out to get other members' thoughts and input. As we all know, the 7800 does an excellent job emulating the arcade experience and several of the original launch titles were ports of popular arcade games from 1984. While the gaming experience is top notch, the audio leaves much to be desired due to the lack of POKEY support in almost every released cartridge. I realize members have wide and varying opinions on the future of homebrew projects and how to more appropriately focus development efforts to respond to the interests of the gaming community at large. Personally, I feel both innovative game concepts and ports of existing 80's arcade games are important in sustaining the viability of the 7800 platform. With that in mind, how does everyone feel about a potential project that involves, at a minimum, recoding the audio of the original 1984 launch title lineup to take full advantage of POKEY or other enhanced audio capabilities of the 7800 expansion module? Maybe this could be released in a special edition 12-in-1 cartridge or something of that sort? I am not a programmer but I do realize how tedious and time consuming manipulating code for some of these earlier platforms can be. Many times ideas are easier said than done but I think it would be spectacular to play all of the launch titles as they were originally meant to be enjoyed had it not been for the shelving of the 7800 and its lackluster release two years later. Perhaps not every game was originally designed with enhanced audio in mind, but I think focusing on the arcade ports would be a great place to start. Any programmers out there particularly experienced in 8-bit audio/music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrekMD Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 That is an interesting idea, particularly as a multicart. I do not know if it is an idea that will become real but I'd support it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthCloud Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 That is an interesting idea, particularly as a multicart. I do not know if it is an idea that will become real but I'd support it. Nice idea atariappleman, personally I would find it cool to get such multicart in somekind of bundle with the expansion module! But this is up to the homebrewer to see what kind of project interest them. Other solution would be to pay more for the module so Curt could hire some coder to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammR25 Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 One question though, I am about to buy a 7800 and thinking well if I buy say Beef Drop or Wasps etc then what happens if you guys release new versions to take advantage of sound etc..can i get these reflashed with a new version? I know when using the Beef Drop ROM in a CC2 the game will default to TIA sound unless it finds a pokey chip on the CC2 board. Hopefully Beef Drop VE will work the same way and start using the Expansion Module pokey chip automatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 A few people are already discussing that, I also released quite a few months back the source code to a lot of the original Atari 7800 games, which would mean that they could easily be upgraded to be "Pokey Enhanced" versions for use with the Expansion Module, plus most also have High Score code built into them, so they would also take advantage of the High Score keeping capability of the Expansion Module... It will also be very exciting to see coders add in background music into games with the use of the Yamaha secondary audio processor that will truly give an even ricer arcade experience to games. Pac Man Pokey Enhanced has already been done and once you play and hear it, you never want to go back to a TIA audio version of Arcade Pac Man on the 7800 again. I know for a LOT of people the glaringly horrid sounds in 7800 Donkey Kong are just crying for a Pokey enhancement... Curt I know the expansion module won't be ready for several months, but in light of Curt's pre-order page going live today (I already ordered mine!) I wanted to toss this idea out to get other members' thoughts and input. As we all know, the 7800 does an excellent job emulating the arcade experience and several of the original launch titles were ports of popular arcade games from 1984. While the gaming experience is top notch, the audio leaves much to be desired due to the lack of POKEY support in almost every released cartridge. I realize members have wide and varying opinions on the future of homebrew projects and how to more appropriately focus development efforts to respond to the interests of the gaming community at large. Personally, I feel both innovative game concepts and ports of existing 80's arcade games are important in sustaining the viability of the 7800 platform. With that in mind, how does everyone feel about a potential project that involves, at a minimum, recoding the audio of the original 1984 launch title lineup to take full advantage of POKEY or other enhanced audio capabilities of the 7800 expansion module? Maybe this could be released in a special edition 12-in-1 cartridge or something of that sort? I am not a programmer but I do realize how tedious and time consuming manipulating code for some of these earlier platforms can be. Many times ideas are easier said than done but I think it would be spectacular to play all of the launch titles as they were originally meant to be enjoyed had it not been for the shelving of the 7800 and its lackluster release two years later. Perhaps not every game was originally designed with enhanced audio in mind, but I think focusing on the arcade ports would be a great place to start. Any programmers out there particularly experienced in 8-bit audio/music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonpatrol Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Payment sent. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfused Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 One question though, I am about to buy a 7800 and thinking well if I buy say Beef Drop or Wasps etc then what happens if you guys release new versions to take advantage of sound etc..can i get these reflashed with a new version? In theory, if the expansion module pokey works like the xboard pokey, Beef Drop VE should support it (don't know if it has been tested). Beef Drop, Beef Drop VE, and b*nQ should also support the High Score save capability if it works like the high score cart. --Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 We're mapping at $450 but the Pokey will be disabled in firmware so existing games that have their own Pokey can still work on it. One question though, I am about to buy a 7800 and thinking well if I buy say Beef Drop or Wasps etc then what happens if you guys release new versions to take advantage of sound etc..can i get these reflashed with a new version? In theory, if the expansion module pokey works like the xboard pokey, Beef Drop VE should support it (don't know if it has been tested). Beef Drop, Beef Drop VE, and b*nQ should also support the High Score save capability if it works like the high score cart. --Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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