Coleco.com is back!

[WatchVenusSpa]

About a year ago it looked like Coleco was making a comeback with a retro ColecoVision system with the complete library of games, (or so I heard,) but for the last 10 months or so the website disappeared.

 

Today I was doing some random surfing and http://www.coleco.com is BACK! Albeit just a logo but it is progress. Hopefully there are new backers and something cool resurfaces!!

[ColecoFan1981]

About a year ago it looked like Coleco was making a comeback with a retro ColecoVision system with the complete library of games, (or so I heard,) but for the last 10 months or so the website disappeared.

 

Today I was doing some random surfing and http://www.coleco.com is BACK! Albeit just a logo but it is progress. Hopefully there are new backers and something cool resurfaces!!

I hope it works out this time ... who knows ...

[newcoleco]

Err... strange, is it possible that River West Brand abandon the idea to exploit the ColecoVision brand name? The domain name http://colecovision.com is not existing and my browser suggest me to use http://coleco-vision.com which is a site named "colecopedia". What is going on?

Edited September 2, 2010 by newcoleco

[SpaceDice2010]

I wouldn't hold my breath. It didn't seem that the first launch of the Coleco brand was a success. You could always ask the CEO -

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-thomann/5/681/62

 

Here is a Power Point of what they wanted to do with the brand.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=13&ved=0CE4QFjAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipedinc.net%2Fpowerpoints%2FRiver_West_Brands_Intellectual_Property_Presentation.ppt&rct=j&q=river%20west%20brands%20colecovision&ei=GFl_TL3nIsX_lgfkjp0L&usg=AFQjCNG5B2d9M2szsZAlwGl_61sJ4r3iLQ&sig2=MHGuySQNQvMYfqFDj-gjLw&cad=rja

[Yurkie]

I wouldn't hold my breath. It didn't seem that the first launch of the Coleco brand was a success. You could always ask the CEO -

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-thomann/5/681/62

 

Here is a Power Point of what they wanted to do with the brand.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=13&ved=0CE4QFjAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipedinc.net%2Fpowerpoints%2FRiver_West_Brands_Intellectual_Property_Presentation.ppt&rct=j&q=river%20west%20brands%20colecovision&ei=GFl_TL3nIsX_lgfkjp0L&usg=AFQjCNG5B2d9M2szsZAlwGl_61sJ4r3iLQ&sig2=MHGuySQNQvMYfqFDj-gjLw&cad=rja

 

Interesting Links.

 

I am surprised that someone hasn't made a handheld portable ColecoVision that connects to a TV. There are NES, SNES and Genesis portable handhelds that play the original cartridges. My guess is that research has been done that tells investors it would not be profitable.

 

I wish I had the venture capital. I would look into making a handheld ColecoVision.

[Pixelboy]

I am surprised that someone hasn't made a handheld portable ColecoVision that connects to a TV. There are NES, SNES and Genesis portable handhelds that play the original cartridges. My guess is that research has been done that tells investors it would not be profitable.

You don't need to do much research to determine that a portable CV is at best a small niche market.

 

I wish I had the venture capital. I would look into making a handheld ColecoVision.

I'd be more into creating a tabletop clone with modern TV output options. Given enough money to invest into this, I would follow this plan:

 

1) First I would create a modern joypad similar to the one on the Dina 2-in-1, but with a 12-key keypad, 4 fire buttons and a quality D-pad (a cheap clunky D-pad would ruin everything) and I would sell this joypad to ColecoVision owners who don't like the stock CV controllers (plenty of people like that out there).

 

2) Once the money invested into the R&D and manufacturing of the joypad has been recouped, I would reinvest it into the CV clone itself. Once mass-produced, I would sell the console as a stand-alone product, with the option to buy one or two joypads together with the unit. Those who already bought joypads before would only need to buy the console itself, if they really want to ditch their old CV console for the new one.

 

3) I would work to release regular-controller versions of the CV games that require the steering wheel module and the Roller Controller. There are only a few of those games (Destructor has already been done, Turbo too) so there would be no need for the modern CV console to support those old, failure-prone special controllers.

 

While this plan would be workable with enough money invested, I would feel obligated to put some time into investigating proper submission guidelines for getting government safety approvals where the electronics are concerned. I know this would be highly expensive, but I wouldn't want to take a chance with this: I would hate myself until the day I die if a house burned down because the CV console wasn't up to electric appliance safety standards.

[retroillucid]

 

 

I am surprised that someone hasn't made a handheld portable ColecoVision that connects to a TV.

 

Eh, eh

[Yurkie]

The biggest killer of any chance for a modern CV are emulators. If people had to buy the dedicated hardware or do without, that would make a huge difference.

 

There is a ColecoVision emulator for the PSP. One of these days I am going to buy a PSP and see if I can connect a CV controller to it. I am part of the minority that hates playing emulators and using left handed D-pads/analog sticks to move my character.

 

Lucky for us lovers of the ColecoVision, we have the Internet to buy and get consoles repaired when they break down.

[S1500]

I just use my Dingoo(WITHOUT Dingux) and I'm in happy emulator Colecovision land. There was a website recently that had quite a few .rom files for download.

[newcoleco]

I just use my Dingoo(WITHOUT Dingux) and I'm in happy emulator Colecovision land. There was a website recently that had quite a few .rom files for download.

Did they update their emulator? Last time, half of my games, including GhostBlaster didn't render properly... for graphics and sounds.

Edited September 2, 2010 by newcoleco

[retroillucid]

I just use my Dingoo(WITHOUT Dingux) and I'm in happy emulator Colecovision land. There was a website recently that had quite a few .rom files for download.

Did they update their emulator? Last time, half of my games, including GhostBlaster didn't render properly... for graphics and sounds.

 

I have the same problem with Cologne (for Gameboy Advance)

 

The problem with emulators like this, is that you always get problems with compatibilities

 

Well...

[S1500]

I just use my Dingoo(WITHOUT Dingux) and I'm in happy emulator Colecovision land. There was a website recently that had quite a few .rom files for download.

Did they update their emulator? Last time, half of my games, including GhostBlaster didn't render properly... for graphics and sounds.

 

I'll have to give it a try and get back to you.

 

Look on the bright side. The Dingoo emulator for ColecoVision runs 100 times better than MESS's version. That thing didn't play 30% of the games I threw at it! You would have more accurate emulation writing "colecovision" on a cardboard box and hooking that up to a TV.

[jhd]

I think that one big problem with relaunching the ColecoVision would be software -- it seems that the vast majority of first-party titles on the system were arcade licenses. List of CV games

Nintendo, for example, is not going to re-license Donkey Kong for a competing system.

 

What does that leave? -- basically just some sports games and whatever homebrew titles a license could be acquired for.

[SpaceDice2010]

I think that one big problem with relaunching the ColecoVision would be software -- it seems that the vast majority of first-party titles on the system were arcade licenses. List of CV games

Nintendo, for example, is not going to re-license Donkey Kong for a competing system.

 

What does that leave? -- basically just some sports games and whatever homebrew titles a license could be acquired for.

 

This is the MAIN issue. And why a new CV will never happen. All River West brands does is buy the brand. So, they own Coleco and Colevision. I can't remember exactly the handhelds that were released under the CV name, but I am sure it went like this - Some company an Asia developed these handhelds, WRB contacted and said let's put the Coleco name on them so they will sell better, and WRB got a percentage of the sales.

 

I am not even sure that WRB actually bought anything more than the name. They probably didn't even buy the rights to the technology of the CV. I could hop on PACER and check out the Bankruptcy filing of CV and find out. More work than I want to do at the moment.

[+GroovyBee]

This is the MAIN issue. And why a new CV will never happen.

 

Development is under way for the CV2

[Pixelboy]

This is the MAIN issue. And why a new CV will never happen.

Development is under way for the CV2

With Eduardo Mello pursuing his CV projects in "ivory tower mode", one can only wonder if his plans for the CV2 have been scrapped. Maybe, maybe not, I dunno.

 

Also, question: Why should the fact that many CV games cannot be re-released because of licensing issues (especially the arcade ports) have any bearing on the creation of a CV clone? The whole point of a CV clone is to have the exact same cartridge port, and there are more than enough loose (and CIB) CV carts out there for anyone to easely build up a nice collection of classic CV games. Really, they're a dime-a-dozen on eBay. What we really need here is the CV clone itself. The games are already available in sufficient quantities, so there's no need to re-release them.

[SpaceDice2010]

This is the MAIN issue. And why a new CV will never happen.

Development is under way for the CV2

With Eduardo Mello pursuing his CV projects in "ivory tower mode", one can only wonder if his plans for the CV2 have been scrapped. Maybe, maybe not, I dunno.

 

Also, question: Why should the fact that many CV games cannot be re-released because of licensing issues (especially the arcade ports) have any bearing on the creation of a CV clone? The whole point of a CV clone is to have the exact same cartridge port, and there are more than enough loose (and CIB) CV carts out there for anyone to easely build up a nice collection of classic CV games. Really, they're a dime-a-dozen on eBay. What we really need here is the CV clone itself. The games are already available in sufficient quantities, so there's no need to re-release them.

 

I am not sure what exactly West River Brands owns. Do they own tech rights as well or just the name? I would invest some SERIOUS capital in a new ColecoVision.

Edited September 3, 2010 by SpaceDice2010

[SRGilbert]

This is the MAIN issue. And why a new CV will never happen.

Development is under way for the CV2

With Eduardo Mello pursuing his CV projects in "ivory tower mode", one can only wonder if his plans for the CV2 have been scrapped. Maybe, maybe not, I dunno.

 

Also, question: Why should the fact that many CV games cannot be re-released because of licensing issues (especially the arcade ports) have any bearing on the creation of a CV clone?

 

 

Good point, just look at all the NES, SNES and now Genesis clones popping up everywhere. It's not like anyone is re-releasing the carts for them. Then again, those carts are a bit more commen then CV games would be.

[SpaceDice2010]

On the other hand it is not all that difficult to get a CV fr around $50 either.

[Pixelboy]

On the other hand it is not all that difficult to get a CV fr around $50 either.

Yeah, but good luck finding one in perfect operating condition...

[Yurkie]

Yeah, but good luck finding one in perfect operating condition...

 

I agree Pixelboy. It takes luck to get a good working console, and even then one or both the controllers will most likely have issues.

 

Makes me think of all those Ebay auctions... worked perfect 20 years ago when we put it in storage, should still work.

[SpaceDice2010]

It would be nice to see another CV console again.

[S1500]

It would be nice to see another CV console again.

 

But it's the Amiga/Commodore argument again. Things are different now than what they were 30 years ago. You could take any 'ol processor, slap some controls + video chip on it and call it a Coleco/Atari/Intellivision, etc. It won't matter what the name is. It's what's inside that counts.

 

Trying to make a brand new video game console, ie going up against the big players is like trying to start a car company & going up against Ford. You might make a niche car here or there(spyker, Tesla, etc), but you aren't going to see hundreds or thousands of them on the road.

 

Anybody could take an existing China-made game console(portable or whatever), slap the name "ColecoVision" on it, but would you want it?

[Rev]

http://www.colecoage.com

 

 

this is even weirder !

[S1500]

http://www.colecoage.com

 

 

this is even weirder !

 

Weird. It's like an exact replica of this site. That site even has an s1500 posting the same things I'm posting, at the exact same times!