XM Status Page...

[DarthCloud]

I'm not. Frankly, I'm wishing more people would lend to a sense of urgency to get this done as well. I've sat quietly and patiently since ordering last year, but I'm growing weary of one projected shipping date after another being missed. Sep 15 was the last I was aware of, and it too has now come and gone.

 

I don't think an "all pile on" strategy will be helpful at this time. As Curt said back in July you can cancel your order if you aren't happy. Just follow the instructions here.

 

I'm very glad that more improvements have been made to the design in the past year, but it's about time these things were finalized and shipped out.

 

I'm sure that if all the XM team members were charging for their R&D time at commercial rates and not working on the XM in their free time it probably would have come out sooner. However, going down that route I suspect that it would have been at least 5 times the price and therefore out of reach for everybody except a few hardcore collectors.

I'm sure it'll be on ebay by some of the members here trying to hock it for quadruple it's original sale point within days of it's actual release. I'd like to know what the production run is going to be and I think this amount should be stated upfront to the community so we all know how many are going to be out there. Are we talking only a handful (<20?) or a nice amount to help actually keep prices stable for a while to let people have time to buy one at original price? (say 200+?) If only a few of these things are going to see the light of day, I'm sorry to say that it'll quicky be out of reach for most of us anyway.

 

Curt said several time that to avoid that people start selling then on ebay for high price, he will manufacture then in an amount well over the demand so he can sell those for several years directly.

 

So if plan haven't change anyone that want one will have the opportunity to get one directly from Curt.

[GroovyBee]

I'm sure it'll be on ebay by some of the members here trying to hock it for quadruple it's original sale point within days of it's actual release.

 

I don't think they'll get very far with that tactic.

 

I'd like to know what the production run is going to be and I think this amount should be stated upfront to the community so we all know how many are going to be out there. Are we talking only a handful (<20?) or a nice amount to help actually keep prices stable for a while to let people have time to buy one at original price? (say 200+?)

 

The first batch of 250 has almost been completely preordered. Curt has promised that anybody who wants one will be able to get one after that.

[Cobra Kai]

I'm sure it'll be on ebay by some of the members here trying to hock it for quadruple it's original sale point within days of it's actual release.

 

I don't think they'll get very far with that tactic.

 

I'd like to know what the production run is going to be and I think this amount should be stated upfront to the community so we all know how many are going to be out there. Are we talking only a handful (<20?) or a nice amount to help actually keep prices stable for a while to let people have time to buy one at original price? (say 200+?)

 

The first batch of 250 has almost been completely preordered. Curt has promised that anybody who wants one will be able to get one after that.

I hope you're right, but I think we have plenty of examples here at AA in the past to show that price jacking does indeed occur frequently and soon after releases. Adventure II comes to mind, that was on ebay for double its price within 2 weeks of launch I seem to recall. I'm seriously considering pre-ordering an XM, although I don't really know much about it and if it'll pay off in games or not. I just need some time to get the money secured for it and don't want to miss out, and will be plenty PO'ed if the unit becomes a scarce collectors item a week after release.

[GroovyBee]

I hope you're right, but I think we have plenty of examples here at AA in the past to show that price jacking does indeed occur frequently and soon after releases. Adventure II comes to mind, that was on ebay for double its price within 2 weeks of launch I seem to recall.

 

Hopefully any people interested in purchasing it from ebay will do a bit of research and find out about its availability. In my mind, games are a bit different because unless they appear in the AA store they are normally limited availability.

 

I'm seriously considering pre-ordering an XM, although I don't really know much about it and if it'll pay off in games or not.

 

There is a sticky thread at the top of this forum that details the announced homebrew games. Even if you aren't into homebrew games the XM allows several of the legacy games to save their high scores in its non-volatile memory.

[DJT]

Just checked on my order status... it says it's queued for shipment Oct 15.

 

Meanwhile, on another thread, Curt is talking about developing another system..

[doyman]

Just checked on my order status... it says it's queued for shipment Oct 15.

 

How are you able to do this?

[jaybird3rd]

Meanwhile, on another thread, Curt is talking about developing another system..

Don't make the mistake of concluding that Curt's exploration of other ideas is taking time away from the XM. With any project of this kind, there are going to be periods of downtime–waiting for parts to arrive, waiting for manufacturing or printing, waiting for the work of other team members, and so forth–and it only makes sense to use those periods to multitask and to move other projects along. The other thread you mentioned is just a way of eliciting ideas and feedback from the community. I'm sure there's also some behind-the-scenes work going on, but that doesn't mean that the XM is being put on the back burner at all.

 

I can only remind everyone again to please be patient. This is a complex project, especially when you consider that it involves hardware and software engineers from around the world collaborating on a volunteer basis. Getting it right will take time, and I'd rather see it done right than done quickly.

[PacManPlus]

+ 10,000,000

[DJT]

I understand that one can multitask on projects.. I do it for a living. When I ordered the xm, I was under the impression that it was in stock due to the order page saying how many were in stock. That got me excited!! Then I got the shipping notification that it was going to ship sept 15. Now it says oct 15... It's just getting me pumped for it! But with the possibility of another system on the horizon, should i have just waited?

[GroovyBee]

I understand that one can multitask on projects.. I do it for a living. When I ordered the xm, I was under the impression that it was in stock due to the order page saying how many were in stock. That got me excited!! Then I got the shipping notification that it was going to ship sept 15. Now it says oct 15... It's just getting me pumped for it! But with the possibility of another system on the horizon, should i have just waited?

 

The order page also tells you to have a look at the status page too. I'm glad you are excited about the XM. Given that the other system is just a spec on the horizon (if that ) why wait?

[eightbit]

Ok, I just cannot sit silent on the subject any longer. The people here who know me and have dealt with me in the past I think all are aware that I have been pretty much a staple to the community in terms of honesty, fair trade, and I alway ship promptly and inform every person who has ever dealt with me of exactly what is happening with anything they have ever purchased from me. I think my feed-backs in these forums speak volumes to attest to this fact. I guess I expect too much of others however, and this whole XM order ordeal has got me thinking some very bad things about Curt and Legacy Engineering...and wondering how many people will end up with what they actually purchased (and are waiting for) considering what I have and currently am going through simply getting a refund for the cancellation of the product. Let me backtrack:

 

I ordered the XM on 9/20/2010...a little over a year ago. Never received anything other than a bot email stating my purchase. I understand that there are portions of the website to check status, but I do believe that a personal email to each buyer (or a mass email of some kind) would be nice at some point to signify progress has been made. Regardless, I gave up on it and requested a refund on 7/16/2011...nearly nine months later. On July 19th, I received this email:

 

Hi Bruce,

 

I will process your refund tomorrow, I don't have or use Paypal, the order is past 6 months so the credit card processor won't reverse it for me, so you'll receive a company check refund.

 

Curt

 

 

Ok, check is in the mail...or so it seems..

 

 

8/24/11:

Bruce to Legacy

show details Aug 24

It has been over a month and I have yet to receive the refund. What happened?

 

Legacy Online Sales to me

show details Aug 24

Hi Bruce,

 

I'll check my account tomorrow, that check went out quite a while ago....

 

 

9/4/11:

Bruce to Legacy

show details Sep 4

Any news on what had happened here? I have not received a check as of yet.

 

9/8/11:

 

Bruce to Legacy

show details Sep 8

Four days have passed since the last email. I am flooded out of my

home and am still able to make contact via email, why can't you do the

same? I have to have my wife travel to a post office two towns over to

collect mail while I am at work and still have not seen a check.

Please reply on this.

 

 

9/9/11:

 

Legacy Online Sales to me

show details Sep 9

Hi Bruce,

 

Sorry for the delay, realworld - non-internet stuff ya know....

 

I just dropped off a replacement to you this AM.

 

 

9/27/11:

 

Bruce to Legacy

show details Sep 27 (3 days ago)

Hello again,

 

Not sure what mailing method you are using, but I am in New Jersey and

you claim the check was mailed on 9/9/11. It is now 9/27/11 and there

has been absolutely no sign of this "second" check being mailed. Can

you supply any sort of tracking information for the delivery? My home

was literally destroyed due to Irene, and I have to travel back to the

house each day to get the mail. I have recieved everything (bills,

other packages, junk mail) but still no check. To be completely honest

I am feeling a little weary about this whole "the check is in the

mail" situation. Please reply.

 

 

9/27/11:

 

Legacy Online Sales to me

show details Sep 27 (3 days ago)

Hi Bruce,

 

My fault, bank told me I had to wait 10 business days for the check not to present once I opened an investigation on it with them, and I honestly have forgotten to go back, to recheck to see the funds refunded back to me to send you out a new one, so this is totally on me, very very sorry about that, I will email you will tracking # Thursday when I make my next run to the PO to drop off orders and such.

 

 

 

 

Well, that tracking info was supposed to be emailed to me two days ago, and I sent a request since then for it, but now the second "check is in the mail" seems to be null and void. I know what many are going to say to this. "He's a busy man", "Be more patient", "He's a staple of the AtariAge society". That is all find and great, but in the REAL world I am basically getting screwed up the ass to put it bluntly. I know what busy is. I am homeless now due to Irene and my house is destroyed. My wife and two little girls are sleeping on the floor of a friends one man apartment. And you know what? STILL I was able to fullfill my obligations to send products out to members that purchased from me, even though I had to drive to a rented storage facility, package them there, and fight to get them out before going to my 12 hour a day job. I sincerely hope nobody tells me it was too hard for Curt to drop a check in the mail to NJ for god sakes. If that IS the case, good luck to everyone involved ever obtaining the XM,

 

 

Yeah, I AM pretty upset.

Edited October 1, 2011 by eightbit

[AtariBrian]

dang eightbit that sucks, i would be upset to. i am gonna keep my mouth shut now

[Blitter]

I preordered mine ages ago and this is the first time I've commented on this.

 

The thing that seems to bother me the most is no explanation when projected dates are passed. It seems that no one is willing to explain what is going on without cajoling from a number of people.

 

The delays don't bother me, it's just the lack of any timely explanation. The mysterious Sept 15 date has passed and still no comment.

 

I mean, everybody is busy, has jobs, kids etc. I think if everyone knew what was going on, it wouldn't be a big deal.

 

Is it that hard to blast out an email that says "Code being updated, fingers crossed, shipping Oct." or whatever?

Edited October 1, 2011 by Blitter

[DracIsBack]

The thing that seems to bother me the most is no explanation when projected dates are passed. It seems that no one is willing to explain what is going on without cajoling from a number of people.

 

That's simply not true. Check the XM Status update site here:

 

http://www.atarimuse...7800/expansion/

 

It would be nice if it was updated again, but to say that there is no explanation is incorrect.

 

The issue that eightbit has is different and I think Curt should address it.

Edited October 1, 2011 by DracIsBack

[atariedsel]

i agree with you blitter. I check the 7800 forum once or twice a week to find out what is going on. I check the "STATUS" on the atari museum page but it hasent been updated in almost 3 months. Yea I get you have problems when you get involved with such a project but the shipping date keeps gettin pushed and pushed. It would be nice just to find out what exactly is goin on with this. I have read people have gotten emails from legacy about when they should be gettin the XM. I havent gotten any email and no one knows what the hell is goin on. I would to see some kinda update to when this thing is goin to be released!!!

[Compumater]

After reading that post on your refund issues, My gut just sank. All I can say now is... Uh Ohh.. I think I'm out some cash.

 

Thats typical Ebay type BS "oh the checks in the mail" I've had to deal with a few times, and never with happy endings.

 

Bummer for all of us if this is the case.

[Blitter]

The thing that seems to bother me the most is no explanation when projected dates are passed. It seems that no one is willing to explain what is going on without cajoling from a number of people.

 

That's simply not true. Check the XM Status update site here:

 

http://www.atarimuse...7800/expansion/

 

It would be nice if it was updated again, but to say that there is no explanation is incorrect.

 

The issue that eightbit has is different and I think Curt should address it.

 

It seems it's pretty hard to address this issue without people getting defensive. I think your link somewhat proves my point. The last update was July. I'm not even really complaining because I assume I'll get it eventually. I'm just commenting on the fact that dates pass without timely explanations. I'm fully aware of all the updates posted up to this point.

 

I think most people are either upset due to lack of enough updates and or the time involved.

[DracIsBack]

I think your link somewhat proves my point. The last update was July. I'm not even really complaining because I assume I'll get it eventually. I'm just commenting on the fact that dates pass without timely explanations. I'm fully aware of all the updates posted up to this point.

 

Said this way, sure. It would be nice to get a recent update. I read your first post as "Curt never provides explanations when dates go by" and didn't agree with that as he generally did until recently.

[Curt Vendel]

Bruce - yeah, been rather overwhelmed and didn't email you the tracking info, but since you posted everything else publicly, here is your tracking # publicly too:

 

7011 1570 0002 6957 0746

 

For everyone else -

 

I'll also see about posting an update on the XM project page on Monday or Tuesday when I can sit down and put in all of the latest info...

 

 

Curt

[SoundGammon]

Hi Curt!

I too work with the public and always get frustrated at things that are beyond my control, so I always remember what one guy I knew who didn't hold back what he was thinking to a customer. He would just say: "I can't make ice cream out of horse shit!!!" Take care...

[eightbit]

Ok, thanks finally for the info. Funny thing is that your post seems to make me out to be a "bad guy" because I posted publicly. Even funnier is the fact that I had to post publicly TWICE in order to receive a response both times....not to mention months of nonsense for a check coming from an area only miles from where I am. Well, I am done here. Good luck to all with the XM en devour. I honesty do hope it pans out.

[Lendorien]

Hey Curt,

 

I want you to know that I have 100% confidence that I'm going to get what I paid for. But I can see that this is burning you out.

 

I think we all understand that this is a fan project, and that the people working on it have real lives, jobs, etc. But also understand that people spent real money here. That most of us have waited a year after three or four missed shipped dates and have not complained is actually pretty amazing if you think about it, especially in a community where scams have happened and do happen.

 

Still, stuff like Eightbit's issues shakes people's confidence. I think a lot of this is sort of self inflicted. It's not the missed dates or the wait that's the issue, it's the lack of communication.

 

I strongly suggest, that you try to be proactive on updating the Status page. Update it once a week or at the very least, every two weeks so people know what's going on. A lot of the concerns people have could be assuaged if they were to know that things were moving, and if you showed effort to remain in communication. Even if nothing is happening, just taking the time to communicate, giving details or being honest about problems would go a long way to making people feel more comfortable and give them confidence. It would also help keep enthusiasm for the project up.

 

I know this sounds like preaching, and that updating the status page takes time, but as someone who has worked as a manager and dealt with customer service issues for many years, I can say with absolute certainty that just showing the consideration of communicating regularly with your customers will go a long way to avoiding issues like this. You'll still have some who complain, but they'd be less likely to get to Eightbit's level.

 

Curt, I'm 100% behind you on this project, and because of that and because I know this is wearing on you, I'm poking my nose in where I probably shouldn't. This is something you absolutely need to do moving forward, for your sake and for your customers.

 

Keep your chin up. You have plenty of people still 100% enthusiastic about this project!

Edited October 2, 2011 by Lendorien

[petik1]

@Lendorien Your post reminds me of something I read a while back. It said that if you tell people what they're waiting for, they're less likely to complain or become frustrated.

 

Just throwing that out there.

[DJT]

But lets be honest... the XM will be awesome. But at the end of the day, you really aren't going to get anything out of it that'll blow your mind until the homebrewers dev something that will take advantage of the upgrade. Bottom line, the XM isn't going to make E.T. any better. High score saving is cool though...

 

Just trying to be relaxed about this whole project. I shelled out my $100 and feel that it's my membership into Curt's fan club. That's worth something to me...

[nonner242]

Anybody here order the Genesis Pier Solar from day one? If you did were you really ever concered if you read the update page? And guess what we got it...far off from the original date but, we got it.

It had some major delays too. I waited and checked its status/update page and knew almost every 2 weeks what was doing on, so I never really worried or had nothing to wonder about because the always had a explained, posted pictures or video of it progress or pitfalls. There was alwas some communication from the team. They even responed to emails pretty fast. I even had a address change, all went smooth. And if the Water Melon team ever release another title I wouldnt care if it took 2 years longer for the product, I feel that confortable and safe with them that i know they will come thru. Why good follow thru. And this was not a company...this was just abunch of ppl from the gaming community around the world working on this project. Ireally still cannot believe that it ever happed. And came out so beautiful to boot. Im sure Curt has a million thing on his "Life Plate" and I have no doubt thatthe XMt will come out great. But ppl just have to remember that its just a homebrew, its done when its done. But the Homebrewer has to remember, that you should be aware that ppl have put faith and money into you and the project too, and that you should take the time at least once a month, if not more (due to a unfortunate delay or bug) to keep them in the" know". Its hard to guess whats going on if your blind & deaf.

As for me, yeah Im pretty excited about the XM. And yes I been wondering whats up here and there with the status. But I wait...... Just like I have many times before. And guess what? I will be very happy boy later this year.