ColecoVision Flashback System

[Manoau2002]

 

I would imagine that Nintendo would not grant license to DK or DK Jr. There was that ridiculous Kickstarter effort asking for $250,000 I think to license nearly the entire CV library for a mobile app. They swore that most of that was for the licenses, but who knows? AtGames has not gotten NAMCO games in the past. But you're right, it's a large number of different license holders.

 

 

AtGames has included them in the past on other systems. Personally I'm not a fan of that. Nothing against the homebrewers, but it should be officially released games.

How does copyright work in this case? Didn't Coleco buy the rights to the Colecovision version of DK and DK Jr.? So would they have to license from Nintendo or would they have to license from the company that owns Coleco? ( Same goes for all the arcade ports published by Coleco)

[Flojomojo]

I wish someone would make a definitive database of who owns what. Many companies have merged, changed names, or disappeared.

 

In the case of Donkey Kong, it's pretty simple. Nintendo owns the characters and the original arcade game. They received licensing fees from Coleco to make the Colecovision DK games. Nothing happens without Nintendo allowing it, which is beyond unlikely because they have their own systems to sell. You can have all the Donkey Kong you want as long as it's the NES version.

 

Same thing with Star Wars, James Bond, most of the Parker Brothers games, and so on.

[TrekkiELO]

 

I wonder IF their Atari Flashback 5 will include Turbo for the 2600, since AtGames already had an unreleased prototype in Tempest...

 

http://atariprotos.com/2600/software/turbo/turbo.htm

 

Another great idea that AtGames could do with the Colecovision Flashback would be to have a driving controller and Turbo exclusive for Sam's Club, kind of like they did at first with their Atari Flashback 4 Deluxe which included paddles!

 

Edited May 13, 2014 by TrekkiELO

[Flojomojo]

That thing could do with some improvement for 2014. Have you touched a coleco driving controller recently? They're very toylike.

[Greg2600]

How does copyright work in this case? Didn't Coleco buy the rights to the Colecovision version of DK and DK Jr.? So would they have to license from Nintendo or would they have to license from the company that owns Coleco? ( Same goes for all the arcade ports published by Coleco)

 

I wish someone would make a definitive database of who owns what. Many companies have merged, changed names, or disappeared.

 

In the case of Donkey Kong, it's pretty simple. Nintendo owns the characters and the original arcade game. They received licensing fees from Coleco to make the Colecovision DK games. Nothing happens without Nintendo allowing it, which is beyond unlikely because they have their own systems to sell. You can have all the Donkey Kong you want as long as it's the NES version.

 

Same thing with Star Wars, James Bond, most of the Parker Brothers games, and so on.

 

I would assume that the agreement was limited in nature, and expired 3 decades ago, as Nintendo produced their own DK games on the NES and later. Now you can't release a "CV" DK without Coleco rights, but you need Nintendo too, and they are $ expensive as heck.

 

In general, you have 3 potential rights holders. Obviously you can't resell a game designed for a specific console without that console's rights. In this case it's already been acquired. You always have a rights-holder for the intellectual property (IP). With the CV, that was mostly the arcade game creators (Taito, Stern, Nintendo, Bally, Sega, etc.). In some cases the IP is from other media, such as Star Wars, Bond, Buck Rodgers, etc. Lastly you have the rights of the game's designers and/or publishers. This one can be a little muddy, because CV console rights have been sold but remain active, and IP's are pretty much held for 100 years or whatever.

 

So due to IP's, you can pretty much forget about Star Wars or James Bond, for which current game rights (whether that game is new or re-released) are held by EA or Activision. The Activision games are just really the rights to the old console games/IP's, same as Imagic, but if Activision is too expensive.... It's possible they won't want to pay the rights fees for Parker Bros. games either. Having to pay them and the arcade IP holders.

[Flojomojo]

It's such a mess. None of these games have much commercial appeal anymore. It would be so much better to simply release them into to the public where they can be enjoyed. Ah well, at least we have emulators and sketchy sources.

[NIAD]

It's such a mess. None of these games have much commercial appeal anymore. It would be so much better to simply release them into to the public where they can be enjoyed. Ah well, at least we have emulators and sketchy sources.

Eliminate the need altogether to acquire licenses for 30 year old games by including an SD Interface/Card Slot and then leave it up to the end-user to supply the games themselves. I know, it probably will never happen because River West Brands (the ColecoVision rights holder) would not and probably never be agreeable to this for numerous reasons so inevitably the BEST option is to buy a real ColecoVision, have it serviced and modded (A/V mod, Pause mod with Pause Light, Power mod with Power Light, Ball Knob mod with cables straightened) by Yurkie and then follow this up with the purchase of the AtariMax SD MultiCart. I know, this BEST option is considerably more expensive, but there are no limitations with this setup and you can use all the special controllers, the Atari Adapter, the Super Game Module, the ADAM Exp. Mod. #3, supply yourself with the entire CV library of released and unreleased games as well as enjoy all the Homebrews that have been made (as actual carts or rom files) since 1996.

 

To me, the CV Flashback will be a novelty item as well as a collectible... unless an exclusive game or games are included.

[TrekkiELO]

That thing could do with some improvement for 2014. Have you touched a coleco driving controller recently? They're very toylike.

 

Yeah, it's not that bad, but I see your point, AtGames could just make their Colecovision controller top twist or turn similar to an Atari paddle/driving controller, they're not thinking outside the box like JAKKS did for Pole Position!

 

Edited May 13, 2014 by TrekkiELO

[Greg2600]

Eliminate the need altogether to acquire licenses for 30 year old games by including an SD Interface/Card Slot and then leave it up to the end-user to supply the games themselves. I know, it probably will never happen because River West Brands (the ColecoVision rights holder) would not and probably never be agreeable to this for numerous reasons so inevitably the BEST option is to buy a real ColecoVision, have it serviced and modded (A/V mod, Pause mod with Pause Light, Power mod with Power Light, Ball Knob mod with cables straightened) by Yurkie and then follow this up with the purchase of the AtariMax SD MultiCart. I know, this BEST option is considerably more expensive, but there are no limitations with this setup and you can use all the special controllers, the Atari Adapter, the Super Game Module, the ADAM Exp. Mod. #3, supply yourself with the entire CV library of released and unreleased games as well as enjoy all the Homebrews that have been made (as actual carts or rom files) since 1996.

 

To me, the CV Flashback will be a novelty item as well as a collectible... unless an exclusive game or games are included.

 

You can't sell a game-less console clone to the general public. They will undoubtedly look at that, and say, where am I supposed to get the games from? Even having an SD slot, which I would want of course, still sort of smells like piracy. The best option would be to have a real cart slot on these things, but that's probably too expensive for AtGames to include.

 

 

Yeah, it's not that bad, but I see your point, AtGames could just make their Colecovision controller top twist or turn similar to an Atari paddle/driving controller, they're not thinking outside the box like JAKKS did for Pole Position!

 

 

Frankly, for the few driving games, Dukes of Hazzard likely won't be included, and Turbo/Destructor should play fine with a stick. Would be cool if they left the games compatible with the wheel so you could plug your own in.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Greg2600

[jerry32]

i just saw it myself....................Nice now maybe im reaching but it would be really nice if it had a usb port so you can also play other coleco games that is not on there via flashdrive same for the other flashback systems ......again just a thought

[jblenkle]

I'm wondering if this will come with 1 or 2 joysticks. Two are pictured, but the box says "Includes original design Controller"...not controllers.

[Flojomojo]

It's going to come with two, detachable, retro-compatible controllers with long, straight (not coiled) cords. That's what every other AtGames and Flashback TV consoles had.

[+LS650]

After reading this thread, I played some Coleco via emulation...

I hope this device works well!

[SKELETOR68]

I am crossing my fingers for at least Ladybug, Pepper II and Frenzy. out of the 60 games. Bonus getting two new controlers.

[5drew00]

Totally awesome! I cannot believe we're getting a Colecovision Flashback system! I thought it was impossible since most CV games were LICENSED! With Zaxxon pictured on the box I hope there will be other Sega games like Carnival, Congo Bongo, Space Fury, and Subroc! I really want Turbo and Driving Module with other racing games built-in! What about Roller Controller w/Slither and Super Action Controller with SA Baseball and Football? 60 games is generous since there were only around 150 CV games, so we're bound to get many good ones! I also want Bump N Jump, BurgerTime, Cosmic Avenger, Frenzy, Gorf, Lady Bug, Looping, Mouse Trap, Mr Do!, Omega Race, Roc N Rope, Root Beer Tapper, Time Pilot, and Victory to name a few! Ah Colecovision the Dream System of 1982!

[Flojomojo]

I love your awesome positivity and enthusiasm!

[Manoau2002]

I could see the sega games being on there. Unlike Nintendo Sega likes to make money any way they can.

[almightytodd]

I really enjoy playing Colecovision games in emulation, but I find myself returning to only three or four favorite titles again and again. I'm interested in a Flashback unit if only for a simple plug-and-play casual gaming experience and a small collection of games without having to scour the web looking for ROM files.

[SoulBlazer]

I really enjoy playing Colecovision games in emulation, but I find myself returning to only three or four favorite titles again and again. I'm interested in a Flashback unit if only for a simple plug-and-play casual gaming experience and a small collection of games without having to scour the web looking for ROM files.

This is the main reason I'm going to buy one myself.

[+LS650]

Before this announcement, I was thinking of buying a Colecovision off of eBay, but the price... a tested system in good condition seems to be about $50-$60, and the games seem to going for $5-$10 each. To build up a collection with even a dozen common carts will cost a couple of hundred bucks easy.

 

If the CV Flashback gets good reviews, I can definitely picking one up.

[Falconhood]

Totally awesome! I cannot believe we're getting a Colecovision Flashback system! I thought it was impossible since most CV games were LICENSED! With Zaxxon pictured on the box I hope there will be other Sega games like Carnival, Congo Bongo, Space Fury, and Subroc! I really want Turbo and Driving Module with other racing games built-in! What about Roller Controller w/Slither and Super Action Controller with SA Baseball and Football? 60 games is generous since there were only around 150 CV games, so we're bound to get many good ones! I also want Bump N Jump, BurgerTime, Cosmic Avenger, Frenzy, Gorf, Lady Bug, Looping, Mouse Trap, Mr Do!, Omega Race, Roc N Rope, Root Beer Tapper, Time Pilot, and Victory to name a few! Ah Colecovision the Dream System of 1982!

This is why I really wish they would put a cartridge slot in the console to play those games they will NEVER include....like i seriously doubt we'll get the title that LAUNCHED the system to victory: Donkey Kong

[thevnaguy]

lets keep our fingers crossed that it would have donkey kong. what would really be awesome is if it had the much better version from the adam computer

[Flojomojo]

I'm pretty sure that Bill has definitively said, there will be no Nintendo games on any of these flashback units.

[Bill Loguidice]

Yep, Flojomojo is right. For every obvious reason under the sun, unfortunately, there will never be a Nintendo presence on any Flashback product.

 

As for a cartridge slot, again, it's not as straightforward as simply including it (there are business and practical reasons not to). We'll see something like an SD card slot long before we'll ever see a cartridge slot, and even an SD card slot is up to the good grace of the license holders. It's truly a shame we can't have more companies like Sega, who obviously does encourage such things.

[thevnaguy]

I'm pretty sure that Bill has definitively said, there will be no Nintendo games on any of these flashback units.

Rats well I can still dream what could have been