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7800 XM update


Curt Vendel

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Actually, when you look at GroovyBee's WIP list you will see a bunch of games for XM only. Tested them at e-Jagfest 2013, some impressive stuff. And he said that any future 7800 game he might do would be XM mandatory.

 

Of course that is all up in the air now, since he doesn't seem so involved with the XM anymore and has a couple of Inty games to release first. I imagine he did not want the XM to be so late, but with all the work already put into the games I doubt he will abandon them. When Curt gets the thing out, there's definitely some top notch software exclusive for it on the way.

What happens if you cram an XM-only game into a bare 7800? Do you get a "this game is not compatible" message? Or does it just black screen?

 

BTW, I enjoyed his "wasp" game. ;)

Edited by stardust4ever
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I was interested in Curt's original plan.

He was going to do a repro of the Atari 700 Computer module. But it got rolled into the now Vapor unit AKA : The XM.

 

I even went and bought a Atari XE keyboard because at some point before I realized he was just a scam artist he mentioned that the XM would be compatible with this keyboard and may even end up working with the original Atari 7800 Basic cart that had been found at some point.

 

Now 5 years later, I really don't use the 7800, and have sold off all 300 of my 2600 carts. I still have the complete original Atari 7800 game set, but like I said, I never really use it any more.

 

People grow up, get old, move on, and I have. I'd just like my money back from this thief, so I can spend it on something that someone actually has produced and wants to sell.

 

Sorry if this comes off as rude, but not answering E-mails for over a year is rude, not giving regular updates to your investors it rude, and not producing a product 5 years past its due date is criminal.

 

 

.

Edited by Compumater
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Actually, when you look at GroovyBee's WIP list you will see a bunch of games for XM only. Tested them at e-Jagfest 2013, some impressive stuff. And he said that any future 7800 game he might do would be XM mandatory.

 

Of course that is all up in the air now, since he doesn't seem so involved with the XM anymore and has a couple of Inty games to release first. I imagine he did not want the XM to be so late, but with all the work already put into the games I doubt he will abandon them. When Curt gets the thing out, there's definitely some top notch software exclusive for it on the way.

 

I did Groovy's work, and the work of PacManPlus. But is their slate of games worth an additional $150 investment? Bob D. deserves props for making Bentley Bear playable without the XM, because the majority of the fan base will not have it (even if it were shipped). If it's additional RAM being added, just do it in a flash cart like all the other systems have had done. Is the XM going to start a stream of high quality arcade conversions? I just don't see that happening.

 

Arright, I'm not going to join the Curt lynching folks, but...if y'all are so pissed about this, why not take legal action?

 

Legal action for $150 or whatever the pre-order cost was? Lawyers and/or court fees cost more than that. Small claims is also a waste. It's just not worth it.

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Which is why the defendant should also be responsible for court costs. Seems to me that's usually how they do it: sue the person for X amount plus legal fees and court costs.

Or dispute the charges...unless I'm the only one who paid through Amazon. (I'm just waiting; I'm patient. When it comes, it comes.)

Edited by Dauber
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Legal action over a matter of $100 is a laughably-ridiculous proposition, as noted above.

 

TV judges don't seem to mind.

 

Angry Atari Dudes: "We are here to . . ."

 

Judge Judy: "Shut up!"

 

Angry Atari Dudes: "But . . ."

 

Judge Judy: "Shut up! Judgement for the defendant!"

 

Angry Atari Dudes: "That's what we get for letting Lady Elaine Fairchilde decide our case!"

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I know there has been an ongoing communication problem, but the recent information from the designer's post on Facebook says my 7800 XM will ship this Spring. Then I can play my Donkey Kong XM with sound, my Beef Drop VE with POKEY sound, ...

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I know there has been an ongoing communication problem, but the recent information from the designer's post on Facebook says my 7800 XM will ship this Spring. Then I can play my Donkey Kong XM with sound, my Beef Drop VE with POKEY sound, ...

If I had a dollar for every announcement of when this thing would be ready, I'd have my 5 year old $100 investment back.

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Dude... do you REALLY think the XM will be ready by spring?

 

Really?

 

Really?

 

God bless you for being the optimist that you are.

Yep. This Spring. It is the guy that made the Flasback 2.

This XM is simple compared to that.

 

That, and I like to add to the post count and view count of this topic.

 

Anyway, there are two, count 'em, 2 hardware wizards designing their own Coleco Game Modules since that developer keeps disappearing!

I wonder why the 7800 gets left out?

True, I never had a 7800 originally. I had a ColecoVision. But I really like the gaming on the 7800 slightly more than pushing the more limited ColecoVision. Donkey Kong XM 7800 feels arcade-accurate since the arcade routines were factored into the code, and the YouTube video of ColecoVision and arcade Pac Man with the same patterns side-by-side is the type of mind-blowing thing I like to see.

 

I still think both expansions are a good idea.

I like paying once for a POKEY, RAM, AY sound, and high score eeprom and have cheaper carts, than paying for all that, each time, in every cart.

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Yep. This Spring. It is the guy that made the Flasback 2.

This XM is simple compared to that.

And the XM would have already been released on the Atari 7800's 30th anniversary if people wouldn't have been so negative. All of that negativity scared the XM back into its hole like a frightened groundhog that saw a scary shadow.

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Anyway, there are two, count 'em, 2 hardware wizards designing their own Coleco Game Modules since that developer keeps disappearing!

I wonder why the 7800 gets left out?

True, I never had a 7800 originally. I had a ColecoVision. But I really like the gaming on the 7800 slightly more than pushing the more limited ColecoVision. Donkey Kong XM 7800 feels arcade-accurate since the arcade routines were factored into the code, and the YouTube video of ColecoVision and arcade Pac Man with the same patterns side-by-side is the type of mind-blowing thing I like to see.

 

I still think both expansions are a good idea.

I like paying once for a POKEY, RAM, AY sound, and high score eeprom and have cheaper carts, than paying for all that, each time, in every cart.

 

SGM specs are off the shelf, not sure about 7800 XM. Makes it easier/cheaper. You have a point about not repaying for the extra hardware on every cart. I don't buy a lot of Homebrew carts, but if the hardware were in one cart, I would play the roms on it. I thought the VersaBoard could handle "XM" games anyway?

 

I know there has been an ongoing communication problem, but the recent information from the designer's post on Facebook says my 7800 XM will ship this Spring. Then I can play my Donkey Kong XM with sound, my Beef Drop VE with POKEY sound, ...

 

you'll be able to do that when the Concerto cart comes out in 2015

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And the XM would have already been released on the Atari 7800's 30th anniversary if people wouldn't have been so negative. All of that negativity scared the XM back into its hole like a frightened groundhog that saw a scary shadow.

 

Nope, you were all warned a long time ago. Unnamed sources found this picture...

post-274-0-27001500-1420592453_thumb.jpg

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I did Groovy's work, and the work of PacManPlus.

You did? Then I should tell the guys in the Inty Forum to complain to you about the delayed games. :D ;)

 

Bob D. deserves props for making Bentley Bear playable without the XM, because the majority of the fan base will not have it (even if it were shipped). If it's additional RAM being added, just do it in a flash cart like all the other systems have had done. Is the XM going to start a stream of high quality arcade conversions? I just don't see that happening.

 

I don't know. How many People actually buy 7800 homebrews? I can't really say for sure, but I doubt it's more than 300 per game. And 150 People have already pre-ordered the XM I understand.

 

With the size of the 7800 community, it does seem not too unrealistic that most of the fanbase will buy the XM anyway. I am personally not that much of a fan of Hardware add-ons myself, and I strongly oppose similar ideas on the Lynx. With the 7800, I admit I am more open to it as I have no real attachment to it. What is clear is that Bob developed a game with the stock 7800 in mind, adding the optional improved Sound, but not using the graphical improvements possible because of the XM. Groovy clearly goes the other route, and wants to do games that look like nothing on the 7800. Both are valid approaches, and in the end, it is the fans that decide if the improved Quality the XM offers is worth supporting by buying XM-mandatory carts.

 

I can totally see the Sentiment of those enhanced capabilities not making the XM games truly 7800 games, but games for a new System. The 10400? The other side is that (for me) the XM-only Software really crosses a line for me to make the System equal to NES and SMS. No Need to lecture me about the Advantages the 7800, I know stuff like Robotron wouldn't run without being flickerama on the other two. ;) But the higher res, resulting in a better Level of Detail of the other two always make the 7800 feel dated in comparison. With the XM? No more.

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How does it cross a line comparing xm software to nes. Its almost a level playing field as the nes had that and more added in on their carts. The nes by itself without any add ons is a 2600. A very limited gaming machine.

 

No, it's a 7800! Comparable games Donkey Kong, Galaga, Mario Bros, etc. When one looks at something like the SGM, people like Collectorvision/Pixelboy are drawing on MSX games to port onto the platform. There was a ready source for games, though original games are being done. Sure there's been talk of original XM titles, and as I said, not to take anything away from the homebrewers' work, but that's not enough. A $150 upgrade that relies on original homebrew titles, which are far less likely to come to release than mostly done ports? People raved about Donkey Kong XM, but will that EVER get released? How difficult was it? Are additional arcade ports, such that "should" have been done on the 7800 back then, also realistic? I doubt it.

Edited by Greg2600
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A $150 upgrade that relies on original homebrew titles, which are far less likely to come to release than mostly done ports? People raved about Donkey Kong XM, but will that EVER get released? How difficult was it? Are additional arcade ports, such that "should" have been done on the 7800 back then, also realistic? I doubt it.

The 7800 homebrew scene has been very active in recent years, and I only see it getting better. Pacmanplus has cranked out a ton of high quality titles and he's still going strong. The guy is a programming madman. With the 7800Basic being released, removing the assembly language barrier, I think we will see the number of releases going up. There will be plenty of titles released which could take advantage of the new hardware.

 

Are you saying Donkey Kong XM was never released? The 100+ people I have sent carts to might disagree.

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Looks like the whiny wheel gets the grease....from FB:


We regret to inform you that work on our followup book "Atari Corp. - Business Is War" is being pushed back to later this year to allow us to focus all resources on finishing the the Atari 7800 XM Expansion unit. Recent vitriol and false claims at AtariAge (http://atariage.com/forums/topic/227889-7800-xm-update/) have prompted this. That means the book will not be released until the end of this year. The second edition of "Business In Fun" should be done for a summer release.

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Well, at least the vitriol ("cruel and bitter criticism", according to the internet) and false claims are having a positive effect on this project.

 

At the same time, I blame all of you for delaying the book... just kidding... I hope everything works out.

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How does it cross a line comparing xm software to nes. Its almost a level playing field as the nes had that and more added in on their carts. The nes by itself without any add ons is a 2600. A very limited gaming machine.

Didn't want to get into the argument of specs. I am aware of the NES having its little helpers on the carts; the full extent of it I learned about here on AA actually. All I am saying is that with how 7800 software looks, and NES and even more so SMS software looks, as a player you just feel it's two different generations. You don't sit there playing SMB3 thinking all the time "this needed a special mapper chip of course!", you look at it being a typical NES game. It doesn't matter where the magic comes from, in the end the player feels 7800 looks inferior much of the time. The XM helps it get that extra push the NES got through the years, not with chips on cart, but a one time solution. And the results absolutely show that difference, it can pummel the NES.

 

Looks like the whiny wheel gets the grease....from FB:

 

Oh dear... good news for all the fans on the one hand, but again it does not show the biggest professionalism to publicly blame the evils of AA for the book being delayed. It's not at all too much to ask for info after such a long time, and neither is it to ask for a more customer friendly way of communication than "everyone just write me an e-mail seperately and I may reply, but I will not regularely post updates where everyone can see them at once".

It's not Curt who wrote this FB post apparently, but never the less unfortunate wording.

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