Coleco Chameleon .... hardware speculations?

[Flojomojo]

I was just thinking. If usenet were still very active today like they were in 90's and Coleco Chameleon were posted there, we would have seen an epic 50k+ flame and threat posts by now.

 

The old day when nothing were moderated.

Rec.games.video.classic = good times

[ROFLcade]

I don't recall this being posted here yet or not (and I'm not digging through all 298 pages to find out for sure), but when I did a Google search for Mike Kennedy, the second auto-fill result was "Mike Kennedy is a bad friend." Curiosity got the best of me, as I wondered if this was directly related to this whole RVGS / Coleco Chameleon saga.

 

Nope, it's just a YouTube video of a short instrumental song called "Mike Kennedy is a Bad Friend" by some band I've never heard of called The Wonder Years. However, the comment currently at the top made me laugh. "The Mike Kennedy I know is a fraudster who ran the Coleco Chameleon sham."

 

[Special Teams]

Awwww, our once mighty mega thread is now a poor withered husk until the second coming of our reclusive leader.

 

Oh well, I remember the slow times last year. But I'll always have the memories.

 

 

I should get this framed to remember the good times.

 

"Parrothead" was browsing the forum - isn't that none other than Mike K himself?

[godslabrat]

Rec.games.video.classic = good times

 

I really miss usenet, but I miss that group most of all.

[S1500]

 

I really miss usenet, but I miss that group most of all.

 

I enjoyed it up until the point where it became 99% auction posts. Then the Bravo Sierra spam.

[galax]

I enjoyed it up until the point where it became 99% auction posts. Then the Bravo Sierra spam.

 

Yep newsgroups were great in the 1990s when real spam didn't exist and the biggest sins were things like cross-posting and top-posting.

 

I think for the last 10 years or so comp.sys.atari.8bit has mostly been the Bravo Sierra guy talking to himself: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/comp.sys.atari.8bit- he lives near Portland, do you think he knows Doommaster?

[Shawn]

 

"Parrothead" was browsing the forum - isn't that none other than Mike K himself?

 

It sure is.

[Flojomojo]

I enjoyed it up until the point where it became 99% auction posts. Then the Bravo Sierra spam.

 

 

Yep, same here. I enjoyed it until I didn't. That's probably when I joined Atari Age, Digital Press, and Yak Yak (Llamasoft games).

 

I had a little flash of old-person-dealing-with-change panic when USENET died. Same thing when Google Reader went away. Thank goodness for forums and Feedly, respectively.

[godslabrat]

Usenet in general died when the lack of moderation let good groups get overrun by idiots. RGVC was not spared. You know what I'm talking about.

[prince_david]

So has anyone heard from Mike Kenndy? Has he dropped off the face of the Earth. I want to hear something about this dead project!

[dommie]

Someone mentioned earlier here that they checked up the Chameleon in the trademark and patents registry (or whatever it is called) and found no entries at all, and the RVGS trademark was apparently abandoned some time ago.

 

I guess that means you can use the "RVGS" logo or just the "Chameleon" logo without the "Coleco" part and be fine and dandy.

 

That was me - Coleco never registered the Chameleon, and RVGS TM was officially abandoned and dead last year. But all of this doesn't matter because the box in the video is quite obviously a prop for filming, and not a product they are selling. As for the Tshirts, they appear to be parodying the original product/brand, something that is allowed.

[AE35]

[dommie]

Word Mark CHAMELEON VIDEO-GAME SYSTEM Goods and Services IC 028. US 022 023 038 050. G & S: Video game consoles Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86897164 Filing Date February 4, 2016 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Retro Video Game Systems, Inc. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 28516 Sorano Cove Trabuco Canyon CALIFORNIA 92679 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

 

Word Mark RETRO VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Goods and Services (ABANDONED) IC 028. US 022 023 038 050. G & S: Video game consoles Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86586109 Filing Date April 2, 2015 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Gamegavel, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY CALIFORNIA 28516 Sorano Cove Trabuco Canyon CALIFORNIA 92679 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator DEAD Abandonment Date July 9, 2015

 

 

I only checked for "Coleco Chameleon", LOL. I did search "chameleon" but got like 10,000,000 results so tried narrowing it down. Looking at it closer, there are a few "issues". First, that RVGS inc is claiming the mark. I see that as a problem, being that Coleco is supposed to be licensing the product to RVGS. If I were Coleco I wouldn't have allowed them to own the mark, but that is something that was (or should have been) discussed with their initial partnership. Second, they just filed in Feb. 2016. They have a good 6-8 months before it actually is completed, IF USPTO allows them the mark. It says "live" because the process has begun to register it, but they do not yet have a registration number, only a serial number. And third, it's really not pretty how all these shell corps are nesting each other's property like TMs, etc. MK's accountant's head must be ready to explode.

[galax]

So has anyone heard from Mike Kenndy? Has he dropped off the face of the Earth. I want to hear something about this dead project!

 

4 days ago it was reported that he's living at Wally World in an Airstream Sport https://www.facebook.com/socalmike

[godslabrat]

So has anyone heard from Mike Kenndy? Has he dropped off the face of the Earth. I want to hear something about this dead project!

 

Apparently he's still checking into this thread. I doubt you'll see him post, unless he can find a way to sell you something while doing so. There's no money to be made in apologies and explanations.

[Flojomojo]

There's a "sign in anonymously" option every time you sign it. That's what I would be doing if I were him. Of course there are a lot of other things I would have been doing prior to that ...

[RupanIII]

Maybe he'll sell Piko the Jaguar presses.

 

Apparently he's still checking into this thread. I doubt you'll see him post, unless he can find a way to sell you something while doing so. There's no money to be made in apologies and explanations.

[shawnphase]

https://www.facebook.com/RetroGamingMagazine/posts/941083409303087?hc_location=ufi

 

dont do it carl. doing so will only discredit your mag!

[jaybird3rd]

Here is Carl's announcement from Facebook:

We are in the early stages of taking over a bit of competition. Please bear with us as we move forward into dangerous territory. We hope you, the fans, will continue the awesome support in this situation.
Thank you,
Carl Williams
Retro Gaming Magazine, co-owner

I can actually see this as being a good thing. The market is probably too small for two competing publications, and after the RVGS/Chameleon ordeal, it's clear that Mike Kennedy can no longer continue as the head of RETRO Magazine. It may not always be fair, but as Ian said in the most recent CUPodcast segment, when you screw up that badly, you bring everything else down with you. RETRO Magazine was clearly suffering while Mike was trying to build an empire, using the magazine as a loss leader for his other endeavors. Now that Carl and Retro Gaming Magazine will be taking it over, it has the opportunity to refocus on being the best magazine it can be.

[+Nathan Strum]

On the positive side... it is much easier to keep up with this thread now.

[sh3-rg]

If someone were to purchase RETRO media or whatever it's called, the magazine part, as a going concern - how much do you think they'd need to put to one side for making good all those people who never saw their magazines? Or would it be a case of - that was them, not my problem and screw those guys?

[StopDrop&Retro]

Interesting! I was thinking about RETRO magazine last night. I was thinking- Mike is in silent mode right now, but he can't stay like that forever, or at least I hope he won't for the sake of RETRO Year 2 subscribers. He will have to break radio silence to let them know what's going on and whether they're going to get the last two issues or is the magazine going to fold and the project fail.

 

Or not... it's not uncommon for project creators to go silent and run for the hills like he's doing right now. The question is: would Mike do that to people he's already taken money from? If so it confirms what I predicted in my last video. When things really go south, don't expect him to give you any more respect than he's currently giving his fans. None, absolute silence.

[cybercylon]

Thanks for this update, and I completely understand your reasons for choosing the route you've chosen. I said something similar earlier in this thread about my own projects: there is a certain creative freedom, and a certain peace of mind, that comes with assuming all the risk. And you're right: it's a stark contrast to a certain somebody who wanted the backers to assume all of the risk, almost literally to the point of crowdfunding the office supplies and the toilet paper.

 

Just my opinion, but I think that is just about the only route to go. Once one asks for money or has collected money before major issues are sorted out, it just bring all eyes and pressures on you. Sometimes it is best not to say a thing until there is something substantial, especially when it comes to actual physical product.

 

Then if it ever reaches a point that you are tired of it, but assumed all risk, no harm by letting it drop or picking it up later.

 

(We can reach 300 pages.. we can do it!)

Edited March 14, 2016 by cybercylon

[RupanIII]

I guess it might give RGM a way to publish issues again, but, eh.

If someone were to purchase RETRO media or whatever it's called, the magazine part, as a going concern - how much do you think they'd need to put to one side for making good all those people who never saw their magazines? Or would it be a case of - that was them, not my problem and screw those guys?

[shawnphase]

the biggest question i have is this: why would anyone want to do business with mike at this point? given his track record, he seems to have invariably fucked up any business he's come into contact with. with that also comes damage to all who worked with him, as we've seen by people jumping ship off the magazine. put it this way, you dont see anyone jumping ship from gamegavel, and maybe its because noone else is involved. thats mike's mother business, so to speak. to associate with his brand or any branding would also be forever associating yourself with mike, and who wants to do that? maybe if those writers didnt jump ship, there'd be something to that ip.

 

retro magazine has a bad rep, one well earned based on failing to deliver what was paid for as well as being light on substance, its well documented. this is due to mismanagement that damaged that name over a protracted period of time. so by absorbing that, you'd basically be admitting there was worth to that ip when it has been proven by the community there is not. its the same mistake mike made many times. i think if this was gamester81 or somene else trying to take the reigns who wasnt as proficient of a writer and as thorough as carl is, maybe it would be a different story. perhaps through hype and acceptance after pleading with the public, someone with at least some sort of positive association to mike could get it back on track. otherwise, even putting deliberation toward possibly gaining ownership of the mag, i dont see how that would even be possible otherwise given how mike is. i fail to see how the acquisition of retro could do anything but discredit carl's work, create a negative association, and potentially distance people from supporting the sum of the whole effort.