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Edladdin Colecovision Controller Kickstarter now LIVE!


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Hi. It's actually NOT a lot more complicated than that. I'm not sure what experience you have working with intellectual properties, their rights holders, and the legal team behind them because this is an area where I actually have a LOT of experience, 20+ years worth.

 

When I said I "used to work for Disney" that meant I actually knew what I was talking about. I was at a level where I would have direct meetings with Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg as well as the directorial team (Clements/Musker) that made the movie Aladdin! I attended screenings of the film with the directors, producers, and animators on a regular basis for months, maybe even up to a year before the film was even released in different stages of its development. I dealt with the legal team on a number of different issues, including IP and likeness rights ALL THE TIME. Edladdin's character doesn't even really look like the Disney Genie. Let's just compare...

 

 

I was being sarcastic in my comments; of course a sub $10,000 kickstarter would never get sued. I was exploring a (sarcastic) hypothetical worst case scenario of 'what if they wanted to sue Edladdin.'

 

The main point I was trying to make is that being right or wrong under the law is completely irrelevant. If a big company wants to sue you, then they win whether they 'win' or 'lose'. They have a legal department on salary, and you can't afford to fight them; i.e. you lose if you can't afford to fight them. Being right or wrong doesn't matter. What does matter is if you have money or something else they want.

 

Lawyers generally don't tell the client the complete truth; they tell you want you want to hear, so you keep paying them. Why would a lawyer tell a client the truth, when they can dumb it down to make the client feel in control, and dumb it down to make the client feel they are in the right, and the other side is in the wrong.

Edited by Hannacek
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I was being sarcastic in my comments; of course a sub $10,000 kickstarter would never get sued. I was exploring a (sarcastic) hypothetical worst case scenario of 'what if they wanted to sue Edladdin.'

 

The main point I was trying to make is that being right or wrong under the law is completely irrelevant. If a big company wants to sue you, then they win whether they 'win' or 'lose'. They have a legal department on salary, and you can't afford to fight them; i.e. you lose if you can't afford to fight them. Being right or wrong doesn't matter. What does matter is if you have money or something else they want.

 

Lawyers generally don't tell the client the complete truth; they tell you want you want to hear, so you keep paying them. Why would a lawyer tell a client the truth, when they can dumb it down to make the client feel in control, and dumb it down to make the client feel they are in the right, and the other side is in the wrong.

 

You are correct about that! When I was at school we had a Coca-Cola lawyer who warned us about patenting our inventions. He said it was well-established strategy to simply steal the idea, sell the product, then let the little guy fight it out in court for decades. If they could hold out, a settlement would be issued after the big company made all the money in the marketplace. If they could not hold out, the big company simply wins. :-(

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Putting them in a row was meant to mirror the layout of the original Super Action Controller, where the four buttons fall under the four fingers. The buttons are relatively easy to move around, though! I'm the guy that drills the holes, so I can easily put them in an "X" or "+" pattern if you want.

 

You will have to let me know the order of the buttons as far as "Left=1, Right=2, 3, 4," as they relate to the signal going to the Colecovision consoles. OR perhaps you are talking about the "Super USB: Colecovision" controller? In that case it doesn't much matter... You can program any of the four to be whatever keystrokes you want.

 

Thanks for considering supporting the project!

 

I was also not sold on the spread of the buttons, I was hoping for them to be a bit closer together but that's just too tough to do when releasing a product...I understand. But if you guys are willing to relocate them, then I'm super impressed!

 

I was also impressed to read about the 'leaf switch' version...that, to me, would be ultimate!...I'll need to reconsider which one to go for. After all this, I'll probably want one I can connect to my MAME machine, lol!...if that were possible.

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I was also not sold on the spread of the buttons, I was hoping for them to be a bit closer together but that's just too tough to do when releasing a product...I understand. But if you guys are willing to relocate them, then I'm super impressed!

 

I was also impressed to read about the 'leaf switch' version...that, to me, would be ultimate!...I'll need to reconsider which one to go for. After all this, I'll probably want one I can connect to my MAME machine, lol!...if that were possible.

 

We couldnt figure out how to make one controller serve the consoles AND the USB connection, but the "Super USB: Colecovision" version in this Kickstarter truly is a USB controller for use with MAME and the rest of the computer emulators.

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Hi Everyone!

 

The Kickstarter is 1/3 complete and I wanted to post an update with how things are going and some new developments.

 

At this moment we have pledges totaling $5,498, which means we are 57% of the way to the finish line. This is an incredible showing thus far, but still a long way to reach the target. The initial burst of excitement has tapered off somewhat, which I would expect to be the case. Having never done this, I am not sure if this is normal and we will see another big burst in the final days, or whether I should be nervous that we are running out of gas. Needless to say, I would be very grateful to have anyone who is planning to make a pledge to go ahead and do so!

 

I do have a couple of pieces of interesting news:

 

1. Following up on questions from interested parties, I tested the Super Arcade Controller PLUS prototype and discovered:

a: It does nothing when connected to an Atari 7800. Joystick responds correctly, but none of the four buttons respond.

b. When connected to an Atari 2600 the joystick works fine AND Button 1 works fine also! The other three buttons delivered weird results with the five carts tested. Bob Bugash, our engineer, is currently assessing whether there is any possible negative impact of using a SAC with the 2600, but I am very hopeful we can deliver these controllers as "also for use with the 2600".

 

2. I have just added a new pledge reward to the campaign: $60 for a tested and functioning Seagull CV controller board AND a membrane keypad, and nothing else. This is being presented for two groups:

a. As a kit, for those of you who do not need (or prefer) my choices of arcade controls, enclosures, or other components. With the board and keypad you will be equipped to build the arcade controller that really fits your style, wishes, and format choices.

b. Pledging the $60 can be applied as a "down payment" on a complete Seagull CV controller adapter, Super Arcade Controller, or SAC Plus in May or later. The idea is the folks that prefer not to make the whole investment all at once can make a pledge and help get the project fully launched, then come back and pay the balance on any of the three products as their budget allows and get a complete, fully functional adapter or controller for their Colecovision.

 

3. Attached is the artwork we are looking at for a "minimalist" keypad, to be provided with those controllers where folks want the case to be as naked as possible. Note the use of the exact font originally used by Coleco and color arrangement of the keys. Our name is still on it, but very small and in black and white.

 

 

Thanks again to all of you for your time and consideration! Your support has been deeply appreciated, whether information, feedback, helping us to keep on the right course, or actually making pledges to the current campaign.

 

Best wishes,

 

Ed

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edladdin/super-arcade-controllers-and-adapters-for-colecovi

 

 

EDIT: Attach the file!

post-40253-0-77291000-1454220940_thumb.jpg

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I've finally taken the time to check out your Kickstarter. I am considering "donating" as your controllers appear well engineered. I am not crazy about the artwork on the top surface of the controller console - it's kind of "loud", BUT, you NAILED the design on the side portion! I am referring to the magic lamp with the vapor drifting toward the T.V. set - absolutely fantastic! This style of art is identical to 1970's pinball and video game cabinet artwork. You ought to try depicting your "Edladdin" genie utilizing the same style of art - it's really fitting!

 

Anyway, good luck!

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I've finally taken the time to check out your Kickstarter. I am considering "donating" as your controllers appear well engineered. I am not crazy about the artwork on the top surface of the controller console - it's kind of "loud", BUT, you NAILED the design on the side portion! I am referring to the magic lamp with the vapor drifting toward the T.V. set - absolutely fantastic! This style of art is identical to 1970's pinball and video game cabinet artwork. You ought to try depicting your "Edladdin" genie utilizing the same style of art - it's really fitting!

 

Anyway, good luck!

 

Thank you for your kind words!

 

I was really tickled about your description of the side art - 70's pinball cabinet side art was EXACTLY what I had in mind for those, so you 100% captured the vibe I was going for.

 

Its also true... the top art went a little more over the top...

 

Thanks for considering the pledge to the campaign! We are at the 62% mark, so we are WELL on the road but the finish line is still quite distant. I would be very grateful to have your support!

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Figured I'd chime in with my Edladdin experience. In a word, his products are GREAT! I got a chance to play the Super Twin 78 controller with Robotron 2084 on the 7800 and it made a huge difference. I more than double not only my score, but my enjoyment of the game as well. I currently have a Supreme 78: All Play 4/8 and a Seagull 78 adapter. The arcade stick is a true premium. It is a very well built, solid arcade stick and really helps in 4 way games. The adapter really opens up a huge world of controller options, with my Sega Genesis 6 button controller now becoming one of my favorite ways to play 7800 games.

 

I have also heard nothing but good comments from fellow 7800 gamers who bought some of Eds stuff after hearing about it on my show and others.

 

Long story short: If you are a CV fan and are on the fence, you won't be disappointed once you finally add some Edladdin magic to your system! ;)

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Wow, Phil, thank you so much for that!

 

You've provided me with the perfect opportunity to talk about a new development on the Kickstarter/ColecoVision project:

 

After I realized the Super Arcade Controllers were working with the Atari 2600 and partially working with the Atari 7800 (joystick only), I went back to our engineer - Bob Bugash - to ask him what it would take to make these units work with the 7800 console as well. After some analysis he came back with the following:

 

-----

 

"We would need to add a new "atari" port output to the circuit board together with its connections and several new parts. It would take an estimated 18 hours to update the PC design and fabricate it and test it out. It would also require that we order the components to fabricate the new board. Also new drawing would be needed for the sheet metal cutouts for the additional connector. The software would also need to be tweaked and tested. Estimated engineering cost: $1500.00 for all.

 

There would likely be an increase in parts cost of an estimated $5.00 per system to add this functionality. This would include a power regulator, some other chips, and another connector.

 

Assuming we added the "atari port", I believe it would be compatible with both the atari 2600 and the 7800. Only the functions of the stick and 1 or two trigger buttons would be functional (depending on whether it is connected to the 2600 or 7800) . All of the controller input ports as well as the console controls would function appropriately. Clearly with the atari output, there would be no keyboard functionality."

 

------

 

This is really fantastic news, so I wanted to announce here first that if we make it to the finish line on the Kickstarter, I will plow in the additional $1500 for the modification of the design, as well as absorb the $5 reduction in per-unit return.

 

As such, all Super Arcade Controllers and "Plus" units will ship with full capability for the '82 CV, the Flashback CV, the Atari 2600, the Atari 7800, and most 8-bit computers!

 

Please consider making a pledge. We are so close!

 

Best wishes,

 

Ed

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edladdin/super-arcade-controllers-and-adapters-for-colecovi?ref=discovery

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------

 

This is really fantastic news, so I wanted to announce here first that if we make it to the finish line on the Kickstarter, I will plow in the additional $1500 for the modification of the design, as well as absorb the $5 reduction in per-unit return.

 

As such, all Super Arcade Controllers and "Plus" units will ship with full capability for the '82 CV, the Flashback CV, the Atari 2600, the Atari 7800, and most 8-bit computers!

 

Please consider making a pledge. We are so close!

 

Best wishes,

 

Ed

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edladdin/super-arcade-controllers-and-adapters-for-colecovi?ref=discovery

 

That is great news. I just had a question about the "Super Arcade Controller PLUS". Why are there four controller ports on the front of it again?

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That is great news. I just had a question about the "Super Arcade Controller PLUS". Why are there four controller ports on the front of it again?

 

Thank you!

 

The four input ports on the front of the SAC Plus will allow you to use four different vintage controllers:

 

1. Atari 2600/7800

2. 1982 ColecoVision

3. Flashback ColecoVision

4. Sega Genesis

 

....with any of the supported consoles. One of the big purposes of this was to allow the third party controllers to be used cross-platforrm. For example, your Wico for Coleco can be used on your 7800, Epyx XJ500 can be used on either CV console, or any of the family of Sega controllers can be used, etc etc.

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10 days to go and we just crossed the 75% mark with $7200 pledged! THANK YOU to everyone here for pushing us so close to the finish line! Only $2,450 to go... Even if you are not up for a controller, we've got some cool swag options that will help support the project.

 

Here's a link to the update video I posted this evening:

Thanks again!
Ed
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Finally got round to submitting my pledge (the Super Arcade Controller) - another little push to achieving your goal :)

 

I may yet upgrade to the plus unit but not sure if I would use a Genesis controller with my CV over the Super Arcade controller. I don't own an Atari 2600 or 7800 and only plan on ever using the controller with my CV.

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Finally got round to submitting my pledge (the Super Arcade Controller) - another little push to achieving your goal :)

 

I may yet upgrade to the plus unit but not sure if I would use a Genesis controller with my CV over the Super Arcade controller. I don't own an Atari 2600 or 7800 and only plan on ever using the controller with my CV.

 

 

THANK YOU for stepping up! I really appreciate it!

 

We've had an amazing couple of days thanks to you and some other folks, leaping from $7,200 to $8,474 as of this post. We only need $1,176 to reach the finish line. It really looks like we have a good chance of pulling this off!

 

:) !

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Just want to say that I have and LOVE the Super Twin 78 stick from Edladdin. Worth every penny. The spot on arcade control makes the 7800 a joy to play (completely changing my former opinion). Here's hoping you meet you goals Ed! Speaking of which, in an earlier post someone mentioned they might "upgrade" to a different level of support? How is this done? I may have a little more to throw in!

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Speaking of which, in an earlier post someone mentioned they might "upgrade" to a different level of support? How is this done? I may have a little more to throw in!

 

Go to the relevant Kickstarter page after you have logged in. Then click on "Manage Pledge" and then on the next page select "Change Your Pledge"

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Hiya Ed. I want to support this—which option do I check if I want no genie label? I think I just want the "Super Arcade Controller", though the "Super Arcade Controller Plus" might end up catching my fancy in the end (need some more time to consider which).

 

Wow, that's great! I would really appreciate your support. We are SO close to hitting the finish line!

 

You can pledge for whichever controller you want, then Kickstarter promises me that at the end I can send surveys to all the backers to find out preferences on all the variables. With the controllers, everyone will have the option for "with or without Edladdin labeling", as well as the ability to choose either the "classic CV" control color scheme (red joystick ball, then yellow, red, purple, and blue buttons) or any of the other ball/button colors we normally offer. This will also be how we find out t-shirt sizes for those pledges.

 

Thanks again!

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