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Coleco strong-arming homebrew publishers and fan sites


TPR

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Yeah but you know how most Kickstarters go ... we'll see if it they ever come out

I couldn't really give a crap atm. I want to play the Rainbow Brite game simply because it was developed by PMP, but I don't want to support these asshats with one red cent. What to do? If I really wanted to support Bob, I'd buy the NES homebrew from him, but I don't think he has the rights to distribute his own game as a 3rd party contract developer.

 

I was also disappointed by Pat and Ian not doing their homework to research the devices in this kickstarter. They seemed clueless if the Rainbow Bright game was homebrew or abandoned IP, and worse, didn't even realise that the Robotech game was a legit GBA game. Furthermore they seemed convinced that it was not running an NOAC device due to the existence of a "16-bit" game, but I am convinced the NES version is, and the GBA have clone chips as well. This means essentially for both units we are likely getting composite quality video to a cheapo LCD screen.

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I'm actually rather shocked and also slightly disappointed it got funded so quickly. :roll:

Cardillo's going to be bragging about that fact for months, never mind the actual build quality or what's inside. Just watch. :mad:

 

That's 4 of the 5 original Coleco Tabletop games right there! And these companies were able to secure those licenses and Coleco wasn't? That just show you how cheap and pathetic Coleco really are.

The only one that is missing? ZAXXON, which is a Sega game/trademark but appeared on the ColecoVision Flashback. I'm confused about who actually owns that. It looks like the brand-vulture might have attempted to grab at least part of it.

 

post-2410-0-98424000-1526475425_thumb.png

 

The first entry:

Word Mark ZAXXON Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer game cartridges and discs; Computer game programmes; Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Computer game software for personal computers and home video game consoles; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; Computer game software for use with personal computers, home video game consoles used with televisions and arcade-based video game consoles; Computer-gaming software; Downloadable computer game programs; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; Electronic game programs; Electronic game software; Electronic game software for cellular telephones; Electronic game software for handheld electronic devices; Electronic game software for wireless devices; Game software; Interactive game programs; Interactive game software; Interactive video game programs; Video and computer game programs. FIRST USE: 19820204. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20060601 Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 85770867 Filing Date November 3, 2012 Current Basis 1A Original Filing Basis 1A Published for Opposition May 21, 2013 Registration Number 4379079 Registration Date August 6, 2013 Owner (REGISTRANT) Coleco Holdings LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 300 North LaSalle Drive, Suite 4925 Chicago ILLINOIS 60654

(LAST LISTED OWNER) SEGA GAMES CO., LTD. CORPORATION JAPAN 1-2-12 HANEDA OTA-KU TOKYO JAPAN

Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

 

and the second:

 

Word Mark ZAXXON Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer game programs; computer game software; video game software; video game programs; video game discs and cartridges; computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line video games and on-line computer games; providing information on on-line games

Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 79129258 Filing Date March 19, 2013 Current Basis 66A Original Filing Basis 66A Published for Opposition June 14, 2016 Registration Number 5028981 International Registration Number 1158075 Registration Date August 30, 2016 Owner (REGISTRANT) SEGA Games Co., Ltd. Corporation JAPAN 1-2-12, Haneda Ota-ku Tokyo JAPAN Priority Date October 16, 2012 Type of Mark TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
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...

 

The only one that is missing? ZAXXON, which is a Sega game/trademark but appeared on the ColecoVision Flashback. I'm confused about who actually owns that. It looks like the brand-vulture might have attempted to grab at least part of it.

 

...

 

While it might be possible to snatch the Zaxxon trademark from under Sega's nose, you can't do that with the game copyright. For Zaxxon on the coleco vision flashback to be legal, they would need a license for Sega's copyright on the game graphics and sounds. Not only from Sega but they would need a license by whoever owns the copyright on the zaxxon cartridge game code that originally belonged to Coleco prior to 1988. You could probably publish Atari 2600 or Intellivision Zaxxon without Sega's permission because they look nothing like Zaxxon.

 

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Having actual arcade games in these new tabletops might make sense to us. But maybe the collector market for rainbow brite or that robot character is bigger than zaxxon and would actually sell more.

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I'm almost thinking they funded themselves so it looked like there was great interest in what they were doing.

That's a funny thought ... but it does appear that they had 660 takers with an average pledge of $100 each. Making that many dummy accounts seems like more work than these fellas would take on.

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Posted this in the mini arcade thread but basically that robotech license is super cheap to acquire which is why they went in that direction. Namco and other big name companies would want more for the license or maybe profit participation. It's amazing that start up companies are able to license namco arcade properties and make cool mini arcades but the pioneer ​*trademark squatter of the tabletop arcades has to resort to Robotech and a gba rom.

 

River West Brands/Dormitus Brands/Coleco Holdings LLC hasn't pioneered anything. If they were able to squat on Pan Am's trademark, it wouldn't make them "pioneers of aviation".

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River West Brands/Dormitus Brands/Coleco Holdings LLC hasn't pioneered anything. If they were able to squat on Pan Am's trademark, it wouldn't make them "pioneers of aviation".

Well they certainly have done a fine job of "shitting on the hobbiest community." Not that people haven't tried that before, and even made games out of it! :rolling:

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Cardillo's going to be bragging about that fact for months, never mind the actual build quality or what's inside. Just watch. :mad:

 

The only one that is missing? ZAXXON, which is a Sega game/trademark but appeared on the ColecoVision Flashback. I'm confused about who actually owns that. It looks like the brand-vulture might have attempted to grab at least part of it.

 

attachicon.gifScreen Shot 2018-05-16 at 8.55.47 AM.png

 

The first entry:

 

and the second:

 

 

Willing to bet Sega and that Coleco doesn't have any rights no more once Atgames was done with there contract.

Here is Sega selling it on the original Wii

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ZnkHCnm2XvA6xyPltLxrYMKTFCr-SGTb

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These would be marginally better if they had the option for video out and controller in.

 

"marginally" - in the way that a root canal taking an hour and thirty minutes is marginally better than a root canal taking an hour and forty five minutes...

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With all the distaste for one specific unnamed person, I'm amazed no one has made a video game based on such a perceived evil character.

Whack-A-Mole is one option that comes to mind.

Or Alien Brigade with CC replacing the aliens.

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Looks like they went after Tested, too:

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2078743

 

 

My god, Chris Cardillo and clan are just such amazingly huge assholes. It's a shame that those people didn't fight them like we did on our DMCA takedown notices. Maybe if more people knew how much they were screwing over the maker/build community fewer people would have bought their crappy "Coleco Evolved" games?

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Looks like they went after Tested, too:

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2078743

 

I can see why ... 3D printing directly threatens Coleco's little business. But that's the world we live in now. Ask any photographer, printer, or other legacy media person what digital innovations are doing to their livelihoods. What will dormitus stooges do when the thingverse makers change their specs 10% or so (maybe make them more like arcade replicas, and less like 80s toys) and remove the "Coleco" descriptions? Coleco will then have zero cause to complain, and they'll get zero sympathy from us.

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How do Coleco Holdings hold the copyright on the design of these old games? Don't they need to hold the copyright for them to legally be able to issue a DMCA against these guys?

I'm inclined to think Coleco thinks they made a replica and didn't watch the whole video or don't like the Coleco label in close proximity to their product. I don't know how legitinate it is, since they did not make these old cabinets. Maybe because they are deluded into thinking they did.

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