Coleco strong-arming homebrew publishers and fan sites

[TheClassyGamer]

Well, I see it like this.

 

Firstly, I won't be buying anything from the "NEW!" Coleco. They don't, and doubtfully will ever make anything I would want and surly never make anything I need, unless they start selling some kind of Coleco branded Viagra on the cheap. That would make for some interesting game nights, but anyhow.

 

Secondly, It really comes as no surprise that this Coleco moron won't listen, as it's pretty well impossible to hear the community when you've your head that far up your own ass. So to sum up this point. Screw that guy and new Coleco.

 

Next, I don't believe that anyone on this forum is the target audience of what their plans are. I'm pretty sure after seeing the success of the Nintendo Classic, they've got their greed erections full on and are playing joust in their offices with each other while thinking, that because they have the name to a video game system they will be able to ride on the nostalgia wave and be able to make enough money they can play Scrooge McDuck with it. I'm sure the idea is something along the lines of crap out some shat stain console and slam it full of games, stealing any that they can get away with and have the Coleco Classic Edition, (likely worse than the flashback) but this time it will take carts. Then sit back and hope parents see it and go, "Oh, I member!" and buy it.

[DuggerVideoGames]

I'm so glad to see this community doesn't flinch when staring in the face of evil. The fact that we're all taking a stand together is great and it reinforces my faith in humanity's intelligence. This is much better than the usual human response of apathy when a company slings so much bull.

1. Thank you for being smart and caring
2. Thank you for taking the time to really see through their lies
3. Thank you for seeing the big picture and taking a stand

[Ikrananka]

Here's an interesting list of the trademarks "owned" by Coleco Holdings LLC : https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/coleco-holdings-llc-1382196/

[Flojomojo]

Here's an interesting list of the trademarks "owned" by Coleco Holdings LLC : https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/coleco-holdings-llc-1382196/

 

 

Many different logos for COLECO and COLECOVISION, but no games?

[Keatah]

OMG

RWB was acquired last year by a company called Dormitus http://dormitus.com

They have a stupendously pompous/dorky advertising concept... old brands are "sleeping giants" like dormant volcanoes that "hold a sacred place in our consciousness" and they will "breathe new life into these brands that never died"

I am not making this up

http://dormitus.com

 

Their portfolio:

Cingular

Coleco/Colecovision

Brim

Cross Colours

Aiwa

Underalls

Handspring

Spuds McKenzie

 

 

Those companies (and others) are dead and gone. Compartmentalized in their time - flowing into the past.

 

So we have RWB acquired by another holding company now? Is that it? And about marketing. Marketers know no end to stupidity and dumbness. Anything clever is hit upon by pure chance. Bound to happen from time to time.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Keatah

[Ikrananka]

 

So we have RWB acquired by another holding company now? Is that it?

 

Both Dormitus and RWB are owned by the same person, Mark Thomann. So I guess that this was just a re-branding of RWB !!!!

[Keatah]

"In 2016, Dormitus Brands acquired River West Brands. The two companies are owned by Mark Thomann who continues to oversee, acquire and monetize these iconic brands."

 

So it's all about fattening one person's pocketbook instead of bringing back the aura and atmosphere of 1980's gaming. All these barking and marketing antics by a faceless corporation mean nothing to the homebrewers - they can change the names, logos, and titles instantly to avoid take-downs.

 

Homebrewers do the 70's and 80's right every time they make a game.

[Keatah]

"Coleco was behind some of the earliest attempts to bring video games to your living room, with successful consoles like the ColecoVision in 1982. Like many game companies at the time, Coleco went bankrupt in the late ’80s. However, it was reformed in 2005, and now producing new gaming products like the ColecoVision Flashback!"

 

That's 2 lies in one sentence.

 

IIRC AtGames produced the ColecoVision Flashback. They gathered and directed the resources to build it.

In 2005 Coleco was not reformed. They don't have a team of engineers, programmers, or anything remotely capable of building and shipping a console with cartridges and accessories.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Ikrananka]

"Coleco was behind some of the earliest attempts to bring video games to your living room, with successful consoles like the ColecoVision in 1982. Like many game companies at the time, Coleco went bankrupt in the late ’80s. However, it was reformed in 2005, and now producing new gaming products like the ColecoVision Flashback!"

 

That's 2 lies in one sentence.

 

IIRC AtGames produced the ColecoVision Flashback. They gathered and directed the resources to build it.

In 2005 Coleco was not reformed. They don't have a team of engineers, programmers, or anything remotely capable of building and shipping a console with cartridges and accessories.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

You're not wrong.

[Northcoastgamer]

Yes these people are no threat to anyone but themselves. I've been so fired up these past few days haven't even played a game. So today, this "true fan' is going to play "real Coleco games" on a "real Colecovision". Our "vision" is not their "vision".

[enoofu]

Wouldn't call RiverwestBrands/Coleco Holdings/ Dormitus branding companies since they are just one shell company

 

"A shell corporation is a company which serves as a vehicle for business transactions without itself having any significant assets or operations"

 

-------------------------------------------

 

Last time they try to make Coleco a original property was with Jeff which sounded like he wanted to rename his company too

-------------------------------------------

Jeff Birns

CEO / Creative Director at N-Fusion Interactive

• CEO / Creative Director N-Fusion Interactive Entertainment Inc.
  January 1997 – Present (19 years 10 months)
• CEO COLECO
  February 2010 – January 2013 (3 years)

[Keatah]

In order for a brand name to recapture its past glory it must grow organically with the crowd it's targeting. ColecoVision, Atari, Intellivision, and all other classic systems weren't hits overnight. They earned their reputation by growing into the public consciousness. By growing with the audience and letting a certain ineffable desire or coolness factor take hold.

 

Currently homebrewers are doing that through releasing new titles and hardware. Have done so for many years. Some for pay, some for free. Either way when I see "homebrew" I always take a look because they've proven themselves over and over. Some of these projects rival and exceed that of full-blown commercial productions.

 

---

 

You just can't plop a brand name in face of the consumer and expect miracle results. I assure you no kid my neighborhood has any desire to play Colecovision games. They don't know what it is. They didn't grow up with it.

 

And us older crowd, the people who matter, see through the bullshit instantly..

[Andromeda Stardust]

Well, yes, that's part of it. There's more. In business class I was taught to never admit mistakes in public, never answer "sticky" questions directly. Answer as if you heard a different question and reply with something neutral. It's tougher to do with the social media fad in full swing, but still doable. And don't retract anything if at all possible - makes ya'll look weak and stuff U know? Can even be an admission of guilt in a roundabout way. You can apologize and blame bad things on procedure, which you will "conveniently" look into. That kinda stuff.. Twist it around 2 months later. Be a hero and a nice guy.

I was taught from an early age it is best policy to always tell the truth regardless. I would always tell the truth and admit mistakes. Even if telling the truth got me fired, well at least I have integrity. That's gotta be worth something in today's culture, right?

[Flojomojo]

Those companies (and others) are dead and gone. Compartmentalized in their time - flowing into the past.

 

I know, right? Cingular, Handspring, Brim, Underalls ... it's like a scene out of ... oh I don't know, what's the most late 1980s/early 1990s thing you can imagine? Friends? Seinfeld? ColecoVision?

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Perhaps they were "reformed" not in the sense of "putting something back together," but "bring about a change in (someone) so that they no longer behave in an immoral, criminal, or self-destructive manner."

 

Reform_School_Girl_Movie_Poster.png

 

Nahhh, they still seem like Bad Dudes to me.

But bad chicks are so much more fun though!

[Andromeda Stardust]

The ColecoVision wikipedia page needs some work. Someone should update it to indicate the path of Colecovision intellectual properties. It does mention River West Brands owning the brand name but nothing else after 1986. There can be a homebrew section.

 

Edit: That "first iteration" bit on the Coleco page is not accurate. It should be edited, anyone can edit wikipedia.

Sure, but unless you're a part of their secret club, any edits will simply get reverted within 20 minutes by the wiki police.

[Northcoastgamer]

No integrity, no class, no morals, no games developed and lastly........

[phattyboombatty]

OMG

RWB was acquired last year by a company called Dormitus http://dormitus.com

They have a stupendously pompous/dorky advertising concept... old brands are "sleeping giants" like dormant volcanoes that "hold a sacred place in our consciousness" and they will "breathe new life into these brands that never died"

I am not making this uphttp://dormitus.com

 

Their portfolio:

Cingular

Coleco/Colecovision

Brim

Cross Colours

Aiwa

Underalls

Handspring

Spuds McKenzie

 

Why am I hearing the theme song to "Sanford & Son" playing in the back of my head?

[ColecoJoe]

Why am I hearing the theme song to "Sanford & Son" playing in the back of my head?

 

WOAH!!! Watch out dude, I think Coleco might own that melody

[jblenkle]

Spuds McKenzie deserves better...

 

OMG
RWB was acquired last year by a company called Dormitus http://dormitus.com
They have a stupendously pompous/dorky advertising concept... old brands are "sleeping giants" like dormant volcanoes that "hold a sacred place in our consciousness" and they will "breathe new life into these brands that never died"
I am not making this up
http://dormitus.com

 

Their portfolio:

Cingular

Coleco/Colecovision

Brim

Cross Colours

Aiwa

Underalls

Handspring

Spuds McKenzie

 

[mr_me]

Sure, but unless you're a part of their secret club, any edits will simply get reverted within 20 minutes by the wiki police.

If you stick to the facts, keep opinions out and have references, you should be okay editing Wikipedia.

[jblenkle]

I think their moto is "Our Vision is our Vision, it's not your Vision..."

 

Yes these people are no threat to anyone but themselves. I've been so fired up these past few days haven't even played a game. So today, this "true fan' is going to play "real Coleco games" on a "real Colecovision". Our "vision" is not their "vision".

[Ikrananka]

If you stick to the facts, keep opinions out and have references, you should be okay editing Wikipedia.

 

So I have made some changes to the main Coleco page, reverting it back to focus solely on the original Coleco company through to their bankruptcy in 1988 and asset sale to Hasbro et. al. in 1989. This is much cleaner and matches up with the approach used with Atari where there is a separate article for the old Atari, Inc. company and a separate article for the brand and what happened to that brand.

 

Using the Atari brand article as a go-by, I created a separate (new) article titled "Coleco (Brand)" which is now where the River West Brand / Doritos / Coleco Holdings info sits.

 

I have done this in an effort to make things clearer than they were before. I have stuck to the facts, kept out opinions and included references.

 

The history side could still do with some work which I will try to get to over the coming weeks.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Ikrananka

[SoulBlazer]

Ikrananka, on 24 May 2017 - 6:06 PM, said:

 

So I have made some changes to the main Coleco page, reverting it back to focus solely on the original Coleco company through to their bankruptcy in 1988 and asset sale to Hasbro et. al. in 1989. This is much cleaner and matches up with the approach used with Atari where there is a separate article for the old Atari, Inc. company and a separate article for the brand and what happened to that brand.

 

Using the Atari brand article as a go-by, I created a separate (new) article titled "Coleco (Brand)" which is now where the River West Brand / Doritos / Coleco Holdings info sits.

 

I have done this in an effort to make things clearer than they were before. I have stuck to the facts, kept out opinions and included references.

 

The history side could still do with some work which I will try to get to over the coming weeks.

 

Looks really good! I hope it says, but some of the editors on there are, shall we say, rather zealous in protecting their 'pages' (which is why some articles seem MUCH better then others.)

[Keatah]

I was taught from an early age it is best policy to always tell the truth regardless. I would always tell the truth and admit mistakes. Even if telling the truth got me fired, well at least I have integrity. That's gotta be worth something in today's culture, right?

Not really. Yes tell the truth. Always a good choice. But not for business. That's why there's CEO school, to undo that training.