Coleco strong-arming homebrew publishers and fan sites

[Keatah]

Anybody who refers to the Colecovision as an "also-ran" is 100% clueless. The Colecovision was big for its time, and if not for the crash, it probably would have gone on to be THE king of the video game industry, not Nintendo.

 

While it was good. I don't think it would have gone that far. The industry and then-current console design needed a reboot.

 

 

[mr_me]

 

Present Atari does not own any of those properties. It's mostly pure Atari stuff now, and even that is not as extensive as you might expect.

So if someone wanted to aquire or license Coleco's Colecovision game software they would first have to figure out who the owner is. And because the most popular CV games had second copyrights from companies like Nintendo, Sega, and Konami they would have to secure those rights as well. Similarly with the CV Imagic games they would have to find the copyright owners, probably the original Imagic shareholders. Like someone previously mentioned the trademarks are useless without the copyrights.

[Bill Loguidice]

But wouldn't Nintendo have probably made the games for Coleco, much like they did during the Colecovision run? I'm not so sure the NES would have ever existed if the crash never happened. I think Nintendo would have stuck to making games instead of coming up with their own hardware.

 

Keep in mind that the Famicom was released in Japan in the summer of 1983, so they already had their own, more versatile hardware by the time the ColecoVision was starting to peak. It's quite possible that if the Crash never happened - and that's a mighty big assumption/fantasy considering we're not talking about a single company here, but basically the whole industry in North America - that Nintendo would have never introduced the Famicom stateside and just licensed their games to American companies because it would have been more difficult to break-in to a healthy, competitive market.

 

Of course, we also know that talks with Atari were taking place in 1983 for Atari to release a US version of the Famicom, so Nintendo was already thinking about stateside distribution. So perhaps even if the Crash wasn't quite so devastating, they would have continued to attempt to bring their hardware to North America. As it was, the NES release was delayed a bit and basically helped reinvigorate a moribund videogame market. Certainly Nintendo overly aggressive business practices and other market strategies that the industry continues to make use of today was arguably among the big reasons why such a pheonix-like rebirth happened.

[Bill Loguidice]

So if someone wanted to aquire or license Coleco's Colecovision game software they would first have to figure out who the owner is. And because the most popular CV games had second copyrights from companies like Nintendo, Sega, and Konami they would have to secure those rights as well. Similarly with the CV Imagic games they would have to find the copyright owners, probably the original Imagic shareholders. Like someone previously mentioned the trademarks are useless without the copyrights.

 

Activision still owns certain Imagic properties. Ownership paths are difficult to ascertain, but if an entity claims rights and meets a minimum legal threshold, we have to assume that their claims are legitimate. There's also the issue of who exactly is financially capable of challenging anything, and what specific benefits they might reap when doing so. For most older properties, probably not much.

[mr_me]

 

Activision still owns certain Imagic properties. Ownership paths are difficult to ascertain, but if an entity claims rights and meets a minimum legal threshold, we have to assume that their claims are legitimate. There's also the issue of who exactly is financially capable of challenging anything, and what specific benefits they might reap when doing so. For most older properties, probably not much.

I know Activision has published Imagic games but I haven't seen anything to indicate they aquired those properties.

 

You wouldn't have to worry about challenges if little money is being made. But if it is successfull enough then that answers the question of how a challenge will be paid for. Also if you don't have rights to the software code than its not just a civil case of copyright infringement, it becomes software piracy.

[Bill Loguidice]

I know Activision has published Imagic games but I haven't seen anything to indicate they aquired those properties.

 

I can tell you for a fact that they still own select Imagic properties, at least for the Atari 2600. It's unclear what they own for other platforms.

[Flojomojo]

But wouldn't Nintendo have probably made the games for Coleco, much like they did during the Colecovision run? I'm not so sure the NES would have ever existed if the crash never happened. I think Nintendo would have stuck to making games instead of coming up with their own hardware.

 

Nah. Nintendo Famicom came out in July 1983. It didn't come to the US as the NES for another two years. I don't know if there was a crash in Japan, but I doubt Nintendo was hurt by it in a major way.

[Ikrananka]

Links back to this thread: COLECO IN SPAT WITH COLECOVISION COMMUNITY

 

Here's another comment that has just been posted at the above link. <Sarcasm on> Coleco sound like a wonderful company so I just don't understand why Robb was so unreasonable with them. <Sarcasm off> Red text is my highlighting.

 

e7331 says:

May 26, 2017 at 12:12 pm

For starters, I’m currently working on two different projects with Coleco, however I will keep this comment as unbiased at possible, since, above all, gaming is my passion. That being said, I do have some inside information regarding this matter, and I’m interested to see how the community reacts to my point of view.

1. They asked nicely for them to take down a pornographic game post.(And i DO mean pornographic as a very loose term.) It wasn’t as disrespect, or even trying to strong arm the community into anything. The reason why is because they are in the process of releasing Coleco products marketed for kids. When they asked them to take it down (again, NOT DEMANDED), they became indignant, and started to threaten them with the exact repercussions they’re facing now, which is, “You can’t tell us what to do, and we’re going to turn the community against you if you try”.

2. I’ve read a few different posts from people, pitchforks in hand, bemoaning about how wrong it is that Coleco is trying to target, and shut down the home brew community. This.. is actually kind of hilarious. Coleco is currently employing three different home brew programmers to work on various projects. I know at least one of the developers declined to comment on this matter because said person is afraid of community backlash… if that tells you something.

3. I spent some time with one of the current owners of Coleco. I can pretty much tell you as a fact that he bought into the Coleco IP to work on as a passion project. That dude has the craziest GI Joe collection I’ve ever seen, and he loves all things 80’s. Does he want the upcoming projects to be successful? Of course. But these projects are far the image of a money grabbing scheme that some people are trying to paint. The people I’ve met with seemed extremely busy with a multitude of different projects, gaming and non-gaming alike. It didn’t seem to me like the type of operation that would be involved with petty things such as attacking its own community.

4. The Chameleon fiasco occurred before I started working with Coleco. I read through the entire forum posts in disbelief just like some of you did. So when the company contacted me to do work with them, I really wanted to know what was going on with that situation before I agreed to work with them. From what I understand, Coleco wanted to partner with somebody, who, again, is highly involved in the Retro Gaming/Home brew community, to create a console. My professional opinion is that the team trying to produce that console was a little bit over their head, but well intentioned.. And that Coleco was offering its trademark to market the console, but wasn’t involved with much else. So, in retrospect, the fact that Coleco still tries to have the retro gaming community involved in creating products is.. to put lightly.. surprising? I think any other company would immediately write off trying to do business with members of its small homebrew community after that debacle.

That’s my two cents. The entire gaming community is notorious for shitting on the companies that make them. Business as usual I suppose.

My thoughts are what a load of biased BS.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Ikrananka

[DuggerVideoGames]

 

 

Here's another comment that has just been posted at the above link. <Sarcasm on> Coleco sound like a wonderful company so I just don't understand why Robb was so unreasonable with them. <Sarcasm off> Red text is my highlighting.

 

e7331 says:

May 26, 2017 at 12:12 pm

For starters, I’m currently working on two different projects with Coleco, however I will keep this comment as unbiased at possible, since, above all, gaming is my passion. That being said, I do have some inside information regarding this matter, and I’m interested to see how the community reacts to my point of view.

1. They asked nicely for them to take down a pornographic game post.(And i DO mean pornographic as a very loose term.) It wasn’t as disrespect, or even trying to strong arm the community into anything. The reason why is because they are in the process of releasing Coleco products marketed for kids. When they asked them to take it down (again, NOT DEMANDED), they became indignant, and started to threaten them with the exact repercussions they’re facing now, which is, “You can’t tell us what to do, and we’re going to turn the community against you if you try”.

2. I’ve read a few different posts from people, pitchforks in hand, bemoaning about how wrong it is that Coleco is trying to target, and shut down the home brew community. This.. is actually kind of hilarious. Coleco is currently employing three different home brew programmers to work on various projects. I know at least one of the developers declined to comment on this matter because said person is afraid of community backlash… if that tells you something.

3. I spent some time with one of the current owners of Coleco. I can pretty much tell you as a fact that he bought into the Coleco IP to work on as a passion project. That dude has the craziest GI Joe collection I’ve ever seen, and he loves all things 80’s. Does he want the upcoming projects to be successful? Of course. But these projects are far the image of a money grabbing scheme that some people are trying to paint. The people I’ve met with seemed extremely busy with a multitude of different projects, gaming and non-gaming alike. It didn’t seem to me like the type of operation that would be involved with petty things such as attacking its own community.

4. The Chameleon fiasco occurred before I started working with Coleco. I read through the entire forum posts in disbelief just like some of you did. So when the company contacted me to do work with them, I really wanted to know what was going on with that situation before I agreed to work with them. From what I understand, Coleco wanted to partner with somebody, who, again, is highly involved in the Retro Gaming/Home brew community, to create a console. My professional opinion is that the team trying to produce that console was a little bit over their head, but well intentioned.. And that Coleco was offering its trademark to market the console, but wasn’t involved with much else. So, in retrospect, the fact that Coleco still tries to have the retro gaming community involved in creating products is.. to put lightly.. surprising? I think any other company would immediately write off trying to do business with members of its small homebrew community after that debacle.

That’s my two cents. The entire gaming community is notorious for shitting on the companies that make them. Business as usual I suppose.

My thoughts are what a load of biased BS.

 

That entire comment was a load of biased BS, as you pointed out. And Coleco NEVER asked nicely; what they did was target the wrong people and kept bullying the wrong people. They feel they were donkey-punched in the back of the head, but they target Guy A when Guy B was the one doing the donkey-punching. Then after everybody in the community beats them over the head with a tack hammer to remind them of how stupid they're being and targeting THE WRONG PEOPLE, they continue to target the wrong people and then lie about everything. They can go to hell.

 

Furthermore, whoever this joker is that's working with them cannot have his words taken as fact at face value: HE'S WORKING WITH THEM!

Edited May 26, 2017 by DuggerVideoGames

[Ikrananka]

That entire comment was a load of biased BS, as you pointed out. And Coleco NEVER asked nicely; what they did was target the wrong people and kept bullying the wrong people. They feel they were donkey-punched in the back of the head, but they target Guy A when Guy B was the one doing the donkey-punching. Then after everybody in the community beats them over the head with a tack hammer to remind them of how stupid they're being and targeting THE WRONG PEOPLE, they continue to target the wrong people and then lie about everything. They can go to hell.

 

Furthermore, whoever this joker is that's working with them cannot have his words taken as fact at face value: HE'S WORKING WITH THEM!

 

There's at least one voice of sanity that replied to the post:

 

RÖB says:

May 26, 2017 at 1:51 pm

I, as a complete bystander who has nothing to do with this scene either by hay of coleco or the fan boys, immediately dismiss this as fictitious on the basis of posts that I have read that provide proof of the interaction that has occurred between coleco and that fan club that coleco now denies and is deleting comments from where they can (such as facebook) rather than attempting to in any way address the legitimate concerns of onlookers.

 

The deleting comments on Facebook and other locations is very interesting - and completely damning against them. Glad that the evidence, and the truth, has been preserved in this thread where they cannot touch it.

[DuggerVideoGames]

 

There's at least one voice of sanity that replied to the post:

 

RÖB says:

May 26, 2017 at 1:51 pm

I, as a complete bystander who has nothing to do with this scene either by hay of coleco or the fan boys, immediately dismiss this as fictitious on the basis of posts that I have read that provide proof of the interaction that has occurred between coleco and that fan club that coleco now denies and is deleting comments from where they can (such as facebook) rather than attempting to in any way address the legitimate concerns of onlookers.

 

The deleting comments on Facebook and other locations is very interesting - and completely damning against them. Glad that the evidence, and the truth, has been preserved in this thread where they cannot touch it.

Par for the course. Crooked people doing crooked things. Never changes.

[DuggerVideoGames]

In addition to deleting the Facebook comments, they acted offended when Cardillo's name was mentioned... EVEN THOUGH CARDILLO POSTED WITH HIS NAME. Typical of a "company": grasp at straws and try to say anything that would make the community out to be the bad guys.

Cardillo's shady as hell, but he's no Slim Shady.

[Northcoastgamer]

They can go to hell.

 

 

They picked up some dead/abandoned trademarks there as well, like pitchforks and horns.

 

 

[enoofu]

Sounds like Cardillo is paying people to post

 

"produce that console was a little bit over their head, but well intentioned" Big Understatement

[DuggerVideoGames]

 

They can go to hell.

 

 

They picked up some dead/abandoned trademarks there as well, like pitchforks and horns.

 

 

 

It behooves them to stop being jackasses and actually make peace with the community, as opposed to constantly lying and having shills posting on their behalf.

[TPR]

they became indignant, and started to threaten them with the exact repercussions they’re facing now, which is, “You can’t tell us what to do, and we’re going to turn the community against you if you try”.

 

As I'm sure you can assume, I said nothing like this at all.

[Northcoastgamer]

http://www.colecovision.dk/cv-news.htm

 

http://kiblitzing.blogspot.com/

[DuggerVideoGames]

http://www.colecovision.dk/cv-news.htm

 

http://kiblitzing.blogspot.com/

I see Cardillo making a name for himself, good for him, that fugly elf. It's a shame it's not for his rap, which is crap. Maybe next time he'll think and shut his trap.

[SignGuy81]

it's all about the he said she said bull...

[enoofu]

I see Cardillo making a name for himself, good for him, that fugly elf. It's a shame it's not for his rap, which is crap. Maybe next time he'll think and shut his trap.

Believe his rap is giving him a name for himself since his songs are pretty offensive

[+frankodragon]

I don't know if this should be in this topic but since Wicked Cool Toys now owns the rights to Cabbage Patch Kids, there was an ugly dispute between them and CPK's old license from Jakk's Pacific. https://globenewswir...ic-Lawsuit.html

According to the colecotoys website they mention "from the company that bought you Cabbage Patch Dolls," some may read and think they're the company that "owns" CBK but in reality it's Wicked Cool Toys that owns the license. Do I smell a another lawsuit between ColecoToys and WCT? Hmmmmm....

[DuggerVideoGames]

I don't know if this should be in this topic but since Wicked Cool Toys now owns the rights to Cabbage Patch Kids, there was an ugly dispute between them and CPK's old license from Jakk's Pacific. https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/09/29/771718/10150907/en/Wicked-Cool-Toys-Intends-to-Vigorously-Defend-Against-JAKKS-Pacific-Lawsuit.html

 

According to the colecotoys website they mention "from the company that bought you Cabbage Patch Dolls," some may read and think they're the company that "owns" CBK but in reality it's Wicked Cool Toys that owns the license. Do I smell a another lawsuit between ColecoToys and WCT? Hmmmmm....

 

 

misleading_info.jpg

Please let WCT know about it!

[cybercylon]

Their web site is downright nauseating

[+frankodragon]

.

[StopDrop&Retro]

I see Cardillo making a name for himself, good for him, that fugly elf. It's a shame it's not for his rap, which is crap. Maybe next time he'll think and shut his trap.

 

Such an underrated post.