Atari Explorer Online: 2-Apr-94 #0306
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 04/06/94-03:54:22 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 2-Apr-94 #0306
Date: Wed Apr 6 15:54:22 1994
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:: Volume 3 - Issue 6 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 2 April 1994 ::
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:: ::
:: ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI ::
:: EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER ::
:: ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE ::
:: ::
:: Published and Copyright (c) 1993-1994 by Subspace Publishers ::
:: All Rights Reserved ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: Publisher ........................... Michael Lindsay EXPLORER ::
:: Editor .................................. Travis Guy AEO.MAG ::
:: Assistant Editor GEnie................ Ron Robinson EXPLORER.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor CompuServe.......... Albert Dayes AEO.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor Delphi......... Andreas Barbiero AEO.2 ::
:: Assistant Editor Internet........ Timothy Wilson AEO.8 ::
:: Atari Asylum ... [Closed] ...... Gregg Anderson AEO.7 ::
:: Unabashed Atariophile ..... Michael R. Burkley AEO.4 ::
:: Atari Artist ................... Peter Donoso EXPLORER.2 ::
:: Jaguar Junkie ............... Tal Funke-Bilu EXPLORER.5 ::
:: ::
:: Contributors: ::
:: """"""""""""" ::
:: Duncan Brown, Ron Whittam, ::
:: Michael Robinson, Patrick Roelandt ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: Telecommunicated to you via: ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: GEnie: AEO.MAG ::
:: CompuServe: 70007,3615 ::
:: Delphi: AEO_MAG ::
:: Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 319 ::
:: AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10 ::
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:: Internet mailing address: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com ::
:: FTP AEO Volume 3 issues from: rahul.net:pub/wilsont/AEO ::
:: Search gopherspace under "aeo" for back issues ::
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Table of Contents
* From the Editors ......................... A day late and a dollar short.
* Digital Briefs ................................ Computer, high tech, and
video game industry news.
* Dateline: Atari! ............. Atari is moving Jags and running ads - no
fooling there in this April Fools Edition
of Bob Brodie's monthly GEnie RTC.
* Jaguar Tackboard ...................... New developer & more Jaguar news.
* Jeff Minter - Stoked on the Jag ....... The brain behind LlamaSoft talks
about Atari coding with Tal.
Have a cuppa and settle in.
* Waiting for Tempest / Tips ............ Haven't played Tempest 2000 yet?
Or have you, yet you're seeking
help? Tal's beaten Beastly,
and offers his advice.
* Will Jaguar make Atari King again? ......... A view on Atari's situation
with the Jaguar from the
Netherlands. Can Atari
make it back to #1?
* AEO Interview: Lyra F'lalsi Polo ....... The one-woman Polo GameWare wiz
talks about her solo Jag
effort, BattlePong 2001!
* Andreas' Den ........... Back from flying with the Aussies in San Diego,
Andreas mulls over jazzed-up Ataris.
* Scoping Out Jaugar RGB ........ New Jaguar developer Duncan Brown wanted
to learn the secrets behind the Jag's
RGB outputs. He shares them, along
with arcade monitor connectivity.
* "From a Saved Backup" ............... In this installment, Ron discusses
how to make user group meetings
serve the users and the group.
* The Unabashed Atariophile ................... PD and Shareware files for
_your_ Atari computer.
* Gadgets By Small Update ................ Dave's online with Spectre news.
* GEnie News ........................... New files & happenings on Atari's
Official Online Resource.
* Developing News ......................... 1994 Michigan Atari Fair
Calamus AMNESTY/Upgrade Offer!
M.A.G.E. Update
STraight FAX 2.20
Digital Disk Magazine
JV Converts PAC to Shareware
New GEM-View 3.xx Module Packs
* Shutdown ............................ Around the world and up your block.
--==--==--==--==--
||| From the Editors ....... Atari Explorer Online: The Next Generation
||| Travis Guy
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow. Another jam-packed issue of AEO. I'll try to keep it brief here.
First up, notice the sub head for my editorial in the Table o'
Contents, "A day late...." I wanted to bring this issue out yesterday,
but due to various late-breaking news events couldn't. There's a
special little joke inside that I couldn't have carried out without
the assistance of Assistant Editor Ron Robinson's son Michael. Y'all
have been warned.
Jaguar ads are appearing on cable, and in an expanding group of local
markets, Tempest 2000 is officially out, and it's earning RAVES! (See
the last issue of AEO for two T2K reviews.) The first Tempest 2000
grandmaster, Tal Funke-Bilu has joined the ranks of AEO writers in a
dashing manner. He's contributed a in-depth interview with Jeff
Minter himself, as well as a list of Beastly Mode-beating tips for
everyone. I hope all of you will make Tal feel at home here.
Ok, ok, I said I'll keep this brief. Both Andreas and Albert are back
and writing; Michael Burkley has an Atariophile that's fitting to the
holiday season; Ron Whittam continues his series on user groups;
Patrick Roelandt, a new AEO coorespondant from the Netherlands, has
an insightful look at Atari and its future with the Jaguar; Jaguar
developer Duncan Brown scopes the RGB pinouts on the Jag for us; I
have an exclusive interview with an unheard of Jaguar developer (a
GIF of her game, BattlePong 2001, is included in the archive!); Dave
Small updates us all on Spectre; GEnie ST RT News; TOS developer press
releases... what more could you want?
It's here in this issue of AEO - your Window on events in the World
Atari. Enjoy, and we'll see you back in a few weeks.
America sets her clocks ahead one hour tonight, be there... and your
shoelace is untied. April Fools!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Digital Briefs - Industry News
||| By: Albert Dayes
/ | \ CIS: 70007,3615 GEnie: AEO.1
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Atari News
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
For Immediate Release
March 24, 1994
Atari Corp. Announces Fourth Quarter and 1993 Results
and Additional Equity Investment by Time-Warner
Sunnyvale, CA -- Atari Corp. (ASE:ATC) today reported results of
operations for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 1993. Net
sales for the fourth quarter 1993 were $8.5 million as compared to
$25.5 million for the same quarter 1992. For the fourth quarter of
1993 Atari incurred a net loss of $22.6 million as compared to a net
loss of $21.9 million in the same quarter in 1992. In the fourth
quarter of 1993 the Company took charges which included the writedown
of $12.1 million in inventory and other items and $6.0 million for
restructuring charges associated with the completion of the company's
consolidation of its European operations and closure of its Australian
subsidiary. For the year 1993 the Company reported sales of $28.8
million as compared to $127.3 million in 1992. For 1993, the Company
incurred a loss of $48.9 million as compared to $73.6 million for
1992.
Commenting on the results, Sam Tramiel, president of Atari, said,
"While we are disappointed in the magnitude of our losses in the
fourth quarter and 1993 as a whole, we believe that we have
substantially completed our transition from our older technology
products and the consolidation of our worldwide operations. In the
fourth quarter of 1993, we successfully launched the Atari Jaguar, the
64-bit interactive multimedia entertainment system. The intense game,
Tempest 2000 for the Atari Jaguar, ships this week and was recently
awarded "Game of the Month" by Die Hard Game Fan and Electronic Gaming
Monthly magazines. In addition to the initial launch markets of New
York and San Francisco, we have now introduced Jaguar in Los Angeles,
and as availability of Jaguar hardware and software increases, we will
broaden our distribution throughout the United States. As a result of
increased spending for marketing activities and until such time as
shipments of Jaguar products are made in substantial volume, we do not
expect to achieve profitability."
Time Warner Investment
In addition, Atari Corp. entered into an agreement to sell 1.5 million
shares of its common stock to Time Warner Inc. at a price of $8.50 per
share for an aggregate investment of $12.8 million. The transaction
would increase Time Warner's interest in Atari Corp. from
approximately 25% to 27%. The agreement is subject to regulatory
clearance and other formalities of closing. Sam Tramiel said, "We
welcome the additional investment by Time Warner. These funds along
with our existing cash balances will be used to expand Jaguar
throughout the United States."
For Immediate Release
March 24, 1994
Atari Corporation And Nintendo Reach Settlement
In Patent Infringement Case
Sunnyvale, CA -- Atari Corporation (ASE:ATC) today reported that
Nintendo of America, Inc. and Atari Corporation have settled
litigation concerning Atari Corporation's '114 Patent. The '114 Patent
relates to horizontal scrolling in video games. The '114 Patent is
part of Atari Corporation's portfolio of pioneering patents in the
computer and video game field. For a cash payment, Atari Corporation
granted Nintendo a license to certain patents in Atari Corporation's
portfolio. The License does not include Atari Corporation's patents
related to LYNX or patents pending relating to the JAGUAR technology.
Sam Tramiel, President of Atari Corporation, stated "This is an
important settlement that will hopefully lead to resolution of other
patent infringement claims." The '114 Patent and two other Atari
Corporation patents are the subject of litigation between Atari
Corporation and Sega which is pending in the United States District
Court, Northern District of California.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Operating Systems
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// OS PINK? - IBM and Apple formally announced the new Taligent
============= operating system. It was introduced to close to 500
people at the PC Forum trade show in Arizona. This new operating
system is designed using OOT or object oriented technology to be the
new standard in operating systems software. Its main target is
Microsoft Corp, which has a very strong hold on the current operating
system software market.
//// Network Services - AT&T and Novell (maker of Netware, one of the
===================== most popular networking software on the
market) announced Netware Telephony Services. The joint use of
telephones and computers in this fashion will allow for EMail,
voicemail, fax, schedule conference calls and desktop video mail to be
integrated directly into applications. The applications will allow
users to create conference calls just by highlighting names and
clicking on an icon. Over 40 software developers are currently working
on new software applications.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Computer Stats
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// One in Four - Over 25 percent of households in the USA own
================ computers according to a recent study by the
Software Publishers Association. Recent price drops in computer prices
is one of the reasons given for the increase in computer ownership.
Computer Software also surged during the recent price drops of
computing hardware as well. CD-ROM software led the way as the fastest
growing market.
//// Standard Query on Top - SQL Access Group said that the SQL
========================== Access standard is in greater demand
than any other emerging standard, according to a national survey on
strategic business applications conducted by The Standish Group.
SQL Access was named most often out of 12 emerging standards as the
standard to which companies will demand compliance within the next
three years. The objective of the national survey on strategic
business applications was to identify and track major application
development and migrations trends. Companies participating in the
survey were asked to name the five most important strategic business
applications and then answer a series of questions regardingthose
applications.
SQL Access rated a full 14 percentage points higher in demand than any
other standard, including: X/Open XA, IBM SAA, DEC AIA, IBM DRDA, and
ISO RDA.
//// Piracy Cost High - Software theft totals for 1993 were $7.45
===================== billion dollars worldwide. The US led the way
with a $1.57 billion dollar loss, which was down from $3 Billion from
a few years back. An SPA study on global piracy and intellectual
property product use in international markets is expected to be
available in June, 1994.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Mergers
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Adobe (creator of the PostScript language and Acrobat software)
========== and Aldus (creator of PageMaker DTP package) will merge
operations. Aldus will benefit from the deep pockets of Adobe while
Adobe will have one less competitor to deal with. Both companies
together will have a strong portfolio of digital video, digital
pre-press and desktop publishing related products.
//// Novell (a large network software maker) will purchase WordPerfect
=========== Corp. for $1.4 billion dollars in stock. Lotus Corp. was
also fighting for WordPerfect but eventually lost out to Novell.
Novell, which also owns Unix System Labs (USL), will also take over
the Borland spreadsheet Quatro Pro for $145 million dollars cash. This
new arrangement will create one of the three largest software makers
in the USA.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Smart Weapons
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// TRW's GEL propels - TRW will provide six complete propulsion
====================== units, consisting of feed systems and
engines, for six flight demonstrations of The Army Combined Arms
Weapons System (TACAWS).
The TRW-developed propulsion systems will enable the TACAWS missiles
to slow down and search for targets, speed up and maneuver precisely
to home in on them, shut down and restart. This versatility is
achieved with gel propellants,;very thick, jelly-like fuels that offer
the same throttling capability as conventional liquid fuels but are
inherently safer.
Gel propellants don't leak, don't spill and aren't supposed to blow
up. They also enable these "smart" missiles to manage fuel use and
thus extend their range. "Gels' high viscosity at low storage pressure
limits the amount of propellant that can leak and mix if the storage
tanks are punctured," TRW Program Manager Don Fritz said.
//// Hide Behind a Tree - In June, Power Spectra announced that its
======================= Bulk Avalanche Semiconductor Switch (BASS)
had been used as a transmitter in a successful demonstration of a
Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Synthetic Aperture Radar. As a consequence
of that demonstration, Boeing and Power Spectra are involved in a
cooperative program, with ARL, to perfect such a system. Power Spectra
has provided ARL with an improved transmitter with four times the
power of the original one.
Michael Gamble, Power Spectra's president said: "This new effort is
the first step toward demonstrating that, on an airborne platform, a
foliage penetrating (FOPEN) radar can perform the militarily useful
function of finding uncooperative targets under forest or jungle
cover.
"The earlier demonstration, conducted by ARL, was performed on the
ground. We're now going to explore whether the same surveillance can
be done from the air, where it would be extremely useful to military
commanders in the field, as well as law enforcement authorities. We
have long held the belief that such a radar could be constructed using
the BASS as its transmitter, now the Army is giving us the opportunity
to prove the premise."
//// Top Gun Computer - Applied Data Technology was recently given
===================== a contract to expand the present Tactical
Aircrew Combat Training System (TACTS) range complex at NAS Fallon, NV.
TACTS ranges are designed to provide realistic training for tactical
aircrews using actual air-to-air and air-to-ground combat tactics
employing electronically simulated weapons firings. Training missions
can be monitored on the ground in real time through computer-generated
graphics and subsequently replayed for aircrew debriefing and mission
analysis.
The training received by Navy aircrews on this and other TACTS ranges
has been credited with the excellent performance of the combined air
forces in Operation Desert Storm.
NAS Fallon is home for the Naval Strike Warfare Center. The
combination of "Strike U" and the TACTS range complex provide
graduate-level tactical training for Navy aircrews prior to deployment
overseas.
The U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School ("Top Gun" at NAS Miramar,
Calif.) will be moving to NAS Fallon by the middle of the decade. NAS
Fallon and the TACTS range will continue to play a larger and more
important role in tactical training and readiness of the U.S. Navy,
Marine Corps and Air Force.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// In the Chips
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// 100 MHZ Power - IBM/Motorola demonstrated a new PowerPC 601 chip
================== that will run at 100 MHz. In addition to the speed
increase the size of the package was reduced to 0.5 micron CMOS
technology. The chip is supposed to be available in limited quantities
during late 1994.
//// 68K Family Expands - Heurikon Corp announced Nitro, the first
======================= CPU board based on Motorola's new MC68060
microprocessor. Motorola is expected to introduce the new cpu at the
Embedded System Conference in April. The '060 is compatible with the
68040 chip with extensive cache improvements. The '060 employs a dual
4-stage integer pipelines, an 8-kbyte instruction cache, 8-kbyte data
cache, and 256-entry branch cache. Running at 50 MHz the new chip
gives around 100 MIPS (Million of Instructions Per Second) peak
performance.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Court Battles
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Stac'ed Deck - Microsoft and Stac continue their dualing in court
================= with each company attempting to block shipments
of the other's products. The fight continues over intellectual
property that each company accuses the other of taking.
//// Apple Sliced? - Over 400 Apple dealers filed a class action
================== lawsuit against Apple Computer Inc. Fraud and
unfair business practices are some of the charges in the suit. The
main issue seems to be over an agreement between dealers and Apple
concerning the education market. It was claimed that the confidential
information Apple gained from its dealers was then used by Apple to
sell its products directly to the education market.
//// Court Games - Atari Games and Nintendo of America settled several
================ different legal disputes disputes between them
last week. Atari Games is a privately held company and is not related
to Atari Corp.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Goin' Digital
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// 3D Press - Triad Technologies introduced a new technology that
============= permits high resolution, 3-D images to be produced on
conventional offset or silk-screen presses thereby lowering the cost
of producing dimensional graphics materials by as much as 70 percent.
Reginald Saxton, chief executive stated that, "The printed images
boast vivid color in all half tones and, unlike holographic or
lenticular images, can be viewed from any angle and under virtually
any lighting conditions." Saxton noted that the company's patented
technology, referred to as Hologravure was developed by a French
scientist after 18 years of research.
//// Saved by EMail - At work one day, 56-year-old Jack Miller began
=================== having severe chest pains and tried to call his
doctor. After being stuck on hold, he entered the message "HELP. FEEL
SICK. I NEED HELP." in his company's EMail system. Soon afterwards,
he collasped.
Quickly, other office workers came running to adminster aid and called
for additional help. Today Jack thinks of EMail as Emergency Mail,
since it was truely a life saver in his case.
//// Digital Pix - Kodak formed a new digital imaging group which
================ will initially be made up of several existing
Kodak units. These units include Applied Imaging, CD Imaging (Compact
Disc) and Printer Products.
The new unit will serve image users who need the benefits of speed and
flexibility offered by digital imaging," said Jack Thomas, president
of Kodak's Imaging group. "These image users include news photographers,
magazine and broadcast publishers, archivists, desktop publishers, and
personal computer users, among others who use images in conducting
their businesses."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Video Games
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// New Tank Wars - Atari Games introduced T-Mek, at the ACME
================== (American Coin Machine Expo). T-Mek is a four (or
more) person tank fighting game. Look for it to appear in the early
summer of 1994.
//// Project Unreality? - Nintendo introduced the Super Game Boy
======================= system. This new sytem allows one to play
over 350 Game Boy cartridges on the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment
System) in up to four colors. Unlike existing Game Boy games, new Game
Boy games will be able to display 256 color graphics when played
through the Super Game Boy cartridge.
//// Sega's 16/32 - Sega introduced a new 32-bit chip upgrade that
================= will work in existing Sega Genesis 16-bit game
machines. It will allow for improved speed and other capabilities in
new game software designed for the system, while permitting current
Genesis games to be played. The system, dubbed Super 32X, will retail
for around $149 later this year.
//// Mario Instinct - Nintendo of America has signed Rare Ltd., and
=================== Rare Coin-It Toys & Games, Inc. to develop
"Killer Instinct", a "futuristic 3D fighting game" for the Nintendo
Project Reality video game system. Nintendo also reports that WMS
Industries will distribute the arcade version of Killer Instinct in
late 1994. A private showing of the game will be held at the Summer
CES this June.
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --==--==-- Delphi Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
-- --
-- To enroll as a Delphi subscriber, modem call 1-800-365-4636. Press --
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-- --==--==-- Delphi Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Dateline: Atari!
||| With Bob Brodie
/ | \ File Courtesy of GEnie
------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================
(C) 1994 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables. May
be reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on
GEnie are *official* information services of Atari Corporation. To sign
up for GEnie service, call (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection
type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt.Type XTX99437,GENIE
and press [RETURN]. The system will prompt you for your information.
==========================================================================
Dateline Atari with Bob Brodie
April 1, 1994
Host - Lou Rocha
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Welcome to the April session of Dateline Atari with
Bob Brodie! This is a GEnie holiday weekend and the message traffic
has been heavy all day. Over the past weeks there has been a lot of
interest in Tempest 2000, the newest Jaguar entry and many messages
have praised the technical qualities of this game. On the down side,
there is also some disappointment about shipping delays.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> In other news, many GEnie users have posted sightings
of Atari ads in their local media. No, I'm not pulling an April Fool's
prank on you. It's true! From the sound of things, Atari is really
headed towards some heavy marketing of the award-winning Jaguar game
system.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Bob is ready with his opening comments so join me as we
check in on the world of Atari. Without further ado, here's Bob.....
<BOB-BRODIE> A wise man once said not to believe everything that you
hear. The same thing could be said for things that you read, too.
Happy April Fools Day! Here's just a sample of some of the "foolery"
that's been floating around about Atari the last few days online:
TIME WARNER & ATARI CORP FORM AVID SOFTWARE!
March 25, 1994
For Immediate Release
TIME WARNER AND ATARI CORPORATION FORM NEW SOFTWARE PUBLISHING
FIRM
Sunnyvale Ca.--Atari Corporation today announces a new software firm
in collaboration with Time Warner, Inc.. Avid Software, Incorporated
will commence operations within the next thrity (30) days. Space will
be provided initially within the executive suites of Atari Corporation
in Sunnyvale, California. A development lab will also be established
at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. The two
facilities will be linked by high technology satellite WATTS services
for real time software development. Warner Bros. will focus on story
lines and intense animated graphics. The operation in Sunnyvale will
assemble the hardware-based and software-based graphics engines as
well as game play models and prototypes.
The new operation is announced just months following Atari
Corporation's successful launch of a new 64-bit gaming system dubbed
the Jaguar. Avid Software will dedicate 100% of development time for
the first year exclusively to the Atari Jaguar platform. Although core
development teams have been assembled for the Avid Software project,
executive decisions will be made by Mr. Sam Tramiel, President of
Atari Corporation, until a permanent executive staff has been
selected. A panel assembeled by Time Warner will review all long range
goals every ninety (90) days.
The first four software titles to be developed by Avid Software and
scheduled to be released within the fourth quarter of 1994 have also
been announced. They promise a unique blend of realistic digitized
graphics, powerful high-definition animations, unique gaming plots and
topical story lines.
HARDING FALLS(tm)--- Just outside of Portland, Oregon a small
unincorporated town adopts a new name; Harding Falls. Made popular by
a local young girl who fought her way to the '94 Winter Games, the
town unites to launch a new young starlet on to a promising athletic
career. Harding Falls is where it all begins. Local challengers test
all of their physical savoy against each other for overall performance
virtues. Players pre-select their character from an arsenal of
determined challengers. Each stage consists of a practice session in
which a complete skating routine must be rehearsed. Obstacles such as
untied skates, boos from the crowd and irate family members distract
your performance. With each small win, a weapon toward victory is
awarded for use during the performance levels. Sometimes it might be
deadly capped teeth. Other times it may be a stick or a steel club.
Play against 64-bits of automated power or one-on-one with an
aggressive challenger by your side; either way you either win gold or
cry your way back to Harding Falls to try all over again.
Cartridge-based game features hidden secrets, multi-player action,
high resolution graphics and a five dollar coupon toward the purchase
of "The Club".
WARNER'S STUNT SPECTACLES(tm)--- With so many action games designed to
fight and kill opponents, Warner Bros. calls upon their army of stunt
professionals to reveal their best kept secrets of staying alive. Take
a 125-level backstage studio tour through Warner Bros. hottest action
films such as Superman, FreeJack, Batman Returns, The Last Boyscout
and The Fugitive. Race through high definition scenes of your favorite
films and pick up props such as breakaway chairs and candy glass
bottles. Battle friendly adversaries, but don't hurt them... after
all, they are really your friends. Pick up the wrong prop as a weapon
and you may kill your supporting actor and lose your part in the
greatest film ever made. Don't lose your union card! This fast paced,
action game includes the thrills of thrillers and the secrets of a
great mystery. The ultimate object is to win without hurting anyone,
but don't think for a moment there is no blood! One player action.
Cartridge-based game includes a $5 off coupon for select Warner Bros.
videos.
BOBBY BOBBIT AND FRIENDS(tm)--- Here's an animated interactive cartoon
for adults only! At first glance, it looks harmless enough... Bobby
Bobbit is a bouncy bunny that likes to make friends. Collect points
by finding carrots and hidden treasures. Unlike most treasures,
though, Bobby doesn't want to collect coins and tokens. He collects
shears, razor blades and carving knives. Usually Bobby's friends help
find treasures, but sometimes his friends get too rough and Bobby must
take corrective action! Game includes vivid cartoon violence unlike
any other you have ever seen. Let's just say it's a Saturday morning
cartoon that will increase attendance at Sunday Mass.
FOOL'S REVENGE(tm)--- A new concept in virtual world gaming, Fool's
Revenge is a hardware and sofware based interactive entertainment
package. Included is a unique, direct connect mini printer which
installs to the second joypad port of the Atari Jaguar 64-bit gaming
system. The cartridge-based program includes over 200 megabytes of
compressed text and 2 megabytes of graphic icons. World headlines and
events are changing everyday. You and your opponents review your
options. At risk is your dignity and pride and the prize is a lot of
laughs. For one player to an entire family. Look another bogus press
release on the mini printer! Did you fall for that one too?
Products named are properties of their owning companies. Text and
concept (c)1994, Artisan Software. (209) 239-1552.
### END ###
For those of you unfamiliar with Artisan Software, it's a company that
Don Thomas of Atari Corporation runs in his spare time.
Congratulations for a beauty of joke, Don. The gang at ST Report had
this press release up as news flash on Delphi in a hurry. In fact,
it's STILL THERE!!!
Some of the folk over on CompuServe didn't laugh very much, so Don had
to do a follow up job on them:
WARNING: Look for clues! You are about to be had! This may be it!
March 32, 1994 (Clue: This date doesn't exist) [commented for the
mentally impaired] JAGUAR OWNERS EXPOSED TO BOGUS PRESS RELEASE (bogus
headline)
Members dismember each other (overstated) over ethics debate -
alledged tainted press release blamed (not true, bogus subhead)
Allover, US-- An unnamed source (unsubstantiated) today reported that
users of the popular 64-bit Atari Jaguar gaming system have banned
together (typed online messages) in an effort to discredit the
infamous "bogus" press release just days before the dreaded April
Fools holiday is to be celebrated throughout the world (run on
sentence-hate 'em!).
Unlike a bug that cripples a computer until the entire system can be
reboot, the sinister press release causes unusual chemicals to form in
the brain (lions and tigers and bear a thought, oh my!). Dr. Ima
Knotheir (alias) of the Institute of Preventive Thinking (I.P.T.)
states that while "some (most everyone) finds some humor as the feared
press release propagates over the networks, clear laboratory study
(personal opinion) of those who are without brains indicate there is
no humor in anything classified as funny." Dr. Knotheir was unable to
indicate a direct association of his study to the specific press
release that launched this one, however.
In support of the doctor's findings, Jaguar owners have launched an
attack against any and all bogus press release that contain
misinformation. Within six weeks, a committee will be formed to
establish a panel that will elect a professional staff to advise a
supervisory board for a new team of advisors to appoint a cabinet to
determine whether a bogus press release may contain accurate
information (Government funding is anticipated). In the interim, all
bogus press releases must be labeled to contain artificial ingredients
which have been known to cause brain activity by the I.P.T. (huh?)
In their first official action, the Jaguars Owners Bogus Press Release
Action Committee has classified this bogus press release to be
impounded and not read. In compliance with this declaration, the
following statement has been appended for your safety:
IMPORTANT: DO NOT READ THIS!
Products named are properties of their owning companies. Text and
concept (c)1994, Artisan Software.
Don strikes again!! Anthony Shubert, publisher of the Game Master
Journal online magazine called me for comments about the formation of
AVID Software. When I told Anthony it was all a joke, he moaned and
wailed for quite awhile on the phone. Feeling guilty, I decided to
help him out with a few ideas to unleash on an unsuspecting
readership.
My suggestion was a bogus press release from Sega, announcing that
they could no longer, in good conscience recommend that their
customers spend their money on out-dated 16 bit game carts with new
systems on the horizon. Instead, they were to announce a new savings
program called the Sega Saturn CD in cooperation with some of the
leading financial institutions in the country! Rather than spend
their hard earned cash on inferior products, Sega customers would
invest in a CD that would mature in the future when a new machine is
available. Anxious customers to taste the latest technology could do
so by calling toll free 1-800-465-2827.
Some of you might recognize that line as our 1-800-GO-JAGUAR number.
:-)
Anthony didn't do quite as well as I did (oh well, I tried!): Here's
Here's his piece that was published in Game Master Journal:
Nintendo, Sega call for product boycot
Los Angeles, (March 32, 1994)
The Big Two announced today that they are removing all Genesis and
Super NES products from stores effective immediately. A Nintendo
representative said "We cannot in good conscience allow our inferior
technologies to be sold with Project Reality and Saturn/32X coming so
soon - only 18 months away." She went on to say that anyone selling
the product will be fined by the FTC for selling antiquated
technology. Sega's reps echoed Nintendo. They also said that no more
voilent games would be allowed on any Sega product.. all games must
fit their GA rating. In a related story, Nintendo signed a deal with
Midway, saying that MK2 will be exactly like the arcade, blood and
all. MK2 will be out this summer, with MK3 hitting the SNES before
the arcade, probably in time for Christmas.
<BOB-BRODIE> This past week Atari concluded a trial against Bill
Yerger, of Zephyr Computer, MicroWorld, and ST Plus. During the
course of the trial, we were surprised to learn that Mr. Yerger's
attorney's were calling Ralph Mariano as a charecter witness for Mr.
Yerger. Rumor has it that Mariano was compensated for his appearance
at the trial by a supply of hard drives and modems. Hmmmmm....
Unlike Lee Siler, who was given a gold Atari label pin by Leonard
Tramiel, Mr. Mariano didn't get a gold pin.
Enough of the fun and games. Hope you all enjoyed them as much as I
did.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> CHARACTER WITNESS ????????
<BOB-BRODIE> Yep.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Ready for some questions?
<BOB-BRODIE> With that, I'm ready to get down to business and answer
any questions that our friends present tonight might have, Lou.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> We have six in the queue... five are newcomers.... be
gentle :-) First we have Lancer
<[Lancer] S.FOSKETT> Hi Bob! I can't believe it! My first DateLine
ATARI and I scoop the opening file and get the first question too!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Welcome, Lancer. Please ask your question
<[Lancer] S.FOSKETT> Ok, here it is: What's the word on the Black
Page Syndrome and Atari Works 2.0? I love AW, BTW!
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Lancer! Welcome to Dateline: Atari. We're glad that
you have decided to join us in the CO tonight. Pradip has issued a
fix to a selected number of Beta testers on the Black page problem.
Some of them are pleased with the results of the fix. The same
testers are reporting that the Black Page problem is also present in
Works 2.0 beta, so we need to check that out as well. It is being
worked on. In the interim, if you have the Black Page problem, you
may return your diskettes to me at Atari and I will provide you with
an earlier version of Works that doesn't have the BPS.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> On to Dave Shorr
<[Dave] D.SHORR> Will the Jaguar's pack-in be changed from Cybermorph
to Alien vs. Predator?
<BOB-BRODIE> We haven't made a firm decision about that yet, Dave. It
is something that we've talked about.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Hassen is next, Bob
<[Hassen] H.HAMMOUD> Hello Bob, nice to "see" you again. Is there any
chance of Atari selling Falcons thru chains, such as Sears. They all
have clones and Macs, why not Ataris? Also, when will the Jag CD
player be released?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hassen, at this point I don't think that we'll have much
success selling Falcons thru chain stores like Sears. The Jaguar CD
is set to be completed in the late Summertime at this point.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Now we have Steve Elek
<[Steve] S.ELEK> When will educational games be ready for the JAG, CD
ROM disks for Atari, and when will 64 bit RISC computer from Atari be
in.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Steve, long time no type to! At this point in time I
haven't seen any firm educational titles for the Jaguar yet. There
are some developers looking at ports of other educational titles, but
they haven't committed to them yet. There has been no announcement of
a 64-bit RISC computer from Atari, so whatever you have heard about
that is pure speculation. And there was a recent CO on GEnie with the
gang from Walnut Creek Software discussing their CD for the Atari, I
am certain that you can obtain a copy of the transcript from the
library here on GEnie. I understand it is an excellent CD.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> OK. Paul Blagay. Ooops Scott is next. Then Paul.
<[Scott] FIZSOFT> Hello Bob, Can you give any release dates, prices,
titles, or specs on the Jaguar Virtual Reality HMD? Will it be cart
based or CD-ROM based?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Scott, we're very, VERY interested in Virtual Reality
HMD for the Jaguar. However, almost everything that we have looked at
so far is incredibly expensive. We're working hard with a couple of
key third party developers to try to create something that will more
in line with the cost of the Jaguar. So at this point I'm afraid that
I have no info regarding price, titles, or availability for that end
of the product line. I can assure you that we are working on it,
though.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Paul Blagay is next up <things are moving REAL quick
here tonight!>
<[Paul] P.BLAGAY> Hi Bob, happy Easter! I was wondering when we will
see some Linkable games for the Jag. I hope Doom will be fully
linkable. Also, any news on possible Jag to Lynx hookups? Maybe CF2
linking to the Lynx version! Also, will the CD come with extra Ram,
along with the MPEG cart?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Paul, the version of DOOM that we have in the office
right now is linkable...and we like it lots!! :0 Our developer staff
is taking pains to make sure that the developers know how to take
advantage of the Lynx-Jaguar connections, and are preaching the
advantages of it. Re the CD, I'm not sure at this point.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Whew! Busy back here... OK, Barry is next
<[Barry] B.CANTIN> Hi, Bob - got my Lynx question for you. There has
been a lot of talk on the Internet about "what games would you like to
see most for the Lynx", etc. and two of the most (MOST) popular
responses were "Rescue on Fractalus" and "Ballblazer". Anchance
they'll see daylight? Also, what titles are forthcoming (dates?) for
teh Lynx?
<BOB-BRODIE> Wow, I'd rather see those titles for the Jaguar,
especially Rescue on Fractulus!! There aren't any plans to do those
games on the Lynx at this point. Rescue might be really tough to do,
because of the detail used to spot the Cannons in the canyons....could
be really hard to read. At this point, we have at least four Lynx
titles ready on the software end of things, but I don't have
manufacturing dates for them yet; Eye of the Beholder, Raiden,
Battlezone 2000, and Fat Bobby (no, it's not named after me!) Other
titles were working on incldue Missle Command, Super Asteroids, Road
Riot 4WD, and Alien Vs. Predator. Full Court Press, and Relief
Pitcher.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> That's a healthy list! Next we have Sir Fransis
<[Sir Fransis] K.DRAKE> Do you think it possible that sometime next
year (after the chip integration) we will see an integrated Jaguar/CD
setup? With varied pack-in's? eg Movie Set w/MPEG cart, Action Set
w/AvP?
<BOB-BRODIE> I'd be surprised if we went with a Jag/CD integrated
setup. There is still a very healthy market for cartridges on all
platforms. The pack ins certainly have the potential to change, and
we are looking at Movies/Videos with an MPEG cart.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Shadow is back, Bob!
<[Shadow] D.VANTREASE> RE: on-line offers, some are disappointed
because 1) no confirmation of order, 2) no replies to private e-mail,
and 3) no activity from Atari in the RT. Also, Atari told me my T2K
was sent last Monday, but 'rumor' says theyve been delayed. Not to
discourage on-line offers... WE LOVE UM!! Any comments?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Shadow! We were flat SWAMPPED and OVERWHELMED with the
online offers. Don Thomas was able to respond to most of the people
that wrote to him, but I got HUNDREDS of letters...far too many for me
to be able to respond to. I've been working very hard with the
Magazines of late, so I haven't had quite as much time for the RT as
I'd like to. I'll be online quite a bit this weekend and get caught
up. The delay in the T2K carts is really not a delay. The original
offer that was put out indicated that it might be as long as a month
before the orders were shipped. They should go out early next week,
so the delay is really only a couple of days.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Seventeen people in the queue, Bob. Next we have Rod
Martin from Network 22!
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> Please elaborate on the MPEG carts. Will 1
& 2 be seperate carts? Will the carts be usable with anything other
than CD-based movies?
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Thanks, Rod
<BOB-BRODIE> Rod since that product is still in development, I really
can't comment on it. My understanding is that it is an MPEG 2 cart.
I don't think we're doing both MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 carts.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> On to Davey....
<[Davey] D.HAUPERT> Ah, hello dar' Bob! My question is concerning
production times. I guess it took roughly 8 weeks for T2K to go
through manufacturing. I'm wondering if all games are going to take
about that long to produce. I know that at my job, we can get
different time frames for production of our boards for varying prices
;) So is Atari going to try and rush the production of games like AvP
so it won't be an 8 week production lag again? I'd like to know that
there isn't going to be another 2 month lull before the next game!
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Davey, your figures are a little bit off, perhaps by
a week or two. It's hard for me to look into a crystal ball and guess
about some of those things in regards to production. For example,
Cybermorph was delayed a little bit because of problems with the
keyboard overlays for the game; the color was off at first, and then
the size of the overlay was too large. It was sitting up on the
controller. When those things happen, I think it's good business to
delay the production in order to correct those problems. We want to
be sure that our customers are happy with the products that they
purchase from us. So I guess that the answer is if everything goes
well, it won't take 8 weeks. But there are a number of different
companies involved with the production of the product; art, printing,
roms, cart assembly, art work, etc.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Gary is next, Bob
<[Gary] G.DULLECK> I've yet to see the Jag displayed well at a store.
What is Ataris policy on getting kiosks into stores. Also what game is
due out next and when (for the jag) ?
<[Lou] ST.LOU> From deep in the heart of Texas, here's JL Battey!
<congrats on the user group newsletter,
<BOB-BRODIE> Gary, we are making some very nice kiosks for the stores
to use to display their Jaguars. They were used at CES to display all
of the games, and include stereo speakers, and a secure method for
displaying the Jaguar to minimize the risk of theft, and yet be
attractive, and utilitarian. They are available for order, and can be
ordered from us now!! We have several Jaguar games under development
at this point, Club Drive looks like it is the furthest one along at
this point.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> JL.... ya' been introduced already so speak up! :-)
<[I.DOTTER] J.BATTEY1> The folks at Incredible Universe in Dallas &
Arlington say they have "stacks" of Jaguars. Any idea when the tv ads
will start in this market so they can sell a few more of them? (PS:
Their display of the unit is not real good.) GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Stacks of Jaguars??? Really???? Have you seen them???
<[Lou] ST.LOU> JL, you can talk again....
<[I.DOTTER] J.BATTEY1> It's a 20 mile drive, I only quote what they
said on the phone.
<BOB-BRODIE> The TV ads are running again, I'm afraid that I don't
have the media list on hand to tell you when the ads will be in Texas.
I can assure you that we also have a very liberal co-opt program for
retailers that are carrying the Jaguar. 20 miles? Isn't that just
'down the road a piece' in Texas? :-)
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Lancer is back... Then Sam.
<[Lancer] S.FOSKETT> Bob, my second question is about Atari's computer
software developments of late: I know that SpeedoGDOS has been
updated to 4.2 and the AES is up to 4.1 and the new MultiTOS is in the
hands of developers. So when will Atari Corp be releasing these bits?
I I'm not too happy to pay Compo $20 for some Speedo bug fixes...
(also, Nobody Beats The Wiz in Conn really DOES have stacks of Jags!)
<BOB-BRODIE> We've authorized COMPO software to do the release of
Speedo 4.2 Lancer. We don't have a firm release date on the AES or
MultiTOS at this point.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Sam Rapp is here!
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> Hi Bob! Can you give us a rundown on the next
half dozen Jag games to be released with approximate dates? Also,
can you update us on Computer status at Atari? What happend to all
those Falcon games? I just plugged in T2000! Wow!
<BOB-BRODIE> Hey Sam! How are ya???
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> Still looking for a T-shirt, but fine!
<BOB-BRODIE> Re the next Jaguar games; bear in mind that I don't have
any of the third party info on hand, just titles that we're looking
for. from our producers; Checkered Flag II, Club Drive, Kasumi Ninja
(which is really lookin' nice!) and AvP are the closest to completion.
Re the computer status; we're really trying to make sure that we focus
on the Jaguar right now, Sam. All of our efforts are going toward
that. In order for Atari to prosper, we need for the Jaguar to be
done the right way. I'll see what I can find out about the Falcon
games.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> The esteemed Charles S. Smeton of STraight FAX fame is
next.
<C.S.SMETON> Bob, earlier tonight you were asked about selling
Falcons in chain stores. Why do you feel that this would not be
successful? What is it about the Falcon and other Atari computers that
would prevent it from successfully being sold in this manner? ga
<[Lou] ST.LOU> I will have to put a hold on any other /RAIses at this
time. There are too many in queue for the time we have left. If
things go real quick, I will let everyone know that we can take more
questions. There are 17 waiting....
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Charles, well for one thing it would require a
tremendous investment in advertising and marketing. Those dollars at
this point would be better spent on the Jaguar, which looks to be a
big hit, than the Falcon. While there are a number of compelling
applications on the Falcon for musicians, the mainstream hasn't been
as successful. Also, stores like Sears although they carry computers,
haven't always done as well in selling or demonstrating them.
<C.S.SMETON> Thanks Bob, I just find that is is very strange that a
year ago the Falcon was released and now, it is computer-non-gratta at
Atari Why not put a Falcon flyer in all Jaguar boxes?
<BOB-BRODIE> Educating the sales people in why Atari computers would
be a better choice for their customers would be a huge task, and
frankly...I'm not sure if we would be successful in educating them.
Even with the Jaguar, we find that some of the retailers have problems
doing much more than saying "Yes, we have it. The price is x" or "No,
we don't have it."
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Clint is next, then Jason, Chris, Scott, James and
Tony....
<BOB-BRODIE> I don't share your view that the Falcon is computer non
gratta at Atari. Having an insiders view of Atari, I know what our
resources are, and if we are to be successful, we must focus
carefully.
<[CLINT/APE] C.SMITH89> Bob, have you heard what the first available
third party Jaguar game is going be? Anything you can tell us about
the significance of WMS Industries signing up?
<BOB-BRODIE> Clint, I missed the first part of your question. Can
you type it again?
<[CLINT/APE] C.SMITH89> Bob, have you heard what the first available
third party Jaguar game is going be? Anything you can tell us about
the significance of WMS Industries signing up?
<BOB-BRODIE> It's tough to say which third party game might be first.
I have seen some very nice stuff from id Software; Doom and
Wolfenstein both are coming along nicely. I've also heard that
Microprose is working on Gunship 2000. But I really can't say who will
be first. The signing of WMS Industries is very significant. They
are the leading arcade game manufacturer in the world. Some of the
finest arcade games, like NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat, and others have come
out on the Willaims platoform. This means that future Williams hits
can be readily ported to the Jaguar for home use.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Jason from NJ!
<[Jason] J.BRUNKEN1> HiBo,Eceletwok nTepes K! M hub RALYhrs t te urret
aeof elas forJg gms,doyuthnktha 50b he nd fteya i pssbe? Alo wati
hrutmserwokig n fo te aua?Mabea onecin with h icorsegae A
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Try that again, Jason....
<[Jason] J.BRUNKEN1> ook, hold on.. sorry
<BOB-BRODIE> whew, I thought I was really tired for a minute there!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> ;-)
<[Jason] J.BRUNKEN1> Great work on Tempest 2k Bob, my thumb really
hurts? Anyway, what is thrustmaster working on for the Jaguar?
<BOB-BRODIE> A controller for use with Jaguar Games, Jason.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> I think Jason wants to know if there is more news
since our last RTC? on Thrustmaster, that is...
<BOB-BRODIE> They just came on board about a month ago, we really
need to allow them some time for planning and production. It's also
appropriate for them to contact the other Jaguar devs at some of our
developer conferences to let them now about their products.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Chris from Alberta has been waiting to ask his
question....
<[Chris] C.KROWCHUK1> Hi Bob! I read somewhere that 1040STE's, MEGA
STE's and STACEY's were available, is this another April fool's gag or
is it for real? Also, what is Atari's position on modifications to the
Falcon, Warranty? Such as hard drives, ram upgrade and boards etc.
<BOB-BRODIE> I'm afraid that's an April Fools Gag by someone, Chris.
Sorry about that. Check with JAMES-GRUNKE here on GEnie regarding the
warranty. I know that he was very interested in trying to retain the
warranty for some of the ram upgrades if they were dealer installed.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Scott has a second question....
<W.FAANES> I don't know that I raised my hand>. but I'll ask.. Does
Atari have any kiosks in any retail stores?
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Ooops, Scott left
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Bill! We've just now made the kiosks available for the
dealers, so you will probably have them in RSN. We have one in the
lobby here at Atari if you want to stop by and see it. (Bill is local
to us, gang!)
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Lucky Bill! James Vogh is next....
<[James] J.VOGH> Bob, do you have any info on Star Raiders 2000 yet?
ga
<BOB-BRODIE> Not yet, James. They must be hiding the programmer from
me, I haven't seen it yet!! Sorry!!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Tony Wetmore....
<WETMORE> Hiya Bob! I have a real easy question, then a follow-up to
an earlier question... (1) How many players can you link up in DOOM?
(2) I noticed how you quite deftly side-stepped Sam Rapp's question
earlier about the release dates for the next set of Jag games... Could
you give those estimated dates/quarters?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Tony, I've only seen two players on DOOM so far.
I'll have to check with the developers to see how many can link up.
Re the game delivery dates....oh, I don't think I was _that_ deft. I
would just rather underpromise and over deliver. Which is something
we haven't been very good at over the years. But if you're really
going to push me.... I would say that there looks to be a good list of
games coming out in the May-June timeframe.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Iver heads up the next list....
<[Iver] I.POSSEHL1> This question comes from a long term friendly
supporter, but it has an edge :-> Bob - Here is a theory I have on
buying a Jaguar. When the machine and games are available in my
retail community, then I will buy it. Why should I drive 200+ miles or
go mail order for a game I have not seen or been able to check out
first hand? What can you say to reduce my fear of becoming an Atari
loner again?
<BOB-BRODIE> May I ask what area of the country you are in?
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Sell you a PC? :-)
<[Iver] I.POSSEHL1> Minnesota N. Dakota
<BOB-BRODIE> You shouldn't have to drive 200 miles to purchase a
Jaguar. We have already gone National with Electronic Boutique and
Babbages. Soon, Toys R Us will also be on a national basis with us as
well. We also have distributors selling the products to independent
retailers throughout the US. Those same distributors are also selling
the Jaguar into Canada as well.
<BOB-BRODIE> As far as buying mail order, that's an evaluation that
you have to make. Many companies conduct mailorder business in a fine
fashion, such as STeve's Software in California, or TOAD Computers in
Maryland. It is a perfectly viable way of doing business. You are
the only one that can decide if you are comfortable with doing that.
Many people are. As far as a concern about being an "Atari loner"
again....I suggest your friend check out some of the latest video
games magazines. I don't get a sense from any of them that the Jaguar
is going to be anything other than a success.
<[Iver] I.POSSEHL1> Believe it or not The closest EB, Babbages, TRU
IS 200 miles away in Minneapolis.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> On to Dan Iacovelli....
<[Dan I] D.IACOVELLI1> Hi Bob,Does Atari have any plans for either
light gun games (like mad dog ) or even a light gun for the Jag?
<BOB-BRODIE> Even publications like Electronic Gaming Monthly, which
can hardly be described as friendly to Atari, have been very favorable
in their coverage of the Jaguar, especially Tempest 2000. (Sorry Lou,
still finsihing my answer to the last question)
<[Lou] ST.LOU> My error. GA, Bob.
<BOB-BRODIE> If your friend is 200 miles from major retailers like
EB, TRU, and Babbages, may I ask what major retailers are close to
him? Feel free to send me an answer in email. On to Dan's
question... Actually, yes we do Dan. We have already tested a light
gun with the Jaguar, and since we signed up American Laser Masters
(who is doing Mad Dog) there will be a light gun available.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Paul Blagay, then Scott...
<[Paul] P.BLAGAY> Any news on 486 boards, etc for the Falcon. I heard
that Wizztronics was making one, along with CompoBTW. Everyone who
played my Tempest loved it. If Tempest was on TV then I know it will
sell Jags for sure. It sold 2 to work mates already. Any plans?PS. How
about getting HudsonSoft to do Super Bomberman on the Jag? :)Thanks.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Paul! Here on GEnie, I believe that COMPO has already
indicated in their BB CAT/TOPIC that they are working on a 486 board
for the Falcon. The product that Wizztronics is working on isn't a
486 board, it's an 040 board for the Falcon. And you're right,
Tempest will help sell Jaguars. We've got a new commercial in the
works for it. First tape came in late yesterday.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> OK, Scott at FIZSOFT
<[Scott] FIZSOFT> In the current mags there are Jaguar adds that have
a couple of pictures of Checkered Flag II. The pictures look
disappointing I was expecting a Virtual Racing KILLER! P.S. A little
texture mapping and or different viewing angles might do the trick.
<BOB-BRODIE> Scott, a lot of people told me that the pics for Tempest
weren't that hot either, but they LOVE the game. Don't worry,
Checkered Flag isn't finished yet, and you'll be pleased!!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> There are 7 people in line but Bob is willing to spend
some extra time here. I will take 5 more /RAIses! Sir Fransis is
next!
<[Sir Fransis] K.DRAKE> Have you spoke with any developers who are
seriously considering a cart/CD combo release? (Also, make sure that
any Atari nvRAM doesn't act like on that "other" machine :)
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, there are some talks about that, Kenneth. Also,
there is some discussion about having a cart game, and then following
up with a CD version of the product that would work with the cart as
well.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Davey has a 2nd question. Then Rod Martin
<[Davey] D.HAUPERT> Hello again, Bob. What's the scoop on Kick off 3?
I heard that it was featured in a British Mag. Also, can WMS develop
MK and NBA Jam for Jag?
<BOB-BRODIE> One of our UK developers is the author of Kick Off, and
it should come as no suprise that the British are "quite keen" on
having a good Soccer game for the Jaguar.
Re MK and NBA Jam; my understanding is that they have a license with
Akklaim that runs thru the end of this year for those products. So,
either at the end of the year they can do it, or they could do an MK
III or NBA Jam II before then. Please don't interpret that as an
indication that they are in fact doing those new titles, though.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Rod Martin
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> Should retailers like Babbage's have
problems getting games/units for sale? The local Babbage's never has
enough Jag stuff to display, so not many people know it's here! They
say they get one or two games in and they usually are ones pre-
ordered. They've never had any Jag stuff on display.
<BOB-BRODIE> No, they shouldn't. In fact, in view of a comment made
earlier tonight about one retailer having "stacks" of Jaguars, I'm
confused about what's going on.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Time to go on the road again, Bob? <ducking>
<BOB-BRODIE> I don't know if those guys in Texas are just trying to
get JL to drive the 20 miles to their store <grin>, Or if Babbages is
just better at sellin' Jaguar than thos fellas down in Texas.
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> If it makes any difference, I'm in
Springfield Illinois. Whenever I ask...
<BOB-BRODIE> <Ducking> Maybe I'll have Barry Switzer take a look for me.
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> about the Jag stuff, they pull things out
of the back room!
<BOB-BRODIE> Is the Babbages in Springfield?
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> Yes, in White Oaks Mall.
<BOB-BRODIE> I'll call them on Tuesday. We'll chat.
<[Network 23] R.MARTIN22> Thanks!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Dave Shorr
<[Dave] D.SHORR> Sega will be bringing the arcade home with titles
such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter; will there be any Atari
coin-op games that use the Jaguar chipset?
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, there are plans for that. Also, Sega's version of
"bringing the arcade home" is on a 16-bit system, which isn't close
of what the arcade power is.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Scott is back in line with another ?
<[Scott] FIZSOFT> Any word on any RPGs for the Jag?
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, but I can't talk about them yet. Sorry.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Shadow's turn....
<[Shadow] D.VANTREASE> Hi again, Bob! I just heard about a "Shadow"
JagCD game coming (based on the upcoming movie). Can you tell us some
details on this game? And are you pursuing LucasArts (or whomever) to
get "X-Wing" on the Jag/JagCD? And lastly, on a technical note, are
MPEGs "interactive" (ie. in a _game_), or are they display-only?
<BOB-BRODIE> This is the first that I have heard about a Shadow game.
Sorry, I have _zero_ information on this one. Re the MPEGs....I just
don't know. I'll check with our guys and get back to you.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> We have a very interesting question coming up next,
Bob. Here is Steve Elek again....
<[Steve@Sears] S.ELEK> Bob, as a Sears Office Center Account
Executive at University Park Mall, Mishawaka, Indiana, I don't agree
with your evaluation of Atari's potential at Sears. You'd be
surprised as to how many of us are computer owners that know computers
inside and out. We'd love to sell Atari! Please don't be bashful in
getting Sears back into the Atari fold. Since the JAG will be coming
to Sears, the Atari computers should too. More of a statement than a
question.!!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Steve, what Atari computer do you own and use?
<[Steve@Sears] S.ELEK> Mostly the 1040ST but also have the 800 and 130XE.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Bravo! Thanks
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Steve, I appreciate the fact that things might be
different in your store. However, I don't base my beliefs on just
sitting behind a chair. I've been in Sears stores before looking at
their comptuer products, and it's not been a rewarding experience. I
can say the same for our local WalMart, too. We also went to other
retailers here in the Bay Area, like Macy's, when Commodore placed the
Amiga in there. The machines were never properly demoed, they were
often crashed (ok, so it was an Amiga), and the sale staff was less
than helpful. Very often, if you knew what you wanted, you could buy
it. But that was really about it. Even the local Montgomery Wards
does a very poor job of retailing computer products IMHO. I own a
Star printer, and went there for supplys at Stars suggestion. You
would have thought that they would have inventory, and knowledgeable
sales staff. That was not the case.
<[Steve@Sears] S.ELEK> Bob, Sears introduced the Office Center
concept in April 1993 at our store in confunction with Fort Wayne. It
is a very different environment. Come see one that placed 10th and
11th in sales out of 798 Sears stores last year in June and July.
<BOB-BRODIE> They'd never heard of the printer that I owned, or knew
what supplies I needed. Steve, I think you've just proven that your
store is truly exceptional! I think we can all agree that Mishawka
isn't the 10th or 11th biggest city, so why are their sales so high?
The staff is the key there! Congratulations on doing such a great
job!!
<[Lou] ST.LOU> I agree! Now we have Tony Wetmore then 3 more
<[Tony] WETMORE> Any idea when we can expect some sports games for the
Jaguar (hockey and football, mostly), so I can retire my antiquated
Sega Genesis? [;-) [Oh yeah, Tempest 2000 RULES! What's Jeff Minter
doing now, other than sipping margaritas in the Islands?]
<BOB-BRODIE> Actually, Jeff is back home in the UK, and is starting to
frequent the onlines. I'm going to try to get him on here. :)
<[Tony] WETMORE> (that's AMERICAN "football" naturally <g>)
<BOB-BRODIE> Re the sports titles, we had a problems with the
developer that was doing the Football game for us, so we had to cancel
that contract. We're now looking at another developer, as well as at
a version of Troy Aikman Footabll that another developer (TradeWest I
think) is doing. The various titles that we licensed from Accolade
are in the process of being signed out to other software houses, so
we're looking forward to getting that done, and the coding started. ga
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Mr. Atariophile is next!
<AEO.4> Bob, when might we get the Lynx games featured in the recent
two-for-one promotion? Thanks for the call. I appreciate the
personal touch! --Michael
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Michael, our shipping time is typically 5-10 business
days via UPS ground after the order has been entered. I'll look in to
your order on Tuesday (we're closed on Monday) and see what's up.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Rob Zalischuck is next
<[Robert] R.ZALISCHUK> ouch Lou, only 1 c :)
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Sorry 'bout that :-)
<[Robert] R.ZALISCHUK> Bob, is it unreasonable to expect Atari to use
the Jaguar promotions to piggyback *computer* promotion even if it is
only a brochure?
<BOB-BRODIE> I don't think it will be inappropriate in the future,
Robert. I do think that it's a problem now. I know I'm not telling
you what you want to hear about this. However, it's important for you
to accept what I'm telling you: we need to focus on the Jaguar. If we
lose focus on it, we will have big problems. It is not our intent to
abandon the computer business. However, we must be successful with
the Jaguar, which means doing the right things in the right way at the
right time. Things like the quick replacement of the defective RF
switches are possible because of our focus. Getting quality
developers up and running on the Jaguar is possible because of our
focus. We must retain that.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Our last question of the night comes from Travis Guy at
Atari Explorer Online.
<[F-S-U!] AEO.MAG> Bob, Happy Holidays to you and to yours. Two quick
questions. One, has Checkered Flag II's name been changed to "Redline
Racing" or was Juli joking? Next, will American Laser Masters be
producing a light gun for the Jaguar theirselves, or will that come
from someone else? That's the first we've heard about Mad Dog McCree
for the Jaguar - it's good to see a lot of "head to heads" with 3DO
softs.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Travis, Happy Holidays to you...hope the Easter Bunny
brings you lots of good stuff! We're kicking around a number of things
with Checkered Flag II. Redline Racing, some kind of sponsored Indy
race car game, and a few other things. I haven't seen Juli's
post....and she will joke around from time to time. But I've heard the
name Red Line Racing mentioned a few times. Not sure about the light
gun, my understanding was that some production light gun was tried out
and worked. I'm not sure who the manufacturer was of the gun. My
personal feeling is that the gun is really needed for a game like Mad
Dog to be a success.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> If I may pop one question.... does Sunnyvale have
supplies of 804 drums and toner on hand? Third party suppliers are
getting ridiculous! 500 CDN for a drum!
<BOB-BRODIE> I believe that we do, Lou. You might also want to check
with Lasertek at 800-252-7374. I met with them at COMDEX in '92 and
they had a good supply of those products then. Drums have always been
pricey.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Thanks for the tip... In closing I would like to thank
Bob for joining us from his home on this holiday evening. I am sure
you treasure family time and we appreciate your effort in attending
tonight. As usual, lots of Jaguar news but it's obvious that the folks
around here are not ready to give up on their Atari _computers_! I
would also like to wish you advanced congratulations on your upcoming
BIRTHDAY! Rumour has it that you hit a new decade on Monday! Thanks
also to all our attendees, especially the newcomers. I hope you make
this a regular stop on the first Friday of every month. Finally,
thanks to everyone who asked questions. You all did a marvellous job!
Over to you, Bob!
<BOB-BRODIE> As always, I have enjoyed our session of Dateline:
Atari. I hope that everyone enjoyed my opening Aril Fools remarks. I
had more, but decided that the file was big enough...and Ron Luks
might not have had a very good sense of humor. :-) Although I'm not
telling many of our customers what they want to hear about our
computer line, I want to assure you that I personally share your
views: Atari Computers remain my personal machines of choice!! And
you're corrct, Lou. Monday I hit 40! Atari is allowing me to start
that decade off by taking the day off. <GRIN> Thanks to all of your
for taking the time to come tonight, and don't forget to change your
clocks this weekend!! Goodnight!
/|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\
Our next session of Dateline Atari will be held on Friday, May 6st
at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Real Time Conferences in the Atari ST
RoundTable are held every Monday (Desktop Publishing and Graphics) and
Wednesday (Open House) night at 10:00 p.m. and a HelpDesk is available
evry Sunday at 9:00 p.m. On the first and third Thursday there is a
Programmer's RTC at 9:00 p.m.
If you miss a conference, transcripts are made for all formal RTC's
(where there is a special guest) and the programming RTC. You will
find these transcripts in Library 13 - Atari Archives.
Please send your questions, suggestions and comments to RTC$ via
GEmail. Thank you.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jaguar Tackboard
||| Confirmed information about Atari's Jaguar
/ | \ Compiled from online and official sources
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Independent Association of Jaguar Developers
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The IAJD (Independent Association of Jaguar Developers) has started
accepting members on GEnie. The IAJD is a private group where
confidential discussions can be freely held. (Category 64 of the ST
RoundTable is the IAJD meeting place.) Consequently, membership in the
IAJD is limited to Jaguar developers who are registered with Atari
Corp. To apply for membership, send EMail to ENTRY$ on GEnie (or
<entry$@genie.geis.com> if you're not on GEnie). Regular EMail
correspondence with the IAJD should be sent to IAJD$ (again, or
<iajd$@genie.geis.com> if you're not on GEnie).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Developer / Game List 1.7
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Editor: The following developers, licensees and game titles have
been confirmed to the best of AEO's ability as of April 2, 1994.
Entries in the "S"tatus column reflects any "e"rrors, "u"pdates, "n"ew
titles, or new "d"evelopers since the last AEO list. The "?" entry
represents developers or titles that once were confirmed, but are now
in questionable status. Titles in brackets (e.g., [Cybermorph]) have
been completed and are available in the US. AEO ratings have been
added to the list. A key to the ratings follows.
Park Place Productions appears to be no more - therefore, I've pulled
their name from these listings.
1-10 Titles
S Developer/Licensee Rating under development
" """""""""""""""""" """""" """""""""""""""""
21st Century Software - Pinball Fantasies
3D Games
Accent Media Productions
Accolade - Al Michaels Announces Hardball
- Brett Hull Hockey
- Busby in Clawed Encounters
of the Furried Kind
- Charles Barkley Basketball
- Jack Nicholas Golf
Activision - Return to Zork CD-ROM
u All Systems Go - Hosenose and Booger CD-ROM
u - Jukebox - cart multiplexer
d American Laser Masters - Mad Dog McCree
Anco Software Ltd. - Kick Off 3
- World Cup
Anthill Industries
Argonaut Software - Creature Shock CD-ROM
(For Virgin)
Atari Corp. - Battlezone 2000
- Chaos Agenda CD-ROM
- Club Drive
5 [Crescent Galaxy]
- MPEG 1 and 2 carts
- Star Raiders 2000
- Tiny Toons Adventures
- VR Helmet
MORE
Atari Games Corp.
Attention to Detail - Battlemorph: Cybermorph 2 CD-ROM
- Blue Lightning CD-ROM
7 [Cybermorph]
(For Atari)
Audio-Visual Magic
Bethesda Softworks
Beyond Games Inc. - Battlewheels
- Ultra Vortex
Black Scorpion Software
Bjorn Joos/Kris Van Lier
Borta & Associates
Brainstorm - [x86 Jaguar Development System]
n Bullfrog Productions Ltd. - Syndicate
n - Theme Park
(For Ocean)
Clearwater Software
Computer Music Consulting
Cybervision
CyberWare
Delta Music Systems Inc.
Dimension Technologies
Domark Group Ltd.
DTMC
Duncan Brown
Elite
E-On
Eurosoft
EZ Score Software Inc.
GameTek Inc.
Genus Microprogramming Inc.
Gremlin Graphics Ltd. - Zool 2
- UNKNOWN TITLE (racing) - MORE?
H2O Design Corp.
Hand Made Software - Kasumi Ninja
(For Atari)
High Voltage Software
Hisoft
ICD Inc. - Cat Box (AV & comm expansion box)
id Software - Doom: Evil Unleashed
- Wolfenstein 3D
Imagineer Company Ltd.
Imagitec Design Inc. 6 [Evolution Dino-Dudes]
6 [Raiden]
n - Freelancer 2120 CD-ROM
Interplay - BattleChess CD-ROM - MORE?
Jaleco
Krisalis Software Ltd. - Soccer Kid
Limelight Media Inc.
u LlamaSoft 10 [Tempest 2000]
(For Atari)
n - MORE MINTER!
Loricel S.A.
Manley & Associates Inc.
Maxis Software
Microids - Evidence
- Commando
Microprose - Gunship 2000 - MORE SIMULATIONS
Midnite Software Inc. - Car Wars
- Dungeon Depths
Millenium Interactive Ltd.
NMS Software Ltd.
n Ocean Software Ltd. - (Movie title "The Shadow") CD-ROM
n - Apes--- - MORE
Phalanx - Phong 2000
Photosurrealism - Galactic Gladiators
PIXIS Interactive
ReadySoft Incorporated - Dragon's Lair CD-ROM
- Dragon's Lair II CD-ROM
- Space Ace CD-ROM
Rebellion Software Ltd. - Alien vs. Predator
- Checkered Flag II
- Legions of the Undead
(For Atari)
Rest Energy
Sculptured Software Inc.
Silmarils - Robinson's Requiem
Software Creations
Team Infinity
Team 17 Software Ltd.
Tecnation Digital World
Techtonics
Telegames - Brutal Sports Football
- Casino Royale
- European Soccer Challenge
- Ultimate Brain Games - MORE?
Teque London Ltd.
Thrustmaster
Tiertex Ltd.
Titus
Tradewest - Double Dragon 5
- Troy Aikman Football - MORE?
Trimark Interactive
U.S. Gold Ltd. - Flashback
UBI Soft International - Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis - MORE
V-Reel Productions - Arena Football
- Horrorscope
Virgin Interactive
Entertainment Ltd. - UNKNOWN ("Movie title")
Virtual Xperience - Indiana Jags
- Zozziorx - MORE?
Virtual Xperience
Visual Concepts
Williams Brothers
WMS Industries
Pts Stars AEO Ratings
""" """"" """""""""""
10 ***** GAMING NIRVANA!!! - You have left reality behind... for good.
9 ****+ Unbelieveable GAME!! - Your family notices you're often absent.
8 **** Fantastic Game!! - You can't get enough playtime in on this.
7 ***+ Great Game! - Something to show off to friends or 3DOers.
6 *** Good game - You find yourself playing this from time to time.
5 **+ Ho-hum - If there's nothing else to do, you play this.
4 ** Waste of time - Better to play this than play in traffic.
3 *+ Sucks - Playing in traffic sounds like more fun.
2 * Sucks Badly - You'd rather face an IRS audit than play this.
1 + Forget it - ... but you can't; it's so badly done, it haunts you.
0 - Burn it - Disallow programmer from ever writing games again.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Jaguar Quotes
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Don Thomas <75300.1267@compuserve.com> annouces the availability
of Jaguar kiosks for commercial use:
[] As noted a few weeks ago, Atari has an elaborate hands-on display
designed for in-store use. It looks a lot like an arcade machine
and houses the Jaguar as well as stereo speakers a monitor, cables,
controller and more. It comes complete with exception to the Jaguar
itself.
A lot of people asked about this unit in E-Mail and at that time I
didn't have any literature on it. I do now.
This unit is NOT intended for end users and is NOT inexpensive. In
some situations I can see it to be very economical though. I could
easily see it being used in a Dentist's office or any other
professional waiting area. It would be nice in rec rooms or in many
clubs and organizations.
If you have a SERIOUS interest in purchasing this, I wuld be happy
to send specifications. Send a SASE to:
Atari Corporation
P.O. Box 61657
Sunnyvale, CA
Simply ask for the stand-up display fact sheet.
//// Mike Fulton <75300.1141@compuserve.com> shares his views on
video frame rates:
[] The frame rate at which a game updates its screen doesn't
necessarily correspond in a particular way to the television or
monitor's frame rate. In fact, ideally the game's screen refresh
_should not_ be tied to the television's frame rate, because
otherwise the game plays differently on different types of TV sets.
And a TV really does do 60 frames per second, although a broadcast
TV signal is only 30 frames per second. Televisions use a method
called interlacing to increase the apparent vertical resolution of
the image. The electron gun of a picture tube paints the display
60 times per second, but it can only display about 262 lines of
vertical resolution in each frame, which isn't really very good. A
broadcast TV signal wants to have about 525 lines of vertical
resolution, so what they do is have the signal show only 30 frames
per second, but each frame is broken down into two 'fields'. One
field contains all the odd-numbered scanlines for a frame, and the
next field contains all the even-numbered scanlines. Each field is
displayed in one of the picture tube's 60hz frames, and the result
is that the eye sees a higher resolution picture than you'd
otherwise get.
Interlacing is a tricky thing, however, and if you have significant
differences in brightness or color between one scanline and the
next in the same frame, you get a flickering effect on screen
because the same part of the screen is changing back and forth 60
times per second. You don't notice this much in regular TV stuff
because they use tricks like anti-aliasing to get around it.
However you do see it in some instances, like in the overlay
lettering for some mail or phone-order commercials.
So while a regular broadcast TV signal is only 30 distinct images
per second, each image is actually using 2 frames of the picture
tube. I don't know for sure if this works on a TV, but I suspect
that if you don't interlace your signal this way, and settle for
lower resolution, you can get the full 60 frames per second.
I don't know what the actual frame rate of Wolfenstein 3D on the
Jaguar is, but I do know they had to slow it down to keep you from
running into the walls. We got a new, higher-resolution version
today and it's looking pretty good. You also have to consider that
the Jaguar can connect to higher quality monitors as well as
televisions.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// JagDaptor Announced - PR
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The ultimate game machine - the Jaguar Interactive Multimedia System
from Atari - has just been granted a new range of versatility...
through the introduction of the JagDapter. The JagDapter allows the
Jaguar to interface completely with a wide range of video and audio
peripherals - maximizing the gaming experience for consumers in a way
other systems simply cannot. The JagDapter features -
* Composite video AND stereo output (take video to tv and
the stereo to your amplifier or tv if
you have stereo tv)
* Split composite signal capabilities for luma and chroma
(for older composite monitors)
* RGB signal output (completely compatible with the Atari
SC1224 (color) and Atari SC1435 (stereo
color) monitors)
* s-video output (for connection to s-video tvs)
This exciting new interface extends the connectivity of the Jaguar...
sealing its position as the Number One gaming system available to
consumers. And best of all, the JagDapter is completely affordable.
Boasting made-in-America quality and ingenuity, the JagDapter is
priced at just $49.95... making it a perfect add-on accessory for any
Jaguar owner. For the price of a single game, a Jaguar owner can
purchase the JagDapter and dramatically expand their gaming pleasure
and horizons.
The JagDapter is available now at local Jaguar dealers and
retailers, or can be ordered directly from Mark at:
MARS Merchandising
1041 E. St Charles Rd;
Lombard, Illinois 60148
(phone (708) 627-7462)
(Jaguar is a registered trademark of Atari Corp.)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Get a Free APE on your back!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Would you like to check out a FREE issue of the APE [Atari Power
Entertainment] Newsletter? All you have to do is give me your address.
You can GE-Mail the info to me at Genie via my address, C.SMITH89.
[Internet: c.smith89@genie.geis.com] If you don't have access to Genie
you can mail your free issue request to:
APE Newsletter
2104 North Kostner
Chicago,IL 60639
You'll be sent a free issue and a subscription form listing the back
issues of APE. Here's the special deal I mentioned earlier. When you send
me your address, mention that you read about it in APE Online. You'll
get $1 off the usual subscription rate plus you'll get to choose a free
back issue.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jeff Minter - Stoked on the Jag
||| Interview conducted by: Tal Funke-Bilu
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.5 Internet: tfunkebi@hmc.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------
//// Tal: Jeff, I first read your columns in ST Action about 6 or 7
years ago... was the ST your first Atari love or were you a 2600
man? (Or should I say "a 2600 Yak"?)
Jeff - When I was at University I blew quite a bit of one term's
grant on a VCS. Late nights playing Space Invaders and Superman... got
my Dad into games with that VCS: I brought it home one holiday and had
it set up on the TV with Space Invaders, when my dad came home, I
offered him a go and got the usual bollocks about 'I can't do those,
I'm too old'... I insisted he have a go and I didn't get a look at the
joystick for a couple of hours. My dad now has a Snes, a PC-Engine
CD-ROM, a Lynx, a Genesis, a Gameboy, an Atari ST, an Amiga, a
Vectrex, a Colecovision from way back, likewise an Intellivision, and
he'll have a Jag as soon as I can get him one, and he plays at least
three hours of games a day... but I digress.
The VCS was my first console, but for a long time all the programming
I was doing was on Commodore kit - from my first P-50 programmable
calculator, then the PET, then the Vic-20 and to the C64, it was
Commodore all the way. Then I switched to the Atari ST, then the TT,
the Falcon, and finally the Jaguar. So I guess you'd have to say that
my first games love was Atari, but for programming it was Commodore,
and remained so until the Tramiels left.
//// How did the Yak get his start in programming? When did you first
STart programming the ST?
Well, I started by writing games for my fellow students at college, on
the 8K PET they had, the old one with the little keyboard and the
built-in tape drive. You were allowed half an hour access a day,
which I'd spend frantically typing in hex pairs, execute, and then
trying to find out where it crashed... I got quite good at doing jump
offsets in hex in my head. I actually used to get up early (an
unheard-of thing) and stay late to get more time. Never sold any of
the games I made, but it was good practise having the games played by
a bunch of critical mates - you pretty soon learned about playability,
if a game sucked no-one would play it! After college I went to
university where I spent a year playing about on the college mainframe
and also on the obligatory ZX80, and definitely not much maths and
physics, which is what I was supposed to be doing; consequently I was
ejected after a year. Still figuring I ought to do the "right" thing,
I got a place on a polytechnic course (still maths and physics, but
with the option to switch to computing in the second year). However,
three months in I copped a pretty nasty virus and was ill for three or
four months, so I had to drop out of the course.
By then I had a Vic 20 and while I was in, I coded a fairly crude
Defender game called "Andes Attack", in which you had to protect
llamas instead of humanoids. At some point we decided to try to sell
the game, and under the name Llamasoft we went to a Commodore computer
show in London. We took a TV and my Vic and loaded up the game and let
people play. We were surprised when we sold out of games on the first
day... then this guy from a US outfit called Human Engineered
Software came by and asked me if I could do a ROM version for them to
sell in the States. That was the break which really got Llamasoft
started. I wrote a game for HES called Gridrunner which did pretty
well and we copped for a lot of royalties.
I got into the ST right when it first came out. At that time, I'd been
coding the C64 for a few years, and then the Amiga and ST both came
out, and they both looked pretty interesting. Commodore, however, had
a shitty attitude towards game programmers at the time; they wanted
the Amiga to be perceived as a business machine, so game programmers
didn't get invited to the previews, and it just didn't feel like they
wanted to help us get our hands on the new wonder-machine. Atari,
however, were most co-operative, and I had one of the first 30
machines to arrive in Europe.
//// At the time, what was the most inviting aspect of programming on
the ST... what put it ahead of the competition?
Obviously, the speed was part of it, also proper colour pixel-
accessible graphics - characters and sprites are OK but they do
constrain you. I had started to work on the light synthesiser idea on
the C64, and the prospect of a good colour bitmapped display and a
mouse for input to the lightsynth was irresistable. The first ST
program I wrote was "Colourspace". As for being ahead of the
competition, well, at the time the Amiga was really overpriced - well
over a grand, I remeber - so the ST outsold it massively. I also found
that in my experience TOS/GEM just felt more solid than early
AmigaDOS/Workbench. Too many Guru Meditations for my liking.
//// In your ST Action columns you often bragged about your various
Lynx high-scores or accomplishments.... Have you ever been
tempted to sit down and develop for the Lynx? Is it a possibility
in the future?
At the time it came out I would have killed to write Lynx games.
However Llamasoft wasn't a big enough company to sustain the cost of
developing and publishing our own games on ROM, and I didn't know of
any larger companies who would let me do the kind of games I wanted to
do - so I carried on with the ST. As for now, I guess Atari want me
chained to a Jag for awhile - and I can't say I'm complaining.
//// How do you feel about the state of video games today? 10 years
ago there weren't flashy graphics or sound, just downright good
gameplay. Where do you think we are going with all the FMV and
stereo sound? Can a bad game cover up its flaws with flashy
graphics and sound? Elaborate. (Easy for me to say.)
Well, I think that we're about to see a repeat of the old "laser game"
syndrome with the current obsession with FMV. Remember back in the mid
Eighties when everyone was predicting the demise of traditional
coin-ops in favour of the all-new "Laser Games" based on Videodisc
technology? Sure, the first time you saw one, it definitely made you
go "wow" to see real video in a game. Then you played the games and
found out that they were either traditional games superimposed over a
noninteractive background, or else they were simple affairs where
you'd make a series of decisions interspersed with noninteractive
video clips. You soon got bored; the laser-game era quietly passed
away. The key word in this context is "noninteractive".
Laserdisc and FMV alike are excellent media for watching films, just
like a VCR. However, the nature of games is the interactivity - the
creation of a little world within which you can do whatever you like,
constrained only by the rules of gameplay. Laserdisc, FMV and your VCR
are excellent at linear playback of pre-recorded scenes - but the only
degree of freedom you have is to say where playback starts or ends.
Sure, you can have different sections of video present themselves
according to certain player action, but you're never going to be able
to show every possible view for every possible player action even with
the storage capacity of CD. Since you can't show all the views, the
only option is to constrain the player's actions.
That is not to say that CD as a medium for games is bad - far from it.
The true advantage of CD is the immense data storage capacity. By
using a system like the Jaguar - capable of rendering detailed 3D
worlds which are fully interactive - with the CD-ROM to hold details
of levels, graphics of enemies, loads of tunes etc., etc. (and maybe a
couple of unintrusive FMV for breaks in the gameplay, scene-setting
etc.), it will be possible to design games with incredible depth and
detail, the like of which would never be possible on a ROM.
Games like this are the future, definitely not the constrained
stringing-together-of-film-clips type stuff you currently see so much
of on the Sega CD and 3DO. In a way I think that it's good that the
Jag *doesn't* have a CD-ROM drive straight away, as developers have to
concentrate on getting the most out of the Jag's hardware instead of
going down the route of "let's make a pretty game by spooling lots of
pre-rendered images off the CD-ROM, at least the screen pictures will
look good in the magazines." By the time Jag CD comes out, developers
will already know the power they've got in the Jaguar, and hopefully
won't want to waste that power by using it to emulate a VCR.
As for covering up bad gameplay with great graphics and sound, yes, it
goes on all the time. I think a lot of the reason people say "the old
games are the best" is that Way Back When, you had very limited
resources to play with in terms of RAM, colours onscreen, processor
power, etc. If you wanted someone to get addicted to your game you had
to put everything into the playability. Games such as Defender,
Asteroids, Missile Command and Tempest were not very large, but by
Ghod they were nigh-on perfectly balanced. The learning curve was
perfect, dedicated players could get really skillful, beginners
weren't too intimidated, there were no great discontinuities in the
gameplay... now, it seems that a lot of games just take an
off-the-shelf gameplay basis, like vertical-scroller, platform game,
yet-another-Rtype clone, etc., and dress it up with great graphics and
sound. I have a friend who works at Sega and I went round to see him
once and he showed me a lot of new Genesis stuff, and by the time I
saw the ninth R-Type, I was begging him to stop... in a lot of games
on current 16 bit systems players have *less* control than they did
in, say, Defender or Asteroids. Game design seems almost to have
become a forgotten art.
I think, and hope, that is going to change with the introduction of
high-powered systems like the Jag. Now that we have the power to
create fully-interactive 3D game scenarios, players will demand more
interaction; game designers are no longer constrained by limitations
of the hardware. Some people will just port the old formulas to the
new environment - Star Fox is only R-Type in 3D, you can't actually
fly anywhere you like. That's unlike Cybermorph, which gives you a
world and a craft to make your way around it and leaves the rest up to
you. At last game design is becoming important again. That's not to
say that in a year's time we will not be seeing "yet-another-DOOM" or
"yet-another-polygon-world", 'coz there will always be those who see a
successful game and clone it to the max; but I think that there will
also always be some people who want to do something entirely
different.
//// You are well known for your EXCELLENT adaptation of Tempest for
the Jaguar in the form of Tempest 2000. When did you first hear
about the Jag and what convinced you that it would be worth
developing on?
I got invited to a Jag devcon in the UK at the end of '92, where we
were shown Jag for the first time. They had Tigercube (which has since
mutated to become the spinning Jaguar logo) and various demos of the
colour capabilities, spriting and Gouraud shading. I was interested
then, and they gave us the tech notes to take away and they made
interesting reading, but I didn't fully realise what Jag was actually
like until a few weeks later. Atari invited me out to Sunnyvale to
write some demos for the Jag. I remember the moment the penny dropped
- I was learning the blitter and I wrote this warp effect using only
the 68K and the blitter. I assumed that, as it was quite a nasty warp,
it would be a non-realtime effect - something you'd do once to a
bitmap and then display the result. I got it going, it ran, and warped
this image of a girlie I was using as source. Then Leonard came by and
said, how about putting it in a realtime loop? I said naaah, didn't
intend it to be realtime, but I put it in a loop that altered some
parameters and tried it out anyway... and it went in realtime - that
girlie was warping about like she was on a sheet of rubber, and I just
went F###! Then it just took over, the hardware sprite scaling, the
rotation, the shaded blitting, it just blew me away again and again.
At that point my soul belonged to Jaguar.
//// Let's be up front about this... I'm sure a lot of people would
like it if you completed the following sentence and elaborated on
the subject: "Programming on the Jag is soooo bloody fun because
______"
... you can politely ask the processors to do a billion insane things,
and they'll do them and still have time left over to make you a cup of
tea, do the laundry, nip down the shops and tidy the house, before the
next frame interrupt..
//// A lot of people want a cart or CD packed with a bunch of old
classics... Defender, Phoenix, etc.... Are you going to be the
man to bring those to life on the Jag? We know Joust is rumored
to be an Easter egg in an upcoming release... are we going to see
more old games hidden this way?
Depends on the individual developers I suppose. Nice idea, if you
have the spare memory and time in the schedule to fit them in.
//// OK Jeff, what game are you most looking forward to on the Jag?
Provided they can capture the essence of the original and transfer it
to 64-bit, definitely "Star Raiders".
//// What do you think of the statement "The Jag has the power to
_REDEFINE_ video games..." ?
I think that could be true.. if a bit advertising-hypey... the Jag is
particularly exciting as it's the first console platform to offer
gaming satisfaction to two previously separate segments of the market
- the Nintendo/Sega area, where the emphasis is on cutesy, sprite-
based scrolly games, and the high-end gamer who until now has bought a
fast 486 with CD-ROM etc. to play polygon-based simulations and more
complex strategic games. The Jag can do better scrolly/spritey games
than the current 16-bitters, and we all know how good it is at doing
fast polygons.... Consequently, people who might turn their noses up
at Sega/Nintendo, who have a reputation for serving the 14+-year-old
market, may well buy a Jag, 'coz it's a lot cheaper than a top-end
486... so in this respect I can see Jag redefining the console market.
//// What's the story with Mollie and Flossie?
Molly and Flossie are my two pet sheep. Molly is bigger than Flossie,
but Flossie is better-looking. They both like a digestive biscuit
first thing in the morning, and bleat piteously outside the door if I
don't give. Flossie is the most friendly, she comes running over for a
scratch in the fleece every time I step outside. Have you heard the
sheep bleating in T2K?
//// Are they Molly and Flossie?
Sadly they're not. Imagitec obviously have me correctly pegged as an
ovophile and stuck some sheep bleating samples in the tune which
accompanies the Bacon. You never get to hear them in normal gameplay,
as the bonus level completes before the tune wraps, but if you pause
and press "A" for music volume adjust, you can hear it all the way
through. Needless to say I was well tickled by it when I first heard
the tunes!
//// Your personal best on Tempest?
While I was out at Atari, level 97, just over two million. Haven't
played daily recently as my Jag is running lightsynth all the time and
its a hassle loading it into the Romulator each time I want to play -
I still don't have a Tempest 2000 cartridge.
//// Do you feel the joypad lives up to the paddles of the arcade
classic?
As well as it ever could. Nothing beats the original flywheel control,
but I think I got about as close as I could get with a joypad, to
giving you the same amount of control. It takes a little while to get
used to the way it accelerates and the orientation with respect to
circular webs, but it soon becomes instinctive.
//// Most annoying bug pointed out by the Tempest Beta-Testing team?
Definitely all the little bastardy glitches I had with the sounds.
You'd fix one, up comes another one. Oh yeah, and the dreaded
"locked-Pause" fatal I was *sure* I'd nailed about six times.... ;-)
//// Ever make it through Beastly Mode? Know anyone who has? :)
Nope; Level 97's me best. Hank at Atari Test got there the day after I
left. You're the only other guy I've heard of doing it, and I've
certainly not heard of anyone going double-Beastly. I honestly believe
that next time Atari Test are looking for a demon thumb they should
get in touch with you... double-Beasty in two weeks, that's going
some.
//// What does the Yak eat while he's coding?
Junkfood normally; I am largely fuelled by lakes of tea. I like liver
pate sandwiches for a snack, once a day I cook something, inasmuch as
the verb "to cook" can be applied to "getting something out the
freezer, putting it in the microwave, pressing the button and waiting
for it to go 'ding'". Which is not to say that I dislike good food;
just that, living alone I can rarely be asked to make it for myself.
If it takes longer to cook than it does to eat I don't bother....
//// What is your favorite type of tea?
Good, honest PG Tips. As the ad campaign says, "There's no other tea
to beat PG!" <g>
//// Your favorite Pink Floyd album?... Are you going to try and catch
their world tour?
Ummm... difficult, I find that my favourite Floyd varies to suit my
current state of mind, but I guess overall probably Wish You Were
Here, although I do like "Meddle" very much (especially Echoes) and
The Wall when I'm feeling alienated....
//// Your all-time favorite video game (any platform?)
<thinks> ummm StarRaidersDefenderStarRaidersDefender...
Star Raiders. It's the only game I've ever had quite that feeling of
just joy at waking up in the morning and knowing I could play..
//// Lets wrap things up with a discussion on your future with the
Jag. What is the scoop on your CD-lightshow? (Is that a proper
name for it?) Where do you plan to go after that? What games are
in the Jeff Minter coding line-up? Any last minute comments (the
entire Atari community is waiting...)?
The lightsynth is called the Virtual Light Machine. I've been working
on lightsynth stuff since 1984 on various platforms. the Jag CD-ROM
lightsynth draws on that past expierence, using the best algorithms
from those earlier generations and applying Jag specialities to them,
like shaded poly drawing and digital feedback ("Melt-o-Vision", as
Atari call it). Parameters governing pattern generation may be
controlled by oscillators, modified by an audio spectrum analyser to
produce patterns which respond to the music from CD, and altered by
the "player", or any combination of the three, effectively allowing
you to "jam" in graphics along to your favourite music.
VLM is not a Llamasoft project; a few years ago I teamed up with a
couple of other guys who were also interested in the lightsynth idea,
and we formed the Virtual Light Company to develop our ideas (and we
formed the Co. a year and a half before Gibson's latest book came out,
BTW). The VLM is a VLC-developed program; I'm doing the graphics and
the very excellent Dr. Ian Bennett is doing the audio frequency
analysis, as his Maths is better than mine!
After the VLM, Atari have asked me to get involved in a team who are
doing a CD-ROM game, which I can't spill any beans about yet but which
should be really excellent, from the scenarios I've read. And no, it's
not going to be simulating a VCR. After that I'd like to do another
complete game myself, I have yet to talk to John at Atari about what,
I know I'd kill to do to Defender what I did to Tempest, or else do
Super Llamatron... hey if Sega can have a flipping hedgehog why can't
Atari have a llama, especially a laser-spitting take-no-prisoners
bad-ass rock hard llama? <g>
//// Thank you for your time... I wish you all the success in the
world with your upcoming endeavors... if they are half as good as
Tempest, I'm sure we'll all be pleased!
No problem... I'll do me best... I just hope I can follow Tempest!
\
(:-) - loop: Play that Floyd again
/ jr loop
drink tea ;** branch optimisation
//// Ahhh... nothing like a nice cup of root beer.
P'fffaaggh bleuuuchh eeuuurghhh.
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||| Waiting for Tempest
||| By: Tal Funke-Bilu
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.5 Internet: tfunkebi@hmc.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------
O.K... by now enough of you have rushed out and purchased Tempest
2000. If you haven't then, well, I'm sorry, but you are missing out.
I don't mean to be harsh, but that is the blatant truth. It's probably
not your fault. You might have been number three on the waiting list
and the store only got two in. You might be waiting for your pre-order
from Atari to arrive on your doorstep. In any case, you are missing
out. Not only are your missing out on a great game, you are missing
out on a _REVOLUTION_. Sure, you will be able to join this revolution
in a few days, but for now you have to sit back and read numerous
posts, all saying how great this game that you don't have is.
Why do I torture you like this? I mean, I've already completed Tempest
2000... in Beastly Mode. I'm practically bored with the cart...(well,
maybe not), but you don't have it yet. BECAUSE YOU ARE THE LUCKY ONES.
You own a Jag now! You are waiting a couple extra days for what will
be the most intense home-arcade-action EVER in the history of gaming.
And you will have it in your hands... you won't have to gawk at your
friend's machine... you won't have to regret forking over $700 to get
a machine that can't even display floors and ceilings (read Monster
Manor)... you won't have to wait weeks to get A JAG ITSELF. You
already have your console. You have in your posession the most
powerful arcade machine ever to make it to the home market...and it
will stay that way for at least another two and a half to three years
before anything comes out that could even be considered a rival in
power and price to the JAG.
So what are you whining about? Go back and play Cybermorph one more
time, and when you do that, you might even to laugh a little,
considering that game began development well over a year ago. Get a
little extra work done around the house/dorm/apartment, cause when
this cart gets in your Jag, you won't take it out for a LOOOONG time.
Oh, and here's a personal challenge to all the people reading this
article and grinning, knowing they have spent the last couple hours
spinning around a web: 2,668,015 points. I completed Beastly Mode in
under two weeks. If any of you pull this off, I'll let you in on one
or two little known "eggs" (keep in mind that that score is only
temporary)... ;)
//// The Official AEO Tempest 2000 Strategy Guide
O.K. You've put up with the previous bit, and think you can give my
score and accomplishments a shot? Here's some help 'cause you're gonna
need it....
[] 1. You need to be able to control your blaster with PRECISION!
Make sure you can stop in any given lane at any given time... once you
get to the 70s and 80s there is no room for any overshoots.
[] 2. Try to make it through the red levels without using JUMP at all.
This will force you to look at new ways to pass levels, because
popular to contrary belief, jump isn't gonna help you all the time.
(Especially when you don't have it.) You learn weird things this way,
like while a fuseball is moving between lanes you can move through it
without getting hurt.
[] 3. Learn when to pass a warp. If you haven't found out yet, the
last quarter of wave two (the red one (and every second wave from then
on)) consists of probably the toughest web designs in the game. If you
get stuck on a level, it will probably be one of these. When this
happens, don't keep playing the same level(s) over and over and over
again for hours. Think of an alternate route... try starting two or
three levels before the dreaded "impassable" one and get to the warp
screen. A victory there and you jump ahead 5 levels, most likely
skipping the one you were having trouble with.
[] 4. Learn when not to pass a warp. Similarly if you are playing for
points, it is almost always beneficial to almost complete the warp and
then die at the end, since you will most likely obtain more than
20,000 points over the next 5 levels.
[] 5. Shoot and move. Shoot down the lane a tanker is in, then, before
your shot reaches it, move left and right, and shoot down the
adjoining lanes. When done correctly, both contents of the tanker will
be destroyed immediately after the tanker itself is hit.
[] 6. Don't let demon heads scare you... if you shoot them from a
distance, their horns are unstoppable. But if you let them get to the
rim, they can be destroyed after one shot.
[] 7. On later levels don't use your superzapper until you have gotten
the first "2000" zappo... that way you should be able to survive long
enough to get a "JUMP." Even then, the levels can get tricky.
[] 8. Kill UFOs and mirrors quickly, if you don't have "JUMP" these
can be a real nuisance. Often times it is more beneficial to
concentrate on destroying these monsters while allowing flippers to
reach the rim. They block valuable lanes!
Those should get beginners pretty far... if you are really good, this
will help your Beastly Endeavors.
Learn how to push the fire button... there is no way you can even come
close to passing Beastly if you don't know how to fire...even an
"amphetamine-crazed bongo-player" (Jeff Minter's words) won't be able
to press the buttons fast enough. While in Beastly Mode, stop on a
level and just hold down the fire button... you will notice that you
fire a continuous stream of about 5 or 6 shots, then a pause, then 1,
then another pause, and finally another 5 or 6. Every time you repress
the fire button the sequence starts over from the beginning. You need
to learn (especially to counter the super-flippers) to hold the fire
button down (so to get the stream of 5 or 6) a fraction of a second
before the flipper hits you. This way you will be guaranteed a stream
of 5 or 6 shots and there won't be any possibility that the flipper
will "get by" between your rapid presses.
This is all the help I can give you at this time... hey, it's all I
used to pass Beastly Mode...
There are three "secrets" to T2K, and Atari wants to keep 'em that
way, but if you EMail me solid evidence that you passed Beastly Mode
(i.e., write what it says on the screen), I might be able reveal one
or two of them. If you can't make it through Beastly Mode, hey, there
is an 8 directional joypad and 20 other buttons... you can figure out
the right number of button pushes, can't you?
--==--==--==--==--
||| Will Jaguar make Atari king again?
||| By: Patrick Roelandt
/ | \ Internet: patrol@hacktic.nl
------------------------------------------------------------------
//// Once upon a time....
We all know the distress signals Atari users from all over the world
have been sending out. Many of them are mad at Atari for "letting them
down". The Tramiel family is often blamed the most. "If I was managing
Atari, then.."
However, after the recent 1993 financial figures were released, I
realized how lucky we are that Atari is still here. Only one fifth of
the sales compared to 1992! And even 1992 was a bad year if you
compared it to 1991, and so forth....
Of course, more advertising, swifter management decisions, other
product lines, could have/would have helped. But the fact is, in the
computer branch, both C= and Apple aren't doing that great either.
Commodore appears to be on its last legs, but with the Power Mac,
Apple could be rise again. The Jaguar could do the same for Atari, but
for the computer line (TOS)... I personally think the PC has won.
That's not to say Atari won't be able to fill some niche markets in
the graphics and music department, but they will never reach the same
scale again like with the ST (in my humble personal opinion).
Only by drastically cutting costs, has Atari been able to survive
until now. Do you really think Atari's Falcon would have been a huge
success with a lot more advertising? A slight chance, but the
advertising cost probably would have burned up all their extra income
and even more. In which case, Atari wouldn't have had money left for
Jaguar. Which gets me to my point.
//// Jaguar will save the day, but...
People have complained about the slow start of the Jaguar, but think
of this: Atari claimed to have $40 million to support Jaguar. The same
amount of money is spent by Sega and Nintendo every year in UK
commercials! The bottom line is: you need money to make money. What
Atari's strategy appears to be - buy as much production with IBM as
you can while still allocating enough dollars to advertise. While at
the same time, slowly try to win back users (sales increasing),
supporters (stock market up), dealers (number of retail outlets
growing) and developer support (86 and counting....).
My conclusion: Atari is succeeding on all points up until now.
Looking at the financial figures, I came to the conclusion that there
is NO OTHER WAY for Atari to proceed. Atari has little financial
resources left, so they've had to use initial revenues from Jaguar to
buy more production and advertising, as well as expand the company
again. This way they will hopefully get things going in an upward
spiral.
Other people may say: why doesn't Atari borrow money or raise more
stock? Concerning extra loans; interest can kill a company, and with
the low stock value Atari had, you're not in a very strong position!
Only now, with Atari stable at near $7 a share, is it strong enough
to survive the issuing of extra stock or borrowing extra money.
//// Why will Atari make it
A quick summing up on why I see that Jaguar will save Atari:
Outside Atari:
- Stock value. People who buy stocks are no fools. They want to make
money and look very carefully at the company and its future. Stock
purchase is always future oriented (You hope they will do better so
the stock goes up)
- Backing of Time Warner: they just bought 1.5 million extra shares at
almost $1.5 above market value! Obviously they think/now great
things about Atari! Rumors are that Time-Warner has other options
to pick up additional Atari stock in the next half year.
- Jaguar itself is a true innovation; a quantum leap above the 16 bit
game consoles out now. Nobody took Atari serious, so the "underdog"
has a nice headstart. This product is "wanted".
- Retailers, customers, developers, the general press, and game
magazines are taking the Jaguar serious: there are plenty of
publications, awards, etc., for Jaguar to be proud of. Several
developers have quickly changed their pessimistic tone once they got
their hands on a Jaguar development system.
- Jaguar is selling very well in areas where there are NO commercials.
I live in Holland, where Jaguar should be a secret, but the name has
already popped up in various publications. One shop imports NTSC
Jaguars and can't keep them in stock despite the steep import price.
People are screaming to become a member of the Dutch Jaguar Club,
even if they don't have a Jaguar. The last time the world of
consumer electronics witnessed this kind of enthusiasm was about a
device called 2600....
Inside Atari, there are some more clues about Jaguar success to be
found:
- The restructuring of the Sunnyvale organisation and the confidence
everybody at Atari expresses over the Jaguar.
- The startup of a real advertising campaign both on T.V. and in
print. Atari can only afford it if they expect some return on
investment. Heck, Atari at CES alone was almost a miracle!
- Atari's policy on "one game for the world", liberal developer
agreements and pursuing of large retail chains is promising to say
the least. It will help when people look at Atari and don't see the
restrictions they have at other platforms.
- The name in gaming that Atari still has from the 2600 days, combined
with the "special" feel, playability and originality many Atari
games seem to have.
- Jeff Minter. :-)
//// The future according to Patrick
Jaguar will probably make Atari a prosperous company again. This could
mean better news for TOS users all around, but don't expect miracles
too soon! For games players, there will be plenty more good news
ahead. Atari has indicated successors, peripherals (VR helmet, CD-ROM)
and a lot of titles to come. These titles promise to be innovating and
not more of the same.
In the long run, Atari will have to make sure they stay in touch with
the customers and watch their expenses. This won't be a problem, as an
ancient study book on various management styles used on my univerity
mentions Jack Tramiel in the sentence "...this type of management
control obviously takes place at Commodore International, where CEO
Jack Tramiel keeps track on expenses as little as $25". While
everybody has been making fun about this in the past few years, the
point about this article is that maybe these measures are exactly the
thing that has kept Atari alive!
So if Atari watches its steps closely, somebody can write "the Rise
and Fall and Rise of Atari" in a few years.
Maybe somebody will remember this article by then....
Bio: I'm a 24-year old Dutchman. My current job is automation
coordinator at a production company. I'm currently also doing a
part-time University study in EDP Auditing. Besides videogaming, my
other hobby is music (trumpet/bassguitar/singing in several bands)
My enthusiasm for Atari began in the 2600 days, and was revived with
the Lynx, for which I did a lot of promoting efforts. I also try to
import Lynx-games (e.g., Battlewheels) to the Netherlands. When I
first heard about Jaguar I immediately started following its story.
Now I'm starting up a Jaguar Club in Holland which will be bringing
out a printed magazine.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Following the Bouncing Pong Ball
||| Interview with Lyra F'lalsi Polo
/ | \ By: Travis Guy
------------------------------------------------------------------
//// Editor: As I said in the last issue, there's news of a new Jaguar
game, programmed by the first independent Jaguar developer, Ms. Lyra
F'lalsi Polo. Ms. Polo is a programmer who's working with a registered
Jaguar developer, but who has chosen to start her own private company,
Polo GameWare to market games she says, "My boss wouldn't touch with a
ten foot pole - heck, Atari won't even sanction them." Here's an
interview I conducted with her today, and coupled with a GIF of her
first Jaguar title (enclosed in this AEO archive), makes this a
special AEO exclusive.
//// Travis: Good evening Lyra.
Lyra: Hi, Travis. Aren't you going to ask me about the weather?
//// No. Why, should I?
Don't you usually waste a lot of time in your editorials talking about
"It's spring in Atari's Garden," or some such as that?
//// Sometimes. But I want to talk with you about your games. Tell me
a little bit about your company, Polo GameWare. Why are the games
you want so make so different?
I like the playability of good solid games, but I have a sadistic
streak. I feel that video games should be a natural outlet for violent
urges, and I feel cheated when games wimp out. Donkey Kong for
instance.
//// Donkey Kong?
Yes. The first time I dropped a quarter into a Donkey Kong machine, I
thought I was going to get to bop the big ape on the head with my
hammer. I was soooooo disappointed. I was 8 years old then, and I
knew then that one day, I'd learn to make video games the way -I- want
them to play.
I spent six years on several design teams that worked on various games
for the Fairchild and Colecovision systems. Neither system did well.
The games we worked on did worse. After twelve long years of
Republican rule, it looked like Atari was due for a comeback, and I
wanted to ride along on the Fuji's coattails. Last year, I had the
chance to join a company