Atari Explorer Online: 2-Jul-94 #0310
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/03/94-12:15:39 AM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 2-Jul-94 #0310
Date: Sun Jul 3 00:15:39 1994
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Volume 3 - Issue 10 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 2 July 1994 ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: ::
:: 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 ::
:: User Group Coordinator ........ Ron Whittam EXPLORER.4 ::
:: UK Correspondent ............. Lea Anthony ::
:: ::
:: Contributors: ::
:: """"""""""""" ::
:: David A. Wright ::
:: ::
:: 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 ::
:: ::
:: Internet mailing address: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com ::
:: FTP recent AEO issues from: rahul.net:pub/wilsont/AEO ::
:: Search gopherspace under "aeo" for back issues ::
:: ::
:: Internet subscription service: stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu ::
:: (Internet subscription requests ONLY!) ::
:: ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Table of Contents
* From the Editors ................................. Stranger Than Fiction.
* Rare Gems ......................................... Quotes worth quoting.
* AEO Interview: Atari's James Grunke ........ Tal talks with Atari Corp's
Music Man Extra Ordinem!
* Jaguar Tackboard .............. IAJD - Jaguar mailing list - Lots of new
developers! - SCES PRs - Jag-Ware
catalog listing - 4Play & ICD PRs
"AEO at SCES 94" video.
* Atari Shareholders' Meeting .................. A report on Atari's plans
for the Jaguar.
* OTP ............................... AEO's newest, Lea Anthony, scores an
Sinister interview & reports on
Jaguar news from Over The Pond.
* Internal Flames ................ AEO's resident Jaguar programmer clears
the air on Jaguar misconceptions.
* Andreas' Den ........................... Andreas looks at speed boosters
for the Falcon030 & TT030.
* "From a Saved Backup" ................ How to set up a Disk of the Month
system for your users group.
* AEO RTC Transcript ............. For over two hours, anarchy reigned, as
AEO staffers met and answered GEnie
users' questions. Bob, where are
you when we need you?
* The Unabashed Atariophile ................... PD and Shareware files for
_your_ Atari computer.
* GEnie News ........................... New files & happenings on Atari's
Official Online Resource.
* Developing News .................... Fourth Annual Connecticut AtariFest
Compo Announces SpeedoGDOS 5.0
Compo's Fontpacks
D.A. Brumleve's MathArt
Telegames' Lynx Offer!
CodeHead BBS's new numbers
* 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
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, it's been two weeks longer than I had initially planned before
we've met again. SCES has come and gone, with a expansive showing
from Atari of many new titles under development for Jaguar, yet Atari
didn't gain much media exposure. ATC took a major hit when a
television stock pundit -blasted- Atari for "obsolete product". And
let's not forget the lessons we in America are learning about
California judicial proceedings.
What a weird, wonderful world. Rumors started flowing, one such nasty
tale held that Atari had delayed all new Jaguar games until 1995.
POPPYCOCK! Several titles are due out this summer, with two (Wolf &
BSF) already in production. Expect to see at least 25-30 titles out
by this Christmas. Veronica will be sadly disappointed. (And if all
comes off, expect Jaguar owners to be served some Earth-Quaking events
in the year to come.)
Welcome to this issue of Atari Explorer Online, your window on events
in the World Atari. First, let's dispense with the SCES news. It's
5am Saturday morning, and Tal and I are working on putting together
the SCES Special Edition of AEO, which we plan to have out by midnight
Sunday. (Then, on to SCES video editing!) Atari's PRs are included
here, as is our custom, but for Tal's first-hand report on show goings
on, come back in less than 48 hours. (Barring any ill effects that the
first tropical storm of the Atlantic season may have here at AEO
Central.)
Ask for the SCES Special Edition wherever you normally find regular
issues of AEO!
This issue's packed, you've already passed the table of contents, so
you know what's inside. The only MIA AEOer is Albert Dayes who was
bitten by the moving bug, and therefore wasn't able to concoct a
Digital Briefs. Maybe he'll be settled in for next time.
Have a safe and happy Fourth. Don't drink and drive, y'all.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Rare Gems
||| Compiled by: David A. Wright
/ | \ GEnie: DAVE.WRIGHT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for May 29 to June
4, 1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. (Internet: DAVE.WRIGHT@MAGIC.ORG) Compilation
copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly or
monthly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is
retained. Multiple collections, such as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and
other publications, may not be distributed without further
authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law. In
stereo where available. --:Dave
===
In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an
invincible summer. --Albert Camus
History may not repeat itself, but it sure as heck rhymes a lot.
--Unknown
I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty
to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history,
and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in
order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry,
music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.
--John Adams
If you do not understand the past, you cannot expect to fully
comprehend the future. --Brian Henderson
There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light
of even one small candle. --Robert Alden
Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in
another time. --Rabbinical saying
Three Spaniards, four opinions. --Spanish proverb
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for June 5 to 11,
1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. (Internet: DAVE.WRIGHT@MAGIC.ORG) Compilation
copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly or
monthly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is
retained. Multiple collections, such as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and
other publications, may not be distributed without further
authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law.
Clothing optional. --:Dave
===
Knowledge is power - especially if you know about the right people.
--Unknown
If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the Inquisition
might have let him alone. --Thomas Hardy
Always remember that the soundest way to progress in any
organization is to help the man ahead of you get promoted.
--L. S. Hamaker
When fire and water are at war, it is the fire that loses.
--Spanish proverb
Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten,
but they may start a winning game. --Goethe
To believe with certainty, we must begin with doubting.
--King Stanislaus of Poland
The best cure for hypochondria is to forget about your own body and
get interested in someone else's. --Goodman Ace
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for June 12 to 18,
1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. (Internet: DAVE.WRIGHT@MAGIC.ORG) Compilation
copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly or
monthly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is
retained. Multiple collections, such as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and
other publications, may not be distributed without further
authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law.
Portions have been pre-recorded. --:Dave
===
He that knows little often repeats it. --Thomas Fuller
I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's
fashions. --Lillian Hellman
I'd worship the ground you walked on if only you walked in a better
neighborhood. --Billy Wilder
Depression is the inability to construct a future. --Rollo May
In baiting a mousetrap with cheese, always leave room for the
mouse. --Saki
Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will
ever regret. --Ambrose Bierce
Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket.
--George Orwell
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for June 19 to 25,
1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. (Internet: DAVE.WRIGHT@MAGIC.ORG) Compilation
copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly or
monthly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is
retained. Multiple collections, such as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and
other publications, may not be distributed without further
authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law. MAX
HEADROOM 5 FEET. --:Dave
===
A thick skin is a gift from God. --Konrad Adenauer
Don't quote me; that's what you heard, not what I said.
--Lawrence K. Frank
If anything is poisoning our lives and weakening our society, it is
reality - and not the fabrication of television writers and
producers. --Martin Maloney
Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark.
--Zen proverb
The simplest schoolboy is now familiar with truths for which
Archimedes would have sacrificed his life. --Ernest Renan
To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle.
--George Orwell
Don't think of retiring from the world until the world will be
sorry that you retire. --Samuel Johnson
--==--==--==--==--
||| AEO Interview - Atari's James Grunke
||| Conducted by: Tal Funke-Bilu
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.5 Delphi: AEXPLORER
------------------------------------------------------------------
AEO - James, you are one man at Atari that I hear works hard behind
the scenes. For our readers who may not be familiar with you and
your talents, would you share with us what you do at Atari and
how long have you held that position? What is your background?
JG - Currently, I am the music director for the Jaguar project which
involves composing, licensing, and marketing follow-through in regards
to the music and audio aspects of video games and multimedia titles.
I also handle the North American Falcon030 sales and marketing which,
due to its inherent audio features, is focused heavily on the music
industry. We are taking a hard look at the future of this technology
and how it might be developed towards a dedicated music/audio
workstation type product.
I started at Atari in December 1990 as director of specialty markets
for the computer line. Before that I worked for Brother Records, which
is the parent corporation of the Beach Boys, where I was a studio
sound programmer and touring keyboard tech with the band.
Historically, I started in the musical instrument retail industry,
moved to recording and touring, then to computers and now video games.
I have a degree in keyboard performance from the University of
Wisconsin and a sound design degree from the Grove School of Music in
Los Angeles, California.
AEO - Do you mainly concentrate on soundtracks, or are you involved in
sound effects also?
JG - I mainly focus on producing the overall audio concept of a
title, then the music, whether I write it or commission it out. I have
two wizards that work in our studio, M. Stevens and Wiley Evans, who
do their magic with sound FX and voicing the music files.
AEO - What do you like most about your job?
JG - I am very fortunate to be in a creative position, but I have to
say that working with the people inside Atari as well as third party
developers and the long-time dealers is the most rewarding. We are
lucky to have such talent within the community.
AEO - Your most favorite project over the years?
JG - Without a doubt, my favorite product/project is the Falcon030.
The box rocks!
AEO - I've heard your name mentioned in conjunction with the Tempest
2000 Music CD... what can you tell us about that? Did you do the
Tempest music?
JG - The folks at Imagitec Design Inc. in England wrote and produced
the award winning Tempest music. General response has been nothing
short of phenomenal. I WISH I wrote that music....
I personally feel, as do many people at Atari, that the Tempest music
has value as a stand alone product. We have just made an announcement
at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago that we will be making the
Soundtrack available on compact disc.
AEO - What steps do you go through when composing a piece? Is it a
long and drawn out process, or do you just sit down and start
playing?
JG - Usually I get the idea just before I fall asleep and end up
writing in my home studio well into the early morning. When I get to
work, my time is spent mostly on production and managerial aspects.
The music is the easy part, the long drawn out process is designing
the sounds so they fit into memory and still sound good. That is where
craftsmanship comes into play.
AEO - Is there any truth to the rumor that Atari has their own blues
band with John Skruch on bass?
JG - OK, so we do get a little loud on Thursday nights. John Skruch is
a pro musician who sings, plays guitar, and is nice enough to play
bass for us because I'm too lazy to play left hand keyboard bass. Our
CFO and lead guitarist, Augie Ligouri just bought a Mesa Boogie Mark
IV and tears people's heads off with our rendition of Comfortably
Numb. Tom Gillen, Test Department Manager, is a great drummer with a
full cage set, taking up a large portion of the back room (look for
him on electronic drums in some upcoming titles). Our cash manager,
Loriann Wilson and VP Leonard Tramiel round out the vocals. (I have
been unsuccessful in convincing LT to wear bright orange spandex but
I'm working on that.) It's a big help for me to have access to these
musicians to work out the game tunes live.
AEO - Are you a game player yourself? What types of games do you enjoy
most?
JG - I'm a game addict. Cybermorph is great, with Tempest I crank my
stereo and play for hours. I love Warbirds and Klax on the Lynx. A
long long time ago back in my bar-band days I hit a million on
Defender....
AEO - Do you have to do anything differently to create music for CD
games? (i.e. higher quality samples, etc.)
JG - CD-ROM is a different world, with memory problems less of a
constraint. You can use red book audio which is often the easy way
out. People want music to be interactive within the game which
requires more forethought and careful implementation from the design
and programming standpoint.
AEO - Jeff Minter describes himself as a tea drinking, Pink Floyd
loving, root beer hating, psychadelic YaK. Who is the James
Grunke that has fun on the weekends away from Atari?
JG - Volleyball playing, snow skiing, and Pink Floyd loving, pea soup
and Karaoke hating - regular guy.
AEO - Honestly, are you an AEO reader yourself?
JG - Yep, I read AEO as well as lurk on various BBS's regularly.
AEO - James, thank you very much for your time. We look forward to
"hearing" you soon! Again, 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).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Internet Jaguar Mailing List
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Anyone with Internet EMail access can join the discussions on the
Jaguar mailing list. To "subscribe" to the list, send an EMail to
the following address: <listserv@ctrc.fs.saci.org>
Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the EMail, include this
line:
subscribe jaguar-l FirstName LastName
(Where "FirstName" is your first name and "LastName" is your last
name.)
To send mail to be read on the Jaguar list, address your letter to:
<jaguar-l@ctrc.fs.saci.org>. It will go to the list server and be
sent to the 200+ readers of the list.
IMPORTANT: If your mail server charges you by the character or by the
letter, please be aware that the Jaguar list can generate dozens, and
up to a hundred EMails in a day.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Developer / Game List 1.13
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Editor: The following developers, licensees and game titles have
been confirmed to the best of AEO's ability as of July 1, 1994. Entries
in the "S"tatus column reflects any "e"rrors, "u"pdates, "n"ew titles,
new "d"evelopers, or "?"uestionable listings since the last AEO list.
Titles in brackets (e.g. [Cybermorph]) have been completed and are
available in the US.
Expected dates are dates that have been provided by the developer.
Expected Date
or Titles
S Developer/Licensee Rating under development
" """""""""""""""""" """""" """""""""""""""""
d 20th Centrury Fox
Interactive
21st Century Software 9/94 Pinball Dreams
3D Games - Rainbow Warrior
- MORE
u 4Play (ICD & Phalanx) Star Battle
Accent Media Productions - Varuna's Forces CD-ROM
Accolade - Al Michaels Announces Hardball
- Brett Hull Hockey
- Charles Barkley's Shut Up and Jam
e Q4/94 Jack Nicholas Cyber Golf CD-ROM
d Acid Software
Activision - Return to Zork CD-ROM
d Alfaro Corporation
Limited
All Systems Go Q1/95 Hosenose and Booger CD-ROM
Q1/95 Video Jukebox (cart multiplexer)
- BIOS Fear CD-ROM
- (IR controller station)
American Laser Games - Mad Dog McCree
Anco Software Ltd. - Kick Off 3 (for Imagineer)
- 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]
n - Highlander
- MPEG 1 and 2 carts
u - Space War (was Star Raiders 2000)
- Tiny Toons Adventures
- VR Helmet
MORE
Atari Games Corp. - Arcade Games Using Jaguar
Attention to Detail - Battlemorph: Cybermorph 2 CD-ROM
- Blue Lightning CD-ROM
*7* [Cybermorph]
(For Atari)
Audio-Visual Magic
d B.S.A.
d Bando Svenska AB
d Beris
Bethesda Softworks
Beyond Games Inc. 12/94 Battlewheels
Q3/94 Ultra Vortex
d BitMotion Software
d Bizzare Computing
Black Scorpion Software
Borta & Associates
Brainstorm - [x86 Jaguar Development System]
d Brandlewood Computers
Ltd.
Bullfrog Productions Ltd. Q3/94 Syndicate (For Ocean)
Q3/94 Theme Park (For Ocean)
d Cannonball Software
d Celebrity Systems Inc.
Clearwater Software
Computer Music Consulting
d Condor Software
d Cross Products Ltd. - [Jaguar Development System]
Cybervision
CyberWare
d DAP
d Data Design
n Delta Music Systems Inc. - Nanoterror
n - Droppings
d Denton Designs Ltd.
Dimension Technologies
d Diskimage
Domark Group Ltd. - F1 Racer
DTMC - Lester the Unlikely
- Mountain Sports
- (Miniature Golf)
Eclipse - Iron Soldier (For Atari)
d Electro Brain Corp.
d Electrom
Elite
E-On
Eurosoft
d Extreme
EZ Score Software Inc.
d Factor 5
d Flair Software Ltd.
d Frankenstein Software
d Funcom Productions a/s
GameTek Inc.
Genus Microprogramming -
Inc.
Gremlin Graphics Ltd. 10/94 Zool 2
- UNKNOWN TITLE (racing) - MORE?
H2O Design Corp.
Hand Made Software - Kasumi Ninja (For Atari)
High Voltage Software 10/94 White Men Can't Jump (for Trimark)
n - Ruiner (pinball)
Hisoft
d Human Soft Ltd.
ICD Inc. - Cat Box (AV & comm expansion box)
id Software - Doom: Evil Unleashed
- Wolfenstein 3D
d i-Space
iThink - (3D simulation)
Imagineer Company Ltd.
Imagitec Design Inc. *6* [Evolution Dino-Dudes]
*6* [Raiden]
- Freelancer 2120 CD-ROM
- Bubsy in Clawed Encounters
of the Furried Kind (For Accolade)
- Dino Dudes 2
Interplay - BattleChess CD-ROM - MORE?
Jaleco - Cisco Heat
- Bases Loaded
- MORE CD-ROM
d JVC Musical Industries - Valus Force
Krisalis Software Ltd. 6/94 Soccer Kid
d Kungariket Multimedia
Limelight Media Inc.
LlamaSoft *10* [Tempest 2000] (For Atari)
- MORE MINTER!
Loricel S.A.
d Lost in Time Software
d Malibu Interactive
Manley & Associates Inc.
Maxis Software
d Media Technology Scandinavia
d Merit Industries Inc.
d Michton Inc.
Microids 1995 Evidence
12/94 Commando
Microprose - Gunship 2000
- MORE SIMULATIONS
MidNite Entertainment 10/94 Air Cars
10/94 Dungeon Depths
Q1/95 Assault
Millenium/Teque 7/94 Brutal Sports Football (For Telegames)
d Miracle Designs
d Nebulous Games
d Neon-Buttner
d Network 23 Software
NMS Software Ltd.
Ocean Software Ltd. 12/94 Apeshi- (working title)
1995 Lobo CD-ROM
d Odyssey Software Inc.
-unnamed- - -unnamed-
Photosurrealism - Galactic Gladiators
d Phobyx
Pixel Satori
PIXIS Interactive - Neurodancer CD-ROM
u Rage Software Ltd. - Rally
d Rainmaker Software Inc.
ReadySoft Incorporated - Dragon's Lair CD-ROM
- Dragon's Lair II CD-ROM
- Space Ace CD-ROM
Rebellion Software Ltd. Su/94 Alien vs. Predator (For Atari)
Su/94 Checkered Flag II (For Atari)
- Legions of the Undead (For Atari)
- Hammerhead
Rest Energy
d Riedel Software Prod.
d Scangames Interactive
Sculptured Software Inc.
d Selgus Limited
d Shadowsoft Inc.
Sigma Designs Q4/94 "Jaguar on a PC" PC card
Silmarils 9/94 Robinson's Requiem CD-ROM
n Sinister Developments - Twin Crystals
d Soft Enterprises
d Softgold Gmbh
d Software 2000
Software Creations
d Software Development Systems
d Spaceball Technologies Inc.
d Steinberg Soft-und Hardware Gmbh
d Tantalus Entertainment
d Tantalus Incorporated
Team Infinity
Team 17 Software Ltd.
Tecnation Digital World
Techtonics
Telegames - Casino Royale
- European Soccer Challenge
9/94 Ultimate Brain Games
- Super Off-Road
n - World Class Cricket
Teque London Ltd.
Thrustmaster
Tiertex Ltd. - Flashback (for U.S. Gold)
d Time-Warner Interactive - Rise of the Robots
Titus
Trimark Interactive
d Twlight
U.S. Gold Ltd.
UBI Soft International - RayMan
- MORE (American Football)
V-Reel Productions - Arena Football
- Horrorscope
Virgin Interactive
n Entertainment Ltd. - Cannon Fodder
- Dragon
- Demolition Man
d Virtual Artistry, Inc.
Virtual Xperience - Indiana Jags (platform)
- Zzyorxx II (vertical shooter)
- Burn Out (m/c racing)
Visual Concepts
u Visual Impact
(was Bjorn Joos/
Kris Van Lier)
d Wave Quest Inc.
Williams Brothers
u Williams Entertainment 10/94 Troy Aikman NFL Football
(was Tradewest) Q4/94 Double Dragon 5: The Shadow Falls
WMS Industries
Zeppelin Games - Center Court Tennis
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.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Atari's SCES 94 Press Releases
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
For more information, contact:
Bill Rehbock, Atari Corporation (408)745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATARI(R) CELEBRATES 150+ JAGUAR(TM) LICENSEES
Expanded List Includes Prominent New Names
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today that the number of signed
licensed developers for the Atari Jaguar has surpassed 150. According
to Mr. William Rehbock, Vice President of Third Party Development for
Atari Corporation, "Each signature represents another developer that
is serious about the desire to develop Jaguar compatible peripherals
or software. Although a few may be focused on highly specialized
applications, the majority are in the business of dazzling video game
players.
"The newest list," adds Mr. Rehbock, "includes names such as 20th
Century Fox Interactive, JVC Musical Industries, Inc., Time-Warner
Interactive and Electro Brain Corp. These are exciting names to have
shown support in the way that they have. We welcome them and look
forward to accommodating their needs as they intensify their Jaguar
development interests with us."
Names found among the recently inked pages include:
20th Centrury Fox Interactive Acid Software
Alfaro Corporation Limited B.S.A.
Bando Svenska AB Beris
BitMotion Software Bizzare Computing
Brandlewood Computers Ltd. Cannonball Software
Celebrity Systems Inc. Condor Software
Cross Products Ltd. DAP Developments
Data Design Denton Designs Ltd.
Diskimage Electro Brain Corp.
Electrom Extreme
Factor 5 Flair Software Ltd.
Frankenstein Software Funcom Productions a/s
Human Soft Ltd. i-SPACE
iTHINK Inc. JVC Musical Industries Inc.
Kungariket Multimedia Lost in Time Software
Malibu Interactive Media Technology Scandinavia
Merit Industries Inc. Michton Inc.
Miracle Designs Nebulous Games
Neon-Buttner Network 23 Software
NMS Software Ltd. Odyssey Software Inc.
Orion Technologies Inc. Phoyx
Rage Software Ltd. Rainmaker Software Inc.
Riedel Software Prod. Scangames Interactive
Selgus Limited Shadowsoft Inc.
Sigma Designs Silmarils
Sinister Development Soft Enterprises
Softgold Gmbh Software 2000
Software Development Systems Spaceball Technologies Inc.
Steinberg Soft-und Hardware Gmbh
Tantalus Entertainment Tantalus Incorporated
Twilight Time-Warner Interactive
Visual Sciences Ltd. Wave Quest Inc.
"Once again," observes Mr. Sam Tramiel, President and CEO of Atari
Corporation, "as I check with our developer support people I find that
they are assembling more batches of Jaguar development packages. It is
an extremely promising sight because these systems represent a lot
more consumer products in the months ahead. All of these people are
working hard and they sure are busy...
"...as they should be," adds a smiling Mr. Tramiel.
The Atari Jaguar is the world's first 64-bit interactive multimedia
home entertainment system. The Atari Jaguar and compatible software
titles have been awarded multiple awards for technical achievement,
design and innovation.
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Bill Rehbock, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGUAR(TM) CD-ROM UNDER $200
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today plans to ship CD-ROM to stores
in ample time for Christmas shopping. The CD-ROM is a hardware
peripheral compatible with any Jaguar 64-bit system and will sell for
$199.95 (MSRP). It enables the Jaguar to play a new generation of
impeccable CD-based video games and play audio compact discs. The
module includes CD+G technology and it provides its own cartridge port
for applications that may use both cartridge and CD at the same time.
Look for the CD titles; Blue Lightning(TM), Battlemorph(TM), Jack
Nicklaus Cyber Golf(TM), Highlander(TM), Creature Shock(TM),
Demolition Man(TM) and more that will begin shipping fourth quarter
1994.
Atari's new CD-ROM includes the Virtual Light Machine(TM) (VLM). VLM
literally looks at audio compact discs as they are played and
spontanteously produces a spectrum analysis of every incoming sound.
The result is a stunning light show. An optional MPEG video cartridge
will allow access to MPEG full motion video.
"We have packed the CD-ROM full of technologies that our developers
can grow into while keeping the platform affordable for the consumer,"
affirms Mr. Sam Tramiel, President and CEO of Atari Corporation. "It
was important to remain faithful to our 'Made In America ' foundation
too. The CD-ROM will be manufactured in the United States by Philips.
"Based on feedback we have had so far, consumers want to support an
advanced gaming company that makes what it sells at home," concludes
Mr. Tramiel. "We're going to give them what they want."
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Bill Rehbock, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGUAR(TM) CD-ROM UNDER $200
Atari(R) reveals CD-ROM and outstanding CD software
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today plans to ship the anticipated
CD-ROM to stores in ample time for Christmas shopping. The CD-ROM is a
hardware peripheral compatible with any Jaguar 64-bit system and will
sell for $199.95 (MSRP). It enables the Jaguar to play a new
generation of impeccable CD-based video games and play audio compact
discs. ROM-based software in the CD-ROM allows the user to easily
manipulate audio tracks and numerous custom selections when playing
audio compact discs. The module includes state-of-the-art technology
to play the audio and video portions of CD+G encoded discs. It also
provides its own cartridge port so some applications may use the
cartridge and CD at the same time.
Mr. Richard Miller, Vice President of Engineering for Atari
Corporation, observed, "Compact Discs offer well over 700 Megabytes of
raw data storage and many times that number when the data is
compressed. The massive storage capacity of a CD provides enough data
space to incorporate complex digitized images, full motion video
sequences and CD-quality audio soundtracks into games. These things
are far from being fully utilized on home platforms and the Jaguar is
the perfect system to do just that."
Such complex images, sound and color are integrated parts of the
numerous CD software projects currently underway. Blue Lightning(TM),
scheduled for Christmas release, is a realistic high speed aerial
combat experience aboard your own fighter jet. It features high
quality sequenced graphics of landscapes and enemies within 36
separate levels. Using an optional cartridge, game players may save
and retrieve statistics such as mission status, high scores and
character information for their Blue Lightning missions. Similar
information for other CD software titles may also be saved on the same
cartridge.
Another of the planned CD releases for Christmas is Battlemorph(TM); a
true 3-dimensional experience in over 50 all-new virtual worlds.
Player chooses at will between fighter, tank or submarine with
complete 3D movement. The many features include texture mapped enemies
and structures. Play inside caves, underwater, on land and in the sky.
Work with the resistance to bring down the Pernitia Empire.
Anyone who enjoys a round of golf will love Jack Nicklaus Cyber
Golf(TM). This CD package includes True Color photos of Murfield Golf
Course with access to CD quality voice to help with each hole. Study
Jack Nicklaus' golf swing to improve your own game with full motion
video of him and other golfers. Also look for the CD titles;
Highlander(TM), Creature Shock(TM), Demolition Man(TM) and an
assortment of third party products that will begin shipping fourth
quarter 1994.
Thanks to the many talents of Mr. Jeff Minter; author of the
award-winning Tempest 2000(TM), Atari's new CD-ROM includes the Virtual
Light Machine(TM) (VLM). No other game system has VLM. VLM literally
looks at audio compact discs as they are played and spontanteously
produces a spectrum analysis of every incoming sound. This information
is assembled in a frequency map of the music and assigned complex
visual equivalents. Advanced 64-bit data processing makes it possible
for the translation to take place almost faster than the ear can hear
it so images are in perfect tune with the sound as it is played. The
result is a stunning light show. VLM is perfect for parties and every
other listening environment where audio compact discs are enjoyed.
Jaguar owners will enjoy VideoCD full-motion movies with an optional
MPEG video cartridge. No other home system offers simultaneous access
to cartridges, compact discs and a 64-bit multimedia platform.
The ability to do so much more is another key reason major developers
are turning to the Jaguar. Mr. William Rehbock, Vice President of
Third Party Development, states, "Our success to attract more than 150
Jaguar licensees is due, in large part, to the tools we are able to
provide them. There are basic development tools and there are
peripheral options. Developers are drawn to these elements. CD is
another option for them that enables them to choose the best media to
distribute each product. Ultimately this gives the consumer more
choices too."
"We have spent a lot of time to make certain we have packed the CD-ROM
full of technologies that our developers can grow into while keeping
the platform affordable for the consumer," affirms Mr. Sam Tramiel,
President and CEO of Atari Corporation. "It was important to keep the
price as low as possible. It was important to include all the features
of CD-ROM that developers need most to please their customers.
Finally, it was important to remain faithful to our 'Made In America '
foundation. The Jaguar is manufactured by IBM in the U.S. The CD-ROM
will be manufactured in the United States by Philips.
"Based on feedback we have had so far, consumers want to support an
advanced gaming company that makes what it sells at home, " concludes
Mr. Tramiel. "We're going to give them what they want."
The Atari Jaguar is the world's first 64-bit interactive multimedia
home entertainment system. The Atari Jaguar and compatible software
titles have been awarded multiple awards for technical achievement,
design and innovation.
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Sandy LaBrec, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGUAR(TM) MANIA INSPIRES NETWORK GAMING
Atari(R) Announces Networking Games Available 3rd Quarter '94
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today that Jaguar owners will be
connecting their systems together and playing networked games within
the next 4 months. The network technology on the Jaguar can support up
to 32 simultaneous game players depending on the software. Networking
and Atari's new Voice/Modem for the Jaguar are two innovative ways
Jaguar owners can play complex games against each other with multiple
systems by Christmas '94.
"We are extremely excited about all of this," said Mr. Richard Miller,
Vice President of Engineering for Atari Corporation. "Now 64-bit
gaming can be an exciting multi-player experience as well as an
individual pleasure."
The Jaguar networking package enables network compatible Jaguar games
to be played on different systems up to 300 feet apart from each
other. The system uses standard RJ11 phone line cable and implements
reliable differential-pair technology. The first network game
published by Atari will be Doom(TM). Many other titles will be
announced soon thereafter.
The Atari Jaguar is the world's first and only 64-bit interactive
multimedia home entertainment system. The Atari Jaguar and compatible
software titles have been awarded multiple awards for technical
achievement, design and innovation worldwide.
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Sandy LaBrec, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
Bill Nicholson, Phylon Communications, Inc. (510) 656-2606
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GAMERS PLAY JAGUAR(TM) ON THE TELEPHONE
New System Based on Simultaneous
Voice & Data Communications Technology
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today that playing Jaguar games with
opponents over a single telephone line will be a reality in the 4th
quarter of 1994. New technology, developed by Phylon Communications,
Inc.; leaders in advanced fax/modem/voice technology, permits two
users to play Atari Jaguar video games against each other. Utilizing
the same phone line, they may speak to each other as they play. The
game experience is truely shared by the two gamers although they may
be miles apart from each other.
The Jaguar Voice/Data Communicator uses headsets for the players to
hear each other speak as well as listen to the stereo benefits of the
game being played. Users will also have call waiting indications, both
at local and remote ends, to pause and resume a game due to an
interrupting call in the middle of a game. Thus, this product can be
enjoyed by the players without being a nuisance to others in the home.
"By offering our voice-plus-data technology to leading OEMs and
systems manufacturers, like Atari, Phylon is pioneering multimedia
communications technology on the dial-up network," noted Dr. Hamdi
El-Sassi, President and CEO of Phylon.
The first games planned to exploit the features of the Jaguar
Voice/Data Communicator are Doom(TM), Club Drive(TM) and Iron
Soldier(TM).
"Reports I have been receiving from Jaguar owners is that they are
ready for this technology. We have it and we are going to offer it
this Christmas," announced Mr. Sam Tramiel, President and CEO of Atari
Corporation. "By reviewing each game we have in development, we have
been able to make certain each one integrates every bit of power we
can put into it."
The Jaguar Voice/Data Communicator is compatible with Atari Jaguar;
the world's first and only 64-bit interactive multimedia home
entertainment system. The Atari Jaguar and compatible software titles
have been awarded multiple awards for technical achievement, design
and innovation worldwide. The Jaguar Voice/Data Communicator is packed
complete with stereo headset and is engineered for user friendly, plug
'n' go operation. Future software options will enable the Jaguar
Voice/Data Communicator to access existing and upcoming online
services on the Information SuperHighway.
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
James Grunke, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEMPEST 2000(TM) SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE ON CD
Atari(R) Announces Audio Compact Disc of Cartridge Soundtrack
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today that the popular soundtrack of
Tempest 2000 has been remastered for a new special edition audio
compact disc to be made available in the third quarter of 1994.
"A lot of people ask if Atari would ever consider releasing the
incredible soundtrack from Tempest 2000," states Mr. James Grunke,
Director of Music and Audio for Atari Corporation. "The music has wide
appeal to the large dance and rave audiences who love the techno style
of the Tempest 2000 music."
Although some of the specifications are being retained for the formal
release in a few months, Tempest 2000 Soundtrack will include new
versions of the music used in the actual game cartridge PLUS bonus
tracks of previously unreleased material. Tempest 2000 is Atari's
blockbuster 64-bit video game title compatible with the Atari Jaguar
game system.
Tempest 2000 Soundtrack will be available through Atari retailers,
select music stores, or directly from Atari's own Customer Service
Department. For more information, contact Atari by writing: Tempest
2000 Soundtrack, Atari Corporation, P.O. Box 61657, Sunnyvale, CA
94089-1657. Tempest 2000 Soundtrack will be priced under $15.
The Atari Jaguar is the world's first 64-bit interactive multimedia
home entertainment system. The Jaguar and compatible game titles have
been awarded multiple awards for technical achievement, design and
innovation.
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Greg LaBrec, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2015
Scott Stern, Norscot Group, Inc. (414) 241-3313
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAG-WARE(TM) DEBUTS FOR JAGUAR(TM) AFICIONADOS
Norscot Group, Inc. releases Atari(R) Jaguar(TM) specialty catalog.
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today a new full-line gift catalog
especially for Atari Jaguar gamers. The catalog, shown publicly for
the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago,
features nearly 20 popular consumer items fashionably adorned with the
licensed Jaguar logo. The Atari Jaguar is the world's first 64-bit
interactive multimedia home entertainment system and is the only
system of its kind manufactured in the United States. The Jaguar has
been awarded multiple awards for technical achievement, design and
innovation.
Effective July 1, 1994, consumers throughout the world may order
products exclusive to the new Jag-Ware collection. Items range in
price as low as $2.95, but no item is more than $100 and include
watches, T-Shirts, waist packs, caps and more.
"We have been bombarded by Jaguar users asking for items they can wear
or give as gifts with the Jaguar logo on it," explains Mr. Greg
LaBrec, Director of Creative Services for Atari Corporation. "The
traditional and new Atari consumer has fallen in love with the Jaguar
and wants to show everyone that they've already moved up to the world
of 64-bit entertainment technology."
Offering apparel and gift items is new for Atari and is a reflection
of the growing popularity of the Jaguar system and Atari's commitment
behind it. The items selected in the 8-page, full-color catalog have
been carefully chosen by Atari with the advice of Norscot Group, Inc.;
suppliers of Corporate namesake specialty catalogs for nearly a
quarter century. Each item was chosen on merits of popularity,
durability and practical application. All items are protected by a
100% satisfaction guarantee and typically shipped within 48 hours as
long as they are in stock.
The Jag-Ware catalog will be mailed to existing Jaguar owners
registered with Atari Corporation within the next 120 days. Those
wishing to obtain a copy sooner may request one by mail by writing:
"JAG-WARE Catalog", Atari Corporation, P.O. Box 61657, Sunnyvale, CA
94089-1657. Catalogs will also be supplied with new Jaguar systems.
Additionally, modem users will find text based copies of the catalog
distributed in publications such as Atari Explorer Online and Silicon
Times Report.
Those wishing to place orders may call 1(800) 653-3313 toll free.
International orders accepted by calling (414) 241-3313. Faxed orders
accepted by dialing (414) 241-4904. Orders may be mailed to: Norscot
Group, Inc., 10510 North Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI 53092.
Money Orders, MasterCard, Visa and American Express accepted. Dealers
and Distributors should place their fall orders now.
# # # #
Jaguar and Jag-Ware are trademarks of Atari Corporation. Atari is a
registered trademark of Atari Corporation.
//// EDITOR: The ASCII text from the Jag-Ware
//// catalog follows the press releases
Contact:
Bill Rehbock
Atari Corporation
(408) 745-2000
ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
9700 South Cass Avenue/Bldg. 900
Argonne, Illinois 60439-4832
Office: (708) 252-5765
FAX: (708) 252-5128
For Immediate Release
ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY EVALUATES JAGUAR FOR PROJECT
Argonne National Laboratory, a Laboratory funded by the Department of
Energy (DOE), is evaluating the use of Atari's 64-bit multimedia
Jaguar technology as part of its work in the AMTEX program's Demand
Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) project. The AMTEX
program, the American Textile Partnership, brings together the entire
industry involved in textile products, from fiber to retail, with the
National Laboratory system. It is a technology transfer program
intended to increase industrial competitiveness. Argonne is tasked
with evaluating technologies in the broad area of Information Access
Tools.
Argonne's exploratory studies of multimedia technology are a direct
response to the need to provide better and broader access to computer
generated information. Manufacturers such as Atari have been
particularly successful in providing visual interfaces to computer
interactions. These interface technologies can provide alternative
methods for accessing the information highway, even displacing the
traditional computer keyboard. Retailers and small manufacturers have
little time to learn complex computer systems. The DAMA project needs
to find new ways for these companies to take advantage of the
electronic market information being generated by the larger companies.
Using this information American companies' can use agile manufacturing
and fast response as the key to regaining a competitive edge in the
marketplace.
The Jaguar technology's ability to recreate realistic visual images
combined with its price performance make it a natural vehicle to
explore new interfacing concepts. The same 64-bit technology that
renders images at high speed can display high-fidelity renderings of
fashion lines at slower speeds. One application area is business
product marketing, where small retailers can view the work of American
designers, accessing it via home entertainment equipment. Another area
being explored is a FAX-based interface to DAMA for small businesses.
The goal is to eliminate the keyboard interface.
Technology transfer is very active at Argonne, "we are looking for
ways to utilize the research performed at Argonne by combining it with
the work done by industry" said Peter Korp, Assistant Scientist at
Argonne.
###
For more information, contact:
Greg LaBrec, Atari Corporation (408) 745-2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGUAR(TM) HITS ROAD WITH E.G.M. SuperTour '94!
Atari(R) Wows Serious Gamers With 64-Bit Energy!
CHICAGO, Il. -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Atari
Corporation (ASE:ATC) announced today that it has hit the road with a
summer long exhibition of the Atari Jaguar in many popular shopping
malls across America. The SuperTour '94 is the second annual tour
co-sponsored by Electronic Gaming Monthly (E.G.M.); an excellent
source of information covering the explosive world of video games. The
show tour is also sponsored by Hero Illustrated; the number one name
in comic guides.
SuperTour '94 offers an opportunity for merchants and enthusastic game
players to see, feel and hear the newest innovations in gaming
entertainment including the Atari Jaguar; the world's first and only
64-bit interactive multimedia home entertainment system. The Jaguar
and compatible game titles have been awarded multiple awards for
technical achievement, design and innovation worldwide.
"We want gamers to compare our system with others," states Mr. Sam
Tramiel, President and CEO of Atari Corporation. "The E.G.M. SuperTour
encourages those comparisons with side-by-side competitions and
demonstrations. Comparisons always sell more machines for Atari."
The E.G.M. SuperTour '94 is scheduled through September in shopping
malls from Charlotte and Orlando to Los Angeles and Seattle; with
cities like Chicago and Denver along the way. The show attracts gamers
and comic collectors with a wide variety of contests, games and prizes
including a full-size professional pinball machine.
"We are getting flooded with calls," notes Mr. Donald Thomas, Director
of Customer Service for Atari Corporation. "Gamers want us to know
that they saw the Jaguar at some of the preseason shows and their
nearest store sold out already. They want to know where to find more."
The SuperTour '94 show schedule may be found in the most current issue
of Electronic Gaming Monthly. The announced tour stops include the
following cities:
June 24 - 26 Lincolnwood Town Center Lincolnwood, IL
July 1 - 3 Rosemont Convention Center Chicago, IL
July 8 - 10 Northlake Atlanta, GA
July 15 - 17 Atlanta Hilton and Towers Atlanta, GA
July 22 - 24 Aurora Mall Denver, CO
July 29 - 31 Plaza Bonita San Diego, CA
August 3 - 7 San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA
August 12 - 14 Del Amo Fashion Los Angeles, CA
August 19 - 21 Glendale Galleria Los Angeles, CA
August 26 - 28 Vallco Fashion Center Cupertino, CA
September 2 - 4 Eastridge San Jose, CA
September 9 - 11 Southcenter Seattle, WA
# # # #
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Jag-Ware: Jaguar styles Rule!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
ATARI JAG-WARE
--------------
The following items are available after July 1, 1994 as
announced by Atari Corporation on June 23, 1994 at the
Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. All items are
top quality and are officially licensed by Atari
Corporation. Contact Norscot Group, Inc. for a color
catalog. These items are NOT available direct from Atari.
Also check popular online services and publications for
releases of product pictures in various image formats to
view on your computer.
Please read disclaimers at end of file.
To order products or obtain a color catalog, contact:
NORSCOT GROUP(r), INC. (since 1970)
10510 North Port Washington Road
Mequon, WI 53092-5500 U.S.A.
TOLL FREE USA & CANADA ...... 1-800-653-3313
FAX TOLL FREE USA & CANADA .. 1-800-653-4904
INTERNATIONAL ............... 414-241-3313
FAX INTERNATIONAL ........... 414-241-4904
DEALER and DISTRIBUTOR inquiries welcome! 414-241-3313
A. CAP (#185001) $14.95
100% cotton twill baseball cap. Adjustable back-strap.
Black. Embroidered Jaguar logo on front in red.
Embroidered Atari logo on back in white. Screened red
cat scratch marks on visor. Made in the USA.
B. T-SHIRT (#185002) $14.95 S-M-L-XL-XXL
100% cotton heavyweight T-shirt. Taped crew neck. Black
with a Jaguar screened full front and the Jaguar logo
screened on the back. Made in the USA.
C. SHORTS (#185005) $16.95 S-M-L-XL
These comfortable shorts are extra long with side seam
pockets and a drawcord waistband. Made of heavy-weight
7oz. 100% cotton. Black with the Jaguar logo and cat
scratches screened on the left leg in red and Atari logo
screened on the right leg in red. Made in the USA.
D. HOODED SWEATSHIRT (#185003) $27.95 S-M-L-XL-XXL
50/50 cotton/polyester 7oz. hooded sweatshirt. Double
sided pouch pocket, ribbed cuffs and band bottom. Black
with a Jaguar screened full front and the Jaguar logo
screened on the back. Made in the USA.
E. DENIM JACKET (#185006) $97.95 S-M-L-XL-XXL
This classic jean jacket is made of 100% cotton stone-
washed denim and is sure to make a super impression.
Traditional styling includes six button front, flap
chest pockets and seam detailing. Jaguar logo embossed
across back and embroidered on the left chest in red.
Made in the USA.
F. FASHION COLLAR SHIRT (#185020) $37.95 S-M-L-XL-XXL
100% cotton pique shirt with two button placket, banded
sleeves and extended tail with vents. Black with the
Jaguar logo embroidered left chest in red.
Made in the USA.
G. LONG SLEEVE SPORT SHIRT (#185004) $22.95 S-M-L-XL-XXL
Heavyweight 7oz. 100% cotton sport shirt. Long sleeves
and 3 woodtone buttons. Ash body and red sleeves. Jaguar
logo on the left chest and across the back in red.
Made in the USA.
H. DUFFEL BAG (#185008) $32.95 20" x 10" x 10"
This large square duffel goes everywhere. Black with red
web trim and handles. The Jaguar logo is featured in red
with the Atari logo in white. Heavy-duty 1000 denier
nylon cordura.
I. WAIST PACK (#185007) $9.95 6 3/4" x 4" x 3"
Zip front and adjustable poly web waist strap make this
waist pack perfect for those on the go. Sized to carry
essentials. Black 1000 denier nylon. Jaguar logo in red.
J. LAPEL PIN (#185016) $4.95
The Jaguar logo in fine pewter with brass finish and red
enamel color fill. Standard post and brass military
clutch.
K. KEY CHAIN (#185011) $2.95
Awesome! This acrylic key tag shows it all. The Jaguar
logo printed on one side with a 3-D laser Jaguar
hologram on the opposite side. Steel split ring.
Virtually unbreakable.
L. BIKE BOTTLE (#185013) $4.95
For the fun times, carry this 30oz. bike bottle.
Odorless, taste-free and totally FDA approved. Made of
low-density polyethylene for squeezability. Black with
the Jaguar logo in red.
M. SPORT BOTTLE (#185012) $3.95
Perfect for car, home or office. Features straw cap and
32oz. capacity. Black with the Jaguar logo in red.
N. ATTACHE (#185019) $33.95 17" x 13" x 4 1/2"
Pack up your games and go. Use this nifty black attache
featuring the Jaguar logo to carry pens, keys,
calculator and more. Adjustable and removable shoulder
strap. 600 denier polyester with PVC backing.
O. PEN (#185009) $9.95
The sport vector roller ball from Parker features a
custom Jaguar print with the Jaguar logo in red and the
Atari logo in black. Gift boxed.
P. COFFEE MUG (#185010) $7.95
11oz. ceramic "magic" mug. Black with screened Jaguar
logo in red. Fill it up with a hot beverage and watch
the Jaguar eyes appear.
Q. SUN GLASSES (#185014) $8.95
Classic style with satin-like acetate frame. UV
protection. Black with Jaguar logo in red on bow. White
strap with Jaguar and Atari logos screened in red. Black
case included.
R. WRIST WATCH (#185015) $35.95
A black leather band and a black metal case set off the
3-D laser hologram face on this watch. Swiss parts
movement. Shock and water resistant. 3 year warranty.
Gift boxed.
DISCLAIMERS
-----------
Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Corporation.
Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Norscot is a
registered trademark of Norscot Group, Inc. This file may
be distributed freely in its entire form ONLY and with
distributor's intent to support the Atari Jaguar 64-bit
gaming system. Prices, availability, descriptions and terms
are subject to change without notice. Atari Corporation and
Norscot Group Inc. are not responsible for typographical
errors, modifications or omissions in this file.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// CatBox and CatBox+ Press Releases
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CatBox(TM) tames the Jaguar
Black Cat proves it has the right stuff
CHICAGO, IL -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Black
Cat Design, a designer of computer peripherals and accessories today
announced CatBox and CatBox+, feature-packed interface adapters for
the Atari Jaguar 64-bit game system.
CatBox plugs directly into the AV/DSP ports on the back of the
Jaguar. Its custom case measures just 6 x 2.5 x 1.25 inches and
perfectly accents the sleek Jaguar design. CatBox provides all of the
standard connections that Jaguar customers desire. Standard ports
include: S-Video, Composite Video, Left & Right Audio Out, Dual Stereo
Headphones, Analog RGB Video, RS-232, ComLynx, and pass-through DSP.
All connectors are "industry standard".
Standards are a big part of CatBox and connectivity is the key. The
RS- 232 port will connect to standard modems. The ComLynx port will
join other Jaguar and Lynx game systems for multi-player games and
other networking ideas. Black Cat Design is actively working with
game developers to ensure support for these ports.
CatBox+ offers two powerful new features in addition to the standard
CatBox features. Stereo headphone amplification with volume control
provides a more powerful sound. The new differential pair network
uses standard RJ-11 phone wiring to create a low cost networking
system which allows systems to be separated up to 300 feet.
An imaginative, well thought out design includes flexibility for the
future. Internal expansion connectors for future add-in cards ensure
that CatBox will be as useful then as it is now. Future products
under consideration include a Midi interface and an internal modem.
Thomas Harker, president of Black Cat Design, explained, "This product
is an unbelievable value. I wouldn't be surprised if all Jaguar owners
buy a CatBox. My family is really thankful for the headphone jacks
when our twin boys are playing Raiden. Finally, peace and quiet again
in the game room. The boys can't wait for the next generation of
multi-player games to arrive. Imagine, dual Jaguars head to head.
CatBox will help make this possible. It makes so much sense, I don't
know why it wasn't done before."
CatBox will begin shipping late this quarter at an MSRP of $49.95.
CatBox+ will have an MSRP of $69.95. ICD, Inc., a well known developer
of Atari computer products will be marketing CatBox. ICD is taking
orders now with shipments expected in August.
# # # #
CatBox is a trademark of Black Cat Design. Other trademarks are
those of their respective holders.
For more information, contact:
Thomas D. Harker, Black Cat Design (815) 968-2228 ext. 222
Fax (815)968-6888
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// 4Play Announces Star Battle
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Star Battle(TM) announced for Atari Jaguar
4Play among Atari Jaguar developers
Gaming will never be the same!
CHICAGO, IL -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- a
talented new design group called 4Play, today announced their first
title which will fully exploit Jaguar's 64-bit capabilities.
600 years in the future, several spacefaring races are battling for
domination of the galaxy. To avoid unnecessary loss of life and
destruction, it is agreed that the best warriors and military minds
will be sent to a small uninhabited quadrant of the galaxy to settle
the score. Some of the races have endured years of torment and
oppression and with the galaxy at stake, nothing short of eradication
of the enemy is acceptable.
Star Battle is a first person perspective game designed to put fun
back into gaming. Star Battle's multi-player action allows head to
head challengers over modem or network. The Jaguar makes this possible
with 64-bit power and outstanding connectability.
Tom Harker, president of 4Play commented, "Our custom game tools
afford no compromises. With advanced features like a warp polygon
engine, gouraud shading, texture mapping, networking and modem
support, Star Battle will be setting new standards in excellence for a
long time to come".
Look for Star Battle to be released on cartridge in the 4th quarter.
# # # #
Star Battle is a trademark of 4Play. Other products named may be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
For more information, contact:
Thomas D. Harker, 4Play (815) 968-2228 ext. 222
Fax 815-968-6888
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// AEO at SCES 94 video
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
With the SCES behind us, many are wondering exactly what they can
expect to see in the "AEO at SCES 94" video.
I am happy to report that the AEO SCES video is the only video of the
SCES ANYWHERE to (among other things) contain DIRECT S-VIDEO FOOTAGE
OF EVERYTHING SHOWN BY ATARI at the show.
Games include the following: (in no particular order)
Rayman
Iron Soldier
Ultra Vortex
Kasumi Ninja
DOOM
Brutal Sports Football
Rally
Battlezone 2000
Star Battle
Space War
Double Dragon V
Aliens vs. Predator
Club Drive
Checkered Flag
Wolfenstein 3-D
World Class Cricket
Arena Football
Troy Aikman Football
Zool 2
Bubsy
Blue Lightning
Ruiner (Pinball)
White Men Can't Jump
Direct footage of Jeff Minter's VLM is also included, along with some
full motion video clips from movies utilizing the Jag CD's Cinepak
compression.
Clips from U.S. Gold's Flashback are also included, along with shots
of Thrustmaster's Driving Wheel/Pedal Combo. Victor Maxx's Cybermaxx
VR Helmet is shown, as is a shot of the voice modem in action. Also
included are never before seen shots of Photosurrealism's current
works, still early in development!
Viewers of the video will be treated to exclusive interviews with
people such as Jeff Minter, Sam Tramiel, Jay Wilbur, Beyond Games,
Peter Korp from Argonne National Labs, 4Play, Terry Grantham
(President of Telegames), plus much, much more! You'll see candid
shots of various Atari employees, a Tempest showdown between Jeff and
Sam... more Atari news than you thought humanly possible.
Two full hours of professionally edited tape, jam packed with all the
latest Jaguar gaming excitement. Exclusive interviews, DIRECT VIDEO
FEEDS OF ALL GAMES SHOWN BY ATARI, even a Jaguar being played at the
3DO booth!
What more could you ask for? No one knows gaming like Atari, and no
one knows Atari like AEO!
Order your copy today!
Here are the videotape ordering details. If you have any questions,
please write:
--Travis Guy
Editor
Atari Explorer Online Magazine
<aeo.mag@genie.geis.com>
<aeo_mag@delphi.com>
<70007.3615@compuserve.com>
"AEO - the premier online resource, recommended by Atari Corp."
//// The "AEO At SCES 94" Nitty Gritty
Here's the scoop. The cost of the video is $17.50. Shipping and
handling will be $2.90 (Priority Mail) if you live in the U.S. (or
even Guam!); $4.00 for Canadian and Mexican orders; $7.00 for European
orders; and $9.00 for orders to Australia.
California residents will need to add 7.25% sales tax.
All prices quoted are in U.S. dollars. We cannot be responsible for
lost or misdirected mail.
This offer expires July 31, 1994. After that date, orders for the "AEO
at SCES 94" videotape will be filled at a higher rate.
//// Payment Methods & Where to Order
Only personal checks drawn on U.S. banks in U.S. currency; cashiers
checks drawn from U.S. or large international banks in U.S. currency;
or money orders payable in U.S. currency (Preferred!), will be
accepted. Make all instruments of payment payable to Tal Funke-Bilu,
and send them to:
AEO SCES Video Offer
c/o Tal Funke-Bilu
597 Huntington
Cambria, CA 93428
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH!
//// Turnaround and Shipment
We anticipate as quick a turnaround time in producing and mailing the
videotapes as possible. Orders paid via personal checks will incur a
slight delay as the check must clear your bank first. If you provide a
valid Internet mailable address, Tal will be able to confirm receipt
of your order (once he arrives back from SCES), and shipment of your
tape.
The postal authorities promise prompt delivery (U.S. orders will be
sent via Priority Mail), but all we can guarantee is that the tapes
will be put in the mail promptly. All foreign orders must go through
Customs.
Here is an un-snazzy order form to help you on your way:
----------------------------- > clip > ----------------------------
Name: ________________________ Phone:___________________
Mailing ________________________ Internet
address address: ________________________
________________________ (For Confirmation)
#0# # # # # # # # # # # # #
City:_________________ #
# Mail this order form to:
State/Province:_________________ # AEO SCES Video Offer
# c/o Tal Funke-Bilu
Postal Code:_________________ # 597 Huntington
# Cambria, CA 93428
Country:_________________ #
# # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Please send me ____ copy(es) of the
NTSC AEO SCES 94 video at $17.50 each.... $ ___.__
US Shipping & Handling: $2.90 per video
Canadian & Mexican Shipping & Handling: $4.00 per video
European Shipping & Handling: $7.00 per video
Australian Shipping & Handling: $9.00 per video.... $ __.__
California residents add 7.25% sales tax.... $ __.__
Total.... $ ___.__
(Do The Math!)
Make all instruments
payable to: Tal Funke-Bilu
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH
Important Notice: AEO wants to provide our loyal readers with the
best possible coverage of Atari Jaguar events at
Summer CES 1994. In case of accident, illness,
or an Act of God or of Fate, all orders will
be returned.
--==--==--==--==--
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||| Atari Shareholders' Meeting
||| By: Tal Funke-Bilu
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.5 Delphi: AEXPLORER
-------------------------------------------------------------------
//// Editor: This originally appeared June 18th
//// as AEO News Bulletin #4
//// The annual Atari shareholders' meeting took place on Friday,
//// June 17th at Atari Corporation headquarters in Sunnyvale,
//// California. AEO's Tal Funke-Bilu was present, and turned in this
//// report. There is some pretty hot stuff being lined up for
//// Atari's near future!...
//// Before I turn this over to Tal, let me add a note. Traditionally
//// in many companies' shareholders' meetings, best case scenarios
//// and target dates are used. Understanding that sych things can
//// change, here is Tal's report:
Well, as Travis has just told you, I am back from attending the Atari
shareholders' meeting. And while I know that many of you have been
waiting anxiously to find out what Atari has up their sleeves, I can
honestly tell you that this AEO update contains what I believe to be
the most exciting Jaguar news since Atari announced production of the
Beast itself.
I was going to sit back and tell you how cool and collective the
Tramiels looked, ready to take the video gaming world by storm (as if
they have not done so already <g>). I was going to say how Jeff Minter
turned a light shade of red when everyone applauded in response to his
Virtual Light Machine. I was going to tell you a lot of things to set
the mood, and draw this update out as long as possible, but then I
realized that I could not hold back this info any longer. Are you
seated? You better be, because this is going to knock your socks off!
You want Jaguar games? They are coming. If everything goes as planned,
Wolf 3D should start showing up at Blockbuster and other stores in the
next couple of weeks. These will be the product of a "pre-release" of
Wolf 3D, where an unspecified amount of carts have been "rushed"
through production. Keep in mind, the "official" batch of Wolf 3D
carts will hit the shelves later. So call your local store and see if
you can reserve it, because it puts the PC version to shame! The
flamethrower is great!
That is almost good enough news to justify an update right there, but
I will not stop there. Before I go on, I would like to congratulate
the Tramiels on their 10th anniversary with Atari! They have handled
the good and the bad, and are pulling through to bring video gaming to
new heights! Great job guys!
OK, here is some news I thought you people all over net-land would
enjoy. Everyone is wondering whether DOOM will be ComLynxable. Well,
just stop using the term "ComLynx". (For a reason you will read about
later.) With DOOM you will be able to connect a minimum of 2 players
and possibly 4. But here is the catch - DOOM will be compatible with
the yet to be released VOICE MODEM to be shown by Atari at the SCES.
That is right! For two player games, you will be able to call up your
friend over the phone and engage in total carnage right in the safety
of your own home! As if that was not enough, the VOICE MODEM will
allow you to talk to your friend VIA THE HEADSET packed in w/ the
voice modem, at the same time, using the SAME PHONE LINE.
Let me say that again. Using one phone line, you will be able to talk
to your friend (using the VOICE MODEM HEADSET) and carry on a game of
DOOM at the same time. Unreal! In order for DOOM to be able to support
4 player gameplay, it will have to be connected over the Jag network
(what has been referred until now as the ComLynx) using special cables
to route them through your entire house. You will not have to keep
your Jags right next to each other in order to enjoy multi-player
games.
What? You want even more great news? There is this....
[] Mr. Tramiel emphasized the fact that Atari is focused more on
quality, than on rushing out sub-par games: "If we have to delay a
game for a month to make it better, that's what we're going to do." He
also stated that the Cinepac compression kit (developed by SuperMac)
in the CD-ROM drive is the best version of Cinepac ever done by
SuperMac, and even far superior to the PC version. A tentative release
time set for the CD was "by the end of October." In keeping with
Atari's original estimate, the MSRP is still at $199.99.
[] While we are on the subject of the CD-ROM, Mr. Tramiel stated that
the MPEG cart should be available around the same time as the CD-ROM
for a price under $150.
[] Also mentioned was the fact that there are now a minimum of 150
signed Jaguar developers.
[] In an effort to continue to stay ahead of the competition, Sam
Tramiel quickly touched on the fact that Atari has plans for Jaguar II
already in development. It is expected to maintain 100% downward
compatibility with the Jaguar, so as not to eliminate the current
software library. This announcement was geared more towards long-term
investors than current game players, so do not worry, Jaguar owners -
Jag II is not going to turn up next year!
[] Kasumi Ninja was shown briefly. From the quick 30 seconds shown I
can easily say that this is going to be the best fighting game to come
to any home system yet. I feel this could easily rival MKII in the
arcade. 24-bit true color animated backgrounds. Over 100 frames of
animation per character. BLOOD, BRUTAL FATALITIES, and MUCH MORE.
Already I can guarantee that it puts MK to shame, if not both MK and
MKII.
[] Brett Hull Hockey will be on CD-ROM and have full NHL/NHLPA
endorsement. They said it would very easily be POSSIBLE to include
digitized faces from every NHL player in the game.
[] The T2K master audio CD arrived in Atari this past week, and they
are currently deciding how to market it.
[] One company has approached Atari in an effort to incorporate the
Jag in exercise machines. This, combined with the "ANL" project (stay
in touch with AEO, and you will find out more about -that- after
SCES), represents Atari's outreach to non-game projects. The Jaguar is
definitely a "multimedia machine".
[] Atari also mentioned that they are also trying to license CD-I
technology, thus allowing future use of CD-I discs on Jaguar.
[] At SCES, Thrustmaster will display a steering wheel with pedals,
and possibly a flight yoke. The MSRP of the steering wheel/pedals
combo is $129.99.
[] Special Alien vs. Predator and Kasumi Ninja advertisements are in
the works.
[] There are a pool of games (numbering around 25) that Atari expects
to have out by Christmas.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Over The Pond - The UK Section
||| By: Lea Anthony
/ | \ Internet: lea@uk.ac.bham.cs
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hello and Welcome to the first edition (addition?) of "Over The Pond"
the UK section of Atari Explorer Online. First of all, I'd like to
thank Travis Guy for all the support and help given to me over the
past few weeks in preparing this article and send a personal farewell
to our dear "online" friend, Bob Brodie. Right, back to the article!
This month we have an exclusive interview with Sinister Developments,
creators of many a sharware game for the ST/Amiga/PC platforms and we
shall be finding out why they chose to program the Jaguar! We also
have a run down of the latest news clippets from UK Magazines and what
they are saying about Atari's 64-bit wonder, the Jaguar!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Sinister Developments Interview
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Sinister Developments are a small team of programmers who originaly
made shareware games for the ST-Amiga-PC platforms. Now they have
decided to devolop for Atari's 64-bit baby, the Jaguar. To find out
more, I called Gordon from the Sinister team and he kindly agreed
to do this brief interview.
AEO: Gordon, what attracted you to develop for the Jaguar ?
Gordon : Well several reasons...
1) It's not a PC (very important if you like coding in 68xxx code)
2) It's an Atari machine. This may seem like a strange statement, but
I have always liked the Atari machines. The ST always seemed to be a
more user friendly machine than the Amiga, even although the Amiga was
technically slightly better. Over the last 7 or so years in which I
have used my ST (it's still alive!!), I have had a lot of fun and met
a lot of people in the computer scene. So I'm going to stick with what
I know pretty well... the Atari. Besides which, the development kit
runs with a TT (the grown up ST).
3) The development kit is not prohibitively expensive, unlike the 3D0
kit.
4) The Jaguar hardware specs are pretty awesome. They may not stand
up to the specs which sony and sega are throwing around, but at least
the Jaguar is available now. The sony and sega machines may not appear
on schedule (after all, when do computer companies ever release
anything on time).
AEO: What impresses you the most about the technology ?
Gordon : Probably the fact that the system was developed for writing
games, and notjust a pile of custom chips which you might find in your
washing machine as well as your games console. The upgrade path for
programmers is also quite gentle, as the Jaguar still has a 68000 at
the heart of matters. This allows ST/AMIGA programmers to get up to
speed on the Jaguar quickly.
AEO: What kind of games do you foresee Sinister doing ?
Gordon : As we are an entirely independent unit, we will be
developing new games. Not upgrades of software already available on
other machines. We have previously written versions of old classic
arcade games as shareware for the ST/AMIGA and PC. These will not be
appearing on the Jaguar unless there is a huge demand for them.
(Asteroids, Galaxian, Centipede, Space Invaders and Painter... in case
you want to create some demand!!).
AEO: What will your first Jaguar venture be ? Any Details ?
Gordon : At the moment we are discussing a few ideas, so nothing has
been finalised. If I had a name for our first product, I would let you
know... time will tell all.
AEO: How do you think the Jaguar will compare to the new SEGA and
Sony Machines ?
Gordon : It's difficult to say at the moment, but if the advance
rumours are to be believed then the PSX should be a better machine.
It's also difficult to gauge how Sony will fare with the PSX since
they have not really marketed a successfull machine outside the far
east. The other point of note with both Sony and Sega is that they are
probably relying on people wanting to play the current big arcade
games, but how many big arcade games are there these days. You've got
Virtua racing, Virtua fighter, Daytona, Ridge Racer, Street Fighter
ultra super 27 etc.... I would imagine that marketing a successful
console today will require much more original software, and I think
that the US and European software companies are more likely to
dominate which machines become a success. The Sega route of upgrading
the Megadrive/Genesis is a strange one. I think it has been fairly
well proved in the past that upgrade machines never do quite as well
as perhaps they should have. There are several examples dating back to
the Sinclair spectrum/spectrum 128, CBM 64/128, and Atari ST/STE/
Falcon. In all of these cases generally the software developer will
continue to develop for the lowest platform, as this guarantees
maximum coverage for the product. I think this is also likely to be
the case with the 32X. The Saturn is probably a bit far off at the
moment to worry about, it's possible the 32/64bit console war will
have been won by then.
AEO: Well, good luck with the future Sinister "Developments" (no pun
intended!) and thank you for your time to do this interview.
//// STOP PRESS!!
Just before mailing this article to Travis, I received more news from our
friend Gordon:
I think we have decided on a game title for our first endevour, it
will be called "Twin Crystals". You'll have to wonder about content
for the time being though!!!
Some people are such a tease aren't they ?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// UK Rags
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// ST User - June Edition
There is a preview of Double Dragon 5 (which, according to the
article, was apparently a *HUGE* typo and should have been DD4 all
along!). The game is basically another Double Dragon with the
addition of a "Verses Mode". This basically meaning that you can
play against another player a la Street Fighter. One interesting
thing to note about the "Verses Mode" is that it appears the
players can use weapons! It includes quite a hefty bunch of
characters to choose from including 2 female characters! Each
person has their own "dosier" which is brought up before a game
starts. The graphics don't seem to be anything more than a SNES
could do but to be fair, it was said that Telegames were polishing
the graphics.
//// ST Format - July Edition
There is a brief news article about the Jaguar picking up the "Best
Hardware" award at the ECTS and also a 3-page article interviewing
various software houses and asking their opinion on the Jaguar.
Among those interviewed were: Krisalis, Ocean, Virgin, Team 17,
Gremlin Graphics and Domark. They generally had good things to say
but the most interesting comment was from Virgin. The guy
interviewed was quoted saying, "But our support doesn't end there,
but of course I have to keep somethings quiet....!". Hmmm! Make of
that what you will!!!
//// EDGE Issue 10
Quite a controversial issue this month with the front cover sporting
a picture of Trip Hawkins and a large piece of text saying "3DOA"
and "Why is this man still smiling?". There is an interview with
Trip talking about the "opposition" (in which he fails to mention
the Jaguar) and talking about the 3D0 upgrade path, giving the
current base better chips, etc. EDGE acknowledge the problem 3DO has
against the newer machines. EDGE also talks about the JAGPC card.
Well that's the end of the first "Over The Pond" section. I hope you all
enjoyed it! See you all next issue! Take Care.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Internal Flames
||| By: Timothy Wilson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.8 Internet: wilsont@rahul.net
------------------------------------------------------------------
As I read various video gaming articles on GEnie and Usenet, I see the
various advocacy posts pop in from time to time in the "on topic"
groups, and the virtual deluge of posts in the flame, advocacy or "X
vs. Y" groups. Sometimes, some things that are said really irk me.
This isn't an article to protest or whine about these groups, personal
attacks on myself, or attacks on Atari or the Jaguar, it's the disease
of misinformation and ignorance that runs rampant in these groups.
What I will attempt to present in this article are some facts, things
to ponder, guidelines, etc, whatever, on the various issues the crop
up in a never ending pattern. I will comment on the ones I have
certain "feelings" about. Feel free to write me about anything you
might agree or disagree with. (wilsont@rahul.net) As the title
implies, these are in my opinion, but in some circumstances, I will
note facts, backed up with the "fact" that I am a Jaguar developer,
and I write software for a living. I have read the documents, I have
written code for the beast, as well as other platforms: MS-DOS, Unix,
and TOS.
//// The Specs
I dunno where this one came from, at least not into the video gaming
market. Oh sure, computer manufacturers have always spit out MHz, MB,
RAM, ROM, Ports, Display resolutions, DMA channels, DAC resolutions,
playback rates, but these were for $1000 (and above) computer systems.
Heck, the marketing guys had a reason to go wild with that stuff.
Well, here comes the 32bit (and 64) bit gaming systems, and the
marketing guys now have all sorts of numbers to throw around (in vain
in some circumstances) to amaze and confuse the average joe.
As to the specs, I say forget 'em. I remember endless hours playing on
a friends 2600 with Yars Revenge or Adventure. I could really care
less that the Intellivison looked better. The games were the only
thing that mattered.
My cousins have a Genny and a SNES, then for one of their birthdays a
friend bought them "Altered Beast (TM)", they got out their old Sega
Master system to play it. I counted about 6 colors, but they plunked
down in front of it for hours.
But thats an example of the largest market that the video game
industry targets, the 9-13 year olds. They just don't care, they don't
want plots, snazzy graphics, or hours of FMV, they want to press start
and blast stuff.
Me? Well, I still like to plug in my 800xl and play a round of
M.U.L.E. or BallBlazer. The games had graphics that were good enough
to now what was going on, and gameplay that was phenonamal. The old
games were fine, but I won't play crappy conversions. Remember Star
Wars on the 8bits? It was soooo bad. In that case, graphics were so
bad, it impacted the gameplay, But so many other games were playable
with the graphics availible that it didn't disapoint me to see Star
Wars done so badly.
The point I'm getting to is that the specs will not decide what system
is better to the gamer, it's the GAMES, that will. But there is a
performance envelope that must be accounted for. Take for example
arcade Star Wars. It had a bank of 6809's and math units, as well as a
Quadra-Scan display. There was no way that the 8bit computers at the
time could do such a game, but within their envelope, the games could
be great (BallBlazer).
So the specs create the envelope, and when designers and programmers
go beyond the envelope, the games start to suffer. But I've found that
games have remained at a constant "fun" level for me even after 14
years of playing them. Even though we can texturemap every wall and
ceiling, play back stereo CD quality sound, and have frame rates and
resolutions beyond NTSC, the games haven't got any more fun for me.
What the new larger envelopes do is help produce different
experiences. I can get into Doom. X-Wing has that Star Wars
atmosphere. Dungeon Master made my heart pound. But when I'm done, I
can go play M.U.L.E. and WOW!, I'm having a blast!... Just as much fun
as playing Doom 15 minutes earlier.
And this isn't a defensive tactic. Some of you might think: "Well, of
course you're gonna say that, cuz the Jag sucks, the (fill in the
blank with a game system) will kick its butt into the ground. The Jag
can't do (this) or do (that), want proof? Look at game (X)!"
Nonsense, The Jaguar is a VERY powerful platform, it has a better
envelope than (IMHO) every game system on the market today. What the
Jaguar needs is the FUN games, and as a second feature, let's hope
they ride on the edge of the envelope, and deliver new experiences.
(Riots in the crowd start)
"But the 3DO has tons of games! 3DO rulz!"
Show me a good game in the "ton" and maybe I'll look into it.
Again I'll state IMHO, and continue:
The 3DO is a powerful machine, but the developers have exceeded its
envelope. Hence, the games suffer. Or the focus has been on FMV and
"wizbang" graphics.
All of the games on the 3DO have been uninteresting to me, they look
great in the magazines, but after 5 minutes of play I get bored.
Hey, I'm not saying the Jaguar is any better, Crescent Galaxy looked
great in the stills, but has little play value. Dino-Dudes? Next!
I'm waiting for the developers to finally get back to the gameplay
side of things, and get off this whizbang gotta-look-good trip.
(Being a developer, I've already started on my way.)
//// Our frimfram can zoink smeglors faster!
An offspring of "Specs" is the misinformation cancer. It grows
wherever people don't read the whole article or paragraph; or worse,
-haven't- even read any such paper, article, or whatnot.
Take one of the first "growths" to form in Jaguar discussions: Texture
Mapping. Because the first games didn't have any (and every 3DO game
did), gobs of people thought that the Jaguar just couldn't do it. It
must lack a "texturemapping chip" and was doomed to fail. Even though
every time you power up a jag, there it was, a texturemapped cube.
Rumors where flying around everywhere, and somewhere someone came up
with the idea that the CD-ROM unit had TM'ing hardware in it!
Well, I can tell you this, The Jaguar Blitter can do texturemapping.
The blitter uses a fixed point DDA (digital differential analyzer),
it's just the thing a programmer needs to texturemap, draw lines, and
gouraud shade. I've written a routine to texturemap arbitrary
polygons, so have other developers.
Of course, how can we forget the "banking" debate. Once again, since
Cybermorph didn't have the horizon bank, it must mean there is
something deadly wrong with the Jag! It must not be able to draw
banked horizons! It's too slow!
Wrong again! These people claiming such nonsense have never programmed
a 3D display before.
Just for quick time out, it might seem that I believe non-programmers
are low-life serfs, doomed to scrape a pathetic existance from under
society's table. Well, no I don't. It's just that in most of these
cases, the average joe game player (e.g. not the programmers) have
came to conclusions that are simply beyond their knowledge and
experience. If (in general) people would just be quiet until know FOR
SURE what they are talking about, things would go alot smoother.
Imagine that, intelligent flaming!
Anyways, back to the "banking".
Every vertex of a 3D object must be converted from its "universal"
position to its "eye" position. This is done by multiplying every
point by and "eye" matrix. A matrix is a nifty mathematical construct,
the details of which I won't go into, but it comes down to this: 3
Multiplies, and 6 MAC's... Multiply and ACcumulate (a MAC is a
multiply and an add) are required to multiply a point by a matrix.
The whole proceedure (in my code) takes 18 instructions... That's 18
Jaguar cycles folks. Now how fast does the GPU run at? 26.6Mhz right?
26.6 MILLION cycles per second! Gee, doesn't look like it takes very
long to transform points.
Ah, but you ask what does all this have to do with banking? Well, to
bank, or turn, or pitch the eye matrix, it has to be multiplied by
another matrix. So how long does this take?
9 Multiplies, 18 MAC's, and in my code, 54 instructions for the whole
operation. Once again, that's 54 cycles. But the eye matrix only has
to be transformed ONCE every time you twiddle the joystick for
example. So why didn't Cybermorph bank? Who knows? I can tell you my
game will, as does Checkered Flag, and other upcoming games.
Also, we have the average joe looking at the block diagram and making
incredible leaps of logic. I came across one discussion where there
was talk that the Blitter maintained the screen. (Drove the video
DAC.) Well, It doesn't. The object processor does.
Oh yeah, Of course there's the group that sees the 68k in the Jag and
condemns the Jag because of it. Here's some news: The PSX, and Saturn
and 32X all use 68K's! Gee, they must be 16 bit systems huh? Of
course, as a developer, I can comment on this, I tell you that the 68K
in my development is used to do two things:
1. Start the system: After loading boot code into Tom & Jerry, it
starts them up and then waits.
2. Maintains a list for the video output, bascially, it runs for a few
cycles (50-100) every 1/60th a second on an interupt.
Oh yeah, thats the "Central" Processing Unit. Looks like its "Central"
to everything... NOT. I could move the VBL code to another processor
if I want. I don't want to use it for anything else, it is the slowest
thing on the bus.
The latest bit of misinformation is about the SRAM on T&J. Once again,
the average joe has taken info and twisted it into some hideous
shortcoming that will forever doom the Jaguar to the junkheap. The
"problem" is this: the GPU has a 4K SRAM area, and the DSP has 8K.
People who are accustomed to 300K executables are complaining that
it's not enough and it takes too long to write an overlay routine.
Well, once again I'll shoot this one down. Note that I would have
liked more SRAM myself. As it stands however, its not a hard problem
to solve. It's easy to write a piece of code that blits in the next
part of your routine. My texturemapping routine I mentioned earlier
only takes up 1K. A polygon routine I have is even smaller.
Secondly, I don't want the RISCs running out of the DRAM. In the SRAM
they can run at full bore, while not soaking up any bandwidth from the
blitter or DSP fetches for sound. Now isn't that groovy? Instead of a
processor waiting for graphics chips to finish, the processor can
continue to calculate... "stuff".
Well, that's about it, I just had to get that stuff off my chest. I
hope it's informed you as well, not just got you mad at me. :^)
--==--==--==--==--
||| Andreas' Den
||| By: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: ABARBIERO GEnie: AEO.2
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Falcon is a great entry level computer with features not even
found on top of the line power computing machines. It does have some
drawbacks, one of which is the fact that there is no big brother to
the Falcon030. To satisfy the needs of people who want something like
the Falcon, but the power to take on the new heavyweights to the
computing world, something more is needed.
Fear not! The 3rd party guys have not passed up the Falcon030, and
instead of lamenting over the problem, there has been a veritable
explosion of new hardware to remedy any speed needs you may have.
Even if you do not have a Falcon030, there are many things that you
can do to give whatever Atari you own extra performance.
//// Falcon030
I have compiled some information concerning the German "Speed
Resolution Card". The Speed Resolution Card can enhance your Falcon's
hardware by not only providing a 40MHz speed-up for the '030 but by
improving the Falcon030's video as well. This is not directly, but
with the faster bus speed that this device can deliver, if you combine
it with something like Blow-UP 030. This means that you can truly get
1024x768 NON INTERLACED using the Speed Resolution Card and the
Blow-UP Hard I. This information was compiled from the Lexicor-list,
and Yat Siu of Lexicor was kind enough to forward more information to
me. The "Speed Resolution Card" from Hard & Soft in Germany allows you
to select various CPU and Bus clock-rates e.g., CPU 40MHz and Bus
20MHz.
It comes with a processor cooler, and it will drive the math
co-prorocessor to a maximum of 40Mhz. You can select different
variations of processor/bus speeds, but there has been spurious
reports that some Falcons will not run at the max speeds available,
but this may be due to other factors than the card may be responsible
for. Benchmarks claim the card can squeeze out a 45% performance boost
for processor and I/O throughput, and there is no incompatibilities to
report.
ACN (from ST Nieuws) in The Netherlands are selling a Falcon 40 MHz
upgrade from the German firm Digital Data Deicke. Oddly enough, it's
called Highspeed 40 MHz.
It upgrades the 68030 and the DSP to 40 MHz. It also can switch the
video clock to 40 MHz resulting in higher resolutions. The upgrade can
be switched back to 16 MHz by a hardware switch without a reset. In
that way programs (probably mostly games) which doesn't work at speeds
faster than 16 MHz can still run. The upgrade doesn't use the
expansion slot so you can still use other hardware in your expansion
slot. Therefore the upgrade requires some soldering.
Some numbers: 100 % is a standard 32 MHz TT 030
CPU memory: 112 %
CPU register: 124 %
CPU divide: 124 %
CPU shifts: 126 %
The upgrade makes your FALCON 030 about 1.2 times as fast as a TT030.
The price is very cheap. It costs f279,- dutch guilders which is about
96 U.K. pounds or $143 dollars.
There are other possibilities, one of which is something called the
Falcon Richter Board which costs around 300-400 DM and gives a 50Mhz
Math Co-Pro and switchable 16/20/32/36 MHz CPU. Already available are
the Might Sonic boards which go for around $400, and with the Fast-RAM
option they offer a 32bit memory bus.
There is a discussion centering around the fact that no matter how
fast you make the CPU, without being able to speed up access to RAM,
then the maximum speed increase that can be expected is around
50%-60%. The price to performance ratio is something to consider. If
you are like me, money is the bottom line, and you need the most power
for every dollar you spend. The Mighty Eagle Sonic card allows you to
add Fast-RAM to you computer, which is identical to TT-RAM in a TT030.
This RAM is not subject to the memory contention that fights video for
processor time, and has unrestricted 32 bit access. In an ST or with
ST-RAM, video access the same RAM that the CPU does, so the CPU
sometimes has to wait for cycles to pass (remember wait-states?)
before it can get a chance at getting its own information from RAM.
Once you can free the processor from this contention, then some real
speed can be achieved. This is a more expensive way to get performance
from your Falcon030, but there are other options. Speeding up the
data bus rate will increase the maximum resolution that the Falcon030
can output, and a faster processor speed will give you better
performance even without fast-RAM.
I picked up this tidbit off the Internet talking about a new product
which also speeds up the clock speed of the Falcon030.
This appears to be another inexpensive way to accelerate your
Falcon030, but again does not support 32bit RAM. I don't like
benchmarks, as there is no benchmark program that will take into
account the parallel processors that are in the Falcon030. With an
overall speedup to 40MHz (except the bus data rate, I am assuming) an
increase in speed to around TT030 speed is not impossible, and if you
do graphic rendering the extra cycles given to the DSP will help out.
If the price is correct, for under $200 this is something that
deserves a closer look.
The Mighty Sonic cards are available right now from several US
distributors and cost around $500. Ideally the best accelerator will
be the ones that implement a 68040 chip. The Barracuda is nearing
completion, and I expect it to provide some of the best performance
around. This add-on will probably require you to re-case your
computer, and fortunately Wizztronics is promising to provide a
solution to this.
Clock speed is not the end-all when determining speed for a computer,
the speed of the bus determines the maximum data rate that can be
transferred to all parts of the computer. Freeing up access to RAM
also helps out as EVERYTHING that concerns a computer works from this
resource. With the Falcon the primary thing to speed up is RAM access,
the second point is to get the bus speed kicked up. The Falcon's
maximum color and graphics resolution is tied to how fast it can get
information to the screen. The least important function is the actual
CPU speed. Getting the 68030 up to 64MHz may be possible, but without
the first two points met, this will only result in minor performance
gains. The DSP has 96K of its own fast-RAM, and it runs as 32MHz, this
is an enormous asset to operations which can profit from its
calculation ability, and it is not really helped much by being sped
up, but then any increase in speed that your software can use is
important.
//// TT030
The TT030 is still the basic powerhouse Atari computer for the
foreseeable future, and is very affordable on the used marketplace.
It is still available new, and though its performance over other
platforms has eroded since it was first shipped, it is still a better
GUI machine than any similarly priced Intel machine. There has not
been the same sort of effort placed into making the TT030 faster than
it already is, but thanks to the CaTTamaran, the TT030 can break the
32MHz barrier. The CaTTamaran is a $99 upgrade that boosts the CPU
speed of the TT030 to 48MHz.
Recently, there was a text file uploaded that tested a TT030 with a
CaTTamaran under all sorts of different conditions, I won't recap the
whole posting here put I will give you an excerpt.
Benchmarks for a Rev A TT030 in TT-medium without Fast-RAM.
GEM Bench v3.41 = Ofir Gal 3.5.94
============================================
TT 030 TOS 3.06, MiNT not present
Blitter not present, NVDI not present
Video Mode = 640 * 480 * 16 Colors
LineF FPU installed
Run and Malloc from FastRAM
Ref = TT + FPU, TT Medium
CyReL CaTTamaran, 48 MHz
plain vanilla TT, Rev. A motherboard
FastRAM button disabled
============================================
GEM Dialog Box: 4.260 104%
VDI Text: 8.520 108%
VDI Text Effects: 19.110 107%
VDI Small Text: 6.495 105%
VDI Graphics: 7.205 111%
GEM Window: 1.730 104%
Integer Division: 1.020 150%
Float Math: 0.150 153%
RAM Access: 0.870 214%
ROM Access: 1.180 124%
Blitting: 4.555 155%
VDI Scroll: 6.850 106%
Justified Text: 8.080 106%
VDI Enquire: 1.070 120%
New Dialogs: 4.180 113%
============================================
Graphics: 112%
CPU: 160%
Average: 125%
NVDI gives a nice performance boost to these numbers, and while I do
not really like benchmarks, NVDI can give you an average score of over
500%. These numbers will have to do until I get a review unit to run
through my own personal gauntlet, thanks to the folks who spent the
time to test and post these scores.
The easiest way to speed up your TT030 is to add Fast-RAM, as I
discussed earlier 32-bit RAM is the best way to speed up your machine.
Next time I will go into the ST accelerators and discuss them in
detail. From putting a 16MHz 68000 to a 50MHz 68030, there are many
ways to get your ST to run faster than you though it could. I will
also talk about WHY you want a faster computer, and maybe why you
DON'T need one. I'll leave that up to you to decide.
--==--==--==--==--
||| "From a saved backup...."
||| By: Ron Whittam
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
//// Share and share alike
In this column I hope to foster communication and support for 8-bit
and ST computer owners... presenting a positive and directive
approach. This will help to strengthen the users group base and
encourage the executive element.
If you have a question you would like me to answer, or a topic you
would like to see covered, send me an Email!
//// What is this DOM thing?
The users group "Disk of the Month", or DOM, is a vital tool that can
be used to increase the Atari computer owners software base as well as
provide participation of the group. The DOM may contain demo programs,
PD and Shareware programs. This article will discuss the process of
procuring items for the disk, creating the disk, preparing it for
distribution, and distributing it.
//// Procuring items for the disk.
Many users groups offer a disk or program each month. These are
usually made available to the members for free or a low nominal cost.
These are generally available to non-members for a bit more. Those who
do this regularly know where to find the files. If your group is not
doing this, then they might not know where to look. First of all, do
not put commercial programs on your disk. The programs and files
should be from three categories: Public Domain, Shareware, and
Commercial Demos (designed for such distribution).
No self-respecting users group should be without a disk of the month.
There are new and improved Atari programs be produced monthly. If you
cannot find them, then maybe you are looking in the wrong place.
There are two Atari magazines (that I know of) that have a disk with
the issue. ST Informer has a Disk subscription that is complemented by
a listing in the magazine. ST Format includes a disk (or two) with
each issue. ST Format usually reserves quite a few pages in the
magazine for instructions about the programs on the disk. Some of the
programs provided are NOT to be freely distributed, so read the
documentation carefully. Between these two magazines, I have added
many quality programs and utilities to my Atari software library.
Another good source for new programs and files is your local Atari
BBS. However, this is usually only as good as the uploads that are on
the board. If you have an active Internet or Commercial Service user
uploading files the BBS is a good source. The Internet and the
commercial services (like GEnie or Compuserve) offer large libraries
of software that you can download. Many shareware developers use these
services to distribute their programs and updates.
And lastly, a good source is from users group members that program.
If you have programmers in your group, encourage them to write and
share their work on your disk.
So, now you have a large base for procuring many software program to
distribute on your disk of the month. Now what?
//// Creating the disk.
There may be many methods of creating the diskette. One option would
be to put programs on your monthly diskette that follow the same theme
as your meeting. Another similar option would be to pick a topic for
your disk and put programs and files on the disk that fit that topic.
Let's say you pick "word processing." The disk could contain a text
editor, a shareware word processor, some WP-to-ASCII utilities, and
other writing tools available. Associated programs might be a spell
checker or grammar checker. Depending on the size of your group, you
might want to have specialized disks for the 8-bit, ST, TT, and Falcon
classes of Atari computers. Our group has an 8-bit DOM and an ST DOM.
Be alert to the needs of the group. If you put a MONO only program on
the disk, be sure to include a mono emulator for the members in you
group that only have color monitors. Also find out what programs you
members are looking for. Locate those programs and put them on the
disk.
Be sure to include a text file called "read.me" or "contents.txt" or
some other name for the file. In this file, make a list of the
programs you have included on the disk, along with a brief
description. You will want to mention if the program runs in a
specific resolution. You will need to state if the program runs on all
Atari computers or if they are specific to certain classes of Atari
computers like the STE or Falcon.
//// Preparing the disk for distribution.
Providing a good looking label is not a necessity. But, your members
will be pleased if the disk has the look and feel of quality. A
quality label should include your club's name. It should include the
file names of the programs and files contained on the disk. You might
also want to indicate: "browse the read.me file." Be aware that some
older ST computers only had single sided drives. You may need to find
out which users have these smaller drives and make a single-sided copy
for them. Disks can be copied by the Desktop copy method, PD,
shareware or commercial programs. FastCopy 3 is a good quality copy
program. ProCopy is a great commercial offering. This allows you to
make multiple copies from only one pass of the origial (providing you
have enough memory). Whenever copying multiple disks it is always wise
to use the verify option. While it makes the copying procedure slower,
it verifies that the copy is good.
The users group can make a bulk purchase of diskettes at bargan
prices. Watch the computer sale magazines. If you buy 100 or 500 at a
time, the cost can drop to below 30 cents a disk. You might check with
other computer owners as to the reliability of the vendor and the
products being sold. Also, since most all users groups need diskettes,
you might buy a large quantity for 2 or 3 users groups in your area
and save a bundle.
//// Distributing the disk.
Distributing the disk is not difficult. There are two main methods for
distributing these disks. One is to have a master disk and pre-
printed labels. Each member brings a disk to copy from the master disk
during the meeting. They are given the disk label to put on the disk.
The second method is to copy the disks before the meeting. Make a
sufficient number to satisfy the membership. Additional copies can be
made during the meeting. This second method saves the meeting time for
more important things. It is also the more expensive method. But it
does a better job of getting the disk into your members' hands.
People will often forget to bring a blank disk.
One thing to emphasize is the nature of shareware. Often new users
believe that the copy fee they pay for shareware diskettes is the
price of the program. You need to educate your membership to pay for
shareware programs that they end up using. One method is to print out
the registrations, license, or payment forms provided with the
programs that are included on the disk. Hand out the forms with the
disk of the month. If anyone is irritated with the "commercial nature"
of such a blatant act, remind them that if they want to continue to
get good software on the Atari platform they must pay for it.
Shareware is quality software at a lot less than retail price.
Depending on your group's size and your resources, you might mail the
disk to members who cannot attend. However, providing the disk only at
the meeting might be an incentive to get members to the meeting. Some
groups produce a newsletter on disk. On this disk they have a program
that displays the text information and also runs the demo programs.
These disks are mailed to the membership as part of the benefit for
being a member.
Our users group maintains a software library for both the 8-Bit and
ST. Each librarian keeps track of the disks that we have used for the
disk of the month, as well as other disks that we have purchased as a
user group. Keeping a selection like this enable new members the
opportunity to make copies of disks that were distributed prior to
them being members. We allow our members to check out the entire
library for a month. Larger groups might want to have members check
out a disk or groups of disks per month rather then monopolizing the
entire library. Whatever you do, make the programs and files easily
accessible. Share what is to be shared, pay for what needs to be paid
for. By the way, if you have "old" software programs that you no
longer use why not donate it to the group. Or offer it for sale at a
greatly reduced rate. Be sure you transfer all ownership and license
to the new owner. Increasing the size of your software library will
increase your ability to service the members of your group.
In the future we will cover Membership (methods of increasing it),
Networking with other users groups, etc.; and I will share from my own
exploits as a users group president; the frustration and the elation.
Stay tuned.
------------
Ron Whittam is a Customer Support Specialist for a small software firm
in Boise, Idaho; and the President of the Atari Boise Users Group. He
can be contacted on GEnie (EXPLORER.4), on the Internet at
<r.whittam@genie.geis.com>, or on ROVER BBS (208-362-2243).
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-- --
-- To enroll as a Delphi subscriber, modem call 1-800-365-4636. Press --
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--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari Explorer Online RTC
||| File Courtesy: GEnie ST RoundTable
/ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================
(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.
Call (voice) 1-800-638-9636 for more information.
==========================================================================
Sections of this RTC has been edited for spelling and flow.
==========================================================================
AEO Roundtable Conference
with
the staff of AEO!!!
host
Brian H. Harvey
<[hoST] BRIAN.H> On behalf of the Atari ST Roundtable, I welcome all of
you to this ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE (AEO) Round Table Conference. Tonight
I would like to welcome:
AEO.MAG - Travis Guy
AEO.1 - Albert Dayes - C programmer, PostScript, general computing.
AEO.4 - Michael Burkley - shareware/PD/freeware software.
AEO.8 - Timothy Wilson - Jaguar programmer, gamer, Falcon programmer.
EXPLORER.1 - Ron Robinson - Atari hardware, other platforms, general
computing.
EXPLORER.5 - Tal Funke-Bilu - AEO Jaguar Junkie, Summer CES snoop.
EXPLORER.6 - Boris Molodyi - DTP, graphics
Unable to attend are:
Andreas (AEO.2) who is in San Diego at the behest of the Navy;
Ron Whittam (EXPLORER.4) and Pete Donoso (EXPLORER.2). They both have
prior engagements tonight.
Welcome Travis and the rest of the AEO crew to this momentous online
occasion. Do you have a few words to begin this evening RTC?
<[Travis] AEO.MAG> Thanks Brian. First up, I'd like to warn everyone
that with me in Florida, thunderstorms are a fact of life, and I may
disappear at any time. :) I'm Travis Guy, editor of Atari Explorer
Online magazine. I took over AEO in October 1992 from Ron Kovacs when
Atari Corp. hired Mike Lindsay and Darren Meer to publish Atari Explorer
magazine. Mike, Darren and I had worked together for years, dating back
to when we were the editorial staff of ST Informer.
Explorer was closed in Spring 1993, as Atari's focus shifted from their
computer operations back to where Atari started - video games. AEO,
being in essence a publication with little overhead, continued on. AEO
separated from Atari Corp., but maintained a special relationship with
the corporation, and with many employees there. AEO was the first
publication to break news of IBM's involvement with building Jaguar,
with our Special Jaguar Edition we were the first publication with solid
facts on the new machine. We were the first publication to publish
extensive hands-on reports of Jaguar games. We were the first
publication with in-depth reviews of Cybermorph and Tempest 2000. Quite
honestly, we think when it comes to Atari information, we're the first
source.
And when it comes to sources, AEO chooses to make the GEnie ST
RoundTable our "official online home". There's nowhere online that I
know of that is so friendly to Atari users and developers alike, and so
well stocked with knowledgeable SysOps -and- users. I'd like to thank
Brian Harvey for his friendly assistance to help prepare us for this
evening's festivities, and for his naivete in thinking he can moderate
the AEO bunch! <g>
Right now I'd like to introduce the staff of AEO - at least the staff
that were able to make it to the RTC here on GEnie tonight. AEO.1 step
up, take a bow and introduce yourself!
<[Albert] AEO.1> Hi All Travis said it all. <grin>
<[Travis] AEO.MAG> Now that was unusual. Albert being at a loss for
words! :)
<[Ron @ AEO] EXPLORER.1> I'm Ron Robinson, based in St. Louis. Just let
us know how we can help you enjoy your Atari products.
<[Tal] EXPLORER.5> Hello all this is one of my first conferences, so
bear with me...
<[ParadoxDrive] EXPLORER.6> Hi. My name is Boris Molodyi, based in
Naperville, IL
<[Atariophile] AEO