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[NoFaceNico]

I just read through all 4 pages here and there's a lot of misinformation and assumption going on about the whole Coleco involvement thing, which proves their new deceptive marketing campaign is working.

Here's the skinny on Coleco's involvement. The company has been long dead but a guy named Chris Cardillo bought into Coleco Holdings last month (source). He's the link between Coleco and the Retro VGS. No, there isn't a vault where they've imprisoned all the old Coleco talent just waiting for a console like this to take shape. It's just a guy who bought a name and is lending it to the Retro VGS guys, probably under some financial arrangement.

But like any good businessman, he knows how to diversify. Which is why he moonlights as.....

A New Jersey rapper. Here's his rap rendition of Mambo Italiano.

 

[garbagejuicer]

I just read through all 4 pages here and there's a lot of misinformation and assumption going on about the whole Coleco involvement thing, which proves their new deceptive marketing campaign is working.

Here's the skinny on Coleco's involvement. The company has been long dead but a guy named Chris Cardillo bought into Coleco Holdings last month..... .

I'm glad you posted this, was thinking of doing it myself. It's pretty clear whats going on here. A very calculated move to get the retro juices going with an obscure (but still recognizable to the intended audience) brand name from the past. I wonder how much they paid That Guy/Coleco to get the name slapped on there.

I think in a perfect world for them Atari would have been a better choice because of the Jaguar moldings and brand recognition. The name Flashback would have worked for this machine quite well too. Obviously getting the Atari name would have cost quite a bit more, and Flashback is already taken.

 

[nded]

The Jaguar console shell mold strikes again!

 

[Triggerhappytel]

With an entirely different layout

"Entirely different layout" as in they swapped the placement of the right stick and the face buttons?

 

[Heavy Iron Industries]

Black SNES controller trying to make its way out of that thing.

 

[evilromero]

Seriously, this is all I've wanted for a good decade now. A console that forces devs to keep developing games up to the 32-bit era (I assume N64 as well).

Very excited for this and hope is pans out well. But what's up with calling 8, 16 and 32-bit games "genres?" I mean, I understand those are styles but it doesn't describe the genre of the game.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Seriously, this is all I've wanted for a good decade now. A console that forces devs to keep developing games up to the 32-bit era (I assume N64 as well).

Very excited for this and hope is pans out well. But what's up with calling 8, 16 and 32-bit games "genres?" I mean, I understand those are styles but it doesn't describe the genre of the game.

Devs won't be "forced" to do anything because devs will just say no to this thing.

 

[Glowsquid]

But like any good businessman, he knows how to diversify. Which is why he moonlights as.....

does that mean they're going to run tv commercial with shitty rap

you know, for the retro feeling

 

[Nerdkiller]

Well...ya can't beat a Coleco.

 

[diablos991]

Guaranteed flop.

 

[Possumowner]

This ain't going nowhere fast.

 

[NoFaceNico]

This ain't going nowhere fast.

So that means it is going somewhere fast. Or going nowhere slowly. Either way, I just hope if it is going anywhere it's to the smelter where those hexed Jaguar molds belong.

 

[cartman414]

I'd say Dreamcast era would be an acceptable ceiling for 2d.

Weren't they saying the cart FPGAs could mimic any past console architecture or something?

 

[Dreamwriter]

Weren't they saying the cart FPGAs could mimic any past console architecture or something?

You're thinking about the RetroVGS. They lost the person who was going to develop retro-console FPGA cores with that project, and to get him back for this new project would most likely be prohibitively expensive after that debacle.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Woah. Thread title should have mentioned this was the return of the RetroVGS. What a fucking weird continuation of the story. Is there not going to be another crowd funding attempt?

 

[cartman414]

You're thinking about the RetroVGS. They lost the person who was going to develop retro-console FPGA cores with that project, and to get him back for this new project would most likely be prohibitively expensive after that debacle.

Ahhh, didn't hear about Kevtris dropping out. Hope he gets somewhere with his new project.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Seriously, this is all I've wanted for a good decade now. A console that forces devs to keep developing games up to the 32-bit era (I assume N64 as well).

Very excited for this and hope is pans out well. But what's up with calling 8, 16 and 32-bit games "genres?" I mean, I understand those are styles but it doesn't describe the genre of the game.

What's the appeal of this? Why would indie devs choose this over something already with a scene like the Dreamcast, or just go pc like everyone else.

 

[spookyfish]

Coleco still exists, huh. Good luck to them.

This is what I was thinking. Why does it look like a Jaguar?

 

[DiscoJer]

The same company that releases the Atari Flashbacks released a Colecovision Flashback last year.

Works pretty good. Doesn't have all its great games, since so many were licensed, but it has a lot of them.

 

[Dingotech]

This is what I was thinking. Why does it look like a Jaguar?

They bought the molds for the Jaguar case.

 

[tengiants]

I just read through all 4 pages here and there's a lot of misinformation and assumption going on about the whole Coleco involvement thing, which proves their new deceptive marketing campaign is working.

Here's the skinny on Coleco's involvement. The company has been long dead but a guy named Chris Cardillo bought into Coleco Holdings last month (source). He's the link between Coleco and the Retro VGS. No, there isn't a vault where they've imprisoned all the old Coleco talent just waiting for a console like this to take shape. It's just a guy who bought a name and is lending it to the Retro VGS guys, probably under some financial arrangement.

But like any good businessman, he knows how to diversify. Which is why he moonlights as.....

A New Jersey rapper. Here's his rap rendition of Mambo Italiano.

This guy is cool.

 

[NoFaceNico]

This guy is cool.

He kinda looks like my avatar. If someone knows how to photoshop the cap on his head and wants to make a little money, send me a PM.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

What's the appeal of this? Why would indie devs choose this over something already with a scene like the Dreamcast, or just go pc like everyone else.

The million dollar question that nobody seems to be able to answer...

This thing is pure pie in the sky, from the people making it to the people it appeals to as a product. Buying into this pretty much requires you to suspend all reality.

 

[Phat Michael]

Chameleon is a good name.

It's already disguised itself as that other kickstarted cartridge console.

Exactly. Those jaguar moulds must be doing the rounds.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Ahhh, didn't hear about Kevtris dropping out. Hope he gets somewhere with his new project.

Not so much a dropping out as them roughly tossing him out as if some sort of triumphant master stroke on the eve of the wheels falling off their entire shoddy enterprise endeavor---every sign in the fallout on the AtariAge mega-thread points to him being the only solid dude even marginally involved that had mud kicked at him despite being the only especially skilled person tied to the VGS as it came to be.

 

[AmyS]

gee I wonder why it looks like a Jaguar

Spoiler

good fucking luck with this, "coleco"

Post #7 nails it.

Quoted again for truth.

gee I wonder why it looks like a Jaguar

good fucking luck with this, "coleco"

 

[bomblord1]

If I see 1 JUST 1 worthwhile game on this I'll probably be all over it.

 

[rrs]

That retro game system finally got a nice name, now to wait for the games I suppose

 

[Ranger X]

Well that sure fits as a name.
Now its all about "is there enough passionate teams out there that actually want to put their time on game for that console". That's they key thing here. And answer is probably no.

I would really love that to work though.

 

[BobbyRobby]

The logo is nice

 

[NDP_Mulcair]

Well that sure fits as a name.
Now its all about "is there enough passionate teams out there that actually want to put their time on game for that console". That's they key thing here. And answer is probably no.

I would really love that to work though.

It would be really neat if the Retro VGS guys behind this "Coleco" product would establish a bunch of first-party development teams and create some exclusive games.

You can make retro games with only a few people (for example, the original Legend of Zelda was made by just 7 people), so the required capital to make first-party games wouldn't be anywhere near the massive investment it takes for companies like Sony and Microsoft in the modern era.

I might actually buy these $300 plastic Jaguar shells if they had a robust exclusive lineup.

 

[cartman414]

Not so much a dropping out as them roughly tossing him out as if some sort of triumphant master stroke on the eve of the wheels falling off their entire shoddy enterprise endeavor---every sign in the fallout on the AtariAge mega-thread points to him being the only solid dude even marginally involved that had mud kicked at him despite being the only especially skilled person tied to the VGS as it came to be.

So basically Ouya if it were cart based instead of Android streaming.

 

[C-Sword]

The combination of 3 failed systems

Wii-U (controller)
Jaguar (shell)
Coleco (name)

 

[FoxSpirit]

It's amazing that the sale of some Jaguar molds and the bad ideas that that has sparked has provided far, far more entertainment than the Jaguar itself ever did.

Yeah, we should compile all the uses that mold has gotten so far. Dental camera, retro console, anything else?

 

[Mr. Pointy]

The Atari Jaguar shell strikes again!

Love it.
Please let there be a toilet shaped CD addon.

 

[Azriell]

Too much hate from jaded gamers in this thread. Obviously this thing probably won't work out and it will probably never be properly supported, but it's existence isn't a bad thing. Maybe it'll turn out ok though and we end up with a new platform for retro games and new indies alike.

 

[Stasis]

So it's a Jaguar, Retro, Chameleon?

What's up with continually reusing the same shell over the years? Are there hundreds of thousands of these lying around somewhere? :lol

 

[Phat Michael]

The combination of 3 failed systems

Wii-U (controller)
Jaguar (shell)
Coleco (name)

Ouch.

The only thing that would get me to buy this is if all the great snes and genesis rpgs came out on it on massive neo geo aes sized carts with some graphical upgrades.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Too much hate from jaded gamers in this thread. Obviously this thing probably won't work out and it will probably never be properly supported, but it's existence isn't a bad thing. Maybe it'll turn out ok though and we end up with a new platform for retro games and new indies alike.

It has already failed to work out well once, big time.

 

[Leynos]

A tweet on their website says:

COLECO Chameleon@RETROVGS

@ScottVyper It will be significantly more affordable than the first go-around.

What did they remove, and how much will it go for now? The reprogrammable FPGA, I assume.

 

[NoFaceNico]

What did they remove, and how much will it go for now? The reprogrammable FPGA, I assume.

Not a lot of info but they posted this too:

They indicated before that they're going back to their original, more modest concept for the RVGS. Apparently the original concept was based on the BeagleBone Black. If so that explains the much lower cost. Whatever it is now, no doubt the FPGA is long gone, which is a good thing.

Oh, and they have this update as well:

A little concerning that they're showing off stuff like before but they still don't have their prototype ready yet. Oh well, they've already promised over and over that it'll be playable at the Toy Fair and that's far enough away to where it shouldn't be a problem, but.. well... y'know... another chapter in the RVGS saga.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Too much hate from jaded gamers in this thread. Obviously this thing probably won't work out and it will probably never be properly supported, but it's existence isn't a bad thing. Maybe it'll turn out ok though and we end up with a new platform for retro games and new indies alike.

if they try to launch a crowdfunding campaign again, then it's existence can be a bad thing for those unfortunate enough to give them money for this pipe dream.

 

[_Ryo_]

Um...

Is this gonna have the same features, specs and hardware as before? If so, its DOOMED to fail.

You Can't just slap another name on it and say it's a completely different thing. It's actually a really arrogant and upsetting announcement. To think people just aren't getting what they're selling or they aren't communicating properly or people or too dumb to "get it" its the same mistake Microsoft tried to make.

Can you imagine if Microsoft just changed the name of XB1 and kept everything else about its announcement?

Retro VGS are clueless if this is what they're trying to do.

Edit: just read the above updates, maybe they're not clueless after all and it will actually take off

but then again there STIll is no prototype, and a bunch of baseless promises so perhaps they are.

My skepticism doesn't bode well for them if its a majority feeling.

 

[emb]

just read the above updates, maybe they're not clueless after all and it will actually take off

but then again there STIll is no prototype, and a bunch of baseless promises so perhaps they are.

My skepticism doesn't bode well for them if its a majority feeling.

Mmmmmaybe they'll make it work, I kinda doubt it. Who knows.

I don't understand why they would make the rebranding public BEFORE they're able to share details about the new plans.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

Um...

Is this gonna have the same features, specs and hardware as before? If so, its DOOMED to fail.

You Can't just slap another name on it and say it's a completely different thing. It's actually a really arrogant and upsetting announcement. To think people just aren't getting what they're selling or they aren't communicating properly or people or too dumb to "get it" its the same mistake Microsoft tried to make.

Can you imagine if Microsoft just changed the name of XB1 and kept everything else about its announcement?

Retro VGS are clueless if this is what they're trying to do.

Edit: just read the above updates, maybe they're not clueless after all and it will actually take off.

Yeah you pretty much hit the nail on the head right there. I think the most ridiculous thing about it is that Coleco isn't even a good name to brand this with. It's from a pretty much dead company that's a relic from the eighties that was barely a household name in their prime. If this is supposed to add authenticity and brand weight to their console then I think they've failed in that endeavour. Atari or a name like that would make far more sense and achieve the effect they're going for with this move.

Adding the Coleco name just makes me even more sceptical to be honest let alone more confident in their product. If they can dramatically lower the price and successfully re-launch on Kickstarter with a working prototype then all the more power to them but I still don't see a possible universe where this console succeeds. They'd have to get some serious games on this for me to re-consider. They pretty much lost me with the catastrophe that was their last campaign. That launch line-up they had at the time was anaemic at best.

I'll be watching this with interest but only because the story is so endlessly fascinating. The saga continues.

 

[Emperor Bohe]

IMO, they need exclusives for this to be successful.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

IMO, they need exclusives for this to be successful.

Why would anyone put anything exclusively on this? They all saw how the Ouya turned out, and this will probably have even more niche appeal if it ever sees the light of day. Indies seem to live and die by eventually putting their content everywhere and anywhere unless they get a juicy deal from MS or Sony. There is zero incentive other than "Hey isn't nostalgia/cartridges cool!?!" for develops to support this thing.

If their basic idea is "Hey wouldn't it be cool if your games came in boxes/carts like the old days?!?" then what they really should have done is created a small start up that acts as a middle man who works with certain publishers to create physical versions of digital indie games, with the game being held in a usb key inside of a replica cart or something, but indiebox beat them to that punch. Plus that idea wouldn't let them use their sick Jaguar molds.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I was in Walgreens yesterday and saw in the checkout aisle, a Sega Genesis system with a bunch of pre-loaded games on it. It also advertised that it accepted Genesis cartridges too. I thought that was pretty cool actually. No clue if it is licensed and everything, though.

 

[Tripon]

Will this even have a digital market?

 

[Krejlooc]

I was in Walgreens yesterday and saw in the checkout aisle, a Sega Genesis system with a bunch of pre-loaded games on it. It also advertised that it accepted Genesis cartridges too. I thought that was pretty cool actually. No clue if it is licensed and everything, though.

it is. It's an AtGames SOAC genesis clone.