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Post by reid on Mar 3, 2021 15:06:39 GMT
Hello.
I am wondering if there are plans for Retrogames Ltd to make other computers down the line, like say THE800XL (Atari 800XL), THE6128CPC (Amstrad CPC 6128), THEZX+3 (Spectrum ZX+3) or THE520ST (Atari 520 ST), THESAM (SAM Coupe) etc.
The names for models are just figurative, but the question remains if there are plans down the line for new 8 and 16bit computers to be reborn just like THEC64, besides the upcoming Amiga 500.
Also a request to Retrogames Ltd to ship a batch of THEVIC20 to the States, as it is nearly impossible to get hold of one (Amazon has it marked as Unavailable for months now). I was barely able to get hold of a THEC64, and that was after months of trying. No such luck with THEVIC20.
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Post by spannernick on Mar 3, 2021 20:24:45 GMT
All I know of at the moment is the Amiga 500 so we will see.. The problem with stock in the US is properly down to the Lockdown in the UK ATM(there are designed here and made in China) and as soon as Amazon US gets stock its sold out straight away so not enough stock is put in at the moment and the machines are high in demand in the US too so stock gets sold out quick.
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Post by sjakie43 on Mar 3, 2021 20:31:59 GMT
Are there any sales numbers known(current) Btw ?
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Post by lamerdeluxe on Mar 4, 2021 19:34:34 GMT
I know a number of people who'd love a THE800XL. A friend of mine had an Atari 600XL when I was a teenager, I have good memories of that machine, loved the sound effects. Luckily there's a MiSTer core for it.
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Post by spannernick on Mar 5, 2021 16:59:44 GMT
I have a Atari 800XL... and a Atari 130XE and The Atari Game System, where you have to plug the keyboard into it...
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Post by sjakie43 on Mar 5, 2021 19:01:02 GMT
For all you Atari 800Xl Fans
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Post by grasshopper on Mar 5, 2021 20:09:28 GMT
It would be really nice if someone started manufacturing a replica Acorn Atom, or BBC Micro. Of all the computers I've owned over the years, those were by far my favourites. However, there's almost zero chance of that happening given that those computers are practically unknown outside the UK. Also, I don't really need a full plug and play system. I just wish that RGL (or some other company) would start manufacturing replica 80s computer cases with working USB keyboards, so we could come up with our own solutions based around small PC motherboards, RPis, FPGA boards, etc. For me, 90% of THEC64's appeal is the replica case and working keyboard. Once you take those parts away, all you're left with is a weak ARM SOC running an old version of Vice with a custom front end bolted on. That's OK I guess, but you can come up with a far better solution using a Raspberry Pi, or equivalent.
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Post by spannernick on Mar 6, 2021 12:41:13 GMT
The first time I played Jumpman Junior was on my Atari 800XL, I have the 1050 Disk Drive too, and have multidisk games on disks, its in my wardrobe with all the other computers I collect, I have a lot of them.. The Atari 800XL I got in 2001, it cost me £11 so it shows how much there were then to now.
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Post by MeneerJansen on Mar 10, 2021 13:30:52 GMT
All I know of at the moment is the Amiga 500 so we will see.. [...] Are you F-ing kiddin' me? Ao are they planning an Amiga 500 MINI? If it's a reproduction of the original Amiga 500 (i.e. a so called "MAXI" version) it's sell like hot caces I think. Especially in the UK.
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Post by subarubrat on May 8, 2021 13:25:44 GMT
The Amiga is a stupid obvious choice, and I hope it arrives soon and in quantity. It could be in any case style so long as it runs as a higher end AGA capable machine. And include NETWORK SUPPORT. I have every confidence that the team can create a polished quality product, but can they get the damn thing on the shelves in sufficient stock levels?
The stretch goal for all this would be an Apple II recreation. We all know it would sell, we all know it would be awesome, and I would bet anything Apple will work harder than an ugly stripper to ensure it never happens.
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Post by c64stuff on May 8, 2021 14:11:12 GMT
I got my maxi about a month or so ago here in America on Amazon for $129. It was I believe the second batch shipped to them and it sold out a few days later. You have to scroll down a page or two when you search for TheC64 Maxi on there cuz it's never at the top of results. You'll see the mini and other stuff listed first. That's the only reason I think I managed to get one, because most people weren't looking down the list. Far as The Vic20 goes I here you can order it shipped to the America on Amazon UK, but I know this option can be buried at checkout or some days they won't allow you to. I've heard that with other products.
Far as other replicas of computers go you have to remember that there has to be enough demand. The Amiga 500 or the Spectrum are prime candidates. The Amiga was big in the states just like the 64 was, despite the misconception of those in the UK that it was all about Nintendo in the US. Nobody I knew in school had a Nintendo. We all had 64s and then the 500. We laughed at people paying big bucks for Nintendo cartridges. I knew of maybe one person with an apple ii, and nobody with an Atari st. Apple was too overpriced and didn't hold a candle to the 64 for gaming. The ST also wasn't as capable as the Amiga.
Point being beyond the Amiga probably the next candidate for a clone even here in the US would be the Spectrum. It may have not sold here (the timex version was an incompatible joke that nobody bought), but we are and were aware of how popular the spectrum was in the UK. The 64 vs spectrum wars in the UK were epic, just like the atari vs commodore wars in America.
I think the best option for other computer replicas would be somebody making keyboards and cases for the raspberry pi 400. In fact if they designed a replica case meant to put the entire pi 400 keyboard inton it would eliminate the need for a keyboard. It may not match the machine identically but stickers put on the keys would help with looks. Port extension cables could be used inside to put them where you'd expect on the case. I personally would love to see an adapter for the rear GPIO port on the 400 that would allow you to use C64 cartridges.
Even mocking up the pi 400 existing case with stickers and paint can really give it a replica vibe. If you look on Retro Recipes youtube channel review of the pi 400 he mocked it up to look like a 64, spectrum, amiga, and even some uk machines. He's got an awesome channel BTW.
Final thought: There's already reproduction cases out there for the 64 and the Amiga, in fact using the original molds. There's also kits to mount a pi in them and put the pi ports in the proper places. All you need is an original keyboard and a keyra board to convert it to usb. Come to think of it, they should start selling the maxi keyboard for such projects, and the future Amiga keyboard. Heck why not sell the empty cases too? I'm hoping down the road they will.
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Post by spannernick on May 8, 2021 21:22:48 GMT
I think whats happering with stock is the same thing as the PS5 where scalping bots are buying it in bulk so it sells out then sell it at a hike price, you properly find the machines on eBay at a hiked price, I have seen them on uk eBay for £200+. Here's you go... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393158367886and one in the US for $329.99... wow... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154385340176
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Post by MeneerJansen on May 9, 2021 11:13:41 GMT
[...] The Amiga was big in the states just like the 64 was, despite the misconception of those in the UK that it was all about Nintendo in the US. I'm glad that's the case. Indeed, I too thought that the Amiga 500 was lost on the Americans. Nobody I knew in school had a Nintendo. We all had 64s and then the 500. We laughed at people paying big bucks for Nintendo cartridges. Yep. Went like that here w/ the C64 up until the PS2 came along. At that point in time you had to renew your graphics card twice a year to be able to play PC games that were ported from the PS2. Point being beyond the Amiga probably the next candidate for a clone even here in the US would be the Spectrum. It may have not sold here (the timex version was an incompatible joke that nobody bought), but we are and were aware of how popular the spectrum was in the UK. The 64 vs spectrum wars in the UK were epic, just like the Atari vs commodore wars in America. I'm afraid the Ratro Games Ltd., being British, might consider a clone of - the in the UK - super-popular Sinclair ZX Spectrum. We hated the thing with a passion. It was clearly NOT designed for gaming and considering the rubber keyboard not for programming either. I can remember the one poor kid that has one instead of a C64. Even the Arari 2600 was more popular than the Spectrum. With Atari vs. Commodore wars in the US do you mean the Atari 8-bit line? I've watched a few video's on the Atari 8-bit machines and I really like the form factor of the 800XL. Very simple and "sympathetic" machine just like the C64: program BASIC out of the box and all. But with Atari vs. Commodore wars I think that you mean the ST against the Amiga. Back then the better audio and video quality of the Amiga was a big deal, but if I look at Youtube video's of both I can't imagine why, ha ha. That ST was a mighty machine for 1985: you could even do music production w/ Midi. Boy! I'd like to try that with a full blown replica of it. The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that ran on an ST is not as intimidating and overly complicated as modern DAW's. I think the best option for other computer replicas would be somebody making keyboards and cases for the raspberry pi 400. I hope they will. I thought about buying a non-working Commodore and a keyrah. But even that can be a bit expensive (they like to sell 'm "in working condition"), sometimes the case is "refurbished" and thus in bad condition and they're very yellowed.
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Post by vic2020ian on May 9, 2021 13:34:14 GMT
I'm afraid the Retro Games Ltd., being British, might consider a clone of - the in the UK - super-popular Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
This is not likely the next machine...Retrogames already showed an A500 case in shadow on Facebook.
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Post by MeneerJansen on May 9, 2021 15:57:03 GMT
The almighty Amiga. Wise choice!
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Post by c64stuff on May 15, 2021 0:34:08 GMT
Yes, the commodore vs Atari wars here in the states started with the C64 vs the 400, 800, and then the later Atari models of those machines in updated cases. It later continued on with the Amiga vs ST wars. By all measures you can say the C64 and amiga won those wars handily when you consider they out sold Atari in huge numbers. To be fair the 400 and 800 were pretty impressive machines for their time since they came out before the 64. There was no better gaming computer than them until the 64 came out. But they were also way more expensive than the 64 too at the time of their release.
Apple was mostly looked at as a computer for schools due to its expensive price. About the only people who owned them outside of schools were professors and yuppies for their status symbol. Some things never change. Lol. The 64 blew the apple away in every respect.
The odd thing is a lot of people believe the gaming market in the states was dead after the crash until Nintendo revived it with superior graphics and sound.
First of all, the only gaming market that slumped in the US was the console sales for Atari, intelivision, and coleco. Those of us gaming on computers never noticed a slow down. Games were being traded for the Commodores at an ever increasing rate at swap meets or on bulletin board systems.
Second of all, The Nintendo was NOT superior to the 64 as a gaming platform. One could argue strengths of either machine pro and con. I've seen even gaming historians say Nintendo was the first to have things like hardware scrolling. How could they not know the 64 already had that blows my mind. Then there's the legendary SID chip, etc. The Nintendo had a slightly faster clock speed, granted. But it also didn't have a keyboard, S Video output, storage devices, modems, or some other hardware tricks for games up it's sleeve that the 64 had, etc.
As much of a commodore fan as I am, I've come to love Atari, Apple, the Spectrum, and other more obscure retro platforms. I'll never like Nintendo due to their expensive cartridges and their cut throat tactics to stop any cheaper third party software. Their recently going after that guy who wrote Super Mario Brothers for the C64 that was FREE is just another example of the corporate jerks they are. They don't see a community, they see a customer.
There's one computer I haven't mentioned obviously. IBM and it's clones. I'll never like them either in a retro respect. I see them as soulless machines who eventually destroyed all the diversity in computer gaming. Each machine had a unique flavor and it made life so much more interesting until the IBM Borg shop came along and assimilated everything.
That's the beauty of retro gaming these days. It's not just about remembering, it's about variety. Modern movie like PlayStation and Xbox games bore me to tears. I want to see the challenge of pushing the hardware limits of old machines. I remember every new machine in the arcade was a chance to see a new breakthrough in graphics and gameplay. Defender, Zaxxon, Congo Bongo, Gauntlet, etc, etc.
They blew my mind, and then the fun was seeing if a programmer was good enough to write a home port that was just like the arcade. And for what system. Sometimes the superior computer didn't get the best port because the programmer was better for another machine. Heck, even sometimes the same game for the 64 or amiga was better in it's UK port than it's US port, or vise versa. Yes, that's another misconception, that only the UK had the best games. Either way, I'm way off topic now... Lol
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Post by c64stuff on May 15, 2021 1:03:37 GMT
One final thought in the Nintendo vs C64 era. The Nintendo mostly appealed to family's who were still hold outs on getting a computer. It appealed to more of the masses and soccer moms out there, and for that reason it got more advertising and exposure. It wasn't necessarily a superior gaming platform in various respects in hardware ability.
Also, the beauty of the 64 was it had many ways to appeal to people. If dusk drives or tape was scary to people, you didn't need to buy one. Many people only bought and played cartridge based games on the 64. If commodore would have done a better job of marketing the 64 they might have stopped Nintendo from ever gaining a foothold in the US. But it didn't matter anyway. The C64 was a smash hit as a computer by any measure. And don't forget it was so successful it was being sold all the way into the 90s until commodore went out of business.
That's another story too. Commodore could have crushed everybody if they had handled the Amiga right. It was years ahead of anything apple or IBM had at the time. The Amiga was still a success, but it could have been so much more if commodore played their cards right.
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