News Commodore acquired for a ‘low seven figure’ price — new (acting) CEO comes from the retro community

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I never owned a Commodore, but I've had friends and a neighbor with a C64 or similar. While those machines were nice for their day & price point, I have no idea what a modern equivalent would be that doesn't already exist. Especially since the zenith of their evolution seemed to be Amiga, which I think is currently owned by someone else?

I wonder if the best opportunity for them wouldn't be to chart a bold, new course in the RISC-V market? That could get a lot of the tinkerers on board. It might also enable them to build a platform that eventually spans from IoT all the way up to workstations.

Good luck to them. I think they'll need it.
 
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bit_user said:
I have no idea what a modern equivalent would be that doesn't already exist.

I wonder if the best opportunity for them wouldn't be to chart a bold, new course in the RISC-V market?
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What did he say that gave you the idea that making a new computer is what he wants to do?!
They can make official c64 and amiga minis, or any other commodore in mini format, or even in maxi format.
Mainly though he was talking about licensing already existing hardware.
 
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TerryLaze said:
What did he say that gave you the idea that making a new computer is what he wants to do?!
They can make official c64 and amiga minis, or any other commodore in mini format, or even in maxi format.
Mainly though he was talking about licensing already existing hardware.
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I didn't watch the video and I don't follow the guy, so I definitely lack some background. However, the article said:

"Last and definitely not least, the video ends in a signature tease – this time it’s a tease for new hardware."
...
“what if we got 47 trademarks from 1982, or original Commodore engineers back, original executives, assistants, ROMs, Amiga? I mean, at some point, it does start to become the real Commodore, right?”
...
we get a rendition of the aims of the new Commodore sans corporate-speak. It will exist to “streamline the usage of the brand and logo, along with releasing some of our own products,”
​
That does definitely give the impression that they are not just licensing existing stuff.

Also, in my post, I did mention about IoT. I wasn't focused exclusively on computers, either.
 
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Not exactly on topic but to say that I recall one of my friends growing up getting a Commodore and as stated above, it was quite the system for its day. I remember spending hours playing this Star Trek game that straight up had to be a port of Asteroids. We thought that tech had reached a high that would never be surpassed...at least until cartridge systems came along.
 
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bit_user said:
I didn't watch the video and I don't follow the guy, so I definitely lack some background. However, the article said:
​
"Last and definitely not least, the video ends in a signature tease – this time it’s a tease for new hardware."​
...​
“what if we got 47 trademarks from 1982, or original Commodore engineers back, original executives, assistants, ROMs, Amiga? I mean, at some point, it does start to become the real Commodore, right?”​
...​
we get a rendition of the aims of the new Commodore sans corporate-speak. It will exist to “streamline the usage of the brand and logo, along with releasing some of our own products,”​
​
That does definitely give the impression that they are not just licensing existing stuff.

Also, in my post, I did mention about IoT. I wasn't focused exclusively on computers, either.
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Yeah at the beginning he was also talking about upgrading the zx spectrum next (fpga based) to the C64 core, putting a commodore logo on that and selling it would be a new product.

Just saying, they might bring out some fantastic stuff but chances are ... not from the start.
 
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punkncat said:
We thought that tech had reached a high that would never be surpassed...at least until cartridge systems came along.
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I had no real context for any of this, as I had no game console and almost no experience with computers.

When my family finally did get a PC, my dad opted for a monochrome display, since it had sharper line graphics and he wanted to use it for CAD. That made it rather uninteresting to me and left me with the feeling that C64 was probably the better machine (which it obviously wasn't).
 
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bit_user said:
I had no real context for any of this, as I had no game console and almost no experience with computers.

When my family finally did get a PC, my dad opted for a monochrome display, since it had sharper line graphics and he wanted to use it for CAD. That made it rather uninteresting to me and left me with the feeling that C64 was probably the better machine (which it obviously wasn't).
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The first "actual" computer I had was a Tandy Color Computer 2 sold by Radio Shack. It was much like the Apple 2 machine in form. I got the phone cradle for "internet" (which didn't exist like it does today, yet) a cartridge port, a tape drive, floppy...I thought it was the bomb.

I didn't actually own another computer until the Pentium came out with MMX. I had no idea that wasn't until ~97 till I looked. We had (previously) rented one from Aarons so that I could visit the Tippmann (paintball) forum in order to schedule scenario games.
 
punkncat said:
I got the phone cradle for "internet" (which didn't exist like it does today, yet)
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My neighbor (the one with the C64) had an acoustic coupler and used it to play some Rogue-like MUD. I have no idea who ran the service, as ISPs didn't really exist back then.

We got our first modem in 1990 or '91, I think. I think it was a used 1200 bps external modem. Followed by a 14.4k internal modem maybe 2-3 years later, when we got an account on one of the first ISPs in the area. Before that, I just used a handful of BBSes.
 
I genuinely wish Christian well, but the Commodore fanboys should really temper their expectations. Put the name on a mainstream product with real potential beyond the retro crowd and nostalgic old nerds, and maybe this has legs. (And maybe dial back the performative theatrics — I know, he’s an actor.)

Listen — I’m as fanatical about Commodore as Christian, Dan Wood, and Dave McMertrie combined. I was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer when it went bankrupt. I owe my broadcasting career to the Amiga, my embedded systems career to the 6502. I’ve lived it, relived it with the first retro wave, again with the current one, read every book, watched every doc, talked to the old engineers. I’ve thrown four figures at Commodore and retro Kickstarters. But I can’t get prematurely excited anymore. Maybe it’s my Buddhism (attachment to the past = suffering), or just age. To me, Commodore died in 1994 and belongs in a museum — its spirit lives on elsewhere.

Former Commodore folks as “advisors”? Fine. Just keep Leonard Tramiel TF away from it.
 
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punkncat said:
Not exactly on topic but to say that I recall one of my friends growing up getting a Commodore and as stated above, it was quite the system for its day. I remember spending hours playing this Star Trek game that straight up had to be a port of Asteroids. We thought that tech had reached a high that would never be surpassed...at least until cartridge systems came along.
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C64 was a cartridge system...

The base unit took cartridges in its expansion slot and external cassette or floppy drives could be added. Although several cartridge games and expansion devices were created, floppy was its most popular storage device for obvious reasons.
 
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alceryes said:
Awww man!
I really hope they succeed at bringing back the awesomeness that was the C64 and Amiga. From about '86 to '92 I lived on the Commodore 64! I can still prefectly remember the midi-style title screen music for many of the games I played (I have the one for SHOGUN running through my brain right now). 😉
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It was the same with me, In 85 I bought a C64 then bought the Amiga 2000 and jumped to PCs when Commodore went under. I am hoping they will come out with an FPGA C64 and FPGA Amiga series computer. FPGA will be the best for zero lag. (The C64 and Amiga Minis do great but I feel they still have a bit of lag and would do better with FPGA).
I have high hopes they can get publishing rights to plenty of classic games for both systems.
 
When Raspberry Pi started, they wanted the BBC Micro branding--a similar vintage to the C64. That didn't happen.

Woohoo for resurrecting Commodore!

Personally, I would like to see a computer with a licensed library of retro games and developer tools that is user programmable. I have no idea what the winning formula might be, but would caution against trying to grow too fast or competing directly with Raspberry Pi.

Good luck!
 
This news renewed the enthusiasm of the (still) great Commodore/Amiga user base, including mine :)
As an old Commodore Amiga user, i myself tried to do some activities in the past trying to involve some old software houses born on Amiga and grown over time. I must say that the positive comments were a lot at the time. I'm not surprised that there is still so much interest and enthusiasm 🙂
 
Hopefully this doesn't go the way of Commodore USA.

Ii would be nice to see an FPGA-based 'commodore mini' using MiSTer cores and with hardware support for old commodore peripherals - similar to Retro Remake's PS1-esque MiSTer housing with PS1 peripheral support.

Unfortunately when touching anything to do with Amiga a 10ft bargepole is insufficient to avoid the legal slapfighting, so something really neat like reviving and completing AAA or Hombre development is likely not feasible.
 
Sluggotg said:
It was the same with me, In 85 I bought a C64 then bought the Amiga 2000 and jumped to PCs when Commodore went under. I am hoping they will come out with an FPGA C64 and FPGA Amiga series computer. FPGA will be the best for zero lag. (The C64 and Amiga Minis do great but I feel they still have a bit of lag and would do better with FPGA).
I have high hopes they can get publishing rights to plenty of classic games for both systems.
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There is already two versions of fpga c64 boards..a chap named Gideon just launched the second version of the ultimate 64 board. As far as I can tell he is also onboard with this new development..it's likely we will see FPGA systems launched as a mass produced model. If it's the same, it will also allow for some modification like adding your own sid chips. That said, sid chips themselves are in dwindling supplies.
 
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This will be dead in the water like the Atari VCS...

They just don't have the industry support to push it forward for mainstream appeal, thus they try to sell on nostalgia alone.
 
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Pemalite said:
This will be dead in the water like the Atari VCS...
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That's what I'd fear, if I actually had any stake in the matter.

On the flip side, if someone were truly inspired to build a new tech brand, I could imagine a new range of tech products being introduced by borrowing the branding and trademarks, as well as paying homage along the way. That stuff could be just enough to help lift them out of obscurity, above many of their fellow upstarts, who are having to start from ground zero to make a name for themselves.
 
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bit_user said:
That's what I'd fear, if I actually had any stake in the matter.

On the flip side, if someone were truly inspired to build a new tech brand, I could imagine a new range of tech products being introduced by borrowing the branding and trademarks, as well as paying homage along the way. That stuff could be just enough to help lift them out of obscurity, above many of their fellow upstarts, who are having to start from ground zero to make a name for themselves.
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This isn't an upstart and nobody there has any money...
They are going to try hard to find and endorse already existing projects both hardware and software to promote the brand and make some money from licensing and selling merch.
 
Sluggotg said:
I have high hopes they can get publishing rights to plenty of classic games for both systems.
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This is the main crux. If they can get the license rights and original ROMs for a couple hundred-plus original games they will really be able to make something special here. I just hope they don't get greedy.

If they are able to produce a mini C64 (pixel perfect display and functionality, of course) with cartridge-style sets of games, and try not to break the bank of those interested, they may able to carve out a nice niche of customers.
We'll need cartridges that have 20+ games on each. No single game cartridge will work here - even at only $9.99. Give me 20 games (with at least 4-5 popular games on each cartridge) for $29.99 and I’ll pick it up.
The main takeaway that I'd like these new C64 guys to have is this - Please don't try to get rich or approach this from a money-making point of view. As long as they focus on the preservations of the Commodore 64 legacy and its original games, ahead of making a huge profit, we should be good.

Edit - It would also be cool if they produced a full keyboard C64 for Basic programming, etc., but I think the C64 mini for just gaming should be the initial focus.
 
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