R.D.Chafer@sysc.salford.ac.UK (12/07/89)
Dear Netters
I have just read in ST Format (a UK ST magazine, not bad either) that Atari
are creating a new software (games) label called ARC. Now the thing is
Atari claim they are going to market software for the ST, PC and AMIGA.
ST and even PC I can perhaps understand, but AMIGA. I have heard this piece
of news rumoured before but now it seems to be fact. Can either Ken or
Allan shed any light on this strange happening. ST Format suggested it was
designed to get Commodore owners used to buying Atari, seems like a vague
and dodgy idea to me.
Robert
=========================================================================
From: Robert Chafer
Computing Centre Telephone: +44 61 736 5843 x 672 or x7328,
University of Salford,
Salford M5 4WT
UK
E-mail:
JANET: chafer @ uk.ac.salford.sysc
ARPANET: chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc @ nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk
BITNET: chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc @ uk.ac
or chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc%ukacrl.bitnet @ cunyvm.cuny.edu2FHDBEAK@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (12/09/89)
In article <.7.Dec.89.09:31:12.A10419@UK.AC.SALF.C>, R.D.Chafer@sysc.salford.ac.UK writes: > Dear Netters > > I have just read in ST Format (a UK ST magazine, not bad either) that Atari > are creating a new software (games) label called ARC. Now the thing is > Atari claim they are going to market software for the ST, PC and AMIGA. > ST and even PC I can perhaps understand, but AMIGA. I have heard this piece > of news rumoured before but now it seems to be fact. Can either Ken or > Allan shed any light on this strange happening. ST Format suggested it was > designed to get Commodore owners used to buying Atari, seems like a vague > and dodgy idea to me. > > Robert > > ========================================================================= > From: Robert Chafer > > Computing Centre Telephone: +44 61 736 5843 x 672 or x7328, > University of Salford, > Salford M5 4WT > UK > > E-mail: > JANET: chafer @ uk.ac.salford.sysc > ARPANET: chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc @ nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk > BITNET: chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc @ uk.ac > or chafer%uk.ac.salford.sysc%ukacrl.bitnet @ cunyvm.cuny.edu Years ago, Atari (Warner) created Atarisoft to publish the same sort of things. Basically, they just wanted to sell games they had the home rights to, like Pac-Man, on Apples, 64s, and PCs. --Jimbo
marc@cpsc.UCalgary.CA (Marc Schroeder) (12/13/89)
In article <.7.Dec.89.09:31:12.A10419@UK.AC.SALF.C> R.D.Chafer@sysc.salford.ac.UK writes: >Dear Netters > >I have just read in ST Format (a UK ST magazine, not bad either) that Atari >are creating a new software (games) label called ARC. Now the thing is >Atari claim they are going to market software for the ST, PC and AMIGA. >ST and even PC I can perhaps understand, but AMIGA. I have heard this piece >of news rumoured before but now it seems to be fact. Can either Ken or >Allan shed any light on this strange happening. ST Format suggested it was >designed to get Commodore owners used to buying Atari, seems like a vague >and dodgy idea to me. I should first warn you that I don't know of any official confirmation of the above (although I await it eagerly). Although most of us in this newsgroup are pro-Atari (including me), I don't really think we have to worry about Atari selling out by simply writing Amiga software. It's not that they wouldn't, but rather that it wouldn't be a problem if they did. The Atari and the Amiga allready share a very commom software pool. After all, the machines are quite similar in many respects. If Atari writes some quality software (instead of a third party), all the more power to them. Maybe we'll get some great new software titles.. Maybe Atari will be successfull and make lotsa cash.. And maybe they'll up competition in the market (that's always good for improving quality products). Let's not judge too hastily. /\ _ _ \ iNet/Envoy : m.schroeder (org. id = kort) ( / \/ \ / \ e-mail : marc@cpsc.UCalgary.CA / / / / \ Fidonet : Marc Schroeder @ 1:134/47 / / / (_/____/ \__/ Marc A. Schroeder * 1st year computer science University of Calgary
mfolivo@sactoh0.UUCP (Mark F. Newton) (12/15/89)
About Atari creating a software company to sell to other systems, look at it this way. For example, SuperBeta still is the best 1/2" format (without going to a hi-res format, that goes to ED Beta), but Sony thought (I'm being very speculative, and simplistic, but it makes sense) if we can make money selling the other format, why not? So, if Atari can make money selling programs to other systems, why not? Atari has the rights to games, for example, that would sell to other systems, like Qix, Food Fight (a favorite) and two I'd love to see for the ST, Ball Blazer and Rescue on Fractalus (A real time fractal generating space adventure. Ittekimasu... -- Sakura-mento, CA mmsac!sactoh0!mfolivo mfolivo@sactoh0 pacbell!sactoh0!mfolivo (they're worth a try...)
cs161fca@sdcc10.ucsd.edu ( ) (12/20/89)
Well, back in 1984 Atari had a company called Atarisoft which sold software for commodore 64 and other computers...Perhaps things have got so bad for Atari (i.e., ST in the market defeated by the Amiga) that Atari wants to try the old trick again. However, last time the trick did not work... (Atarisoft was a failure.)
robert@infmx.UUCP (Robert Coleman) (12/21/89)
In article <5791@sdcc6.ucsd.edu> cs161fca@sdcc10.ucsd.edu ( ) writes: >Well, back in 1984 Atari had a company called Atarisoft which sold >software for commodore 64 and other computers...Perhaps things have >got so bad for Atari (i.e., ST in the market defeated by the Amiga) >that Atari wants to try the old trick again. However, last time the >trick did not work... (Atarisoft was a failure.) Hmmm. I worked for Atari at that time QAing the Atarisoft line. We were told internally that Atarisoft was was one the main things keeping Atari afloat. This was when Warner still owned Atari, but had performed it's major layoffs (I was laid off from the computer division and picked up by the Atarisoft group). The company was struggling to barely survive during that period. Actually, the Atarisoft products were one of the things that Atari really did right. We found some of the best Arcade game players in the country, and hired them to tell us all the tricks, tips, etc of the arcade games we were converting. Whereas old conversions of Pacman did not "feel" like the arcade version, Ms. Pacman behaved in exactly the same way as the arcade (at least as far as our experts could determine). Given the environment at the time, I was reluctant to take internal info at face value, so Atarisoft may really have been a commercial failure. However, as Atari was bought out shortly after I left the company, the cancelling of Atarisoft may have had less to do with the commercial success/failure of the products than with Tramiel's corporate vision. Do you have real info about the success/failure of Atarisoft or are you just looking at the fact that it's not around anymore? Robert C. -- "Helen's the only one who knows what scruples are, and she won't tell us" John said. "Have we got scruples about it, Helen?" "Not a trace," Helen affirmed. -The Reefs of Earth, R.A.Lafferty