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Crookes looks at how a once powerful and influential tech brand hopes to shine once more, including an exclusive interview with Commodore's new owner. Commodore was once one of the world's biggest names in computing. In its golden years, it sold more computers than Apple, IBM and Atari. But Commodore's fall came almost as rapidly for bankruptcy in 1994 and saw its liquidated assets sold to Escom, which went bust two years later. While the Commodore name has lost some of its lustre, people still remember its products fondly. In June this year, a few months after he had stepped down from editing the Commodore 64-focused magazine Zzap!64, Christian Simpson posted a YouTube video dubbed "Can We Save Commodore? My Biggest Project Yet!" His promise: to bring the Commodore brand back into the hands of fans and create new products.
David Crookes looks at how a once powerful and influential tech brand hopes to shine once more, including an exclusive interview with Commodore's new owner
Commodore was once one oftheworld's biggest names in computing. In its golden years, it sold more computers than Apple, IBM and Atari. That success was founded on the 8-bit Commodore 64, the best-selling single computer model of all time, while the 16-bit Commodore Amiga is a legend in its own right. That machine was powerful enough to drive the visual effects for the popular sci-fi series Babylon 5.
But Commodore's fall came almost as rapidly as its rise. It filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and saw its liquidated assets sold to Escom, which went bust two years later. Bits of Commodore then endedupin lots of different hands, andit became increasingly difficult not only to work out who owned what but to figure out what Commodore actually represented.
Over the past three decades, you'll have found the name plastered on an eclectic range of products from the Commodore XX gaming PC and Commodore PET smartphone to LED lightbulbs and a personal multimedia player called Gravel in Pocket. Some devices have even been hits. Consider the Commodore 64 Direct-to-TV (C64DTV) plug-and-play joystick, initially sold by QVC in 2004, which shifted in the tens of thousands.
While the Commodore name has lost some ofits lustre, people still remember its products fondly. Some companies have preferred to tap into the nostalgia of Commodore products without actually mentioning the name: Retro Games Ltd showed this to be the case with the launch of THEC64 Miniand THEA500 Mini, machines that used familiar model monikers instead.
So does that mean no-one cares for the Commodore brand any more, or hasit simply been waiting for the right approach?
MA freshstart
In June this year, a few months after he had stepped down from editing the Commodore 64-focused magazine Zzap!64, Christian "Perifractic" Simpson posted a YouTube video dubbed "Can We Save Commodore? My Biggest Project Yet!" His promise: to bring the Commodore brand back into the hands of fans and create new products.
Clearly passionate, Simpson spoke of his negotiations with the owners of Commodore Corporation B.V. -a company based in the Netherlands that was licensing the Commodore brand name - and ended the video with a tease. Simpson had received a message that showed his plan to seize control was very much within his grasp. "Yes, we can grant you an exclusive licence," the message said. "But your team seems to know Commodore better than we do. We might like to sell you the whole company."
Soon, Simpson was back. "As of a few weeks ago, I am the acting CEO of Commodore Corporation," he declared. "We have completed the acquisition of Commodore." As he spoke, the details of the deal became clearer. The price was "in the low seven figures" and it had been funded, in part by angel investors.
The team included Bil Herd, the principal engineer on the Commodore Plus/4 and designer of the Commodore 128; Michael Tomczyk, the product manager for the VIC-20 computer; anda one-time Commodore tech support specialist called James Harrison. Not to mention David Pleasance, former joint managing director of Commodore 64, and Jeri Ellsworth, creator of the C64DTV.
"From Al Charpentier ('father of the C64') to Bil Herd to the former co-MDs of Commodore UK - each person brings history, expertise and heart," Simpson said. "I wanted to inject the DNA of the original Commodore into its reboot. Even Leonard Tramiel (son of Commodore's founde: Jack) got involved, as our "CTrO" (Chief Tramiel Officer) ."
There was one other surprising name on the team - that of Thomas Middleditch, who played Richard Hendricks in the HBO television series Silicon Valley. It turned out he grew up with an Amiga and soon became enthused.
"I'was a huge fan of the show, and one of our investors mentioned that Thomas was now looking to invest in tech startups. Life imitates art, huh?" Simpson said. "So an email introduction was made, a Zoom call followed, and the rest is history. Thomas recounted to me his love of his childhood Commodore Amiga 500 that he had in the house since the age of five. His ideas are breathtakingly cool."
* Ultimate dreams
This collective is now in a position to advise and support the new company While lendingit a stronger link to the past. "It's not justa team. It'sa reunion, and the passion behind this mission is contagious," Simpson told PC Pro. "We didn't just pitch a product. We pitched a movement. And many of these legends told me they'd been waiting for someone to 'doitright'."
Simpson, too, has a long, passionate history with Commodore computers. "I grew up with a C64 that we bought from Dixons, when I was around 12," he said. "It sparked my love of tech and creativity." He even licensed the brand for the 2011 launch of the Commodore 64x, a replica Windows/ Linux PCin a Commodore 64 case.
The revived Commodore is certainly wasting no time. It has relaunched the C64 as the Commodore 64 Ultimate, with the development team including Gideon Zweijtzer, an electronic engineer who developed the Ultimate-64: this is a complete C64 motherboard replacement replaced in 2018. Then there's Jim Drew, who wrote disk copy programs, while Jake Young has been creating and selling C64 cases and keyboard accessories at Retro Fuzion.
The Ultimate recreates the original motherboard on an AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA. This allows it to simulate the C64 accurately rather than emulate it in software, and it comes with a flurry of modern touches, from а 1080p HDMI output, USB-A and USB-C ports, built-in Wi-Fiand 128MB of RAM - a far cry from the 64K offered in the 1980s.
It's available in three iterations. There's a BASIC Beige edition for £223 that looks like the original, a gold Founders Edition for £372, while £261 will buy the Starlight Edition, complete with gaudy LEDs. All these prices exclude taxes. Whichever you choose, you can connect original C64 peripherals, including a tape deck, disk drive and "dusty old cartridges". Games can also be played via a thumb drive, including the bundled drive that resembles a cassette. То quote the tagline for the machine: "Retro gaming. Modern power."
Within the first week or so, around 4,200 Commodore 64 Ultimates had been sold, with the base model accounting for halfthose sales. Generating revenues of more than $1.5 million, it proves there's a strong appetite for revived machines. Nor is it alone: the third iteration of the ZX Spectrum Next computer on Kickstarter achieved roughly the same numbers within three days. But why?
Simpson says the Ultimate is proving to be attractive because it trades on authenticity and an enhanced experience. "Past reboots have been really cool emulators, but still emulators," Simpson said. "They do a fine job, but some people prefer authentic hardware. Part of that is 'knowing' that it's real, not software emulation. The other part is latency (how much a game may be delayed after pressing fire, for example).
"FPGA hardware like ours just runs faster as it's happening at the bare metal level, not in code. This is the real deal - a hardware recreation, modernised respectfully. There's so many cool touches we've added that have never been available before."
* Long-lasting
Despite the strong start, a good number of sceptics remain. The main issue is that past attempts to revive Commodore as a company have failed to set the world alight. It doesn't help that ownership of the original company's assets are in different hands.
Some people have also pointed out that the target market, certainly as it stands, is sure to be limited. The Commodore 64 Ultimate is a niche product that primarily appeals to retro computer enthusiasts, but Simpson says plans are afoot that will combine retro with futurism. That's reflected in the company's website, which states it is "Honouring the past. Innovating the future".
Simpson certainly understands he has ajob on his hands. "I get it. There have been too many false starts. People have been rug-pulled by YouTubers before," he said. "But we're not here to sell nostalgia - we're here to earn it."
His aim is to create products that will linger long in the mind. "When people look back in 30 years, I want it to be our Commodore they're nostalgic for and I want it to still be there right next to them. That'smy dream," he added.
"Ouractions are already different: not many companies would be as transparent as we are through our crowdfund product launch, where we show exactly how many units of the Commodore 64 Ultimate have been preordered. We're building trust one step at a time. If you're sceptical, good. We'll prove it through execution, not words."
One thing he is keen not to foster isa "them and us" situation. There is a thriving community of enthusiasts keeping Commodore's past machines alive, from those who simply play games and invest in hardware to those who actively develop them. Such developments allow people to expand the capabilities of their computers and try something new. Simpson says the new company will seek to work with others, not against them.
"We're offering affordable licensing, promoting community mods, and partnering with key creators, all under quality control guidelines that protect the brand While empowering the makers," he said. "Think: open standards, trusted partners and fair royalties. We're not out to squash the little guy. We are the little guy! We came from the community, hence the hashtag +WeAreCommodore.
"People have been understandably worried that we'd do a Nintendo and go all lawyery on them, but that's just not in my spirit. If you're using the Commodore name harmlessly such as in your YouTube handle, that's cool. If you're using the branding to make a profit, we can support you with a place on our upcoming web shop to drive you more sales."
* Making friends
Plans are also ongoing to work with those who own the rights to the Amiga. For instance, the director of Cloanto, Mike Battilana, owns Amiga Corporation, and this holds the Amiga trademarks and copyrights. Hyperion Entertainment has an exclusive licence to develop and market AmigaOS 4.
As Retro Games Ltd found in its bid to produce a replica of the Amiga 1200, legal disputes can getin the way of progress. Simpson is hopeful that, one day, the way forward will be simpler. "We're in very positive, respectful talks with Mike Battilana," he said. "Our dreamis to reunite the Commodore and Amiga families, but only with care and cooperation, not the mistakes of the past. It won't happen overnight, but the desire is mutual. Watch this space."
In the meantime, Commodoreis forging ahead. As well as the Commodore 64 Ultimate, it sells the Commodore 64X PCalongside joysticks and a range of merchandise from dog-tag necklaces and mouse pads to sweatshirts and cotton tees. The company is also looking to so some good in the wider world with a scheme called Commodore Care.
"It's about giving back," Simpson said. "Commodore Care intends to make life fairer for underprivileged kids, by giving them Commodore computers, so they may one day look back and feel that happiness we feel when we look back - but that they otherwise might not feel. Commodore did that for me, and so many others, and I want it to do the same for them."
The company is also setting up the Commodore 805 Dream Arcade at Caudwell Children's headquarters in Newcastleunder-Lyme in Staffordshire. "It will be a physical space for children with ADHD and autism to play, connect and explore retro tech. It simply reflects my belief that nostalgia can do good in the world," he added.
To that end, Simpson is clear that the Commodore 64 Ultimate is only the start, yet lays down a marker for what is yet to come. "Think of modern hardware wrapped in nostalgic charm," he said. "The Commodore 64 Ultimate is FPGA-powered, glows with game-reactive light, and runs real dusty 8os cartridges, or shiny new D64s on USB "cassette". But there are two pillars l'm building Commodore on: retro and futurism. We can't just look back.
"We will have future products that will blend that retro soul with digital detox innovation - including transparent tech and distraction-free design. The goal will be to give people away out from today's 'technology gone too far'. I can't say too much about our products already in development, but they are going to ride that wave as any good Commodore should."
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