#Amiga CD32
11 messages in this thread
Um… As I recall, CDTV information was generally available to
developers almost a full year before the machine was released…
You mean "CDTV is being worked on"? If you call that informaation…
:^) We were *completely* unable to get ahold of a CDTV until they
were released; tht kind of support caused us to forget the whole
thing.
Ben- maybe you didn't get information until it was released, but I
know of at least 5 different software houses that were in full CD
master production at the time of CDTV's release. That means they
worked with it long before it was released.
no, all that means is that they were given the technical
specifications of the machine prior to release, not the actual
machine. While the latter technique is typical of the industry, the
former is quite typical of Commodore.
And that should suggest a lot to you.
Computer companies have mostly stopped doing it, but many other kinds
of compainies (including game console companies) decide to keep some
projects secret on the grounds that it (supposedly) buys them some
strategic advantage. If Sega or Nintendo comes out with a new
super-secret platform, you bet they work with a few of what they've
decided are key developers, making them sign extrordinary
agreements. They don't tell everybody that develops games for their
existing platforms, just those few key people. Looks like Commodore
may have done the same thing with CDTV and CD32. Those things are
much more like game consoles than like computers, so I think it isn't
fair to judge by computer rules. The way it was handled is hardly
unprecedented in the game console industry, whether or not we agree
with it.
Dale, as a developer I'm constrained in the extent to which I can
comment on the new CD32. As for CDTV, it was a complete screwup from
beginning, to end. In my opinion. I *will* say that my expectations
for the new unit are eqully low, but like most everyone else, I hope
I'm wrong.
Ben,
as I today received a Danish computer magazine featuring a two pages CD32
presentation including 4 colour photos from different angles as well as
inside, you may be able to comment freely on the CD32 now!
By the the way it looks really neat and priced very aggressively at a
price of 2/3 of a bare CD-ROM drive including one CD-ROM with a Danish
encyclopedia (BTW also included with the CDTV).
Regards, J0RGEN ….from DENMARK
Oh, I can comment on CD32 – I think it's a neat box, for a 1200. :^) What
I can't comment on is CBM's level of CD32 marketing support to developers;
the amount of leadtime notice of its introduction provided to major
developers; and the tools and hardware made available to us. I wish I
could. I really do.
–Ben
…via AutoPilot
As a former Engineer at Commodore, I have the same constraints that you
do. 🙂 Most don't apply once the product is released somewhere in the
world because the "publicly available information" clause comes into
play.
Dale Larson
– An Amiga Software Engineer with some time on his hands.
It's not public information how the development process was gone about,
with regard to developers. Until I see that it is, I have no comment on
it.
–Ben
…via AutoPilot