#PR: AmigaWorld
18 messages in this thread
August 16. No Commodore Deal Yet.
While rumors abound that David Pleasance's Commodore UK Management Buy-out was
a done deal, that's not the case. We talked with Pleasance last night in
London, and he doesn't expect a decision until the end of the first week of
September. His bid is in, his financial backing is in order, and he makes his
final presentation this week in the US before the liquidators and Commodore's
creditors.
He is, however, very confident that his bid will carry a lot of weight because
it is for the entire company and product line–not solely for the technology,
or a portion of the inventory, or for part of the operation. However, CEI,
Samsung, Philips, and maybe one or two others are still in the picture, so it
will be a few more weeks before any decision is made.
On another matter: AmigaWorld has taken some hits lately because the size of
the magazine has shrunk over the last few issues. No kidding? Everyone–most
notably the developers and vendors who advertise in our pages–is stressed out
over the Commodore liquidation. Most are holding their wallets pretty tight and
reluctant to invest their advertising dollars until this situation gets
resolved.
When advertising dwindle, so do the editorial pages. Overspending your budget
for three or four issues in a row during times like these is akin to financial
suicide. Since AmigaWorld plans to be around for a good long while, we have to
avoid those kinds of mistakes. Nobody, including us, likes to be in this
position–but if you want to be around in the long run, you have to endure the
lean times with the fat.
When the dust settles and things start moving again in the Amiga market, we'll
be able to quickly beef up the size of the book. Lets hope Mr. Pleasance or
another pro-Amiga group like his gets things rolling again soon. When that
happens, AmigaWorld is committed to help the new owners jumpstart the process.
Dan Sullivan Editor-in-Chief
You guys just do what you have to do to hang in there – use data
compression if necessary. I've got another three years before it's time
to renew again!
DJ
Hang in there, folks! You're giving us smaller guys confidence that we'll all
survive!
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for Amiga/PC/Mac compatibility
Hi there!
> CROSSINGS Newsletter for Amiga/PC/Mac compatibility
What is this newsletter? Who/when/where/how much<g> publishes it? I'm
interested!! Please reply by CIS mail not this message.
Regards,
Fernando Cassia-Amiga & OS/2 PC User Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dan,
Your shrinkage is MUCH less than Aviation Week after Clinton won the
election. (Similar circumstance – Aerospace, commercial, general amd
military aviations were to become sacrificial lambs to the glutonous
"gimme" social programs of new administration. Advertising just about
stopped and the magazine is now closer to a pamphlet. So, in my view you
ain't done too bad.
The upside is with fewer advertisers the reviews can be a little more
"salty" were warranted…. ;^}
wmc – via Autopilot!
Amiga optomists stand proud! United we stand, (A chance) divided we fall. It
was a team effort on behalf of some talented
people at C= (upper management _NOT_ included), a hand full of magazines and
developers, and legions of avid Amiga users that spread the praises of our
beloved computer.
It's up to us, the Amiga community, to hold our ground until the
reinforcements ( a new C= owner ) arrive. Now is not the time to throw in the
towel.This has been a long agonizing fight, and many rounds still remain. I'm
in this one for the distance. (Yo,Adrian!!) I will not abandon the Amiga now
in her greatest hour of need.
"Yea, though I walk through the silicon valley of death, I fear no evil,
because my faith has given me eternal bytes!"
Mike Brennan, Sir Render A/V
Michael,
I still wonder if there is a market, outside of existing Amiga owners,
for this machine. To be succesful, we need to crack the videogame market,
which is where the money is today. Does C= UK, or whomever gains the
copyrights, have the gumption to attack that market? Also, are they
willing to release a machine that can utilize the other competitors
cartridges?
Given the emulation capabilities of this beastie, that could be the
deciding factor, IMHO.
The Four Seasons of Southern California:
Fire, Flood, Earthquake, and Riot.
PMFJI here, but:
The "gumption" to "crack the videogame market"? I take it you've never
heard of the CD32….
"The problem with owning an Amiga is that it lets you think."
Mr. C
<sigh> CD32 was never on TV! Never advertised, never marketed! Who's
going to buy a game machine because of an ad they saw in a niche computer
mag!?!?
Take a look at the SEGA TV commercials, that's what they needed the
gumption to do. They can make a great system but, can they run with it?
I don't think so!
MicronSlump, the company I love to hate!
Nathan Jones, via amiga autopilot. –FLAME ON!–
Yes it was! In the UK, where there is a much greater following of all things
Amiga, there was a TV campaign using a well made advert which was just as good
as Nintendo's. They also managed to get the CD32 onto the shelves of more than
just computer retailers – they were even for sale in some supermarkets. The
result? The CD32 has 55% of the market for all CD software (ie including PC)
in the UK. Pretty impressive going for a machine that had been on sale for
only a few months.
Running a similar campaign in the US (when they finally get back on their feet)
would produce great results too, I'm sure.
Mal
The CD32 TV ad. hit the French TV as well, but the long version have only
been on air twice, while around 50 for the short version. As many people
only saw the short version, which was totally un-understandable, it seems
that this ad. served Sega, as a game console is a Sega in many people's
mind…
Fred.
Frederic Botton from Paris, France
fbotton@cix.compulink.co.uk
Mike,
I coudn't agree with you more. Now, lets really do something about it. I
suggest an online conference to discuss the formation of a consortium for
the purpose of keeping the creative Amiga spirit alive. Let's put our
heads together and come up with an agenda. I will start collecting my
ideas/suggestions together for this agenda. I have had extensive
experience in the formation of support groups in both the private and
public sectors and I am willing to put that experience to work for the
Amiga. Let's not just talk about support, lets start providing it!
Regards, Marty
"When the eagles are silent the parrots begin to jabber"
-Sir Winston Churchill
Excellent idea!
Have read your post with much interest. Please count me for whatever assistance
you may need.
On behalf of the entire staff, thanks for your support.
–Tim
Brian…What about CD32 ? Now would be the time for a new owner to _Saturate_
the air waves with a marketing blitz for the upcoming Christmas season. Since
32 bit competition is scarce right now, there's a chance that C= (insert new
owner's name here) could grab a foothold and ace the competition before they
get to market. A smart marketing group would make arrangements with some one
like Block Buster Video so that the units could be rented, there by gaining
mass market appeal and acceptance. I would also like to see deals made with
hotel chains that would supply CD32 units for there guests. Sega has done this
with HOJO's and it's a great way to let people get aquatinted with what a
platform has to offer.Lets hope that who ever winds up with the technology has
ideas like these, (or better)and the cash and willingness to spend it.
Mike Brennan, Sir Render A/V "Yea, though I walk through the silicon valley
of death, I fear no evil, for my faith in the Amiga has given me eternal
bytes!"
Great idea Martin, that's the spirit!
I'll try my best to be there. I would like to put a few subjects on the table.
1 The pro market.
I read lots of trade magazines (sound and video contractor, pro sound
news, and midnight engineer, to name a few) and needless to say, Amiga stories
are few and far between, but only because writers are not submitting stories. I
ask that some of the big guns in the Amiga world, as well as the "indies"
freelance stories to these magazines. We need to break this inside loop and
spread the news to the rest of the world. Of course, C=(who ever) needs to back
these articles up with some advertising $$$.
The current hot topic is digital non linear a/v editing. Sound familiar
Flyer and Vlab Motion fans? GET WRITING! I just came back from a demo of the
ASC Virtual Recorder, you can't edit on it, (insert only) and the audio track
is digitized right with the video, so if you edit a track, you also clip the
audio off with it, and there's no way to fix it! All this (with a 486 host) for
only $20,000.00!!! Let's show the world how much better we can do for 12 to 25%
of the cost.
2 The Games Market
Let's not drop the ball on this one. Christmas is coming up, and the
competition has yet to release 32 bit machines. An advertising blitz with some
aggressive marketing (like renting out CD32's through some one like Block
Buster Video, and supplying hotel chains with machines for guest use) is
_Manditory_. The CD 32 needs to entrench itself in the consumer market as a
"fave" before there are any worthy competitors.(C= should have done this last
year) I know that the "games machine" image is loathed by many. That should be
a topic of discussion in itself. I think that as long as the Amiga is marketed
as a multi use machine, the cash flow and hence development that the CD 32
would generate is a good thing.
3 Emulation
Go ahead, ask almost any one. "If you could run Amiga software and a Video
Toaster on your Pc or Mac, would you be interested? How about if your computer
had the option of running all three? The response has always been a
resounding "yes"
Well the Amiga already can, why aren't people shouting this from the highest
roof top ?
Has any one seen the type of advertising and press that the _lame_ power pc
emulations are getting? you'd think that Apple invented emulation. If you can't
get enough clout to have "Word" and "Adobe Illustrator "ported to the Amiga,
then how about making the emulators (like EMPLANT) a standard part of the
hardware? At the very least, aggressive marking and
special price break package deals should be part of the
arsenal.
4 Video
Lets give credit where credit is due, C= did very well in this market. But
recent advances on other platforms are beginning to erode the Amiga's
dominance. This is one area where we have the advantage, I hope that C= (?)
reinforces this position with advertising and technical advancement. And
speaking of technical advancement…
5 Port Amiga Dos to Power Pc.
No more chip upgrades after the 68060. I know what an expense this is going
to be, but whoever winds up with C= knew the job was dangerous when they took
it. And what about those "beta" AAA chips? Hardware or Vaporware?
6 Position Statement
When the dust settles, the proud new parents of our orphan computer need to
announce to the _WORLD_ that the platform is alive and well. Not many people
knew what an Amiga was, yet thanks to lots of press, many people now know
that C= is dead. (btw, did you know that on wall street, the Amiga was
affectionately known as the computer that even C= could not kill?) A PR blitz
would go a long way here.
I hope that this outline sparks some brainstorming.
Mike Brennan, Sir Render A/V "Yea, though I walk through the silicon valley of
death, I fear no evil, for my faith in the Amiga has given me eternal bytes!"