Commodore Free 25/Commodore_Free_Issue_25_2008_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.iv jeff

Text File | 2008-01-01 | 7.5 KB | 275 lines

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Interview with Jeff Daniels VIC 20
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COMMODORE FREE
Please introduce yourself to our
readers.

JEFF DANIELS
Hello I'm Jeff Daniels. I started
Denial, a VIC 20 enthusiast community.
The Denial newsletter began in the mid
90s and evolved into the current
Denial website.

CF. Can you tell our readers about
your website and give it a plug.

JD. Denial is arguably the best place
for any information on the Commodore
VIC 20. We have members world-wide
creating new hardware and software for
the platform. The website is a
friendly and lively community. The URL
is
http://www.sleepingelephant.com/denial/


CF. Can you tell our readers what you
consider to be unique about the VIC

JD. The Commodore VIC 20 is truly a
unique and marvellous machine. Not
only does it represent many firsts in
the computing world, it also manages
to make a great impact on the world of
gaming consoles. I think it is one of
the few machines to bridge the gap
between gaming enthusiast and computer
collectors. The history of the machine
is long and compelling, one of the
greatest background stories of the
classic console era. I won't get into
it here.

CF. Do you think that Commodore
"killed off" the VIC-20 too soon?

JD. It is difficult to answer this
question honestly. As a kid, I felt it
died much too soon, I will always
wonder what game programmers would
have achieved if the platform
continued for one or two more years.
As the gaming market crashed, the
newer generation Commodore computers
went for a different market. We all
know how well the 64 did. That doesn't
make it a better machine, but it was
obviously the right machine for the
time.

CF. What would you like to add to the
VIC to improve it further?

JD. Personally, I am very happy with
the unexpanded machine. The VIC is
very flexible as it is. Users can
easily expand to 32k memory or 80
columns. There's even a rare VIC with
a built-in screen. I'm ok with the
system as it came out of the box. If I
have to say something, I guess a
second joystick port would open up new
possibilities (please note, the VIC
can use two joysticks with the help of
additional hardware). The VIC is also
missing the colour gray. I recall
wanting to use gray in a recent
program. Not a big deal.

CF. Can you explain to our readers how
Denial started?

JD. Magazines or Zines were the rage
in the early 90s. I started Denial as
a fun project in self-publishing. The
name Denial is just the letters of my
name rearranged. I thought it was a
funny name for a newsletter dedicated
to the VIC 20.

CF. Is there still a large VIC user
base, also why in your opinion do
people still use the machine?

JD. We have just over 1000 members,
but this is only VIC users who are
comfortable communicating in English.
The VIC 20 community itself may be
much larger. The popularity of the VIC
on auction sites suggests many
collectors have yet to discover
Denial. Members of our forum are very
passionate about the machine.

CF. Do you prefer to use a real
machine or to emulate?

JD. Of course, the real machine.
Emulators have come a long way. They
are quite good now, but still not
entirely accurate. The screen ratio is
still way off. I would hate for
someone to get an impression of the
machine through emulators. The real
machine is much more charming.

CF. Can you update our readers with
what you consider the best recent
software and hardware developments for
the VIC?

JD. This has been a great year for VIC
development. In software, we have had
over seven new game releases. The
hardware side is equally impressive.
We had a impressive multicart release
in both PAL and NTSC models, and
another all-in-one mega cart coming
soon. There's plenty of information on
both in our forums.

CF. What are your thoughts on the
amazing demos that stretch the VIC
hardware so much, giving us sampled
speech and full screen graphic
effects?

JD. The European scene has really
produced some amazing demos! The
sampled speech and memory tricks are
really inspiring. I hope many of these
programmers become more active in our
community.

CF. From the main website is a link to
a Wiki. What is a wiki, and what would
our readers find there?

JD. The Wiki is still in its infancy.
It's an open information base with
many important technical & historical
details. There's so much more to be
added, but for now it is a very good
start for info.

CF. Are there any plans to resurrect
the Denial news letter?

JD. Not yet. Last year, I produced a
disk collection of games. This is
something I wanted to do when the
newsletter was active. I mailed around
thirty disks to members around the
world. If I ever send something
through the mail again, it will likely
be software.

CF. Was the newsletter free, and is
there a fee to join denial?

JD. It was free. I put $1.50 price on
the cover of the first issue, and I
mailed them out for free. Later, I
accepted donations to cover the cost
of postage. As a website, Denial
continues to accept donations. Our
members are very generous! Denial
should be around for a long time. The
aforementioned disk collection was
also free.

CF. Do you think your members were
original VIC users or are some seeing
the VIC for the 1st time?

JD. Some of our members were born long
after the VIC was discontinued. Many
are first time users, but most are
original users. We also have a few
classic gamers just now discovering
the VIC. In the 80s, most of use were
aware of other consoles but couldn't
afford to have more than one or two.

CF. What is your personal favourite of
all the games you have created for the
VIC?

JD. I was really proud of Game Theory;
it was featured in a UK magazine. The
game also received a great deal of
attention at the last Commodore
convention I attended. That would
probably be the first game I would
show someone interested in my work.
Personally, I am very interested in
Ghost. The game started off with a
simple draft called Zombie Yard. I
think "Ghost" attempted to add arcade
elements and got away from the creepy
theme I wanted. I really want to
revisit this. I think the idea has
unrealised potential.

CF. What are your favourite games in
general for the VIC?

JD. Gridrunner was my first game, and
I probably played it the most. So
that's my favourite game. Most VIC
users would agree Omega Race is an
impressive cartridge game. New games
like Frogger 07 or Return to Fort Knox
are also quite enjoyable.

CF. How did the Denial Wiki come
about? Also have you found out
anything unusual or interesting
through it?

JD. We always wanted a wiki, and the
wiki came out of necessity. On
collaborative hardware projects we
needed a single place for information.
I've learned a lot about international
variations of the VIC. We also even
filled in some product number gaps.

CF. Have you ever had the chance to
meet any of the Commodore engineers
and designers who worked on the VIC?

JD. No, not yet. I would however love
to meet them!

CF. What do you see the VIC's future
being like? A small cult following or
disappearing entirely?

JD. I see a bright future for the VIC
community. It is an admittedly small,
tight group, but everyone is really
friendly and passionate about the
machine. The VIC computer has the feel
of a game console (something between
the Astrocade and the 2600); yet, it
invites gamers to develop their own
ideas. Some of our members have even
modified popular games to add more
levels or variation in game play. In
2008 alone, we have had a new original
game released every month! This is
even more than the previous year. The
forum and our members have received a
lot of attention in magazines and the
net. With the great members we have
now, I can only see Denial growing in
the future.

===