Rockford Magazine/Rockford_Magazine_033_19xx_-_de_Disk_3_of_5_Side_B.d64/1816

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From: [e-mail] (WardShrake)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Vic20 archiving project update
Date: 19 Sep 1995 14:49:12 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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Reply-To: [e-mail] (WardShrake)
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Hi. This is just a public announcement, on the fate of the Vic20 cartridge
archiving project I was involved with for awhile. I had previously
mentioned on comp.sys.cbm (and perhaps rec.games.video.classic) that I
planned to do this, so I felt a public update was in order.

The status of the project is: dead. Stillborn. Cancelled. Kaput. No longer
operating. Et cetera.

Sorry if this news upsets anyone. I rather doubt it, due to the fact that
although most of the people I asked about it said it sounded interesting,
and wished me luck on it, no one but me was willing to lift a finger to
make it happen. I'm not willing to pay for this whole project out of my
own pocket, do all the work involved myself, take whatever legal risks
there may be for doing this without written approval from the proper
folks, and then give everybody all the benefits of it for free. It doesn't
seem right. Frankly, I'm just not that grateful for the help I got. And
the dark cloud of impending legal hassles worried me just enough to insure
an early death for the project. Sorry, but all in all, I can't see
continuing with the project as is.

So, if someone else wants to pick up the effort to "save" the existing
library of Vic20 games from extinction, following everyone else's lead, I
can only say "good luck, and I hope it works out." No offense really
intended if this seems a bit bitter. Maybe it is, but regardless, I give
up.

I wanted to collect all the Vic20 cartridges I could find, copy them, and
make them available for download somewhere, solely to save them from
extinction. I was doing this just because of my love for early Commodore
computer products, and due to a sense of respect for early computer
history. It would take two things to make me happy about this again, and
to get me to participate again: one, the copyright holders would have to
give their permission for this in writing, so no one gets in any trouble
with the copyright police. Second, someone else would have to either help
gather some carts, loan some carts, or help defray the bills for this.
(Some guys are going nuts lately, and have started thinking that Vic20
carts are worth big bucks. Ha! I have no idea what made them think that!
Regardless, at the outrageous prices being asked, I'm out of this. I'll go
find another hobby, before I go broke doing other people favors!) And as I
soon (a few weeks perhaps) plan to leave the net, maybe help defray my net
costs for doing it.

However, there is some good news ... I do have a lengthy list of Vic20
cartridges that are available. Maybe this can be my contribution to the
net, where Vic20 carts are concerned. I once took an informal poll, asking
why no one seemed very interested in collecting Vic20 games. One of the
most common complaints was that there weren't enough carts ever made, to
make collecting for the Vic20 interesting. Most people figured there were
maybe 17 total cartridges ever made for the Vic. Not true! Way wrong!
There are a ton of them out there. Commodore alone made twice that! Many
third party companies made Vic20 cartridges, too. Just on my list of
"confirmed, someone actually has or definitely saw this one" list, there
are 150+ cartridges. I also included a section on vaporware, or carts that
were announced but never released (to my current knowledge), which makes
the list even longer. As my contribution to the net, I may upload this
list, before I call it quits. Just for the sake of saving some part of
computing early history, and nostalgia, if for no better reason. Anyway,
thanks for listening.

Ward Shrake
[e-mail]