Latest news with #Commodore64
WIRED
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It
After years of mismanagement and questionable product tie-ins, the 80s computer brand is back, now with a fan at the helm. But is the appetite for retro gaming still big enough for it to succeed? The Commodore 64U Starlight Courtesy of Commodore In 1994, Commodore crashed and burned. Once a home computing giant across the US and Europe, the company was undone by mismanagement and misfires. The carcass was picked clean and the pieces resold so many times that it was hard to keep track, but with each new owner came the inevitable—an attempt to make a fast buck by slapping the famous C= logo on any old junk. Fans watched in horror as the brand appeared on the mediocre all-in-one PC, the bizarrely named Gravel in Pocket media player, and the Commodore smartphone. There was even a Commodore-branded shredder. So when retro gaming YouTuber Christian 'Perifractic' Simpson announced he wanted to buy what remained of Commodore and give it a new life, questions were asked. Chief among them: does the world still even need Commodore? When I'm 64 Commodore as a brand initially focused on typewriters and calculators, but its glory days arrived with the rise of home micros, causing a swift rebirth as Commodore International Computing. Its biggest success was the Commodore 64, which hit the sweet spot between affordability and potential. While the CPU was sluggish, powerful graphics and a surprisingly capable sound chip (which remains revered today) spurred creativity on both sides of the Atlantic. Over 5,000 commercial games were released during the machine's heyday, and more than 15 million units were sold, making the C64 still one of the highest-selling single computer models ever. It's this legacy Simpson aims to revive. Initially, he sought a licensing deal with the Commodore brand owners, imagining 'official' boards and replacement components as part of an inclusive, community-friendly conglomerate. These plans snowballed during discussions, and Simpson found himself securing an agreement to buy Commodore outright for a 'low seven-figure' sum. He now serves as Commodore CEO and promises to revive the company in a sustainable way—one that won't repeat the failures of the past. But here's where things get tricky. Simpson doesn't actually own the original company because that company no longer exists. Commodore's 1990s dismemberment means the current iteration owns a number of trademarks, but essential parts of the ecosystem remain scattered. C64 ROMs and Amiga (Commodore's 16-bit micro) rights belong to Cloanto and Amiga Corporation. AmigaOS is controlled by Hyperion Entertainment. And aside from the odd mass-market flirtation from clone machines, like the C64DTV all-in-one joystick and the plug-and-play THEC64 Mini, major developments that mattered for the past 30 years have all come from the community, not the brand. Computers for the Masses It's for these reasons Simpson finds himself walking multiple tightropes. He must avoid alienating enthusiasts that kept the Commodore flame alive, and not imply that only his new Commodore confers legitimacy. He must collaborate closely with owners of other key puzzle pieces and license the Commodore brand fairly to interested third parties. And to recoup that seven-figure sum, the new Commodore must sell enough new hardware, which means moving beyond a dwindling core fanbase. For now, Simpson's initial play banks heavily on nostalgia—not solely for the C64, but for an entire era. The new Commodore website pitches the company as a 'digital detox brand [that's] grounded in digital minimalism.' It rails against social media, glorifies the good old days of 'techno optimism'—apparently, the 1980s through to the mid-1990s—and hints that Commodore can help users reclaim their childhoods. But the company also wants to be seen as an innovator with an eye on the future, and this results in a kind of branding whiplash. The new Commodore wants to be both reboot and original; past and future. Fittingly, this iteration's debut product, the Commodore 64 Ultimate, embodies such tensions. The $500 gold-bling Founders Edition and $350 LED-laden disco case Starlight Edition don't exactly scream digital minimalism. But the $300 BASIC Beige is the spitting image of the original hardware. All models bridge authenticity and modernity by supporting original C64 peripherals and current connectivity, including 1080p HDMI output so you needn't hunt down a CRT TV. Inside, it's all FPGAS—field programmable gate arrays—which ultimately mean simulation rather than the less-accurate emulation found in Chinese retro handhelds and cheap plug-and-play TV devices. Some critics nonetheless grumble that even this 'new' machine is past and present in another way, effectively being an amalgamation of existing products, from the keycaps to the having the Ultimate64 board at its core. However, Ultimate64 creator Gideon Zweijtzer has publicly disagreed that Simpson is merely assembling other people's hard work and slapping on a logo. He believes the Commodore 64 Ultimate was a 'joint effort between parties to create a cohesive package' and credits Simpson as someone with reach who can 'bring people together.' The $64,000 Question That reach will be essential because noble efforts, sentiment, and saying the right thing won't bring sustainability. Even pent-up demand for a new Commodore 64—at the time of writing, over 4000 units have been sold, amounting to $1.5 million in revenue—is a one-off trick that can't be repeated. History shows retro appeal can be short-lived. Outside the hardcore enthusiasts, fans tend to rapidly move beyond rose-tinted, wide-eyed nostalgia; the retro devices they've bought then gather dust. Few remain on sale for long because the market is finite and fickle. And then, there's the question of games. A large slice of the annual retro gaming market—estimated to be around $2.5 billion, though no one has a great handle on the numbers—comes from software rather than hardware. The issue for Commodore here is that it never released any notable games of its own, so it can't mimic Atari's ability to remake the Atari 2600 with modern connectivity while also reimagining 1980s classics like Pong and Missile Command . And even if Commodore were to license games, nothing in the entire C64 catalog has the cultural clout of Pac-Man , Space Invaders , Sonic the Hedgehog , or Super Mario Bros . The Commodore 64 Ultimate menu. The alternate mainstream option would be an attempt to reestablish Commodore's reputation as a brand that offers computing for the masses, not the classes, ringing in Simpson's desire for a 'simpler, distraction-free computing experience.' But what would that mean in practice? Unplugging? Educational and creative tools? Commodore 64 BASIC is notoriously bad, and it's unclear whether enough newcomers will see value in a relatively expensive beige retro box when a Raspberry Pi costs a fraction of the price and can tap into a massive existing ecosystem. But an entirely new platform would be a colossally risky endeavor. The Last Byte of a Legend What is the endgame, then? Without hit games and obvious mainstream appeal, how does Commodore survive, let alone thrive? Is it even possible for this 1980s cultural icon to move beyond people who were there at the time and break out of its bubble? It's hard to say. Perhaps it doesn't have to. Simpson envisions a 'single, joined-up family of Commodore machines,' and that could be enough. Commodore would become a community-focused brand, presiding over a modest ecosystem, acting as a benevolent curator that elevates quality projects, brings just enough polish and legitimacy to help the scene flourish, and simply refuses to let the legacy fade. Although investors who've pumped in cash might see things differently. A much worse scenario would be a repeat of the past: panic over income, leading to the brand again being stamped on unremarkable products, or the mismanagement and misfires that alienate partners and fans. There's also the very real possibility that Commodore might just discover the harsh reality of being a very niche, small player in an industry of giants. Any one of those could deal a final, fatal blow to the brand from which it would never recover, taking down swathes of the community with it. Still, this time feels different. This revival doesn't come from cynicism but from genuine passion and love for the brand. Even so, the odds of success feel slim, whether that means sparking a new wave of computing optimism or returning the brand to cultural relevance. But for a while at least, fans can remain optimistic this might finally be the play that truly brings Commodore back to life.
Fast Company
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
This beloved retro gaming computer is making a comeback—and it'll cost you $299
Tech nostalgia runs strong among Gen Z. The retro movement has made long-outdated devices desirable once more. When it comes to personal computer nostalgia, you'd be hard-pressed to find a PC more fondly remembered than the Commodore 64. Now, the machine that served as the starter computer for many old-school gamers is making a comeback of sorts. Commodore Corp., which is no longer run by the team behind the original device, has begun taking preorders for the Commodore 64 Ultimate, a $299 device that its makers claim is compatible with over 10,000 retro games, cartridges, and peripherals. The new C64s are expected to begin shipping as early as October, though that date could slip. Also, the listed price doesn't account for tariffs. A 'tariff tax' ($15 to $25 in the U.S.) is added at checkout—and the builders warn that amount could change if tariffs do. While there have been Commodore 64 emulators in the past, this marks the first official product from the company in more than 30 years. There are three models to choose from, all with the same internal components. If you were expecting a vastly outdated machine, however, you're in for a surprise. The Commodore 64 Ultimate will include 128 megabytes of RAM and 16 megabytes of flash memory. It connects to modern monitors via HDMI in high-definition 1080p resolution and features three USB-A ports and one USB-C port. Beyond the computer itself, the power source, and HDMI cable, your $299 also gets you a spiral-bound user guide, a 64-gigabyte USB drive featuring over 50 licensed games, a quick-start guide, and stickers. Aesthetically, the Commodore 64 Ultimate is available in the original beige or in premium variants: the Starlight Edition, with a clear case and LED lights ($249), or the Founder's Edition, which includes 24-karat gold-plated badges, satin gold keys, and a translucent amber case ($499). Just 6,400 units of the Founder's Edition will be produced, according to the company. The preorder setup resembles a Kickstarter campaign, though it doesn't use that platform. Commodore says all preorders come with a money-back guarantee, but it chose to skip the service's fees. Buyers should be aware that accounts are charged at the time of preorder. Who owns Commodore? Ownership of the Commodore brand adds some complexity. Earlier this year, Christian 'Peri Fractic' Simpson—a YouTuber focused on retro tech—announced he was in the process of acquiring the company and claimed to be the 'acting CEO of Commodore.' In a YouTube video posted at the end of June, he said he purchased the company for 'a low seven-figure sum' and has recruited several former Commodore employees to help relaunch the brand. In the video, Simpson states he signed 'a share purchase agreement' with the previous owners of Commodore Corp., but is still seeking angel investors to help close the total sales amount. That uncertainty may give some potential buyers pause, and understandably so. The official site addresses the concern, noting: 'We have a contract with the previous IP owner that ensures that regardless of the final acquisition outcome, these machines can be manufactured as promised.' The product will come with a one-year limited warranty, and Commodore says most parts are already in production, including the updated motherboard, the case, and the keycaps that recreate the blocky keys that early users remember. The original Commodore 64 debuted in 1982. It was one of the world's best-selling computers at the time, with graphics and sound that pushed the limits of 8-bit technology. With games like M.U.L.E., Wizard, and The Last Ninja, it quickly became a gamer favorite. In addition to the games on the USB drive, backers will also receive a 'new sequel' to the C64 original, called Jupiter Lander: Ascension. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Gizmodo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Commodore 64 Is Back—and More Gamer-Fueled Than Ever With a Transparent RGB Case
The Commodore 64 deserves to have a happy ending it never got in life. You've likely seen at least one of those rounded beige rectangles sitting prone and forlorn in some office or forgotten attic. For those who loved their age-old home computer, the big blocky keyboard is back, and for $300 you can get what may be the most accurate recreation of the classic computer, no software emulation required. At least, it will be when the company manages to finalize the operating system and produce all the parts. For those wondering just what the hell the Commodore 64 is, it's a home computer that first saw the light of day in 1982, and at the time it was one of the best-selling computers in the world. The 8-bit device had unique qualities for the time, with advanced sound and graphics capabilities that made it one of the early leaders for at-home computer gaming thanks to its compatibility with cartridges. More than that, it managed to make computing accessible thanks to it selling in stores beyond specialty computer retailers. There wasn't any true sequel to the Commodore 64, save for some early Commodore 65 prototypes. Though makers of the Commodore 64 had success with devices like the Amiga 1000, the company discontinued the C64 in 1995 and shortly after declared bankruptcy. So what is the new Commodore 64 Ultimate and what do you get in the box? Everything you need to know is below… OVERVIEW• The Commodore 64 Ultimate comes in 3 varieties: Basic Beige, Starlight Edition, and Founders Edition.• This is the first official Commodore 64… — Commodore Computer Museum 🕹 (@MuseumCommodore) July 12, 2025This isn't the first attempt at a C64 emulation device, but it could be the most thorough. The modern recreation is using field-programmable gate array technology, or FPGA, to emulate the original computer's design and chip logic. It means the device is fully compatible with all the old software and games that made the device such a hit in the first place. The $300 Basic Beige comes bundled with a cassette-style USB that includes some music, demos, and games, including a 'new sequel' to the C64 original title Jupiter Lander: Ascension. The device still has modern amenities like HDMI and Wi-Fi, so you're not going to need to find a working modem. The Commodore Computer Museum X account said this version resembles the Ultimate 64 Elite II version. The creator of that C64 version, engineer Gideo Zweijtzer, is named as a 'launch partner' on the company's team page. The device is up for preorder, though the company claims that the money is going toward production, almost like a Kickstarter. Commodore claims 'most parts are already in production,' and they are mostly looking to fund manufacturing parts like the keyboard base. A preorder 'also helps power the full reboot of the Commodore brand.' The device is $300 at base, but that doesn't account for tariffs that will come through as a 'tariff tax' at checkout. If you want to see some of the internal components in all their glory, you'll need to opt for the $350 Starlight Edition that also has RGB LEDs under the hood to bathe your desktop in retro goodness. There's a separate, limited 'Founders Edition' for $500 with clear amber plastic. While there will only be 6,400 of those made, Commodore says every device will have Easter eggs in the form of the names and/or autographs of the original C64 creators etched on the motherboard. Commodore Corp., which was bought up by YouTuber and actor Christian 'Peri Fractic' Simpson in a deal he announced on his channel June 30. He said he bought the company for 'a low seven-figure sum,' though he did not reveal the total amount or offer any other details about what went into the purchase. The precise nature of the deal is still in limbo, and the company's new owners admit on the site that the deal is 'close to fruition.' The company added, 'This is a carefully structured process focused on security and long-term sustainability,' and promised it will still make the hardware no matter what happens with the Commodore buyout. Simpson previously announced his intent to buy Commodore a month ago, and things have moved quickly since then. Even with the new Commodore team's promises for full refunds, the uncertainty is enough that I'd advise some hesitation before smashing the buy button on a brand-new FPGA Commodore 64, even if the translucent edition with built-in LED lights looks spiffy. The device won't ship until October at the earliest, which gives us enough time to see what kind of pronouncements the dev team makes in the coming weeks and months.
Stuff.tv
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
The Neo Geo Super Pocket gives me a console I could never afford
When your wallet starts shrieking and you suffer heart palpitations on seeing the price of a new console, spare a thought for those of us who've been there since the start. Back in 1983, the venerable Commodore 64 – which still lays claim to being the best-selling computer of all time – launched in the UK for £399. Similar to the Switch 2, then? Except no, because inflation. That £399 in 1983 is more like £1400 today. And the C64 didn't even have its own display. But for fans of gaming, the Neo Geo was even worse. If you're unfamiliar with SNK's machine, it began as a scheme to make arcade cabinets less financially ruinous. The Neo Geo MVS (Multi Video System) let cabinet owners in arcades and shops swap out games via carts. This saved them cash and space while keeping games fresh. A kind-of win-win-win. And having borrowed the concept from home consoles, SNK figured it could remake the MVS for the home. But rather than strip things back, the Neo Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System) had the same innards as its arcade sibling. This meant the Neo Geo AES, back in 1991, achieved something no rival platform could, no matter how hard you squinted at your Amiga, PC Engine or Mega Drive: arcade-perfect games at home. The tiny snag: it was insanely expensive. Leafing through old copies of CVG magazine reveals each game originally cost £120 – £300 in today's money. Online consensus suggests many cost more. And even though the machine itself managed to sneak in at a penny under 400 quid, just like the much older C64, you could still buy two Mega Drives for the same outlay. Pocket change Play The result was a generation of gamers glumly staring at magazine screenshots, knowing they would never own a Neo Geo. And that was a shame, because the system was stunning. Early 1990s gaming hadn't yet been swallowed whole by 3D, and the 2D artistry on show in many Neo Geo titles remains deeply impressive. From the finely detailed backgrounds and characters in Metal Slug X to the sci-fi trappings of blasters like Blazing Star, the Neo Geo was a showcase of dazzling visuals, fortunately backed up by stellar (if often punishing) gameplay. Which is why it's great those two titles – along with a dozen others – are bundled with the new Neo Geo Super Pocket, a dinky handheld that finally makes the childhood dream of owning a Neo Geo come true. Sort of. What you do get is a gadget that looks like the offspring of an Evercade and a Game Boy, dressed in AES black and gold. The screen is ideal for Neo Geo fare. It's pin-sharp in 'pixel perfect' mode and just big enough to stop you from getting horribly killed the second you start playing. And the included games? Sure, a few of your favourites might be missing, as are some of mine. (No Magical Drop or King of Fighters.) But this gadget is Evercade-compatible, so some gaps will be plugged by carts. Purists might baulk. It's emulation, after all. Also, it's another 'unnecessary' gadget to wedge next to others on the shelf. But it's enough for me: great Neo Geo games, with an official stamp rather than growling 'ARRRRR!' during shady ROM-hunting sessions, and all for less than half the price of one Neo Geo game back in the 1990s, let alone 14. The HyperMegaTech Neo Geo Edition Super Pocket is available for $69/£49. A sample was provided for this column. I still suck at Last Blade and Blazing Star.
Globe and Mail
03-07-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Wanawī is Cree for ‘go outside' – it's a teaching we should learn alongside our kids
Stop me if you've heard this one: You walk into the living room and find your child with their eyes superglued to a screen. Maybe they're scrolling through an ubiquitous social-media app (presently, it seems to be Snapchat, who knows what will be next), or playing a game that never ends (they're on level 1,372), or doing any number of things that, as a parent, you don't quite understand. You tell your child they should go outside for some fresh air. Without looking up from their screen, they reply in a pained tone: 'But there's nothing to do outside.' I've experienced this aggravating situation with my kids. Whenever I take their devices away and they begrudgingly go outside, they make sure I know how displeased they are with the torturous thing I'm making them do. How times have changed. At the age of 48, I can tell you that time moves forward unrelentingly. When I was in university, cellphones were not a thing. I look further back, to when I was growing up in Winnipeg in the eighties. It was an underrated decade of music; people wore their hair big, and their personalities seemed even bigger. Somewhere in a photo album, there is a picture of me in pink neon shorts and a yellow neon hat, sporting a similarly neon tank top and thick-rimmed sunglasses. My skin tone was dark brown. I mean, my skin tone is always brown, but in the summer, my skin colour was swarthy. Why? I was outside all the time. Sure, we had a game system, and a Commodore 64, which I stuck a floppy disk into to play Lode Runner with a joystick. But I spent very little time in front of a screen, the exception being Saturday morning cartoons. If you had given me a choice between going outside or playing Nintendo, it would've taken me less than five seconds to throw my shoes on and run to Brock Fleet Park. In the summer, I played hide and seek around the bushes there. In the winter, my brother and I spent hours playing shinny on a rink that has since closed, from the early afternoon until the floodlights shut off late at night. The rink attendant, Bob, made us hot chocolate, and our toes were frostbitten, but we didn't care. I think further back, to Dad's childhood. He grew up on a trapline called Black Water, about 32 kilometres outside of Kinosao Sipi (Norway House Cree Nation). He played on the land, learned on the land, worked on the land and lived with family on the land. He told me that it was the most beautiful way to grow up. It taught him to respect Mother Earth and cherish the lessons he'd been gifted. Opinion: My teenaged son still doesn't have a smartphone. Here's why He was healthy, too. From the time he woke up to when he fell asleep on a bed of spruce boughs (which he often gathered for the family), all he did was physical activity. In the fresh air. Under the generous warmth of the sun. Through the forest, there was a lake he used to swim in, skip rocks across and run around. When he was older, he would stare out the window from his study and remember those days, recalling the times he'd spent as a child on the land and what he'd learned. His favourite place to be, in his old age, was by the water. What does all this give us? I'm not advocating for the elimination of all screens. Devices have their uses, but there is a dependence on them, even an addiction for some, and that's not healthy. My father often spoke of balance – that's what we should be striving for. A little bit of screen time and a lot of outdoors time would do any child good. I've witnessed this firsthand. One of my kids went through a period where they were doing their best to espouse the stereotypical teenager attitude – aloof, sarcastic, eyes rolling, selective hearing. One day, while I was away for work, I got a text from my partner saying our teen hadn't had a 'blow up' all week. Why? They'd hardly been on their screen because it had been taken away. In place of their tablet, they'd been taking the dogs for walks. It changed their entire demeanour. They were present and they were pleasant. Spending time outside supports a child's mental, physical and emotional development. Interacting with the physical world stimulates curiosity and creativity; that's why land-based education is such an effective tool. Active play builds muscle, improves co-ordination and helps to maintain a healthy body. And fresh air and sunlight boost mood, vitamin D levels and contribute to better sleep. In an increasingly screen-centred society, regular outdoors time can help kids connect more deeply to nature and themselves. My father's first language was Swampy Cree. I've been working to learn the language, word by word. In one of the picture books I've authored, On the Trapline, there is a Cree word on every page. One of them is wanawī, which in English means 'go outside.' It's not an order, it's a teaching. It's one that frankly all of us should learn and practise, not just our kids. Because what we do, more than what we say, influences our children. So for them, and for you, I say: wanawī! David A. Robertson is a two-time Governor-General's Literary Award winner and has won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and the Writers' Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg with his wife and five children.
