From my email:
Thank you for the reply, and allowing me to ask a few questions. It really is an honour to be talking to the people who now hold the reins to an iconic brand and trailblazer of the 8-bit computer and gaming age.
Firstly: Having acquired the intellectual properties of Commodore and already started to produce Android powered tablets and Vega laptops, the question has got to be asked, the mighty C64? In terms of bringing an updated Commodore 64 back to market, would you think there is enough of a market to warrant a machine in hardware terms.
Secondly: Obviously, nostalgia only takes you so far, there are a lot of people who have fond memories of gaming on the C64 and Amiga computers, but those people have moved on. How do you plan to entice a new generation to invest time and money into Commodore?
Hardware versus software: Building bespoke hardware and bringing it to market is not cheap. Rather than spend a huge sum on hardware R&D, marketing and advertising would a software application that can be installed on various operating systems such as Windows/Linux, and then looking at Google/Apple system be more viable. Something along the lines of the VICE emulator. With a digital store front and built in tools to allow budding creators an access point to the Commodore ecosystem, a place to create, share and learn.
Games like Sanxion and The Last Ninja were developed with 64 kilobytes. Imagine what Commodore developers could do with – if a new Commodore Operating System had just 2 or 3 megabytes to play with. The possibilities are endless. Make an ecosystem with an entry level that is not just for the privileged, and you will definitely be on to something magic.
Luigi’s email response:
Thanks, Matthew, for your interest. You are speaking with Luigi right now. I am very happy and honoured to carry forward this fantastic and iconic brand, fully aware of the advantages and challenges that come with being part of this legacy. Commodore has taught us to always look towards the future, to not be deterred by difficulties, and above all, to explore new horizons.
The beloved old Commodore 64 gave us magical moments, but it now belongs to the past. While I understand the nostalgia, our focus at Commodore is on creating new products that meet the needs of the younger generation that has taken our place. We want to guarantee these kids the same opportunities that we had.
We are placing excellent hardware products on the market, such as Omnia, Orion, and Vega, and we will soon present others. I understand your point about investing everything in Software and leaving out the Hardware sector, but we cannot and will not abandon hardware. It is crucial for us to create an ecosystem for our users.
We still have a long journey ahead of us, and this doesn’t scare us; in fact, it stimulates us greatly. We are open to new collaborations, and anyone with good projects to integrate into the Commodore world will always find a place here. Sooner or later, we will create a unique environment for development, gaming, and training.
Best regards,
Luigi.
For those of us that grew up and gamed in the 1980s, it makes you think that perhaps there is enough room for change once again, frankly Microsoft and Xbox have all the power and money in the world to taking gaming forward, yet it seems they are stagnated and on a quest to turn gaming into a rental system, eradicating diehard collectors and casual hobbyists alike within a decade or two. Sony and PlayStation on the other hand seem to have lost their zest for creation and are eager to tap into the quick cash pot, and Nintendo, will Mario ever get a rest?
Whatever lies in store for this new Commodore, be it retro inspired headphones, USB storage space, tablets, laptops and gaming, hopefully they can find a niche to give people of today the kind of enjoyment I had, if not better.
Lastly, thank you to Luigi and Commodore for their time, and if you want to check out the website you can find it at https://commodore.inc/
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