News Archive

Archived News

3/11/02: The Classic Computer And Gaming (CCAG) Show 2002 is on!“We, the CCAG organizers, regret that it took so long to officially announce the CCAG 2002 Show. However, we are also very glad that the CCAG 2001 Show did NOT take place after September 11th, 2001. Had CCAG 2001 taken place after 9-11, we would have had to cancel. Because we had used a National Guard Armory for the previous two CCAG’s, we were not able to rent the Armory again after the events of 9-11. We have been able to locate and secure a facility for CCAG 2002! We again apologize for the delay, as we were only able to know with certainty, in the past several days. See you all at the CCAG 2002!!!”

CCAG 2002 Staff

The Classic Computer And Gaming Show 2002 will be held on May 25th, 2002 from 8AM till 2 PM. Vendor setup is on the 24th from 5:30PM till 9PM, and from 6:30AM till 8AM on the 25th. Show location is at the St. John Lutheran Church,
11333 Granger Road, Garfield Hts. Ohio, 44125.

Here is our own site for more information and current status
of vendors and attendees.

www.ccagshow.comTable rental is $5 this year, and admission is only $2. The admission fee will also allow you to be eligible for a drawing at 1PM, the 25th, for an Arcade machine! (You will need a way to take the machine home with you!)

The web site, www.ccagshow.com, has site info, table layouts, map info, etc.

We hope to see you there at the CCAG 2002!

1/13/02: NEW JAGUAR AND LYNX GAMES ON THE PROWL IN 2002:

January 10, 2002

ROCHESTER, MN — Two years ago today Songbird Productions announced the acquisition of three properties from former Atari Lynx and Jaguar developer Beyond Games, including the highly-anticipated CyberVirus. Songbird today announced the official release date for CyberVirus as February 18, 2002.

CyberVirus takes Lynx gaming to an entirely new level by offering 16 action-packed missions all set in an amazing 3D environment. You are a soldier inserted deep into enemy territory, where you alone hold the key to turn back the Cybot threat. Avoid land mines and hunt for weapon prototypes while repelling robots, mutant spiders, and other enemies. This general release of CyberVirus contains many new features, including stealth armor, strafing movement, powerups, storyboards, an enhanced mission select screen, new objectives, all-new cheats and easter eggs, and more.

Songbird continues its tradition of unparalleled support for orphaned Atari systems by also announcing the release of Protector: Special Edition (P:SE) on April 10, 2002. This games builds on the immensely popular Protector for the Atari Jaguar with a bundle of new enhancements, including 40 all-new levels and improvements in gameplay and balance to make the game fun and challenging for newcomers and pros alike. More jaw-dropping landscapes and backgrounds are sure to keep players hungering for each new level, and several new songs have been added to the mix as well.

As if that wasn’t enough, Songbird owner Carl Forhan also indicated that P:SE will include two incredible features to help spur hobby development and lower costs for future CD-based games: BJL and JagFree CD. BJL is a hobby protocol for downloading Jaguar games to RAM, and is a cost-effective alternative for developing new games. JagFree CD allows new CD games to be published and played easily on any consumer Jaguar CD unit.

At press time, Carl revealed plans to bundle a CD game with P:SE. Carl commented, “I want every Jaguar fan who purchases P:SE to know that the JagFree CD feature is present and works correctly with properly produced Jaguar CDs. Thus, I’ve been able to work out a deal to include the demo version of Native on CD with P:SE. While only a one level demo, Native is an impressive start to a game I know many Jaguar fans are anxious to see in action.” Carl indicated other CD games were also in the works and would be available in the near future.

When asked if there is anything else fans can look forward to in the two new games, Carl responded, “There is a special treat waiting for players who finish these games. All I’ll say is you’ll definitely want to reach the end on both of them.”

Songbird Productions is the premier developer and publisher for the Atari Lynx and Jaguar. To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.net. CyberVirus and JagFree CD are copyright and trademark 2001 Songbird Productions. Protector is a trademark of Bethesda Softworks. All rights reserved. This message may be reprinted in its entirety.

11/18/01: WHAT IF ATARI SPONSORED NASCAR?:

I thought this was a neat image. What if Atari sponsored a car in Nascar, what would it look like? Well here is one possibility.

Submitted by Scott Julian using NASCAR Racing 4 paintshop and images from this site!

9/12/01: OHIO ATARI SWAP MEET HELD:
The Ohio Atari Swap Meet and the Jaguar Corner was held. Click here for details and pictures.

8/6/01: JAGUAR CORNER AT THE OHIO ATARI SWAP MEET:

Columbus, Ohio – Come join us for fun and games at the Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Columbus annual Atari Swap Meet to be held on September 8, 2001. This annual event boasts a wide selection of Atari games and systems for sale. Last year the event had many items available for the Atari ST, 8 Bit computers, 5200, 7800, and 2600.

This year, the Jaguar Corner will be at the Swap Meet. The Jaguar Corner is your chance to play the most popular and rare games available for the Atari Jaguar video game console.

Featured games available for view and play are:

– New games from Songbird Productions (http://songbird.atari.net/) including Skyhammer, Protector, Hyper Force, and Soccer Kid for the Jaguar; and Lexis, Championship Rally, PONX, Remnant, and more for the Lynx.

– Doom and Air Cars in 2 Player, 2 Console Network Play

– BattleSphere from Scatologic (www.scatologic.com) available for play and demo

– Jaguar CD with games such as Primal Rage, Vid Grid, Blue Lightning, Battlemorph, and World Tour Racing

– Popular Jaguar games such as Towers II, Worms, Zero 5, Defender 2000, Atari Karts, and Breakout 2000

– JUGS (www.buyjugs.com – The Jaguar Underground Game Server) which allows the downloading of underground, homebrew games into the Jaguar. Underground games available for play include Asteroids, Gorf demo, Jagmania, Jag Tetris, and Native.

The Jaguar corner is being promoted by Fred Horvat (fmh@netzero.net) and Brian Gentile (mail@addie.cjb.net) of Addie’s Atari Page (www.addie.cjb.net). The Atari Swap Meet is being run and promoted by the Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Columbus(http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/acec/acec.html).

The Atari Swap Meet and the Jaguar Corner will be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on September 8, 2001 at:

Oakland Park Community Building
980 Lenore St.
Columbus, Ohio 43224-3351
Directions: From I-71, take the E. North Broadway Street exit east, turn left onto Maize Road, and a quick right on Lenore Avenue.
Admission: The price of admission to the Atari Swap Meet is $4 per person and $6 per vendor table (includes one admission). The Jaguar Corner costs nothing!

For the latest details on the Jaguar Corner, see Addie’s Atari Page (www.addie.cjb.net).

7/29/01 [original post 1/27, reposted 5/11]: ACEC ANNUAL ATARI SWAP MEET SET:

Mark your calendar, the date for the 2001 Atari Community Enthusiast of Columbus Atari Swap Meet is set for September 8th 2001. The place is booked and expect a great time. For those of you who did not attend last year check out the Summary and Pictures.

7/29/01: SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES JAGFREE CD:

Songbird Productions recently announced that the upcoming Jaguar game Protector Second Edition (SE) will contain JagFree CD ™ bypass support. This means that by inserting the Protector SE into your Jaguar, you will be able to play new, unencrypted Jaguar CD games. This gives Jaguar developers a cost effective means to develop, test, and distribute their home brewed Jaguar CD games. Songbird will eventually release the JagFree CD code into the public domain to encourage potential developers to use the code in their games. Protector SE will hopefully be released in late fall of 2001.

Protector SE is an improved version of the defender style game Protector, originally released by Songbird at the end of 1999. The SE version will feature new levels, music, graphics, and tweaking of game play.

7/5/01: JAGFEST 2K1 A SUCCESS:

Jagfest, the annual convention of Jaguar fans from all over the world, took place on June 30th in Milwaukee, WI and was hosted by Dan Loosen and Gary Heil of www.goatstore.com. All reports indicate that it was a great time.

Tournaments were held throughout the day for games such as Tempest 2000, Combat, and BattleSphere. In addition, many unreleased and prototype games were available for play and display including Brett Hull Hockey cart and CD, Total Carnage, Phaze Zero, the JagVirtual Reality headset, and Alien v. Predator Lynx version.

Songbird Productions used its CD bypass, found in Protector SE, to play the Brett Hull Hockey unencrypted CD.

The highlight of the show was the never before seen 10 Jaguar linked network playing BattleSphere! For all the details and first account reports see the Jagfest homepage.

7/2/01: CCAG EVENT IS A SMASH HIT:

Read all about the Classic Computer and Gaming event and see the pictures.

6/13/01: JAGFEST 2001 IS SET TO MEET:

Jagfest 2k1 is set to meet this month with the theme “Beyond Tempest.” According to the Goat Store, a major sponsor and organizer, Jagfest will feature a video game museum section displaying classic systems and games. Consoles such as the Atari 2600, Odyssey 300, Colecovision, and Vectrex will be displayed. Computers and handhelds will also be featured including the Apple II, Comodore 64, and Tiger Space Flight handheld.

Also of interest, is the number of Jaguar rarities on display such as an Alien v. Predator pre-release demo, voice modem, Brett Hull Hockey, Arena Football, Thea Realm Fighters, and Protector SE.

Jagfest 2k1 will be held at Milwaukee Wisconsin, on Saturday June 30th. Adult admission is $8 pre-order and $10 at the door. For details go to Goat Store and the Jagfest Homepage.

5/11/01 [original post 12/4/00]: CLASSIC COMPUTER AND GAMING MEET:

ATTENTION RETROGAMERS, COMPUTER COLLECTORS, VIDEO GAME FANATICS!!!!

WE’RE BACK……..

CCAG 2001

(Classic Computer and Gaming 2001)

If you like collecting old computers, video games, and enjoy using them still, then come join us on:

June 30th, 2001

9AM till 6PM

National Guard Armory

IT’S ON ROUTE 57!!!

(actual address)

3520 Grove Avenue

Lorain, Ohio 44055-2048

(On Route 57, going North of I-90/Route 2)

IT’S FREE!

Both vendors and attendees!

Computer User Groups and vendors inside, flea market outside!

5,000 square feet of indoor space and an additional 5,000 square feet of outdoor space is available along with ample parking.

Setup: 29th, June, 2001

6PM-10PM

Please Call Ahead for Reservations:

Jim W. Krych jwkrych@n2net.net

440-979-9295

Fred M. Horvat fmh@netzero.net

440-286-2566

And these other CCAG 2001 organizers:

Thomas J. McLaren sirthomas@uk2.net

Please visit this site:

http://tomheroes.com/ccag.htm

As of 06/16/2001

User Groups:

Erie PA Atari Group

TI Chips

Cleveland Classic Atari Group

Vendors:

1632 Systems-From the UK!!!

C.S. Vintage Games

L.R.O. Computers

Tomorrow’s Heroes

Retropolis

Songbird Productions

Video Game Connection

Ramcharged Computers

People/Organizations:

John Legg-From the UK!!!

Chuck Amicone

David S. Brain

Fred Wagaman

Harry Dodgson

Alan Hewston

Thomas Mclaren

Michael White(Bally/Astrocade)

Classic Gamer Magazine

John Litva

Special Guest!!!

Pitfall Harry

We are looking to do a “Classic Game Experience” this year!

One room is going to be set up for playing classic computer and video game cartoons and commercials. The other room is going to be an emulator room-MAME, etc.

We already have one person bringing a Crazy Climber cocktail arcade game, John Litva. And, another vendor has promised to bring several arcade games as well. Please email us if you wish to bring an arcade game to the show.

We have a food service this year! The wife of one of our organizers, will be providing food, soda, and such!

Attention Atari ST/Falcon/TT users!!!

If you want anything from 1632 Systems, please contact:

Nick Harlow
http://www.1632systems.co.uk/

http://catalog.zen.co.uk/actinic/1632Systems/

See ya at the CCAG!
3/6/01: SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES PROTECTOR SECOND EDITION AND JAGUAR CD ENCRYPTION BYPASS PROJECT:

Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions announced March 5th on JFPN chat that Songbird was going to release a second edition of the Jaguar game Protector containing a digital picture of attendees of Jagfest 2001 in the credits. The game would also include minor enhancements such as new waves.

Also in the chat, Carl announced that Songbird is developing “a ‘CD Bypass’ cartridge for the Jaguar, which will allow new, unencrypted CDs to play on a regular Jaguar..” Although details are not finalized, the bypass cartridge may be multifunctional and include BJL support or demos of one or two games. The bypass cartridge will encourage hobby development of Jaguar CD’s, thus cutting out the need to pay royalties, by eliminating the encryption requirement. This project should translate into cheap demos and lower game prices. The cartridge could be released in Summer, but fall is more realistic. However, the bypass cartridge won’t be released until there are one or two hobby Jaguar CD games available.

In a March 6th post on Judicial Interactive, Carl elaborated on the cartridge bypass project stating that “Songbird is planning on releasing a CD Bypass cartridge later this year, which will allow current and htmliring Jaguar developers the option of publishing new games on CD media. Some ‘Underground’ developers have already verified they can make new CDs in this fashion that work on consumer Jaguars.”

Carl went on to state that the CD encryption key is unique to each game and is related to the content of the disc. The new bypass cart allows the Jaguar to boot from the cart and once done the CD will work without using an encryption key.

1/27/00: JAGUAR AND LYNX ENCRYPTION KEYS FOUND AND AVAILABLE:

Classic Gaming Expo has just announced on Judicial Interactive that the Jaguar and Lynx Encryption keys have been found and are available for download. Posted on the Classic Gaming Expo website are both encryption keys ready for download. Carl Forhan transfered the Lynx files to the PC and wrote instructions on their use. Glen Bruner, discovered the Jaguar encryption key when a friend bought some old Atari disks at a surplus store in Silicon Valley. Glenn described the discovery on Judicial Interactive (Posted January 27, 2001 at 17:21:59:) as follows:

I’m from Silicon Valley and still have a friend from High School who I have
keep an eye out for stuff in surplus shops.

He found a obscure 88meg Syquest cartridge for me recently. It took me a little
while to find a Syquest drive to read it on. I only had a 44meg drive. I managed
to find one on Ebay for $14 (200Meg drive).

Well, I used an old Centris 660AV Macintosh running MagicMac to read the disk. Talk
about a round about way to read a ST disk. But my 1040STFM doesn’t do SCSI and this was a method I used to read some Syquest disks that were pulled out of Atari’s dumpsters when they closed down in ’96.

After careful picking through of the files on the disk I found a file called TYPEAB.XXX.
Didn’t think much of it. Open it up with a hex editor. I noticed something very familar
about the file. I’ve looked at enough Jaguar cart images with a hex editor trying to hack the ROM encryption code several years ago. Since I have an Alpine board now, I fired it up and did the test that I described in the README file. I was amazed at the results I got.

I didn’t mention this in the README because I didn’t expect people to really care how it was found. Boy have I been wrong!!

The interesting thing about the file name mentioned above is TYPE AB. Universal blood donor type! Pretty sneaky cover name for a file.

Told John Hardie about it and that’s when he mentioned that Lynx Encryption was also found. He asked me if we could announce this on the CG Expo page. I agreed since it would get more exposure that way.

That’s it. Just glad I was able to give a fine contribution to the Jaguar community.

It is too early to say what this discovery will mean in the long run to the Jaguar and Lynx systems. However, it has the potential to spur more development on both platforms. In order for games to be played on the Jaguar or Lynx they must first be encrypted. The lack of the encryption key delayed the release of the Jaguar game Battlesphere developed by Scatologic, who had to employ a brute force method to get around the encryption issue.

1/19/01: NEW BATTLESPHERE LEVEL 92 PATCH RELEASED:

Previously Scatologic, the maker of BattleSphere for the Jaguar, released a level 92 patch that would fix a bug that prevented one from moving from level 91 to level 92 in the Guantlet mode. Now an updated patch has been released that will enable you to jump directly to Level 92, no matter the level that you have previously reached! You can download it at www.buyjugs.com and it can only be used with the JUGS Server.

1/19/01: ARKANNA DEMO 2 RELEASED:

The second demo for the upcoming Jaguar game Arkanna has just been released. This myst type game from Storm Works Interactive. According to their site, the game will not have a 3d realtime engine, but will play like Myst only that you will use the d-pad to move. The new demo features bug fixes and added restart options. The demo comes in two options – one for bjl and one for those with flash rom. As of yet, I have not been able to use the demo with JUGS.

1/15/01: BATTLESPHERE IS SOLD OUT – AGAIN:

According to the Battlesphere site, the wildly popular Battlesphere cartridge game for the Atari Jaguar has sold out again, this time on its second run. According to the site:

Thanks to all of our many supporters, the entire production run of BattleSphere Cartridges were SOLD OUT within a few weeks of it’s introduction!

Due to the incredibly volatile semiconductor industry, there is a very severe shortage of programmable memory chips of the type which are required for BattleSphere production. We were able to secure a quantity of chips for a second production run, which also SOLD OUT rapidly.

Persons still wishing to purchase a copy have very few options left until such time as the memory chips become available at affordable prices. We ask that you remain patient, and watch this site for any announcements. We are deeply saddened that we have been unable to keep up with demand.

The extreme demand and quick sell outs are a testament to what a great game Battlesphere really is and one can only hope that more carts can be made in the future especially considering the fact that the Jugsprogram is embedded within Battlesphere.

1/15/01: BADCODER RELEASES BADCODE 4:

BadCoder, the distributor of several free demos for use with JUGS and other underground Jaguar servers such as BJL, has released BadCode 4. BadCode 4 contains a fun 1 to 2 player squash game. As of this time, BadCode 4 works with JUGS, however BadCode 4c which contains some Bug fixes does not seem to work with JUGS. BadCode 5 is suppose to include game instructions and other improvements. This development shows how such underground Jaguar Servers have the potential to expand the Jaguar beyond its traditional restraints.

1/14/01: WIN FREE LYNX GOODIES FROM LYNXUK:

LynxUK, a web site devoted to the Atari hand held is now holding a competiton for free Lynx merchandise. You must correctly answer a Lynk trivia question and then have your answer choosen randomly. Closing date is Friday, January 19th, 2001. Winners receive the following: 1st Prize – Lynx Comlynx Cable and choice of 2 Lynx games, 2nd Prize – 1st choice of 2 remaining games, and 3rd Prize – Remaining Lynx game.

1/12/01: JAGUAR DEVELOPER OMC IS BACK ON THE SCENE:

OMC Games, the one time developer of The Assassin and Age of Darkness CD games for the Jaguar, appears to be back on the scene. James Garvin of OMC posted the following on Friday, January 12th, 2001 on the OMC site:

It’s been a long time since I’ve done an update. I guess life can have a way of kicking your butt to the point you just don’t want to do anything at all. I’ve been down this road lately and it saps your will, your drive to continue. The freaky part is that I was really unaware of this until a friend of mine pointed it out the other day. I guess sometimes you really don’t look at yourself, even though you think you are. During these past few months I’ve done a lot to hurt one person who I care about the most and now it looks as if our paths will split. Possibly forever. It’s the only regret I’ve ever had in life and one that I wish I could fix.

So I start my new life with a new beginning of HeiroGraphix Game Journal and the continuation of the projects I’ve been working on for the past few years. They said I’d never get them done, and at one point they were right, but my goal now is to prove them wrong. I’m still kind of experimenting with a new format, which could take a while to get working properly. When I’m done, I hope to have a site that is easy to navigate and works for everyone. If anyone has any suggestions or comments, please send them to omcinfo@omcgames.com. All comments, good and bad, are appreciated. Expect normal updates starting next week.

If you would like to sign up for the HieroGraphix weekly e-mail newsletter send a request to newsletter@omcgames.com. Newsletters go out via e-mail on Mondays anytime before 7pm CST. It’s good to be back. Jaa. (Garvin)

Furthermore, James Garvin posted on Judicial Interactive II (January 12th, 2001) and stated that “The game we’re working on now is called: Eternal Darkness: Scent Of the Spider. It’s going to be put on cartridge, though in light of some interesting developments, a CD version is likely. At some point in the future we’ll be releasing some sort of demo for those who have flash carts.”

1/12/01: ATARI TO GO TO INFOGRAMES:

Hasbro, Inc., owner of the Atari name, patents, and properties, announced that they will be selling Atari along within its Hasbro Interactive division to Infogrames Entertainment. The official press release is as follows:

News Release – 12/6/2000
——————————————————————————–
Infogrames Entertainment to Acquire Hasbro Interactive and Games.com

LYON, France & PAWTUCKET, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 6, 2000–Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257) and Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) jointly announced today that they have entered into a strategic agreement, creating one of the foremost powerhouses in the mass market digital interactive entertainment world. The agreement is comprised of three main elements, including the Infogrames acquisition of Hasbro Interactive; a long-term licensing agreement giving Infogrames exclusive rights to develop and publish digital interactive games based on current and future Hasbro properties on all existing and future digital interactive formats; and the acquisition of Games.com.

Infogrames will purchase 100% of the common stock of Hasbro Interactive and Games.com for $100 million – comprised of $95 million in Infogrames Entertainment SA securities (approximately 4.5 million common shares) and $5 million in cash. In addition, Hasbro will receive an annual guarantee from Infogrames based on sales generated from the licensing agreement. The agreements are subject to the approval of the shareholders of Infogrames, regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The companies expect the deal to close early in the first calendar quarter of 2001.

“Infogrames and Hasbro are truly poised to become worldwide leaders in the digital entertainment market,” said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman and CEO of Infogrames. “Infogrames’ external growth strategy consists of three requirements: a willingness of the prospective partner’s management to share our strategic vision, a complementary set of skills and products, and finally, value for our shareholders. The Hasbro Interactive and Games.com acquisition meets these criteria,” said Mr. Bonnell. “Infogrames’ access to Hasbro’s long list of well-known properties fits perfectly with our long-term publishing strategy to become the leader in family entertainment. The terms are beneficial for Infogrames Entertainment, since they have no direct impact on the company’s future investment capacity.”

“This arrangement with Infogrames is a very positive one for Hasbro on many different levels,” said Alan Hassenfeld, Hasbro’s Chairman and CEO. “First, we have aligned ourselves with a premier player in the interactive arena. Second, this strategic agreement with Infogrames meshes with our strategy of reducing costs as we focus on consistently delivering profits going forward. Third, this arrangement will provide a continuing revenue stream to Hasbro over the long-term through Infogrames’ expertise in leveraging our current and future properties.”

The agreement is comprised of three main elements:

Infogrames Entertainment’s acquisition of 100% of the common stock of Hasbro Interactive, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.

The acquisition gives Infogrames a catalog of titles based on well-known properties, including:

The MICROPROSE brand and titles, including the international hit CIVILIZATION, FALCON, and ROLLER COASTER TYCOON, the number one selling PC game in the US according to PC DATA’S latest report.

The legendary ATARI name and properties, such as CENTIPEDE, MISSILE COMMAND, and the historic PONG, which pioneered the video game revolution.

The exclusive rights to develop and publish interactive games based on current and future Hasbro, Inc. properties, including:

The interactive versions of popular Hasbro board games, which include MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE(1), CLUE, RISK, AND BOGGLE.

The interactive versions of children’s games and toys, such as MR. POTATO HEAD, TONKA TRUCKS, ACTION MAN, MY LITTLE PONY, and CANDYLAND.

The massively multi-player game DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS.

Under the terms of the agreement, Infogrames gains the rights through a licensing agreement with Hasbro to develop games based on Hasbro properties for a period of 15 years plus an option for an additional 5 years based on performance, on all existing and future digital interactive formats. Terms of the licensing agreement are consistent with other traditional Infogrames’ Entertainment licensing agreements.

These formats include: current and next-generation video game consoles such as Sony PlayStation2, Microsoft Xbox, Sega Dreamcast, and Nintendo GameBoy Advance and GameCube, personal computers, broadband networks, interactive television, cellular telephones, arcade, and hand-held devices (PDAs). In keeping with its global multi-platform strategy, Infogrames will leverage Hasbro’s unmatched content by developing titles on a variety of platforms that appeal to a global market.

These Hasbro Interactive brands, together with Hasbro’s owned brands, make up a catalog of more than 200 family titles that are being managed by a team of mass market product experts who have helped Hasbro Interactive succeed in becoming the third largest PC publisher in the U.S.

Additionally, approximately 60 titles are currently in development, including PlayStation2 and Xbox versions of franchises from HASBRO, MICROPROSE and ATARI: ZOO TYCOON, MONOPOLY, MICRO MACHINES, TWISTER, CIRCUS MAXIMUS, CIVILIZATION, AND GRAND PRIX 4.

Infogrames will also seek out additional partnership opportunities with telecommunications providers, media companies and hardware manufacturers to bring these franchises to other platforms.

The long term licensing agreement combines Hasbro’s expertise in developing successful mass-market properties and Infogrames’ expertise in bringing top properties to the digital interactive market.

Hasbro’s catalog of games and toys will be strengthened by their digital interactive counterparts, published and globally distributed by Infogrames. In addition, Infogrames’ titles based on Hasbro properties will benefit from Hasbro’s powerful marketing programs for their games and toys.

Acquisition of Games.com

As part of the agreement, Infogrames acquires Games.com, an online games portal launching in early 2001. Games.com has already attracted over four million visitors to its site, with more than one million people having already registered to receive information about its launch.

At its launch, Games.com will allow visitors to play more than 30 online games based on Hasbro properties, some of which include MONOPOLY, CLUE, SCRABBLE(1), ASTEROIDS, and RISK. In addition, visitors to the site can find news, information, tips and hints about games featured on Games.com.

Visitors to the site will also have the ability to chat with other players and participate in tournaments based on widely recognized games from the Hasbro catalog. Games.com’s revenue strategy includes e-commerce, sponsorships and individual subscriptions. Infogrames plans to extend Games.com to broadband users in the future.

JP Morgan & Lazard Freres advised Infogrames and Salomon Smith Barney advised Hasbro in this financial transaction.

For additional information, Infogrames has posted a detailed presentation on today’s announcement at http://www.infogrames.com and http://www.infogrames-corporate.com.

Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257) is a worldwide leader in the interactive entertainment software industry. Headquartered in France, the company publishes and distributes award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation(R) game console, PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system, Microsoft(R) Xbox, Nintendo(R) 64, Nintendo(R) Game Boy(R) Color, Sega(R) Dreamcast(TM), Macintosh(R), and personal computer platforms, as well as interactive digital television platforms, mobile smart devices (WAP, HDML) and in-flight entertainment systems. Founded in 1983 by chairman and CEO Bruno Bonnell, Infogrames has published many award-winning franchises in its 17-year history, such as Alone In The Dark(TM), Test Drive(R), Driver(TM), Deer Hunter(R), Oddworld(TM), Unreal(TM), and V-Rally(TM). The company is also known for its best-selling and award-winning line of children’s entertainment software from Humongous Entertainment(R) starring Putt-Putt(R), Freddi Fish(TM), Pajama Sam(R) and SPY Fox(TM), as well as its successful Macintosh publishing label, Macsoft, the number one publisher of Macintosh entertainment software. In addition, Infogrames has a number of key strategic licenses including Warner Bros. Looney Tunes(TM), Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues(TM), AM General Hummer(R), and Harley-Davidson(R). Infogrames distributes its games in approximately 60 different countries worldwide. For more information, visit Infogrames’ US Web site at http://www.us.infogrames.com.

Based in New York, NY, Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM) is a majority-owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA and serves as the headquarters for the company’s operations in North America.

Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, SUPER SOAKER, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

Certain statements contained in this release contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “planned”, “potential”, “should”, “will” and “would”. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual actions or results may differ materially from those expected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Specific factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, third party actions or approvals that could delay or increase the cost of implementation of the strategic agreement or alter actions and reduce actual results; the risk that anticipated benefits of the strategic agreement may not occur or be delayed or reduced in their realization; and with respect to the online game site initiative, technical difficulties in adapting games to online format and establishing the online game site that could delay or increase the cost of the site becoming operational; the acceptance by consumers of the games and other products and services to be offered at the site; competition from other online game sites and other game playing formats; and the fact online game revenues may not be sufficient to cover the significant advertising and other expenditures required or the support, service and product enhancement demands of online users. There is no undertaking of an obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this release or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

9/21/00: NEW JAGUAR PLAYER DIRECTORY:A new directory of active Jaguar users is on the horizon. On it you will find the name, city, state, email, and ICQ number of your fellow Jaguar enthusiasts. This will allow you to contact your fellow Jaguar fans for networking or general conversation.

The list is being compiled by Randy Femrite with help from Dan@AVC. Randy described the Directory by email saying, “Personally, I feel it’s important for a community to know how many members there are and how to contact them. I once read ‘If you don’t grow, you die.’ I think once The List is posted adding to it will be of primary importance. I’m sure their are other Jaggers out there who don’t know about the community-I didn’t until March of this year! I feel this Directory will be a good foundation from which the Jaguar community can grow.”

As of yet, there is no word on where the directory will be posted. To get your information in, please contact Randy Femrite.

9/9/00: ATARI SWAP MEET CONCLUDES:

The Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Ohio just concluded their annual Swap Meet. The Swap Meet was held in Columbus, Ohio from 9:00 to 3:00 and boasted a wide selection of Atari ST, 8 Bit, 5200, 7800, and 2600 merchandise. Admission was $4 per person or $6 per table. The event was well attended and a steady stream of buyers came through the door as the day progressed. Among the events, there was a silent auction for an Atari Peripheral Emulator (which links your 8 bit computer to you p.c.) and many great priced products.

Available for sale were many 2600 games ranging in price, from $1 to several, depending on the rarity – including Flash Gordon! 800xl cartridges were going for as low as $.50 Several Atari ST’s were available as well as 800xl, 600xl, 7800, and XE systems. What a bargain! On a personal note, this was the second year that I attended this Swap Meet and I was not disappointed. Last year I purchased many 8 bit cartridge games for $1 each and this year made a great buy on a 7800 with a load of games.

Anyway, be sure to check out the pictures! (13 pictures, so be prepared for downloading time)

Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Ohio
Swap Meet 2000

Held at a community center in Columbus, Ohio

A Nice crowd, a load of ST stuff on the center table.

In the far left corner is a load of ST computers for sale.
In the front left was ST software for 10 for $1!

A closer look at some of the Atari ST computers for sale.

Play Star Raiders on one of the computers near the far wall.

This guy came in a little later from Cincinnati. He brought a large selection of 2600
and 8 bit cartridges. I bought many 8 bit cartridges from him last year.

…and he brought more.

Yes, buried in all that other Atari stuff is a new in box Jaguar.

A lot of Atari 8 bit stuff. An Atari 600xl on the right.

Now the tables are beginning to clear.

Games were projected on the screen at the top, right.

Atari ST software on the bottom, right.

Joysticks, software, and other goodies.
9/4/00: BATTLE SPHERE IS UP FOR AUCTION:

ScatoLOGIC has put up for auction more copies of Battle Sphere at www.atari.net. Go there now for details and as always supplies are very limited. ScatoLogic has put up 10 copies at one time and plans on selling more. By using Atari.net, it is hoped that those hardcore Jaguar fans will be able to get the game. Previously, Scatologic ran out of the initial run of Battle Sphere due to the news of the game’s pending release being posted on Slashdot.com

9/4/00: GOAT STORE SETS UP SHOP:

Games Of All Types (G.O.A.T.) has recently set up shop at www.goatstore.com This well designed site offers a whole host of offerings from Atari, Nintendo, Sega and other console systems. For the Atari, the GOAT Store offers a good priced selection of Atari 2600, 7800, Jaguar, and Lynx. In addition to shopping, you can download and play the latest GOAT Game and check out the latest commentary named “GOAT Words.” Perhaps the most unique thing the GOAT Store offers is their own produced and developed products such as a Jaguar Jamma Joystick (an arcade quality joystick at $69.90), and promised to come soon, a Jaguar Dust Cover (estimated price of $9.90), and a black box to connect your Jaguar joystick to your P.C. (estimated price of $24.90).

The people behind Goat Store, were recently part of Team 13, a company affiliated with Dark Knight Games. According to recent posts on Jaguar Interactive by Dan, a GOAT Team member, GOAT is no longer affiliated with Dark Knight Games in any way. This news update is in no way an endorsement of the products or site described, but it sure looks promising.

8/15/00: JUGS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER:

In a surprise move, ScatoLOGIC, the development team behind the wildly popular Battle Sphere for the Atari Jaguar, announced that the Jaguar Server JUGS is now available. JUGS allows you to download, load, and play game files off the internet via a special cable which connects the pc and your trusty Jaguar through the use of the Jaglink networking cable. The possibilities for this technology is limitless and could potentially spur many hobby developers to cheaply and easily release new games for the Jaguar over the internet. Already there are demos, unreleased games, and Battle Sphere patches ready to download. Previously the only way to play these unreleased games was to either have an expensive Jaguar Development Kit or to have your Jaguar hacked up to replace a chip inside.

JUGS works by using special code already embedded into the previously released Battle Sphere game and requires the following items: a Jaguar, a pc with an available serial port, Jaglink networking cable, the provided JUGS cable, a copy of Battle Sphere, and the provided JUGS software. You can order JUGS (which includes software and the cable) from buyjugs.com for only $29.95 plus shipping.

The announcement of JUGS was made on Judicial Interactive with the first post being a large “J”, the second post being a large “U”, and so on. What was a shock to everyone was that Scatologic was the team behind JUGS and that the JUGS code was secretly embedded into Battle Sphere. Previously, Thunderbird, a member of ScatoLOGIC, would only say that he was play testing JUGS for an unknown developer and would refuse to disclose many details. However, he now states that was merely a joke.

I congratulate ScatoLOGIC for such a secretive and promising development.

8/15/00: BATTLE SPHERE SECOND RUN IS READY (Update):

Apparently a small second run of Battle Sphere carts is ready for sale! Fans have been scrambling for this game ever since Scatologic ran out on the first run last March. At this time it is unclear how many carts are available or how the carts will be sold, but fans on Jaguar Interactive have suggested selling the games using dutch auction on ebay, email orders, or previous customer lists. So if you haven’t gotten this game yet, check out www.battlesphere.com for details. Much praise goes to Scatologic who not only produced this game after the commercial death of the Jaguar, but who stuck through for a second run to make sure that all the loyal Jaguar fans got a shot at this excellent game.

According to postings on Jaguar Interactive, there will be approximately 50 carts in the second run. More carts could not be had due to chip shortages. Currently Scatologic is leaning toward dutch auctioning the carts off on Ebay.

8/5/00: MORE BATTLE SPHERE CODES FOUND:

According to recent posts on Jaguar Interactive, additional cheat codes have been found or claimed to be found for the Scatologic game “Battle Sphere” for the Jaguar. No details as of yet as to what the code does but from postings it looks very promising. According to reports, this game has tons of secret codes just waiting to be found. For future reference you can find all the found codes at the Battle Sphere Submission Page maintained by the U.A.

8/5/00: NEW ROTARY CONTROLLERS AVAILABLE:

JEDIJEFF’S Jaguar Rotary Controller is now available for order. These are Optical Rotary Encoder which have 25 pulses per revolution. Ideal for Tempest 2000! The price is $75 which includes shipping. Check the page for multiple pictures and controller desciptions.

7/15/00: SONGBIRD EXCLUSIVES AT CGE2K:

Carl Fornhan recently announced that it will hold score competions for Songbird Games Protector for the Jaguar and Remnant for the Lynx with winners getting prizes and coupons. Further, Songbird games such as Skyhammer and Protector will be available for purchase and play. Future Lynx games will be previewed including Championship Racing, Cybervirus and Cheats will be made available for Protector and Hyper Force. The classic gaming expo is a yearly event showcasing classing gaming consoles of Atari, Intellivision, and other great systems. Check out the complete press release.

SONGBIRD EXCLUSIVES FOR CGE2K ATTENDEES

July 13, 2000

For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — In a further demonstration of Songbird’s support
of CGE2K, owner Carl Forhan is pleased to announce some game
competitions and special pricing for CGE2K attendees.

Songbird plans to hold high score competitions for the following
games: Jaguar Protector and Lynx Remnant. Winners will receive
selected Songbird prizes and discount coupons. Only a limited
number of entries will be allowed, on a first-come basis. Employees
and relatives of Songbird and CGE Services are not eligible to
enter the contests. See the Songbird table for the complete rules
and entry forms.

And of course, all the new Songbird Jaguar and Lynx games will
be available for play and purchase, along with a ton of other
Atari merchandise. Jaguar Skyhammer was just recently released
to a horde of grateful Atari fans, and other games such as
Protector have also been surprise hits with customers. Some
Songbird items will be offered at special discounted rates,
only available to CGE2K attendees. “I know many Atari fans
make a big sacrifice to attend a show like CGE2K,” acknowledged
Carl. “I want to give something back to the fans, by giving
attendees-only a chance to buy Songbird merchandise at great
prices.”

Finally, CGE2K attendees will also get the first glimpse at
future Songbird titles, such as Championship Racing and
Cybervirus, as well as some long-awaited cheats for games like
Ponx, Lexis, Protector, and Hyper Force.

SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES CGE2K LINEUP
June 9, 2000

For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions recently unveiled its plans for new products to be available at Classic Gaming Expo 2000, which will be held in Las Vegas at the Jackie Gaughan Plaza Hotel during July 29-30.

Topping off the list is the long-awaited release of Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure. This Win-95/98/00 software allows consumers to build, swap, and download new levels on their existing Crystal Mines II Lynx game cartridge. Over 50 brand new levels are included, as well as the original 150+ CM2 levels. Plus, it includes all the tools and documentation needed to help anyone get started designing their own levels. MSRP for CM2:BT is $29.95 for the CD, and $49.95 for the CD and Lynx-to-PC cable.

In an unexpected move, Songbird also announced the availability of a “CGE2K special edition” version of Remnant, the highly- anticipated 3D space combat game for the Lynx. “This is a game no Lynx fan should be without,” commented Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird and the developer of Remnant. “It puts the Lynx into high gear — from the explosions to the 3D scaling to the audio, Remnant sets a new standard for ‘next generation’ Lynx games.” This special edition of Remnant is a complete game, and features more than a dozen sectors to clear in the Arcade play mode. A future version of Remnant is anticipated to include a Strategic play mode as well, where the player must repel enemy squadrons and protect friendly outposts. MSRP for Remnant is $39.95.

Not to leave Jaguar fans out, Songbird also has plans to offer for sale a new Rapid Fire Controller for the Atari Jaguar. Carl explained the benefits of the new controller: “Titles such as Zero 5 and Raiden are great games on the Jaguar, but can suffer from slow fire rates which force the player to mash buttons repeatedly. The RFC is simply a modified 18-button controller with a special circuit that allows the player to enable or disable multiple fire rates on the A and B buttons.” The RFC has been tested by several individuals and received very favorable feedback so far. MSRP for the RFC is $39.95. Only limited quantities will be available for sale at CGE2K.

This message may be reprinted in its entirety.

7/1/00: PHASE ZERO ROM IMAGE AVAILABLE:

Mark Stingray Santora recently announced that he is making available the rom image of the unreleased Jaguar game Phase Zero for free! Scott Walters copied the Santora’s flash rom cart of Phase Zero and now it is available. In order to play the rom, you need to dump the image on a flash rom cart or a modified Jaguar. What a great gift to the Jaguar Community!

7/1/00: JAGFEST 2K CONCLUDES:

Jagfest 2000 took place on Saturday, June 24th and had positive reviews but low attendance. Apparently there were only 15 people who made the event in Austin, Texas. However, those who did come were in for a treat including playing the unreleased games Total Carnage, Brett Hull Hockey, and Slam Racers. In addition rare games including Battle Sphere, Skyhammer and Hyper Force were available. The low attendance is a shame, but reflects the fact that the Jaguar community is spread throughout the world.

6/9/00: SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES CGE2K LINEUP:

Songbird Productions has announced new Lynx and Jaguar products that will be available at the Classic Gaming Expo 2000 to be held in Las Vegas, July 29-30th. For the Lynx, Crystal Mines 2 is availble with pc level editing software and a special edition remnant.

For the Jaguar, a new rapid fire joystick is available. This is a modified 18 button controller which allows the A & B buttons to fire at an increased rate. Check out the full press release.

6/1/00: BATTLESPHERE SECOND RUN IS CONFIRMED:

For all of those who missed Battlesphere on the first run, it is now available in unlimited quantities fromScatologic. Scott LeGrand, of Scatologic, recently announced on Jaguar Interactive that Battlesphere would indeed be available in a second run. This time the price will be $79.95 plus shipping. That is an increase of $10 from the first run. A preorder of $50 is required for each game. The good news is, that at this price, Scatologic can provide as many copies as desired. Perfect for those of you who want multiple copies for networking or as stocking stuffers? Anyway get the game now, because no more runs are planned – ever!

5/30/00: SKYHAMMER BEGINS TO ARRIVE:

The fourth Atari Jaguar release by Songbird Productions was shipped on Friday, May 26th and began to arrive at expectant Jaguar owners on 5/30. This game puts you in a 3d world where you fly in a city landscape blowing things up and completing various tasks. Recent comments on Jaguar Interactive have been very positive, praising the music and graphics, and stating that the frame rate was better than expected. Skyhammer is now available directly from Songbird Productions. Songbird previously released Protector, Soccer Kid, and Hyperforce.

5/25/00: AREA 64: THE JAGZONE IS NOW ADDED TO AAP!:

The incorporation of Area 64 is essentially complete. Check out new additions to the Atari Faq, Links,Archives, Gorf 2000 preview, Assassin Preview, and the Protector, Battle Sphere, Baldies, Club Drive, Iron Soldier, and Kasumi Ninja Reviews. Much thanks to Heath Anderson of Area 64. All added information is clearly cited.

5/22/00: AREA 64: THE JAGZONE WILL NOW BE ADDED TO AAP:

As was previously announced, due to new projects and time comittments Area 64: The Jagzone will no longer be updated or maintained. By a recent agreement the great content of the Area 64 will now be added to AAP. This will enhance AAP by adding additional content while ensuring that Area 64’s Jaguar information will be preserved for the future. Coming soon, expect to see the Area 64 reviews, codes, editorials, and archive information added throughout this site!

5/17/00: BEST JAUGAR DRIVING GAME ANNOUNCED:

After input from all of you who voted, I have posted the Best Jaguar Driving Game in the Hall of Fame section of this site. The winner is ‘Power Drive Rally.’ Check it out for quotes and all the details. Next up, vote for your favorite Jaguar Fighting Game!

4/17/00: CLASSIC GAMING EXPO 2000 COMING SOON:

This annual event will allow you to play and buy games for classic systems such as Atari, Intellivision, and Apple. In addition, you will be able to talk to classic video game developers and fellow fans. The Classic Gaming Expo will be held at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on July 29-30, 2000.

4/17/00: NEW JAGUAR PROJECTS FROM SONGBIRD:

Songbird Productions, who has already released Protector, Soccer Kid, and Hyper Force for the Atari Jaguar, has just announced they have secured the rights and source to Virtual VCS. This cartridge will emulate an unknown number of Atari 2600 games right on your 64 bit Jaguar. Songbird also will be releasing a Rapid Fire Controller for the Jaguar to aid in fire happy games such as Raiden and Zero 5.

In related news Songbird will also be releasing Cybervirus, Championship Racing, Planar Wars 3D, and Ultravore for the Atari Lynx. Cybervirus is based on the same game engine as the Lynx game BattleWheels while Planar Wars puts you in the cockpit of the last defense ship.

3/21/00: HYPER FORCE IS SHIPPING:

As of 3/20/00 several posters on Jaguar Interactive II reported that they had received the Atari Jaguar game Hyper Force from Songbird Productions. Hyper Force is a 2d Shooter Sci-Fi Action game which Carl Forhan, of Songbird Productions, secured the publishing rights to from Visual Impact. From all reports the final packaging and game is polished and very professional looking. You can order Hyper Force from Songbird Productions for $74.95. Songbird has already released Protector and Soccer Kid, games that would have otherwise been lost, to rave reviews.

3/20/00: BATTLESPHERE SUPPLIES RUN SHORT:

There was such a great demand for the impending release of Battlesphere, that there simply was not enough carts available for all those who had requested a copy. However, Scatologic, the makers of the game, hope to have a second run of cartridges if interested parties prepay. Prices for the second run are expected to increase a small amount from the original $69.95 due to increased component part prices.

It is believed that the increased publicity of Battlesphere going for $1,575 on Ebay and the resulting discussions on Slashdot lead to the surge in demand.

Those who were not able to get a copy were given the following message:

Dear Battle Sphere fan,

The response to our request form was overwhelming, far beyond the 
numbers our earlier feedback form led us to expect -- there were
many more requests than cartridges!  While I regret to inform
you that you were NOT among those selected to receive an authorization 
code to purchase Battle Sphere, we DO hope to make another run of
cartridges.

Although it is unclear at this time, if and when a second run will occur, it is my opinion that Scatologic will make every reasonable effort to make a second run happen. After all they released Battlesphere after Atari gave up on the Jaguar, and most other developers abandoned the platform.

So please be understanding as possible if you, like me, were unable to get a cart.

3/12/00: JAGUAR STREET FIGHTER ALPHA ON YAHOO AUCTIONS:

Street Fighter Alpha for the Jaguar was put up for auction on Yahoo Auctions, Brazil on March 11th. What makes this auction unique is that there was never a Street Fighter Alpah for the Jaguar making this either an ultra rare game or more likely a heartbreaking hoax. Check out the posting here.

3/12/00: ORDER YOUR COPY OF BATTLESPHERE TODAY!:

Battlesphere is now set at $69.95 plus shipping and orders are limited to two copies. Be sure to check out Battlesphere.com or Scatologic.com for all the details and to order the game. Of course time is limited so be sure to fill out the form at Battlesphere.com

3/12/00: FIRST COPY OF BATTLESPHERE SOLD ON EBAY:

The very first copy of Battlesphere sold on Ebay for the whopping sum of $1,575 on March 6th. This is a great indication of how much people want this game and how strong the Jaguar Fanbase still is after the commercial “death” of the Jaguar. Follow the link for the details.

3/4/00: BATTLESPHERE IS ENCRYPTED!:

A few days ago a message was posted on Jaguar Interactive by Steph, of Scatalogic (formerly 4-Play), stating that “they will put anything on Ebay”. The link showed the very first copy of Battlesphere side by side with a very professional looking box and manual. It stated that all proceeds will go to the diabetes association. As of this date the auction is up to $1,225.00. If you win the auction, not only do you get the privilege of having the very first copy of the game, but you also get it signed by the authors and your name will be added to your copy!

The encryption of Battlesphere was finished using the unique software bypass employed by Thunderbird and detailed at Thunderbird’s Garage. Scatalogic released a Press Release on February 29th stating that encryption was finished and the price would be $74.99 plus $5.00 shipping in the U.S. No date has yet be set for release, but it will happen after the first copy is auctioned on Ebay.

To show that encryption had indeed been finished, a secret page was added to the Thunderbird’s Garage. On it, there was a picture of many computer screens with the message “3DODEAD” in a reference to the once Jaguar competitor 3DO.

3/4/00: HYPERFORCE IS SET TO RELEASE THIS MONTH:

With all the excitement over the Battlesphere encryption, one should not forget the next installment of games to be released by Songbird Productions. Hyperforce is a 2d Platform/action game that looks like a lot of fun. To get you in the flow a video clip was released and shows the futuristic character shooting and flying everything in sight accompanied by some nice music and effects. The game costs $74.95 plus shipping and is available through Songbird Productions which is also slated to release Skyhammer in May of 2000.

SCATOLOGIC RELEASES THE LONG AWAITED BATTLESPHERE(tm) FOR JAGUAR AND DONATES ALL PROFITS TO DIABETES RESEARCH
February 29, 2000

For immediate release:

CAPITOLA, CA — Scatologic Inc. is pleased to announce that the long awaited BattleSphere(tm) for the Atari Jaguar platform will soon ship, and that all profits from the game will be donated to diabetes research.

BattleSphere(tm) is the awesome full 3D networked action shooter for the Atari Jaguar. The game was developed by renowned Jaguar, NUON, PSX2 and PC developer 4Play, which recently merged with Scatologic Inc. to form the newest industry powerhouse development team.

The highly anticipated BattleSphere(tm) combines the fast-action gameplay of a first person shooter with the nonlinear htmlects of a strategic campaign simulator. Also included on the same cartridge are several additional play variations which range from a pure classic arcade action game to a multi-player networked deathmatch mode, where up to 32 players can dogfight for control of the Universe. The game garnered acclaim from players when it was demonstrated at the World Of Atari show in 1998, and it has received glowing praise from industry leading publications like Next Generation Magazine and Diehard Gamefan magazine.

BattleSphere(tm) was completed several years ago, but the release has been pending for some time due to the fact that the Jaguar ceased to be a mainstream platform, and the software, tooling, and procedures required to produce cartridges were lost and had to be recreated. “The biggest hurdle was overcoming the loss of the software encryption keyxi,.” said Scatologic COO, Douglas Engel, who was one of the original BattleSphere(tm) development team. Scott LeGrand, Scatologic CEO, was enthusiastic about the team’s effort to recreate the missing encryption key. He commented, “Generating a unique key ourselves allowed us to produce the highest quality game, cartridge, and packaging without resorting to risky unproven and expensive hardware bypassing techniques.”

In an unprecedented move, Scatologic has announced that all profits from the sale of BattleSphere(tm) will be donated to diabetes research. Scatologic CTO Stephanie Wukovitz stated, “Videogames are stereotyped as a harmful influence on society, and we wanted to show that they can be a very positive factor. Donating the profits to diabetes research is our way of showing this, as well as a way to thank everyone who has helped us get this game produced.”

A special autographed copy of BattleSphere(tm) is up for auction on eBay right now. As an added incentive, the high bidder’s name will be digitally encoded into this very special collector’s item. BattleSphere(tm) will begin full-scale shipping soon afterwards. BattleSphere(tm) is priced at only $74.99 plus $5.00 shipping and handling (Continental U.S.). Orders outside the continental U.S. will require additional charges depending on the destination. California residents must add 8.25% sales tax.

1/25/00: SOCCER KID IS SHIPPING NOW:

The next “lost” game is being released by Songbird Productions. This time you must collect the pieces of the World Cup armed only with your trusty soccer ball. Check out the review at Jagu-Dome and order it now from Songbird Productions. It looks like a fun game and a great addition to the Jag.

1/15/00: VOTE FOR YOU FAVORITE JAGUAR DRIVING GAME:

Which will it be? Atari Karts, or Checkered Flag, maybe World Tour Racing or Power Drive Rally. I am continuing my Hall of Fame Game Awards and now you have the chance to vote for your favorite racing game. Results will be posted February 15th!

12/24/99: Hall of Fame Game Award to be released January 15th:

On January 15th, I will release the Hall of Fame Game Award for best Sports Game for the Jaguar. If you have not done so already be sure to vote for your favorite sports game. Thanks to all of you who have already voted.
12/3/99: HALL OF FAME GAME UPDATE:

Over the next few months, I will be releasing Hall of Fame Game Awards for the best Atari Jaguar games based on readers votes. All the games have been divided into categories such as Sports, Fighting, Action, 2d Platform, 3d Shooter, and Puzzle. Vote now for the best Jaguar Sports Game! Currently it is a close race between Val D’ Isre Skiing and NBA Jams, but there is still time for you to cast your vote and turn the tide.

12/3/99: SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS SHIPS PROTECTOR:

Finally a new Atari Jaguar game has been released. This fine title was developed by Songbird productions and is a fast paced action shooter. If you have ordered your copy already it should be arriving shortly. Otherwise, you had better order fast before supplies run out. Check out the review and game shots posted on this site.

*** SCHEDULE CHANGE: HERE COMES PROTECTOR! ***
The release schedule has been rearranged, resulting in Protector being moved up to the 12/20/99 release date, and Skyhammer being placed at the 05/08/00 release date. Hyper Force and Soccer Kid are unaffected.

Songbird is aware that many fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Skyhammer, and this game is still definitely committed to release. The reason for the schedule adjustment is simply a matter of cost. Original quotes from electronics vendors several months ago were 30-40% lower than what they are currently. This rise in cost makes it much more difficult to release Skyhammer at the committed price point, so as a result Songbird plans to ride out the temporary increase in component cost and purchase these parts in early 2000 when hopefully the prices have declined.

Your patience and understanding is appreciated in this matter. Songbird is releasing a total of four new games for the Jaguar over the next 7 months, and the costs and risks involved are significant.

Songbird also recognizes some customers may have pre-ordered only Skyhammer because it was the first game in the release schedule. If this applies to you, and you would now like to switch your pre-order to Protector instead, simply email Songbird at songbird@atari.org indicating your desire, and we will gladly accommodate the switch.

Protector is an exciting 2D bidirectional shooter that has been a surprise hit with many Jaguar fans at JagFest ’99 and CGE ’99. Songbird is confident that this game is an excellent kickoff to the release schedule.

*** ORDERS NOW ACCEPTED FOR PROTECTOR ***

Due to the change in schedule, Songbird is now accepting full orders for Protector, which will be released on 12/20/99. The retail price of Protector for new orders is $74.95 plus shipping.

If you pre-ordered Protector, you will owe a balance of $44.95 plus shipping. If you pre-paid by credit card, you will need to authorize payment of the balance on your card or supply a different card number. Please contact Multimedia 1.0 again to complete your order, or email Songbird with your complete order, customer information, and credit card number. Payment by check or MO in US Dollars is also always accepted.

Please email Songbird at songbird@atari.org with any questions. And a big thank you to every Jaguar fan who has pre-ordered one or more of the upcoming games.Sincerely, Carl Forhan Songbird Productions http://songbird.atari.org . (Reprinted in Archives 1999, Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999).

11/7/99: SONGBIRD ASKS “WHAT GAME WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR THE JAG?”:

Now that Songbird will be releasing four new games for the Atari Jaguar, Carl Forhan wants to know what games you would like to see next. He is looking for games that have been partially developed by other companies in order to reduced production costs for such a niche market. Some suggestions have been Doom +, Native, and others. What do you think? Contact Songbird Productions today!

11/7/99: PROTECTOR IS COMPLETED AND WILL BE RELEASED ON 12/20:

Recently Songbird Productions announced that the Jaguar game Protector is completed and will be released on December 20th, 1999. Previously, Skyhammer was scheduled to be released on this date, but that had to be changed due to the rise in cart component prices. Skyhammer has a 4mb cart while Protector has a 2mb cart.

In the next year, Songbird will release Protector, Soccer Kid (2/7/00), Hyper Force (3/20/00), and Skyhammer (5/8/00). The last three games can be preordered at $25 each and then each game is $69.95 and you get Songbird Coupons. Otherwise the games are $74.95 each that is if there are any games left!

Information on all the above games can be found on the Songbird web site at . Release dates subject to change without prior notice.

11/7/99 4PLAY USING A SOFTWARE ENCRYPTION BYPASS FOR BATTLESPHERE:

4PLAY is currently using a software encryption bypass to get around the pesky encryption problem to encrypt the eagerly anticipated Battlesphere title for the Atari Jaguar. Thunderbird, a member of 4PLAY states “Our clever software scheme employs a “brute force” method of cracking encryption by utilizing a bank of 8 specially modified Jaguar consoles with a custom patched version of the standard Boot ROM and a few modifications to the BattleSphere executable itself, which runs in a hardware hacked EPROM cartridge…Suffice it to say that this bank of Jaguars is constantly booting a self-modifying binary and checking if the Jaguar Boot ROM has failed or passed the software encryption. Once the binary boots, the encryption is successful!” The estimated time of this procedure is 125 days which leaves approximately 85 days as of this news post.

Important Jaguar Pre-order Update

Jaguar fans, don’t delay! Now is the time to pre-order the four upcoming Jaguar games brought to you by Songbird Productions. Thanks to all the fans who have already mailed in their pre-orders; Songbird appreciates your business.
The following games will be published by Songbird Productions in the 1999 and 2000 timeframe:

                              Pre-order   Retail
Title             Date        Price       Price
-------------------------------------------------
Skyhammer  12/20/99    $69.95      $79.95
Soccer Kid    02/07/99    $69.95      $74.95
Hyper Force  03/20/99    $69.95      $74.95
Protector      05/08/99    $69.95      $74.95

Information on all the above games can be found on the Songbird web site at http://songbird.atari.org. Release dates subject to change without prior notice. Due to an increase in component cost and the overall uncertainty of producing and selling a large quantity of cartridges, Songbird is raising the retail price on all upcoming Jaguar games after the pre-order period expires (Oct 31st). This is all the more reason to place your pre-order now and get these new games at the best possible price.

Please note that any customer who pre-orders the games and postmarks his pre-order by November 1st is guaranteed to receive all pre-ordered games at the special discounted pricing. Any orders received that are postmarked after November 1st will be at the full retail price. Songbird appreciates the faithful fans who pre-order new games, and guarantees that the pricing will not change for those who pre-order.

Plus, check out the full press release on http://songbird.atari.org and see how you can receive up to $20 in Songbird coupons with your qualifying pre-order!

Sincerely,
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
http://songbird.atari.org (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

SONGBIRD PRE-ORDER ANNOUNCEMENT

Songbird Productions is excited to announce a pre-order program for the
upcoming Jaguar releases, including a special offer for those who
pre-order most or all of the new games!

The following games will be published by Songbird Productions in the 1999
and 2000 timeframe:

Title Date Price
----------------------------------------
Skyhammer 12/20/99 $69.95
Soccer Kid 02/07/00 $69.95
Hyper Force 03/20/00 $69.95
Protector 05/08/00 $69.95

Information on all the above games can be found on the Songbird web site
at http://songbird.atari.org. Release dates subject to change without
prior notice.

*** PRE-ORDER SPECIAL ***

In order to ensure the correct number of cartridges are built, Songbird
needs your pre-orders now. You can pre-order a game by sending Songbird
Productions a $25 deposit towards each game you would like to purchase.
If you desire multiple copies of each upcoming game, you need to pre-order 
each copy at this time to ensure availability. However, the pre-order 
specials only apply when ordering 3 or 4 different games, not multiples of
the same game.

Pre-order 3 of the above games, and receive a $10 Songbird coupon which
may be applied against any one eligible item from the Songbird catalog. 
Pre-order all 4 games, and receive two $10 Songbird coupons _and_ a free
Jaguar lapel pin. Your pre-orders must be postmarked by October 31, 1999,
to qualify for these special offers. 

This is a nonrefundable deposit towards the purchase of one or more of the
above games. You must complete your order (in other words, pay your
remaining balance with shipping, etc.) within 3 months of the publication
date of each game.

A pre-order FAQ is included below to answer any questions you may have. 
The most recent version of this FAQ may be found on http://songbird.atari.org.

*** HOW TO PRE-ORDER ***

Please print out the regular Songbird order form on
http://songbird.atari.org, and fill in the required information. Note that
there is no tax or shipping on the pre-orders, although there will be as
applicable when you complete the order for each game in the future. Mark
each game as "PRE-ORDER" on the form, and include $25 per game you 
wish to pre-order. 

In the event you cannot print out the order form, send a typed or neatly
printed note to Songbird Productions and clearly indicate which games you 
are pre-ordering. Mail all correspondance to:

Songbird Productions
1774 10th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904
USA

*** PRE-ORDER FAQ ***

Q1. What can I use for payment of my pre-orders?

A1. You must use a check or money order drawn from a USA bank (Western
Union, etc.) and in US Dollars. Money orders in US Dollars but drawn 
from a foreign bank cannot be accepted, sorry.

-----

Q2. I live outside the USA. Is there a way I can order close to home?

A2. Songbird is negotiating with several foreign video game dealers to
ensure Songbird products will be available elsewhere, especially Europe. 
However, Songbird does accept international orders (see Q1 above), and
you must pre-order the games to qualify for the special pre-order offer.

-----

Q3. What if I change my mind? Can I get a refund on my pre-order, or apply
the money to a different purchase from Songbird?

A3. No. The purpose of the pre-order program is to reward customers by
providing them with several benefits including the $10 Songbird coupons, 
and to allow Songbird to accurately acquire all the parts, printed 
material, etc. necessary to release the upcoming games.

Therefore, each customer needs to send exactly $25 per game they wish to
pre-order. This is a nonrefundable deposit per game, and cannot be 
shifted to other Songbird merchandise at a later time.

-----

Q4. What items are eligible for the $10 Songbird coupons if I pre-order 3
or more games?

A4. All items listed in the Songbird catalog and regularly priced $14.95
or above are eligible, except for the following: 

Lynx Serial Cable
Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure
Skyhammer
Soccer Kid
Hyper Force
Protector

Additionally, Songbird 'featured items' advertised in the newsgroup or on
the AtariNews mailing list will also be eligible. Featured items are not
normally listed in the Songbird catalog.

Only one coupon may be applied per item. Other items may be deemed
ineligible without prior notice. Send an email query to songbird@atari.org
if you have questions about a specific product, or check this FAQ at 
http://songbird.atari.org for the latest information.

-----

Q5. When will I receive my $10 Songbird coupon(s)? How long do I have to
use them?

A5. You will receive your coupons with the first game you have
pre-ordered. For example, if you pre-order all 4 games, your two $10
Songbird coupons will arrive when Skyhammer ships. The coupons will be
valid for at least three months from the time your first pre-ordered game ships.

-----

Q6. Why even bother pre-ordering? Can't I just get the game whenever I
want?

A6. Not likely. Pre-ordering a game by October 31, 1999, is the _only_
way to ensure a copy will be reserved for you. Songbird will be producing
_very_ close to the pre-order levels. It's therefore imperative that
customers pre-order now _every_ upcoming Jaguar game they plan on
purchasing. 

Here is a summary of pre-order benefits:

* Guarantees your personal copy of each game.
* Game will ship 1-2 weeks before other orders.
* One or two $10 Songbird coupons, if you pre-order 3 or 4 games,
respectively.
* A free Jaguar lapel pin if you pre-order all 4 games.

-----

Q7. Can I pay the entire balance for [insert game here] right now?

A7. No. Songbird is trying to estimate accurately the number of cartridges
that need to be manufactured for all 4 games. It is important that all
games you plan on purchasing are pre-ordered now. You will have an
opportunity to pay your remaining balance as announced by Songbird closer
to the actual release date of each game.

Your pre-order payment will therefore ensure your copy of the game is 
produced and reserved just for you.

-----

Q8. Why are all the games priced at $69.95? Isn't that rather high?

A8. Songbird is attempting to bring new products out to a very small niche
market. It is imperative that games are priced appropriately to cover the
high costs of printing and manufacturing associated with the publication
of a new game, particularly if actual sales do not match projected sales.

Finally, the level of compensation received by Songbird will help 
determine the viability of licensing or developing new products for 
Atari platforms in the future.

-----

Q9. How can I stay informed on the release dates, payment schedules, new
Songbird products, etc.?

A9. Please join the AtariNews mailing list, featuring Songbird updates and
the AtariNews: On the Prowl periodic newsletter. Send a blank email to:

atari-subscribe@onelist.com

to join the list.

Also, regularly check the Songbird Productions home page at 
http://songbird.atari.org for the latest news and version of this FAQ.

-----

Q10. What about [insert question here]?

A10. Please email Songbird Productions at songbird@atari.org with any
questions or feedback about upcoming products or the pre-order program.
Please be patient, as Songbird is currently experiencing a high volume of
traffic due to the upcoming Jaguar and Lynx products.

-----

*** END OF PRE-ORDER FAQ ***

Sincerely,

Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions 
http://songbird.atari.org (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

10/07/99: PREORDER YOUR NEW ATARI JAGUAR GAMES FROM SONGBIRD NOW!

The following games will soon be available from Songbird Productions: Skyhammer on 12/20/99, Soccer Kid on 2/7/00, Hyper Force on 3/20/00, and Protector on 5/08/00. All games will cost $69.95 each. Included will be a high colored color box, cartridge label, and black and white manual. In a surprising turn of events, Songbird recently announced that they had solved the encryption problem and would now be able to release these games. Currently you may preorder the games for $25 each by October 31, 1999 which ensures that you get a copy. If you do not do so, you may never get a game! If you get all four games, then you can get two coupons for other Songbird products. Check out http://songbird.atari.org for all the details, but hurry time is running out.

SONGBIRD PRODUCTION CATALOG UPDATE

From: Songbird forhan@midas.millcomm.com

The Songbird Productions catalog has been updated with a variety of new
items, from Desert Strike to Sokomania to Hyperdrome. Be sure to 
check it
out at http://songbird.atari.org, and place your order today. 

PLUS:

The "September Sizzle" promotion -- buy any single Lynx game for $39.95
(Ponx, Lexis, etc.), and buy SFX for only $27.95 more or Joust for only
$7.95 more. Mention "September Sizzle" on your order form, and postmark
the order by September 30th. Email first to confirm availability. 

Look for *Jaguar* items such as Aliens vs. Predator, Fight For Life,
Attack of the Mutant Penguins, and more to be added soon! 

Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions 
http://songbird.atari.org


--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ------------------

ATTENTION ONElist MEMBERS:  Get your ONElist news!
Join our MEMBER NEWSLETTER here:
Click Here

----------------------------------------------------------------
AtariNews: On the Prowl is sponsored by The
Atarian Atmosphere and Songbird Productions. ."

(Reprinted in Archives 1999, Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999).

8/30/99: SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES SKYHAMMER FOR THE ATARI JAGUAR
(and Bypasses encryption!)

ROCHESTER, MN -- Songbird Productions is pleased to announce that
Skyhammer will be published for the Atari Jaguar platform in time for
Christmas.

Skyhammer is the phenomenal full 3D action shooter for the Atari Jaguar.
The game was developed by renowned Jaguar and PC developer Rebellion
several years ago, but shelved around the time the Jaguar ceased to be a
mainstream platform. Skyhammer combines the fast-action gameplay of a
first-person shooter with a nonlinear element which allows the player to
freely roam an immense, 3D city in search of enemies, equipment, mission
objectives, and more. Not only that, but two play modes are included in
the game: Mission and Battle.

The primary obstacle to new Jaguar games for the last year or more has
been encryption. Every Jaguar game must be encrypted in order to function
properly on the system, and the encryption ends up being different for
each game. Songbird Productions has teamed up with Jaguar hobbyist Scott
Walters, who has devised a method of bypassing encryption, to publish new
games for the Jaguar. Scott is understandably excited about his invention,
and the opportunity to work with Songbird Productions on the upcoming
releases.

Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird Productions, is enthusiastic about
supporting Atari platforms. He commented, "Skyhammer is a great game, and
I know Jaguar fans will be thrilled to finally be able to purchase this
game. Now is the time for Jaguar and Lynx fans to mobilize. Songbird
Productions has numerous new Lynx and Jaguar games either already
available or coming in the next six months. Songbird needs your help
getting the word out on email lists, web pages, game magazines, Atari user
groups, and more.

"This is a critical time, because Songbird needs to see that there is
value in publishing new games for these Atari platforms both now and in
the future. I want the fans to enjoy these 'lost games', all of which are
fully licensed from the original developers."

Skyhammer is expected to be released December 6, 1999. Other games will
follow in the coming months.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure
to visit the company web site at http://songbird.uni.cc, or send an email
to forhan@millcomm.com.

Copyright 1999 Songbird Productions. All rights reserved. This article may
be reprinted in its entirety. Skyhammer is copyright and trademark
Rebellion. All rights reserved.

JagFest ’99 Video!

Posted by Carl (pmroch7-214.rconnect.com) on July 10, 1999 at 13:15:09 on Jaguar interactive II :
The JagFest ’99 video is coming together… you won’t believe all the goodies I’ve packed in the video so far! Lots of extras, particularly rare/unfinished goodies for the 2600 and Jaguar I think people may enjoy seeing.

The video should be done within two weeks. I’m accepting pre-orders now on http://jagfest.atari.org or http://songbird.atari.org. Price is $19.95 plus shipping.

This is one video-feast you won’t want to miss!

Sincerely,

Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions

JagFest ’99 homepage (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

COLUMBUS ATARI SWAP MEET: The Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Columbus Ohio will have a swap meet on September 18. Admission is $3 per person or $5 for a table. All are encouraged to bring Atari items to swap (other systems are also welcome). The event will be held at 980 Lenore Street, Columbus, Ohio. Check out the ACECsite.

SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS TO ATTEND CGE, ANNOUNCES NEW LYNX GAMES
June 27, 1999

For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions recently committed to attending Classic Gaming Expo (CGE), which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 14-15. CGE is the premiere event in 1999 for fans of classic gaming systems such as Atari, Intellivion, Vectrex, and more.

“John and Keita have put a lot of effort into making this year’s event bigger than World of Atari was last year”, commented Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird Productions. “I’m thrilled that Songbird will be a part of CGE, and I plan on having a variety of merchandise for sale for many Atari systems.”

Additionally, Songbird Productions hopes to keep the momentum growing for the orphaned Atari systems Lynx and Jaguar. To that end, two new Lynx products will be launched at CGE.

The first is Lexis, an interesting twist on the “falling blocks” concept familiar to gamers everywhere. In this game, you don’t have to clear a row of bricks — you have to form words out of falling letters. This fun and challenging game includes a dictionary of 20,000+ words, some of which are special cheat words recognized by the game. Several play modes are also included.

The second Lynx product is “Crystal Mines II: Lost Caverns”. Songbird Productions and Serious Cybernetics have teamed up with original Crystal Mines I and II developer Ken Beckett to take advantage of a hidden feature in the existing Lynx Crystal Mines II cartridge — it supports downloads of new levels into Lynx RAM via the comlynx port. The product will include Win95 software on a CD-R and a special Lynx-to-PC serial cable which also doubles as a developer cable for those who may own a BLL or SIMIS cartridge for the Lynx.

CGE promoter John Hardie recently expressed his enthusiasm with regards to the news, saying, “”We’re delighted that Songbird Productions, the premiere Lynx and Jaguar developer, has chosen CGE ’99 as the venue in which to debut and display their new products.”

Songbird Productions also anticipates being able to demo unreleased Jaguar games at CGE, including Protector and Skyhammer. At press time, it was uncertain if these games will be available for purchase in time for CGE.

Songbird owner Carl Forhan recognizes that he’s not alone in his endeavor to support Atari platforms. “Several sponsors have helped make it possible for Songbird to attend CGE ’99. Ken Beckett and Multimedia 1.0 each deserve a big thank you for their generous sponsorship of Songbird Productions.”

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

6/27: SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS TO ATTEND CGE: Songbird Productions will attend Classic Gaming Expo (CGE) which is an event for fans of classic systems such as the Atari, Intellivision, Vectrex, and others. It will be held in Las Vegas on August 14-15. Songbird Productions will release two new Atari Lynx products at CGE which are Lexis (a tetris type game using letters to form words) and Crystal Mines II: Lost Caverns (which includes Win 95 software and a developer cable). Also two games for the Jaguar, Protector and Skyhammer, will be featured at the expo. Songbird Productions — supporting the Lynx and Jaguar!

Official JagFest ’99 Report
By: Carl Forhan
I’m pleased to say that JagFest ’99, held in Rochester, MN, was a wonderful success. I’m proud and very happy to have been those host for this year’s ‘fest, as I was able to supply a lot of things Jaguar and Lynx fans were looking for.

On the Lynx front, Ponx was a hit with several attendees (and thanks for those purchases! 😉 ), and I know every Lynx fan there had a blast doing comlynx Checkered Flag (5 people), Raiden (2 people), and other games like Slime World, Cal. Games, and Xenophobe.

We demoed some cool recent and upcoming games like SIMIS, Sokomania, and Hyperdrome (not sure if anyone actually fired up the latter).

On the much anticipated Jaguar front… many tournaments were held, and people definitely “showed their stuff” on games like Breakout 2000, Tempest 2000, and Zero 5 (all I can say is. “Wow, Clay”). NBA Jam rocked the house more than once, and other games like Ultra Vortek and Doom saw play time as well.

We hoped to do a functional Voice Modem demo, but time slipped away from us. Maybe next year, guys. 🙂 Lots of other rare hardware was on display — Jag Stereo adapter, Alpine boards, weird controllers, a Lynx dev kit, and more.

Scott unfortunately could not get the latest Assassin demo to work. Native didn’t work out, either.

Protector was I think a surprise hit. People expected a straight Defender clone, but really enjoyed the new enemies and powerups and overall gameplay.

BattleSphere was of course immensely popular, and the networking was very solid. Hats off to 4Play on this marvelous game that we all look forward to owning one day.

Skyhammer was the “special announcement” game presented by Songbird Productions at about 5-6pm during the event. All the Jaguar fans I spoke with were excited to see how well the game played, the solid frame rate, and the attractive graphics. Not to mention the intricate gameplay centering around a series of nonlinear missions. A second play mode is included in this game, called “Battle” mode, where you have to fight off wave after wave of enemies (maybe they should have named this mode ‘Gauntlet’ 😉 ). Very fun game, and enjoyed by all.

The most disappointing htmlect of the event, as one might imagine, was what I’ll call mediocre attendance. About 10 of the people on my online “attendees” list were no-shows, including Terance Williams, who we were all hoping could provide an update on Gorf 2000. Fred, Randy, Jason S., Robin, and more also didn’t show up (or at least I didn’t get to meet them if they did…) Sorry you guys couldn’t make it, it would have been great to meet you. Raven Video Games did not make it down from the Twin Cities due to a co-worker calling in sick that day.

Having said all that, I am happy to announce that attendance was probably better than even JagFest attendees realize. I sold 45 tickets to the event (adult and child combined), and another 25 people that were friends, family, and fellow church-goers also showed up (at no cost to them) to either help out at the ticket table, see my crazy video game hobby in action, etc. 🙂 That brings our grand total to 70 PEOPLE for JagFest ’99!

I know with a little more work and regional promotion, we could make it an even bigger event next year.

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success, and especially to the folks who traveled the furthest — Kevin and Katie, Clay and Michelle, Brian and his father, and everyone else!

Songbird Productions was pleased to be the official host of JagFest ’99.

Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

6/3: NEW GAMES FOR TWO ATARI PLATFORMS: Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions announced new game titles for both the Atari Jaguar and Lynx handheld systems. Ponx will be release for the Lynx. This game is a ball and paddle type with many options including multiple balls and two player ability. Target release date is June 18, 1999 and the retail price is $39.95. Meanwhile, significant progress is reported on Protector. Anticipated release date is later 1999. Further, Songbird Productions have new licenses of unreleased Jaguar games including Soccer Kid from Krisalis Software Ltd., Hyper Force from Visual Impact, and Skyhammer from Rebellion.

SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES UPCOMING ATARI RELEASES
June 1, 1999

For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions is pleased to announce renewed support for Atari gaming consoles in the form of new releases for the Jaguar and Lynx.

Topping off the list is Ponx for the Atari Lynx. Ponx brings the ball- and-paddle classic that started it all to the Lynx. But this isn’t your ordinary game. Ponx features a number of options, such as multiple balls, a Lynx controlled opponent with selectable AI, and more. Plus, in a throwback to classic handheld gaming, play against a friend on the same Lynx unit (no comlynx cable or second Ponx cartridge necessary!).

The target release date for Ponx is June 18, 1999, and the retail price is $39.95. If you are interested in ordering Ponx, please visit the Songbird Productions web page at http://songbird.atari.org. Dealer inquiries welcome.

Songbird Productions continues to make significant progress on Protector, a fast-paced 2D bi-directional shooter for the Jaguar. Anticipated release date is later in 1999.

In addition, Songbird Productions has licensed a number of unreleased games from former Jaguar developers. The games licensed are: Soccer Kid from Krisalis Software Ltd., Hyper Force from Visual Impact, and Skyhammer from Rebellion. “

Jaguar and Lynx fans have remained highly supportive of Atari game consoles,” said Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird Productions. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have licensed these games from their respective companies and know that I will get them into gamers’ hands in the coming months. This is a great opportunity for Songbird Productions to help sustain the Jaguar and Lynx into the next millennium.”

At press time, no release dates had been set for any of the Jaguar products. All inquiries on these products should be directed to Songbird Productions only.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

Press Release from Hasbro Interative!
Beverly, MA (May 14,1999) – Leading entertainment software publisher, Hasbro Interactive announced today it has released all rights that it may have to the vintage Atari hardware platform, the Jaguar.

Hasbro Interactive acquired rights to many Atari properties, including the legendary Centipede, Missile Command, and Pong games, in a March 1998 acquisitiomn from JTS Corporation.

This announcement will allow software developers to create and publish software for the Jaguar system without having to obtain a licensing agreement with Hasbro Interactive for such platform development. Hasbro Interactive cautioned, however, that the developers should not use the Atari trademark or logo in connection with their games or present the games as authorized or approved by Hasbro Interactive.

“Hasbro Interactive is strictly focused on developing and publishing entertainment software for the PC and the next generation game consoles,” said Richard Cleveland, Head of Marketing for Hasbro Interactive’s Atari Business Unit. “We realize there is a passionate audience of diehard Atari fans who want to keep the Jaguar system alive, and we don’t want to prevent them from doing that. We will not interfere with the efforts of software developers to create software for the Jaguar system.”(Reprinted in Archives 1999, Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999).

5/14: HASBRO MAKES JAGUAR AN OPEN PLATFORM: Hasbro Interactive announced today it has released all rights that it may have to the vintage Atari hardware platform, the Jaguar. Hasbro acquired rights to many Atari properties in the March 1998 acquisition from JTS Corporation who had themselves merged with Atari. This development allows software developers to create and publish software for the Jaguar system without having to obtain a licensing agreement from Hasbro Interactive. Hasbro Interactive cautioned, however, that the developers should not use the Atari trademark or logo in connection with their games or present the games as authorized or approved by Hasbro. Hasbro stated that they are “strictly focused on developing and publishing entertainment software for the PC and the next generation game consoles” and that they did not want to interfere with “diehard Atari fans” from getting new Jaguar releases. Hasbro Interactive.

5/7: ATARI JAGUAR MAY BECOME AN OPEN PLATFORM: John Hardie of Atari Gaming Headquarters reported on Thursday May 7th that the Atari Jaguar system may become an open system. Apparently Mark Goodreau of Hasbro informed him that a Company announcement will be coming soon in which Hasbro will give anyone the permission to encrypt any games for the Jaguar. This will make it much easier for anyone to develop Jaguar games for the system. Very few systems have entered the public domain this way with the one exception being the Vectrex system of the 1980’s. Stay tuned for details. Check out the Jaguar Interactive message board for details.

SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES SFX FOR THE ATARI LYNX
April 2, 1999
For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions is pleased to announce the availability of SFX for the Atari Lynx. SFX is an exciting, new audio tool for the Lynx. Perfect for the hobbyist developer or curious tinkerer, SFX allows the user almost full control over the four audio channels available on the Lynx.

“I am very grateful for the Lynx fans who stuck with me on their pre-orders for SFX last fall,” commented Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird Productions and the developer of SFX. “I had no idea that the project would initially be plagued by so many delays, but it’s all finally coming together. And now that the kinks are worked out on producing new cartridges, Lynx fans can expect at least two more releases in 1999 from Songbird Productions.”

The target ship date for SFX is April 16, 1999, and the retail price is $34.95. If you are interested in ordering SFX, please visit the Songbird Productions web page at http://songbird.atari.org. Dealer inquiries welcome.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

FREE GAMES AT JAGFEST ’99

March 30, 1999
For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Attend JagFest ’99. Get a free game. It’s that simple. At least, that’s the message coming from Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions, the organizer and promoter of the event.

Each paid adult admission to JagFest ’99 will include a coupon for up to $3 off a single item purchase from the Songbird Productions table. A variety of factory-new 2600 and 7800 games will be available for under $3, as well as a number of current and new games for the Jaguar and Lynx and other Atari merchandise at normal retail prices. Simply present your coupon at the Songbird Productions table, and you can walk away with a free 2600 or 7800 game, or use the coupon to get a discount off of other merchandise. *

Sponsors are also being lined up for JagFest ’99, to be held at the Holiday Inn South in Rochester, MN, on June 18, 1999. Songbird Productions, Go Atari, Hozer Video Games, Jerry G. Classic Gold Video Games, and Atari Video Club have all agreed to sponsor JagFest.

More sponsors are being contacted at this time, and it is hoped that several companies and game shops will be in attendance at JagFest ’99.

* – One coupon per item, up to $3 off the retail price. No refunds if the entire face value of the coupon is not used. Coupon valid only on June 18, 1999, and while supplies of merchandise last at the Songbird Productions table. Coupon may not be combined with any other offer. You must purchase an adult admission to JagFest ’99 to receive this coupon.

—– General Information ———————————

Be sure to visit the JagFest ’99 web site for the latest

information:

http://jagfest.atari.org

For those who may wish to remain in Rochester over the weekend, more activities are currently slated:

Saturday, June 19 – Take a trip to one of the largest shopping centers in the world: the Mall of America. Try your hand at the NASCAR networked racing simulator, visit the arcade, play a round of laser tag at Starbase Omega, shop at the Starlog retail store or Electronics Boutique, or even try a roller coaster at Camp Snoopy. Plus, don’t forget to visit specialty video game stores Games to Go and Raven Video Games. Directions will be provided.

Sunday, June 20 – Before you head back home, join Carl Forhan for church at New Life Worship Center (http://www.newlifewc.org). NLWC is a contemporary Christian church dedicated to the singular purpose of bringing glory to the Lord and spreading the good news of the gospel. Carl energetically leads the music team with his vocals and keyboard skills. Other instruments inclue bass guitar, drums, piano, and back up vocals. This is one church service you won’t want to miss! Directions will be provided.

Other areas of interest in Rochester include the Mayo Clinic, IBM, Apache Mall (with arcade), Skyline Raceway and Waterslide, Cyber Cue pool hall, and more.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS FORMED TO SUSTAIN ATARI CONSOLES

March 19, 1999
For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN – Carl Forhan, well-known hobby developer for Atari consoles, is pleased to announce the formation of Songbird Productions to sustain Atari consoles into the new millennium. The emphasis of Songbird Productions will be to both publish games Carl has personally developed as well as become a resource for other hobby developers looking to publish a game for any Atari console, from the 2600 to the Jaguar.

“I’ve been doing hobby development on the Lynx and Jaguar for a long time,” stated Carl. “Now I’m at the stage where it makes sense to form Songbird Productions. Atari fans everywhere will be pleased with the level of support I plan to provide for Atari consoles over the next year to two years. I have a couple of surprises up my sleeve that will be revealed in the coming months.”

Current projects at Songbird Productions include SFX and Ponx for the Lynx, and Protector for the Jaguar. Several specific, new projects are also being evaluated at this time.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions,be sure to visit the company web site athttp://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

article may be reprinted in its entirety. (Reprinted in Archives 1999, Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

JAGFEST DETAILS NOW AVAILABLE

March 19, 1999
For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions is proud to be the official sponsor of this year’s JagFest. This third annual event will be held in Rochester, MN, on June 18, 1999. The theme for this year’s event is “Celebrate Atari”, and Songbird Productions welcomes the opportunity to expand the event to cover all Atari consoles — from the classic VCS (2600) to the Lynx to the Jaguar.

Enthusiasts are encouraged to bring their own collections for display or trade. Special accommodations must be made with Songbird Productions for those wishing to reserve a table, TV, or sell any merchandise.

Details are as follows:

Where: Holiday Inn South
1630 South Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)288-1844

When: June 18, 1999
Set up from 7-10am
General public from 10am-10pm

Cost: Adult: $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Ages 6-12: $3
Ages 5 & under: FREE

—– Hotel information ———————————–

The Holiday Inn South has a limited selection of rooms available at a special JagFest price of $79 per night. You must call the hotel directly at (507)288-1844 to receive this special pricing, and notify the representative of the discount code ‘JAG’. These rooms must be reserved before May 27, 1999, to guarantee availability.

Other hotels are also available within walking distance of the Holiday Inn South. These hotels include:

Quality Inn and Suites
1620 1st Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)282-8091

Comfort Inn
1625 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)281-2211

Econo Lodge South
1850 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)282-9905

—– Tickets ———————————————

Tickets may now be reserved directly with Songbird Productions. Send an email to songbird@atari.org for details. Tickets or wristbands will be issued, allowing attendees to come and go all day long as needed. All children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

—– General Information ———————————

Be sure to visit the JagFest ’99 web site for the latest

information:

http://jagfest.atari.org

For those who may wish to remain in Rochester over the weekend,

more activities are currently slated:

Sunday, June 20 – Before you head back home, join Carl Forhan for church at New Life Worship Center (http://www.newlifewc.org).

NLWC is a contemporary Christian church dedicated to the singular purpose of bringing glory to the Lord and spreading the good news of the gospel. Carl energetically leads the music team with his vocals and keyboard skills. Other instruments inclue bass guitar, drums, piano, and back up vocals. This is one church service you won’t want to miss! Directions will be provided.

Other areas of interest in Rochester include the Mayo Clinic, IBM, Apache Mall (with arcade), Skyline Raceway and Waterslide, Cyber Cue pool hall, and more.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to songbird@atari.org.

JAGFEST 99: Details for this event are here. The gathering of Atari Jaguar fans will be in MN on Friday June 18th. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. There will be many tournaments, companies, fans, and Battlesphere will be featured. Check out the official JagFest site.

Q & A From Band In The Box Entertainment

Q: When are you going to update your site?
A: As soon as possible. Things are going slow around here 
lately as we're really cracking down on our first game.

Q: What are the names of the games you are developing for 
the Atari Jaguar?
A: Well, we've scrapped one title for the Jaguar, which is the 
game called Gunfight Max, as the graphical requirements for 
the game are too large. And the other ones we're working on are 
called S.A.I. Corps, and a still-unnamed 2D fighter.

Q: What types of games are they?
A: Well, the 2D fighter's a 2D fighter (hard to guess huh?) and 
S.A.I. Corps is a Command & Conquer-style game that also has 
alot of humor in it. It's about the S.A.I. Corps, which is an army
of small animals and insects (S.A.I.) running into a quarrel with 
the P.P.K.O. (Pesky Pet Killers Organization).

-Thanks, I hope we've given you as much information as you wanted.
Band In The Box Entertainment (From Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

Band-In-The-Box Entertainment

I recently sent e-mail to Band In The Box Entertainment to inquire about them and their Jaguar games. Here is how they replied:

1.) Who are you?

We’re a small video game company based in Nashville, Tn.

2.) Are you developing Jaguar Games?

Yes, we are.

3.) If so, what are they, and what are they about?

One’s a behind-the-back shooter, one’s a 2D fighter, and one’s a command & conquer-type game. That’s all we can tell you.

Also, anything else you could tell me would be very helpful.

Not much else to tell you right now. Visit our web-site at http://bandinthebox.8m.com for more news and details when we finally get the site finished.

—All ‘a the guys at Band In The Box Entertainment (from Archives 1999, Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson, 1999)

Atari Webcast
Back In Time – The Radio Webcast will be an all Atari webcast, it will make its debut sometime this week(2\14\99 – 2\20\99) at the Back In Time web site. New episodes will be taped monthly. The show will feature news, reviews, and interviews. Each episode will run for about 30 minutes. To listen to the show, you will need a PC or Mac, and a copy of the Real Audio player. The Real Audio player is a free download from Real Networks.

Links:

Back In Time (from Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson)

TELEGAMES has recently released a PC version of the Atari Jaguar RPG Towers II game. Also Telegames has released a limited edition cartridge version of Irons Soldier 2. Previously Iron Soldier was only available on CD. Some soundtracks have been removed for space considerations. Price is $69.95 plus s/h. Expect information soon on New Jaguar titles Skyhammer & Battlesphere.

OMC GAMES DIVISION TO RELEASE “THE ASSASSIN” FOR THE ATARI JAGUAR 64-BIT GAME CONSOLE

AUSTIN, TX, October 21, 1998 — OMC Games Division announced that they will begin production of “The Assassin”, which was previously to be released on the Atari 8-bit, for the Atari Jaguar CD game console. With the upgrade in hardware, “The Assassin” will allow for more spectacular effects and a higher level of graphical and audio intensity.

With James Garvin moving to Japan, unforeseen problems arose in the development of the Atari 8-bit version. “I was having some major difficulties getting the antiquated RF system of the Atari 8-bit to work with Japanese coaxial connections as well as technical problems that resulted during my travels from the U.S. Needless to say, I had to make some difficult decisions,” stated James Garvin, owner of OMC Games Division. Though, the change in platforms has not extinguished efforts to bring to life an Atari 8-bit version. “There will be an Atari 8-bit version, but it will most likely have to wait until I get back to the States.”

“The Assassin” is the prequel to “Orb Of Bengazi” which is based on the upcoming futuristic cyberpunk world of “Blood
City”, a role playing system to also be released 3rd Quarter 1999. This action/RPG features Chicago detective, Michael Steele, as he searches for the murderers of his brother, but what he finds is a tangled web of intrigue and death which takes him all over the world. For those looking forward to “Orb Of Bengazi”, this game should not be missed.

“The Assassin” will be released under the Hellified Games label of OMC, with the project headed by James Garvin, and music composed by up-and-coming musician, Arthur Lauritsen. OMC Publishing is also planning to release a soundtrack sometime around the release of the game. More news and screenshots will become available over the next couple of months.

OMC Games Division is a sole proprietorship based in Austin, Texas and publisher of HieroGraphix Game Journal. Other game titles under development include “Age Of Darkness” and “Orb Of Bengazi”.

1998 OMC Games Div. (http://www.omcgames.com/)(from Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson)

Hasbro Interactive Acquires Legendary Atari Game Property Assets
BEVERLY, Mass. – March 16, 1998 – Leading interactive games publisher Hasbro Interactive, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (AMEX:HAS), announced today that a subsidiary has acquired copyrights, trademarks, patents and other intellectual property assets of the Atari Division of JTS Corporation, giving Hasbro Interactive rights to some of the greatest video games and play patterns ever created for multimedia entertainment. The Atari properties and assets include over 75 game properties including the legendary titles Centipede, Missile Command, Pong, Breakout and Tempest. Hasbro Interactive plans to release its first Atari title this fall with Centipede for both the PC and Sony PlayStation game console.

“We are thrilled that the classic Atari game properties will now be a part of the Hasbro family,” said Tom Dusenberry, President of Hasbro Interactive. “These ground-breaking games helped pioneer the video game industry,” added Dusenberry. “We intend to bring these classics back to life by updating them with the latest technology and interactive game design, while preserving their heart and spirit.” Hasbro Interactive has proven its ability to bring beloved arcade classics successfully back to life with its blockbuster launch of Frogger in 1997 for both the PC and Playstation game console. Frogger, based on the 1980s’ mega video game originally developed by KONAMI Co., Ltd., was a huge hit over the holidays and continues to hop its way up the best-selling interactive game charts.

“We plan to implement the same aggressive strategy we used with Frogger, in bringing back the Atari classics,” added Dusenberry. “We will develop games that appeal to the players who loved the

titles as kids, while attracting a whole new generation by bringing the games up to today’s highest standards. Of course, like all Hasbro Interactive titles, they will be backed by major marketing and merchandising programs.”

With the acquisition of Atari’s deep library of game properties, Hasbro Interactive seeks to strengthen its position in the action game category. Hasbro Interactive intends to develop various titles for all viable and available gaming platforms – PC CD-ROM, the Sony Playstation and Nintendo 64 game consoles, among others.

Background on Some Atari Favorites:

The largest insect invasion in history was recorded when Centipede hit the arcades in the 1980s. “Getting the bugs out” was the mission in this perennial favorite. The player launched rapid-fire attacks against persistent centipedes, sticky spiders, mushroom-dropping fleas and poisonous scorpions in order to re-claim the sacred mushroom patch.

No guts, no glory was the motto in the Atari classic, Missile Command. Players needed quickthinking and rapid fire to combat the battalions of bombers, satellites, missiles and smart bombs in this fast-action shooter. Blow them away first – otherwise you’re vapor!

The two games that gave birth to the video game industry were pioneers Pong and Breakout. No fancy graphics were needed in these addictive thrillers – just a good dose of quick reaction and hand-eye coordination would do the job. Pong, the game of “virtual” handball, mesmerized gamers for hours as they battled their friends and foes match after match. Breaking through walls of bricks by ricocheting balls off of a video paddle was the simple, but very addictive premise behind Breakout. The desire to get a better score, kept the early gamers coming back for more.

Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a leading all-family interactive games publisher, formed in 1995 to bring to life on the computer the deep library of toy and board games of parent company, Hasbro, Inc. (AMEX:HAS). Hasbro Interactive has expanded its charter to include original and licensed games for the PC, the Sony PlayStation(tm) and for multi-player gaming over the Internet. Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and Canada. For more information on Hasbro Interactive titles, please visit www.hasbro-interactive.com.

Frogger is a registered trademark of Konami Co., Ltd. 1981 KONAMI. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Nintendo is a registered trademark of Nintendo of America, Inc. 1998 Hasbro Interactive, Inc. 1998 Hasbro, Inc. (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson)

JTS Announces Sale of Atari Assets for $5 Million

SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 13, 1998 – JTS Corporation (Amex: JTS), announced the completion of the sale of the company’s Atari Division assets to HIACXI Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hasbro Interactive, Inc. (Amex: HAS) for $5 million in cash.

“The proceeds from the sale of these non-core assets will be utilized to support our working capital requirements as we increase our production,” said Joseph Prezioso, Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial Officer of JTS Corporation.

The Atari Assets were acquired by the company in July 1996 when the company merged with Atari Corporation and consisted primarily of Atari home computer games and the intellectual property rights and agreements associated with such games.

JTS Corporation is a leader in information storage products. The company designs and manufactures hard disk drives for personal computers, and markets them to leading systems manufacturers and selected resellers. JTS is committed to providing world class hard drives at value prices to support personal computing. The president and chief executive officer of JTS, Tom Mitchell, was formerly the President and Chief Operating Officer of Conner Peripherals and Co-founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of Seagate Technology.

For further information, contact JTS Corporation at 166 Baypointe Parkway, San Jose, California, 95134. Phone: 408-468-1800 Fax: 408-468-1619. Website: www.jtscorp.com (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson)

ATARI JAGUAR an IBM ANIMAL

By Junko Yoshida, From “Electronic Engineering Times”, July 5, 1993
Copyright 1993 by CMP Publications Inc. All rights reserved.
Reprinted under the “Reasonable Use” interpretation of the 1976 Copyright Act.
Sunnyvale, Calif — Atari Corp. will score a new level of videogame performance this fall with the introduction of Jaguar, a 64-bit RISC-based system offering realtime 3-D shaded surfaces with texture mapping.

The $200 system, able to tap into the growing network of cable and telephone video services, will take videogames into a graphics realm once the province of midrange 3-D workstations. In yet a further departure, the system will be built by IBM Corp.

Jaguar, billed as an interactive multimedia system, is based on an Atari-designed proprietary 64-bit RISC processor and its proprietary digital signal processors. The cartridge-based system features 24-bit true color graphics, shaded 3-D polygons and realtime texture mapping. Atari claims that Jaguar offers four times the processing power of the current 16-bit videogames form Sega and Nintendo, and believes it is even more powerful than the coming 32-bit ARM CPU-based machine from 3DO Co. “If a spaceship goes around a moon, or a person walking on a street turns on the next corner, every object, every detail in such scenes is reproduced in shaded 3-D images with texture. It’s truly amazing stuff,” said Atari president Sam Tramiel.

Dense ASICs

The system’s graphics performance is compared by the company to that of the 3-D engines in midrange Unix workstations. And like those engines, Jaguar is based on advanced, very dense digital ASICs.

Jaguar’s core consists of two chip sets, one holding the 64-bit RISC processor and the other containing DSP hardware. “But the partitioning between the two chip sets is ambiguous,” said Richard Miller, vice president of research and development at Atari, as the two share some functions. The two sets apparently pack a whole range of components, including controllers, video processors and encoders, leaving outside the core only “a very small amount of TTLs and DRAMs,” said Miller. They were designed at an Atari facility in England, said Tramiel.

The 64-bit RISC processor is capable of processing video data at a high rate, handling various video effects as well as full-motion video compression on its own, Miller claimed.

Lots of bandwidth

Atari would not disclose any more about the core ASICs, such as gate counts or data bandwidth, but Miller pointed out that Atari engineers had to concentrate most of their design efforts on bus bandwidth. “Graphics eats a lot of bus bandwidth. What’s available today for other 64-bit processors such as PowerPC is only just enough for what we want to do,” he said. “What we designed is right up on the level of expensive 64-bit processors.”

To meet its cost goals, Atari had to push ASIC technology to the limit. The chip sets will be manufactured by “one of the top four silicon vendors in the world” using the “smallest geometry” available, said Miller. It is believed that with Jaguar Atari has become one of the early customers for a major Japanese 0.5-micron ASIC process, but the company would not confirm this.

Clearly, manufacturing volume is essential to the Jaguar plan. The company intends to introduce an add-on PC card featuring the company’s proprietary 64-bit RISC processor, said Tramiel. “It could also help minimize the cost of our chip sets,” he said.

Atari is also considering licensing the chip set to other silicon vendors, but has not determined any details yet, said Tramiel.

The future holds more integration. But before working on the ultimate, a system on a chip, the next step for Atari’s engineering team is to shrink what is currently a set of rather large custom chips further, reducing the whole system to “one processor, one DRAM, one ROM and one custom chip,” said Miller. The company is looking at both synchronous DRAMs and Rambus DRAMs for future use, “but we are waiting to see some of the standards issues get settled first,” he noted.

Miller does have a technological wish list. “First,” he said, “we’d love to have 0.3-micron process technology as soon as possible for custom ICs. Second, we’d like to see some form of synchronous DRAMs appear as a standard commodity DRAM, and, naturally, a very high bus bandwidth to produce higher video performance. The existing improvements for faster bus interfaces so far have been very disappointing for us. Lastly, I’d love to play the Atari Jaguar system on a 10 x 10-foot display. I’m waiting for a very low cost, low power, large-screen-size display, using probably not anactive matrix but FED-type technology.”

In the long run, Jaguar is designed not just as a cartridge-based game machine. It will use a 32-bit expansion port to connect to cable and telephone networks, and a digital signal processing port for modem usage and connection to digital audio peripherals.

This I/O structure reflects Time Warner’s 25 percent stake in Atari. “In the course of our product development, we’ve had frequent discussions with Time Warner. It has set the direction for our machine to have cable and telephone connections,” said Leonard Tramiel, vice president of operating systems.

The company designed and built a 16-bit prototype home-entertainment machine two years ago, said Sam Tramiel, but scrapped the plan in favor of a grand attempt to leapfrog the 16-bit systems that were then coming onto the market. But when Atari engineers stated to look for enabling technology, “there were no RISC processors and no DSPs that fulfilled our requirements, especially at our cost,” said Miller. Atari’s design team even had to develop its own HDL simulation tools, he said.

“People tend to forget that, unlike business users, consumers do have much higher expectations in video quality, speed and cost,” Miller said. “In order to match that demand, we had to really push the technological envelope, driving the chip counts down, designing the system to be highly manufacturable and depending on the smallest geometry process technology.”

IBM the OEM

Atari will also push the envelope in another way, turning its back on traditional East Asian manufacturing sites and calling on IBM to build Jaguar. IBM, working with a 30-month contract worth $500 million, will be responsible for component sourcing, quality testing, console assembly, packaging and distribution, and will build the system at its Charlotte, N.C. facility. The motherboard will come from an IBM-approved manufacturer, said Herbert Watkins, director of application solutions manufacturing at IBM Charlotte.

For IBM, producing the Atari Jaguar system makes it for the first time a major OEM for highly cost-competitive, mass consumer-electronics products, Watkins noted.

“To manufacture one of the most sophisticated game machines in the world, we needed someone who understood a high-volume, fast digital machine,” said Miller. “IBM was a natural choice.”

According to IBM, the prototypes of the Atari Jaguar system will come out in July, ramp-up models in August and mass-production versions in September. The system will be available first on a limited basis in the fall in the New York and San Francisco areas. A national rollout is scheduled for next year.

Additional reporting by Roger Woolnough. (Reprinted in Area 64: The Jagzone by Heath Anderson)