New Elektronite Intellivision Game - Boulder Dash!

[Alberto 2K]

They didn't 'let' us port the game. This is officially licensed, bought and paid for. First Star Software, Inc. and Classic Game Publishers, Inc. in association with Elektronite are co-publishing the game.

We aren't 'homebrewers'.

I've said it many times, but people insist on calling us 'homebrew'. We are a real company. As real as First Star Software.

This is a graphic of the First Star logo running on a real Intellivision.

Don't take it as a despective comment pal.

Or Andrew Davie and Thomas Jentzsch with their licensed BD for the 2600, a work of art with the FSS logo on screen and tons of other quality games, never read they were offended by that word...

To tell you the truth I never heard about your company until now, I didn't even know you were a company... But I wish you good luck with your work, if I had an Intellivision I would buy your games and I will never call you 'homebrewers' again.

[Rogue Trooper]

Great game! Great looking graphic!

The homebrew comment should be viewed as a positive.

Electronic Arts is a real company. Lately, I have seen homebrew games that are better than the dribble EA releases.

Use it for your advertising. "Elektronite! We are not homebrewers, but we are the next best thing." 

Gamers trust the small guy who cares, over the big corporations that could care less.

I'd echo that.

There's far more talent in terms of coding skill, long term vision and creativity, let alone passion about the games/s they make, coming from 'homebrew' or independant studios (if that's a better term?) than likes of E.A, Activision, Sony etc etc these days.


I see games i never thought possible coming to systems considered long 'dead' and with stunning results.Meanwhile on existing platforms i see games given to cheapest studio who can cobble something together in quickest time, get it out the door with DLC swift on it's heels.

[Cryptic33]

"I love Boulder Dash, congrats Intellivision fans! FSS are great, letting homebrewers port this awesome game to classic consoles is a very nice move."

They didn't 'let' us port the game. This is officially licensed, bought and paid for. First Star Software, Inc. and Classic Game Publishers, Inc. in association with Elektronite are co-publishing the game.

Well, any re-licensing and release of a really good game can only be good. Intellivision gamers must be absolutely delighted with this news and you are to be applauded for proving that retro gaming is a viable business.

Some here have spoken about different platforms as it is only natural that such good news will ignite interest globally. The Boulder Dash series were well received in their day, as I'm sure you are aware. We all hope, I'm sure, for more releases like this however it is classified. Thank you and well done, good luck for the future.

[Rogue Trooper]

"I love Boulder Dash, congrats Intellivision fans! FSS are great, letting homebrewers port this awesome game to classic consoles is a very nice move."

They didn't 'let' us port the game. This is officially licensed, bought and paid for. First Star Software, Inc. and Classic Game Publishers, Inc. in association with Elektronite are co-publishing the game.

Well, any re-licensing and release of a really good game can only be good. Intellivision gamers must be absolutely delighted with this news and you are to be applauded for proving that retro gaming is a viable business.

Some here have spoken about different platforms as it is only natural that such good news will ignite interest globally. The Boulder Dash series were well received in their day, as I'm sure you are aware. We all hope, I'm sure, for more releases like this however it is classified. Thank you and well done, good luck for the future.

I was very much looking forward to trying Boulder Dash Rocks on PSP, but that never appeared, so news on any 'new' Boulder Dash game is great to my ears.

[Elektronite]

I appreciate that. However, this project should not be viewed as FSS being 'good guys'. This is business.

Yes, we love what we do. Yes, we care. We are going to make an awesome port. However, it isn't going to take 10 years like the Atari 2600 guys took. Ours will be out in less than a year.

This is not a 'limited' release.

[Elektronite]

Alberto 2k,

I am not trying to be arrogant. I just think that since I started a legit business, pay taxes, pay my programmers, pay for licenses, use all new materials, and do not make limited runs, that we are not what people think of as 'homebrew'. We aren't doing it as a hobby. We love our work, but we are taking it seriously and are being professional as a small business can be.

I spoke with the president of First Star Software, and told him that people call us 'homebrew'. He said 'you aren't homebrew!'. If we are homebrewers, then so are First Star Software.

Anyhow regardless of what you want to call us, we are excited about working with First Star Software, and will be doing our best to bring out a great game! Hopefully, I will be able to show an Intellivision Boulder Dash (R) title screen soon!

[TrekMD]

I think it's almost like you represent something new and different for the retro community and people are having a hard time classifying you.  Most people associate games released for dead systems to "homebrews" so they've classified you this way.  Thankfully, it does have a good connotation!  So, Elektronite is more of a Retro Gamer Business and the games are a Retro Game Production. 

[Rogue Trooper]

I appreciate that. However, this project should not be viewed as FSS being 'good guys'. This is business.

Yes, we love what we do. Yes, we care. We are going to make an awesome port. However, it isn't going to take 10 years like the Atari 2600 guys took. Ours will be out in less than a year.

This is not a 'limited' release.

Part of me wished you'd ended that post with:

This is SPARTA!!!! :-)

sorry..
On more serious note, if you look at say something like the HD remake of Flashback, which is getting poor reviews, here we see what's sadly all too common of a modern release:game rushed out, bearing the name of a game we once loved, but for whatever reason, not put together with the care and attention it deserved.


I know there's no good or evil in the buisness, your all out to put out product, people to buy, fund development of next project etc, it's just that the smaller developers seem to put a lot more into their products than the bigger guys.Yes, totally different markets, budgets, timescales etc, but it's 'nice' to see people in the industry still coding with a passion.

Long term:Any possibility of any other First star games like Spy Vs Spy being done? or was this a 1 off?

Superb to see it on way as is.

[Elektronite]

I think that our licensing choices are based on a few factors.

1. Availability of programmers.
2. Popularity of the program being licensed.
3. Limited resources of our company to fund development.
4. Trying to reach the critical mass to make our model (Rebooting active 3rd party publishing for defunct systems) viable.
And, most importantly,

5. The cost of the license.

We have the following licensed games coming.

Hover Bovver
The Lost Caves of Kroz
Defender of the Crown
Boulder Dash(R)

We have a few more titles that we can do. We are hoping to publish original stuff too.

[Alberto 2K]

Alberto 2k,

I am not trying to be arrogant. I just think that since I started a legit business, pay taxes, pay my programmers, pay for licenses, use all new materials, and do not make limited runs, that we are not what people think of as 'homebrew'. We aren't doing it as a hobby. We love our work, but we are taking it seriously and are being professional as a small business can be.

I spoke with the president of First Star Software, and told him that people call us 'homebrew'. He said 'you aren't homebrew!'. If we are homebrewers, then so are First Star Software.

Anyhow regardless of what you want to call us, we are excited about working with First Star Software, and will be doing our best to bring out a great game! Hopefully, I will be able to show an Intellivision Boulder Dash (R) title screen soon!

I won't call you homebrewer again, is just that I never thought it could be interpreted as a bad thing.

You have my respect and wish you the best in your business!

[Rogue Trooper]

I think that our licensing choices are based on a few factors.

1. Availability of programmers.
2. Popularity of the program being licensed.
3. Limited resources of our company to fund development.
4. Trying to reach the critical mass to make our model (Rebooting active 3rd party publishing for defunct systems) viable.
And, most importantly,

5. The cost of the license.

We have the following licensed games coming.

Hover Bovver
The Lost Caves of Kroz
Defender of the Crown
Boulder Dash(R)

We have a few more titles that we can do. We are hoping to publish original stuff too.

Not familar with The Lost Caves...but know the others very well, that's a superb line up there, if you don't mind me saying.Plus, i appreciate the insight into how you go about deciding which games to develop.

[TL]

As described in my editorial at the start of Homebrew Heroes - by definition homebrew is a new game made for an old system.

There is nothing bad about that whatsoever,  in fact quite the opposite. Homebrew is keeping these systems alive. I personally know lots of homebrew developers who do it for a living and embrace the term, just as they should.

[zapiy]

Great news on this release, also mucho respecto or something like that to Elektronite for continuing to do what they do..

Maybe we need to coin a new word, retrobrew = retro gaming re brewed on you favourite systems...

[TrekMD]

We have the following licensed games coming.

Hover Bovver
The Lost Caves of Kroz
Defender of the Crown
Boulder Dash(R)

We have a few more titles that we can do. We are hoping to publish original stuff too.

Nice list.  It is unfortunate you were unable to get the Ms. Pac-Man license despite all your hard work. 

[Elektronite]

"As described in my editorial at the start of Homebrew Heroes - by definition homebrew is a new game made for an old system.

There is nothing bad about that whatsoever,  in fact quite the opposite. Homebrew is keeping these systems alive. I personally know lots of homebrew developers who do it for a living and embrace the term, just as they should."

I guess I am one of those who think homebrew sounds 'half assed'.

I am one of the minority that doesn't embrace the term. Sorry.