New Intellivision Homebrew - Sydney Hunter & The Cradle of D

[TrekMD]

[size=140]Childhood Buddies, a new homebrew publisher, will be releasing this summer Smurf's Rescue from Gargamel's Castle for the Mattel Intellivision.  The game will come packaged in the standard box and in the CBS-style box.  A reservation list is available through Atari Age on this thread:  Official Pre-Order Thread for SMURF RESCUE - Intellivision homebrew.[/size]

[align=center:k71sabcw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BXVl4Mt-xw#ws[/align:k71sabcw]

[align=center:k71sabcw][size=140]Here is a comparison of the ColecoVision version to the Intellivision Version:[/size]
[/align:k71sabcw]

[TL]

This looks excellent! The 2600 and Coleco versions are both very good.

[TrekMD]

Yes it does.  Having played both Coleco and 2600 versions, I'm looking forward to this one!

[guest5124]

I love this game! Thanks for the info. 

[onthinice]

Does this come packed with a special controller? The previous two are both fun but controlling the game could be frustrating.

[TrekMD]

No special controller.  I'm going to guess they will use the upper and lower buttons to help with the control mechanism for the game but nothing has been stated.

[zapiy]

Looks bloody awesome.

[TrekMD]

I just learned that for those who may be interested on this game but who are not AA members, it is possible to place an order for the game by contacting Intellivision Revolution directly.  Details here:  SMURF RESCUE for Intellivision PRE ORDER NOW.

[retromod]

It seems the PCB used for this modul was created by themselves as the normal sources do not support illegal copies and copyright infringements (according to a discussion on other websites).

It seems Pego has not granted to license this game and the trademark printed on the packages are outdated as it was limited to Coleco in 1982/83.  I'm currently in negotiations with Pego about possible trademark registrations for my own future game projects (there are quite interesting gameplays and they are willing to license even for smaller quantities). After asking for similar conditions than the named game the lawyer was a little bit worried about the game at all and their advertising together with links to the last smurf movie. Specially as Ubisoft has the exclusive permission to ad with the last smurf movie for video games.

So as someone stated in one thread about the game (on a well known website) it could be quite dangerous to order under this condition as it seems it is not really authorized. Two requests for information about trademark where ignored so if Pego starts to sue the developers for the title the money may be gone and the game not delivered at all. May be time for the creators to get in contact with Pego and authorize the trademark, if they deliver the game still without it then the indemnity may be much higher.

There is a hint from the developer that Peyo may not be a problem. Well Peyo is only the inventor (died 1992) of the characters but Pego is the company behind marketing the trademark worldwide for any kind of usage in products.  And Pego currently seems to know nothing about any permission or agreement about the game.

[retromod]

According to sources the SMURF game was cancelled:

"Publisher Childhood Buddies, regrets to inform that SMURF RESCUE is hereby officially cancelled due to legal reasons. All persons who have made payment so far will be contacted by Childhood Buddies reguarding the status of their payment. Please be patient while this process is being implemented.

Edit: June 24 2014"

seems due to the ongoing sales efforts and tolerance by AtariAge for illegal homebrews Pego comes along and asked for the license costs of about $50/game. Sure this was not part of the calculation and they have big luck Pego have not opened a lawsuit afterwards because this may be quite expensive paying the license costs per sold cartridge plus lawyers. On the other side that would be a chance to stop similar projects as well and allows homebrewers to not part of a community with illegal "touch".

This would be now a good chance to alter the characters within the game and find a new title - why must it be within the SMURF universe? You can't participate of famous brands without paying loyality....

[TrekMD]

I just found out about this as my inbox was full of posts from the AA thread. This whole issue about homebrews based on existing franchises was discussed on the Intellivisionaries podcast recently. 

[bogstandard]

Does no one over there realise how a C & D works?  They like to shut you down at the last possible moment.  The moment the carts are made and boxed.  The moment the Chrono Trigger hack is %99 complete.  ack!

[TrekMD]

Does no one over there realise how a C & D works?  They like to shut you down at the last possible moment.  The moment the carts are made and boxed.  The moment the Chrono Trigger hack is %99 complete.  ack!

I guess they do it on purpose to make people lose time/money invested in creating the game.

[Elektronite]

Making illegal 'homebrews' is a divisive issue in the retro gaming community.

Just yesterday, First Star Software, Inc. asked me to remove the phrase 'Officially licensed from' on my Boulder Dash (R) box. They wanted me to replace it with 'Co-published by'. They pointed out that this is not a license but 'co-publishing'.

I explained to them that I wanted to have 'official' on the box because many people, if not the majority, believe that my game is illegal.

I am simply going to not put anything above the First Star logo, and emphasize that this is a First Star release (since I get no respect as a 'real' publisher).

I've rejected the 'homebrew' label in the past, but probably should embrace it, as it seems that 'homebrewers' can pretty much get away with anything.

It is pretty much the 'wild west' in retro gaming communities, and my company trying to do legit games such as The Lost Caves of Kroz (Apogee), Boulder Dash (First Star Software, Inc) and Defender of the Crown (Cinemaware) is at a disadvantage to people who don't respect the IP of other companies.

[bogstandard]

Sadly, it effects those trying to create completely new works as well.  As a homebrew developer I'm cast into the same boat.  That's why slow motion trainwrecks like this are so disheartening to me.