December 2014
NEWSLETTER for December 2014
President’s Corner by Michael Current
At last month's Annual Meeting, the existing officers of myself as president, Nolan as vice president, Steve as secretary, and Greg as treasurer were re-elected once again. All of the volunteer positions, including Nolan as webmaster and Newsletter editor, and Glen as DOM librarian and membership chairman, continue without change as well. Thanks to each of you for keeping this club going! Today's Atari has sprung back to life. This issue of the Newsletter should include the Atari press releases announcing the debuts of the online social casino game, Atari Jackpots, and the real-money gaming website, Atari Casino. Plus, Atari has just released the new game, Haunted House: Cryptic Graves, on Steam. I didn't include the latest financial press release, but they also announced that in the most recent 6-month financial period they experienced revenue growth of about 250% over the previous year. Of course, they were in bankruptcy proceedings last year, but still. It seems there may continue to be a company called Atari for a while yet! Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting and Christmas Party, Friday December 12, 2014.
Notes from the VP by Nolan Friedland
Lance and his Atari contacts, he picked up two new outof-state SPACE members bringing our membership to eleven. We had been stuck on nine members for quite some time so this is really good news for SPACE. Bank balance for November 1st:
It’s party time! Don’t forget to join us this month for SPACE’s Annual Christmas Party. There will be plenty of food and drinks – Including the main course… Chicken Tacos! And following up with last month’s news regarding all the Atari games unearthed at a New Mexico landfill that went up for sale on eBay – All I can say is wow… The lowest action for a Swordquest game sold for $37.99 and the highest auction for an E.T. game in the box sold for $1,525. As of the date of this writing, 53 auctions have finished totaling $18,269.33. Here are a few of the more interesting feedback comments that have been left: “Would buy from again! Even comes with that authentic landfill smell!”, “My game arrived smashed and broken, AND I LOVE IT!! Thanks!”, “Best piece of trash I've ever bought!” and “Game is broken and covered in dirt. Thanks! A+”. Well, that’s it for this month. Merry Christmas and see you all at the party!
Treasurer's Report by Greg Leitner
All I can say is WOW!!! What a great SPACE meeting we had in November. Six members were present and we actually didn't end the meeting until well after 9:00 PM. This had to be the longest SPACE meeting we have had in many years. With multiple demos and a catch-up on our ST DOMs, everyone had a fun time. Elections went the way of the last few years in that we took a very quick vote on keeping the same officers and volunteers and it was subsequently seconded and thirded and you get the picture. There were no changes made. With many DOMs sold in November due to the additional ST DOMs for August thru November, our receipts are looking better than ever. And thanks to
395.48
Receipts for November 2014: (2) Memberships (6) 8-bit DOMs (12) ST-DOMs Total Receipts for November:
30.00 18.00 36.00 ________ 84.00
Expenses for November 2014: Website for Sept, Oct, Nov Annual Website Domain Fee Total Expenses for November: Bank balance for November 30th:
30.00 11.99 _________ 41.99 437.49
This is one penny more than we had at year-end in 2013 and we still have December receipts to go. In the last two months, the Club has taken in over $150.00 so I can't even guess we could end up with this year-end. I do know we have the room rental fee well in hand this year and we will have a great start for 2015. Thank you for all your support.
Don't forget the Christmas Party next month with a new menu! (ha/ha) chicken tacos instead of beef. What will we think of next for our birthday party in July 2015? Look for a listing of the food items from Nolan later in this Newsletter. Anyway, I hope to see as many of you as possible for the party weather permitting. I sure don't like the way this winter is lining up. Having winter weather like we have had in the fall just doesn't seem like global warming. Who knows maybe we will have some spring weather in the winter. So don't forget your food item to share with the group and let's all have a real fun Christmas Party!!
Secretary's Report
Tech Report
by Steve Peck
by Nolan Friedland
Well, here it is! I am checking in with the November 2014 Secretary's Report! The meeting began at 7:30 PM. It adjourned at 8:35 PM, but we stayed after until about 9:30 PM playing V61's new game title, Delta Space Arena. It was spot-on. The graphics and sound were topnotch. The gameplay was superb. If you want a great game for your 8-bit Atari computer, then don't pass this one by.
The SPACE website is still going strong. There are many things to go over this month so let’s get started!
On the flip-side, we have two new members who paid up on Friday night at the November meeting. This will bring the total to eleven members now. Good going.
I’ve been working on resurrecting the BBS Listings from years ago. Most of the current entries have now been tested, although there are still a few uncertain ones. I will also be adding sections on the same page to list any forums, chat rooms and other Atari 8-bit resources that are available. After a few more polishing touches, it will be ready to go. For those interested in a sneak peek, go to the SPACE:BBS List page to check it out.
In the elections, everyone voted to keep everything as it is for now. So, I all of the officers keep their positions for throughout 2015. So, I close until next month.
The hit counter from Atari.org is still non-functional. It appears to be a problem on their end, as going directly to the image URL gives a 500 Internal Server Error. I’ve already sent an email off to their webmaster so hopefully we’ll hear something soon on the issue.
In the words of the great Comic Book Maestro… EXCELSIOR!
After digging through some old files, I found the HTML code for the SPACE website as it was in January of 2007. Several modifications have been made to make it MediaWiki-friendly and as close as possible to an exact duplicate. Go to the SPACE:History/Website page to have a look. The SPACE:History page has been updated with the latest information. New photos and video have been taken last month and will now be a regular occurrence but aren’t currently on the website until I come up with a good way to display them. Other fixes, enhancements and updates will also be done over the next couple of weeks. Have a good one and we’ll see you all at the Christmas Party!
Last Month At SPACE by Nolan Friedland
Click on any of the images below to be taken to the fullsize version. Stay tuned for more photos from the upcoming Christmas Party!
Story
ST DOM Report by Nolan Friedland
Greetings and welcome to another edition of the SPACE ST DOM. Enjoy!
Santa awoke from troubled dreams. It was the night before Christmas, always a turbulent time, but he was more worried than normal. "What could possibly go wrong?" Miss Claus had chided him. He hated that phrase. It always preceded doom, death and disaster. "Better check on the gifts" Santa pulled on his boots and stumbled half-naked and bleary eyed towards his toyshop. As he drew closer, he gasped in surprise what should be a hive of activity was strangely silent. The toyshop was in complete darkness. "Strange" muttered Santa. The worry that had been swirling around his head start crashing about his brain like an ill-tempered stormy sea. "...those new helpers..." Christmas has been stolen. One man can
get it back.
One button can save the
world.
When the old Elves had left last year to pursue an interest in the blooming midget porn industry, Santa had to look far and wide for new recruits. His new helpers were a set of lesbian elves - not his first choice, but his hand had been forced by Lapland's new equal opportunities legislation. But his early fairs had been allayed, they seemed to be doing their job – they spent hours in the toyshop
beavering away. They also kept themselves to themselves. He paid them each five carrots per week and that seemed to keep them happy. Bursting into the toyshop, Santa let out a scream of despair. It was empty.
displayed on screen with arrows on either the left or right (or both) indicating which direction you can scroll through the options in. Use left and right to scroll through the options in an icon list. Sliders give you a range of values for an option. Use left and right to set the slider.
"My gifts! My helpers" he moaned. Christmas was ruined.
Links take you to another page in the front end.
A faint giggle caught his ear, and looking to the sky, he saw the fleeing helpers, clutching sacks of gifts.
Throughout the front end, you can press the Back button to return to an earlier menu.
"I'll catch you!" Santa bellowed and quickly mounted Rudolph the reindeer.
The Back button is defined as:
"There's no time for that now," complained Rudolph "let's get after those naughty helpers!"
Keyboard – UNDO Jagpad – Fire B
Main Menu → Help
Main Menu
Here you can find a brief on-line guide to playing the game. Press Fire to progress through help pages and Back to return to Front End.
Main Menu → Options
Here you can find various hardware settings to control the audio and video.
After going through some intro and loading screens, you will be presented with the front end. Here you can set up various options, view stats, and high scores. The front end can be controlled with a keyboard, joysticks or jagpads. There are four types of controls in the front end switches, icon lists, sliders and links. The switches represent toggles for options that can have two states (on and off). Press fire on a switch to toggle its state. Icon lists present you with an array of icons representing a list of different options. Only one icon will be
Main Menu → Options → Audio
Here you can configure the audio aspects of the game to your liking. You have the following options:
MUSIC – toggle music on/off VOLUME – sets output level SPEAKER – toggles internal speaker
(NB: some of these options may not be available depending on the hardware that this game is run on)
Main Menu → Options → Video
Main Menu → Play
Here you can configure the video aspects of the game to your liking. You have the following options:
Choose this to begin your flight into the icy Christmas world of SantaFly.
REFRESH – toggles between 50hz & 60hz GAMMA – modifies brightness WIDESCREEN – toggles widescreen CENTRE – centers screen display
Main Menu → Play → Control
In the screen centering section, the borders and center of the screen will be displayed. You can scroll this around with up, down, left and right. Press Fire to select new screen center setting or Back to cancel. (NB: some of these options may not be available depending on the hardware that this game is run on)
Main Menu → Extras → Stats
This displays information about the games you have played. The following stats are displayed:
DISTANCE – total distance travelled GIFTS – total gifts recovered STORY GAMES – total played EXPERIENCE – total experience EXP NEEDED – for next level LEVEL – current level PLAY TIME – total time wasted
Main Menu → Extras → HiScores
Here you can view the hiscores you hold from playing SantaFly. Send in your scores to compete with other SantaFly fans from around the world.
In the pregame screen, you can select your control method and a few other options related to playing that game. CONTROL - you have the option of playing with mouse, keyboard, joysticks or Jaguar powerpads.
The Game
Once the level has loaded, you will see your vehicle waiting in the center left of the screen. Press fire to begin your mission.
F1 – Pause F2 – Toggle Music On/Off F10 – Quit
Jagpad Pause – Pause Jagpad Option – Toggle Music On/Off Jagpad # – Quit
Results Screen
Here you will be presented with detailed information about your last flight – the distance you travelled, the amount of items you collected, your score and your best score under similar conditions. The stats that are actually displayed are dependent on game mode.
During game, press fire to thrust up…
Also displayed here is the amount of experience points you gained for that game, the amount you need to reach the next level and the total amount of experience points you have. In the results screen you have some of the following options:
…and release fire to float down.
Other keys that can be used during the game:
VIEW REPLAY – here you can watch again how well/badly you performed on your last flight.
TRY AGAIN – restart game from beginning
CONT – continue onto next stage
QUIT – return to front end (you will lose your high score for this game if you quit)
From: Michael Current <michael@mcurrent.name> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 @ 8:48 PM CST Subject: Atari® Goes All In With Debut of Atari Jackpots™ Social Casino Game Developed by Atari and FlowPlay, Atari Jackpots is a Multi-Player Virtual Casino that Includes Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command® and other AtariThemed Casual Casino Games New York – October 28, 2014 – Atari®, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, in partnership with FlowPlay, a leader in virtual world games and technology and the creators of Vegas World, today announced the launch of Atari Jackpots™. The Atari-themed virtual world brings casino-style play to an online, multi-player game – with classic Atari brands including Asteroids®, Breakout®, Centipede®, and Missile Command®. As the first release of Atari Jackpots, users can expect additional games and elements in the coming months. Atari Jackpots features a full suite of virtual currency casual casino games and social environments, all featuring Atari favorites. In the Centipede®-themed poolside area, players can chat in a giant indoor ball pit, and get up close and personal with the one and only iconic Centipede. The Breakout® dance club offers a social environment where players can exchange Asteroids® Bonus Charms, which increase virtual currency payouts while playing casino games. Upon entering Atari Jackpots, players will be drawn into a virtual casino with slots branded from Asteroids®, Breakout®, Centipede®, Lunar Lander®, Missile Command®, Tempest®, Gravitar®, and Crystal Castles®. Additional singleand multi-player games have also been incorporated including blackjack, video poker, solitaire, and bingo. A Centipede®-branded version of solitaire, and Bonus Charms inspired by Atari favorites will be incorporated in the coming months. Atari Jackpots will be available worldwide in several languages including English, Portuguese, Romanian, and French. “This first release of Atari Jackpots is a step into online casinos, leveraging the rapidly growing interest in social casinos to offer a fun experience,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. “We wanted to engage rapidly with our loyal fans, get their feedback in order to decide upon the additional features to be released to further improve the Atari Jackpots experience.”
Atari has selected FlowPlay, an experienced social casino development company and the creators of Vegas World, as its development partner for Atari Jackpots. “The entrance of an iconic gaming company like Atari into the social casino space speaks volumes to the direction of the gaming industry,” said Derrick Morton, CEO of FlowPlay. “Millions of people around the world are engaging in casino-style games through a virtual world environment. With Atari Jackpots, users can play the casino games they love, branded with the games they grew up playing.” Atari Jackpots is the first of several upcoming initiatives that Atari is pursuing within the online gambling space. The company has also partnered with Pariplay to develop a real-money gaming product, Atari Casino, which is currently in development and scheduled for release in late 2014. To win big in Atari Jackpots, start playing at http://www.atarijackpots.com/.
From: Michael Current <michael@mcurrent.name> Sent: Sat 11/29/2014 8:55 PM Subject: Atari® Introduces Atari Casino™, a Premier Real Money Gaming Destination Atari and Pariplay Form Strategic Partnership to Launch Atari-Themed Games Across Real Money Gambling Formats
New York - November 5th, 2014 -- Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, and Pariplay, a highperformance gaming technology company and developer of iGaming and iLottery systems and games, today announced the release of Atari Casino™. The realmoney gaming website includes Atari-themed games across various platforms. Atari Casino features cherished games from Atari’s robust portfolio of iconic titles including Asteroids®, Star Raiders®, Centipede®, Pong®, and more. Players
can play slots, scratchers, Keno and a variety of other casino style games while wagering real money. In the Asteroids’ scratcher game, players can blast asteroids out of the sky and turn them into valuable gems. In the Star Raiders slot game, players can play 25 pay lines with upgrade to 243 lines on Free Play Battle Mode and try their luck in an intergalactic experience filled with flying space crafts, lasers and cosmic fun. All games will be available in the Pariplay network for operators to operate these games through their sites. Pariplay designated several of the most successful Atari brands to its iLottery network enabling lotteries to host the next generation of fixed-odds and predetermined outcome games. “With Atari Casino, we have taken our beloved brands and created a new and innovative way for our fans to experience our classic games,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. “The real money gaming market is growing rapidly and we believe our joint venture with Pariplay will help position Atari Casino for success by leveraging Pariplay’s expertise and backend infrastructure in a real-money environment while we bring the Atari community to the table.”
From: Michael Current <michael@mcurrent.name> Sent: Sat 11/29/2014 9:11 PM Subject: Atari® Announces Haunted House: Cryptic Graves™ Now Available on Steam Adventure-Horror and Mystery Enthusiast Gamers Can Download the PC Game for $19.99 NEW YORK – November 25, 2014 – Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced that Haunted House: Cryptic Graves™ is now available for download on Steam. Inspired by the original 1982 classic Atari hit Haunted House®, known as one of the industry’s first survival horror games, Haunted House: Cryptic Graves is a re-imagined version offering players a first-person, adventure-horror experience. Filled with cryptic puzzles, supernatural entities, and paranormal activity, Haunted
House: Cryptic Graves is available for download on Steam for $19.99. For a glimpse of what mysteries lie ahead, watch the gameplay trailer at www.hauntedhousegame.com. In Haunted House: Cryptic Graves, gamers are gifted with supernatural powers to purge the spirits and monsters that haunt the abandoned estate of Abaddon Grange, while solving mysteries to help the Ghost avenge his murder and release his spirit from the house. As players make their way through the enigmatic, haunted estate in the role of Anya Graves, heir to the estate, their gameplay experience will include:
Communication with the dead by using their character’s special powers, including the ability to touch objects to glean information about their previous owner.
Exploration of mysterious rooms and corridors throughout the haunted mansion, including the catacombs, garden maze and laboratories, slowly uncovering the truth about the estate’s haunted history.
Crafting powerful potions using the four elements of Alchemy – Fire, Air, Water and Earth – that unlock the ability to explore different passageways and gain protection from deadly apparitions.
Evasion of horrid ghosts and enemies that possess supernatural abilities, including the Silent Stalkers, Jack the Ripper and Witch.
Gordon Rennie, an award-winning comic book and videogames writer, and the scriptwriter of Killzone, wrote the re-imagined Haunted House: Cryptic Graves. The game was developed by Dreampainters, the seasoned team behind the critically acclaimed survivalhorror game, Anna. For the latest Haunted House: Cryptic Graves news updates and gameplay releases, follow @HauntedHousePC on Twitter or like https://www.facebook.com/atarihauntedhouse on Facebook.
A
blast from
the
past!
Enjoy this classic word search puzzle from the December 1991 Newsletter!
CLUB OFFICIALS
Michael Current
President: (608) 787-8548 michael@mcurrent.name
Vice President / Webmaster / Newsletter Editor (763) 689-3737 Nolan Friedland ilmarinen1976@hotmail.com
Steve Peck
Secretary: (651) 408-1096 artisan213574@gmail.com
DOM Librarian / Membership Chairman: (763) 786-4790 Glen Kirschenmann kirsch@netzero.net
Greg Leitner
Treasurer: (651) 455-6550 greglites@hotmail.com
Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SPACE) meets on the second Friday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Falcon Heights Community Center at 2077 West Larpenteur Ave. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
S.P.A.C.E. c/o Gregory Leitner 3407 78th St E Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076-3037
DISCLAIMER Published by the Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SPACE), an independent organization with no business affiliation with ATARI, Inc. Permission is granted to any similar organization with which SPACE exchanges newsletters to reprint material from this newsletter. We do however ask that credit be given to the authors and to SPACE. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SPACE, the club officers, club members or ATARI, Inc.
Visit our website at: http://spaceweb.us/ The SPACE BBS is currently offline. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope to have it back online in the near future.
Articles for Publication must be received by the Newsletter Editor two weeks prior to the Club’s next Scheduled meeting.