SPACE Newsletter

November 2023

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November 2023

•SPECIAL 2023 ELECTION EDITION•

Time for the SPACE annual meeting! Your annual opportunity to give back to SPACE by running for one of the officer positions of president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer. Or, to volunteer for one of the volunteer positions of membership chairman, newsletter editor, DOM librarian, ST DOM librarian, or website manager. Thank you to Brian for serving as VP, Steve for serving as secretary/newsletter editor, Glen for serving as 8-bit DOM librarian/membership chairman, and Greg for serving as treasurer for the past year. Another surprise from Atari this month, the acquisition of Digital Eclipse! Read the press release! Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your SPACE Annual Meeting: Friday, November 10, 2023. TRIVIA TIME! RADAR, a word meaning Radio Detection and Ranging, was originally conceived during World War II to detect enemy craft, air and sea.

A carbon copy of the September meeting, as the same five members were present for the October SPACE meeting. Another great DOM from Glen kept our attention until our formal meeting started. The number one topic discussed were the new Atari consoles out soon and one now! The MyArcade Atari system with 200 games was reviewed by a podcaster and he gave it mixed reviews. He liked the idea that the controllers included paddle controls and that the control was very good. What he was disappointed with was the 200 games were not all Atari games, but 120 were so I don’t know why he was disappointed. He liked the way the Atari games played, but he was not completely on board with the rest of the games. He didn’t give a final score, but indicated that it was up to each individual to make their own decision. As you can see, he was very impartial to the Atari side. Now, for the bank information for the month of October. Our beginning balance was $1,349.45 and we added $45.00, due to two membership renewals for $30.00 and five DOM sales for another $15.00. So we ended the month with a balance of $1,394.45. My son, Tony, has started putting items on eBay and he says that we could be looking at about $200.00 in sales (our cut) and he has more items to submit. He thinks more sales to come to the Club very soon. I will keep you updated each month. Don’t forget we have elections next month, so I hope you all can make the November 10th meeting. See you all there!

Message from Captain Irata:

–TABLE OF CONTENTS–

“Game Over?! No way! GAME ON!”

PAGE ONE:

HOO-RAH!

The President’s Corner Treasurer’s Report Secretary’s Report

HELLO WORLD! Welcome back to the Secretary’s Report. I am happy to present the following minutes for the last SPACE Meeting. So, let’s get started. The meeting commenced on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 7:34 PM. There was talk about the fascinating DOM for October and it looked great. There are always great programs, games, and demos on the DOMs in general. MEMBERSHIP COUNT We have tem paid memberships and we had two membership renewals: Greg L., our Treasurer, and myself, which were paid. WEBSITE REPORT There was no Website Report, so it is assumed the SPACE Website is still in good order. OLD BUSINESS No old business was reported durning the October 2023 SPACE Meeting. NEW BUSINESS Greg L. was stating that he had an Atari 520ST computer with an SF354 drive and a floppy drive cable for the computer, ready to be sold. Greg was stating that and his son were trying to sell the items mentioned on eBay for the Club. The cable can be used for Gotek floppy drive emulators, which use disk images on SD or flash media to run floppy disk media as a virtual floppy drive. Greg also had some Indus GT-100 floppy drives that run as Drive B.There was discussion on hoe to force them to run as Drive A. There was also discussion on the Atari 2600+ game console and the MyArcade GameStation that will be for sale before Christmas. It was stated on the SPACE Discord channel that the GameStation was on sale at Costco for $79.99. The GameStation has over 200 games for the Atari systems and arcade titles from Atari as well. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM.

PAGE TWO:

So, with that I conclude the Secretary’s ReportThanks for reading the Report. In the words of the late, great Stan Lee.

The SPACE Club Bylaws

EXCELSIOR!

PAGE THREE: Recent Atari News

BYLAWS FOR THE SAINT PAUL ATARI COMPUTER ENTHUSIASTS CLUB OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA As amended by the membership, September 13, 2002 ARTICLE I NAME AND OBJECT Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts, or SPACE. Section 2. The object of the Club shall be to bring those with a common interest in Atari computers together for the purpose of sharing hardware, software and information related to Atari. ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP Section 1. The number of members of SPACE shall not be limited. Section 2. Any person or family interested in Atari computers shall be eligible for membership upon payment of the annual dues for the first year. Section 3. The annual dues shall be $15.00, payable on the anniversary month of the member’s joining date. Section 4. Unused portions of dues are not refundable. Section 5. Any member found to be in violation of the rules or spirit of the club may be expelled by a majority vote of the Executive Board. Section 6. The Membership Chairman shall be responsible for collecting membership dues and managing the current membership list. ARTICLE III MEETINGS Section 1. SPACE meetings shall be held at 7:30pm on the second Friday of each month, at the Falcon Heights Community Center, unless otherwise directed by the Executive Board. Section 2. Club business cannot be conducted without at least one Officer and one other member present. Section 3. All club meetings shall be open meetings.

Newsletter on a monthly basis. Section 2. All currently paid club members shall receive a copy of the Newsletter by mail each month. Section 3. Newsletters shall also be sent free of charge each month to other Atari clubs which are able to return the favor.

Section 5. The Executive Board shall also seek volunteers for other ongoing administrative duties, such as meeting location arrangements and post office box maintenance.

Section 4. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the duties of collecting articles from the membership, publishing, and distributing the Newsletter.

Section 6. Officers shall be subject to a Recall Vote if a majority of the membership so decries. The Recall Vote shall not take place until it has been announced in the newsletter.

ARTICLE VI DISK OF THE MONTH

Section 7. The rules contained in the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall govern the club unless they are in conflict with the bylaws, in which case the bylaws shall take precedence.

Section 1. A new SPACE Disk Of the Month (DOM), readable by a standard Atari 1050 disk drive, shall be produced on a monthly basis. This is for the purpose of raising funds for the club. Section 2. DOMs shall include shareware, freeware, or public domain software or other files for the Atari. DOMs shall not include pirated commercial software. Section 3. The price of the DOM shall be $3.00. Section 4. DOMs shall be available for sale at each club meeting, and may be sold to members and non-members. Section 5. Other clubs may trade DOMs with SPACE on a one-for-one basis. Section 6. The DOM Librarian shall be responsible for the production and sales of the DOM. ARTICLE VII BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM

Section 3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the duties of managing the club’s monetary assets. ARTICLE V NEWSLETTER Section 1. The club shall publish the SPACE

Section 3. Voting shall be by consenting AYE or NAY if a two-thirds vote can be confirmed, or by a show of hands for a precise tally. Section 4. Proxy voting is not permitted for Bylaws amendment votes. ARTICLE XI CLUB DISSOLUTION

Section 2. In such an event, the Executive Board members shall be responsible for the proper and orderly closing of accounts, arrangements, and all normally ongoing club activities.

ARTICLE VIII WEBSITE

Section 3. Any remaining material assets of the club shall be distributed evenly among the membership, as best as this is possible. Historical club materials shall be preserved if possible.

Section 2. The Webmaster shall be responsible for maintaining the web site, and keeping the information presented there current.

Section 2. Prior approval by the Executive Board is required if the club is to incur any expense.

Section 2. Provided that a quorum is present, and provided that the amendment proposal has been communicated to the entire membership in writing in advance, the Bylaws may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

Section 2. The BBS System Operator shall be responsible for maintaining a friendly and welcoming environment on the BBS. Illegal software or offensive language shall not be tolerated.

Section 5. The Annual Meeting shall be held each November. At the Annual Meeting, Officers shall be elected and volunteers for other ongoing club duties shall be secured.

Section 1. An accounting for all incomes and charges to the SPACE balance sheet shall be published in the newsletter each month.

Section 1. A Quorum shall be defined as either a minimum of 50% of the entire membership, or 10, whichever is smaller.

Section 1. The club may elect to disband itself by a majority vote of the current membership, provided the proposal has been printed in at least one issue of the newsletter.

Section 1. The club shall maintain a home page on the World Wide Web. The site shall be primarily designed to attract new club members, and provide online access to club information.

ARTICLE IV TREASURY

ARTICLE X AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Section 1. A Bulletin Board System (BBS) supporting Atari computers shall be made available by the club. The BBS provides an online forum for Atari discussions, and an optional communications medium for club matters.

Section 4. Minutes of each club meeting shall be recorded by the Secretary and published in the club newsletter.

Section 6. The President shall preside over club meetings. In the President’s absence, the VicePresident shall preside. In their absence, the Secretary shall preside. If the first three are all absent, the Treasurer shall preside.

bership Chairman, Newsletter Editor, DOM Librarian, BBS Operator, and Webmaster. These volunteers shall be subject to the approval of the club membership.

ARTICLE IX OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD Section 1. The Officers of the club shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and shall be referred to collectively as the Executive Board. Section 2. The Executive Board shall collectively supervise the affairs of the club, shall be responsible for proper and orderly club operations, shall be responsible for upholding the rules of the bylaws, and shall at all times make decisions with the best interests of the membership in mind. Section 3. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of those present, or by acclamation if only one person is running. The term shall be for one year, or until a successor is elected. The term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which the officer is elected. Section 4. The Executive Board shall actively seek volunteers to fill the following positions: Mem-

Section 4. When all outstanding charges are paid, the Treasurer shall distribute any remaining club funds evenly among the final group of club members.

Recent Atari News

Final Thoughts

October 31, 2023

By Steve Peck

Atari today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Digital Eclipse Entertainment Partners Co (“Digital Eclipse”), a game development studio originally founded in 1992 focused on the digital restoration of classic video games, based in Emeryville, California.

It has been a great month. Things are going smoothly with our Treasury. We see great DOMs every month. The meetings are very lively and informative. It’s truly a wonderful time for SPACE.

The acquisition of Digital Eclipse will allow Atari to expand its internal development capabilities and utilize Digital Eclipse’s industry-leading experience and proprietary technology. In joining Atari, Digital Eclipse will grow its business and capabilities by expanding its development capacity and access to world-class IP and will leverage Atari’s management expertise. By adding Digital Eclipse, along with Nightdive Studios in May 2023, Atari will be able to further support its retro-focused growth strategy. Founded in 1992, Digital Eclipse is a game development studio dedicated to preserving gaming’s heritage and telling the stories of gaming history through archival releases and interactive documentaries. Digital Eclipse pioneered commercial video game emulation well before it was a household concept and today Digital Eclipse is one of a select few development studios recognized as leaders in retro-focused development. Recent notable projects from Digital Eclipse include Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary, Mega Man Legacy Collection, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection and Disney Classic Games Collection, which all sold millions of units and were critically acclaimed. More recently, Digital Eclipse developed the Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection which has been labeled as the “new gold standard” for games compilations and was one of the highest rated titles of 2022. Digital Eclipse’s most recent projects include the launch of The Making of Karateka and Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord in Early Access on Steam. Since inception, Digital Eclipse has produced over 250+ games and developed long-standing relationships with leading publishing and development partners in the industry to deliver amazing video games and collections. With its innovative proprietary technology, Digital Eclipse is now leading this category in sales, critical reception and innovation. Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari commented: “Digital Eclipse is the best in the world at what they do. They have a deep love and respect for the history of the games industry, and are renowned for developing critically acclaimed projects based on historic franchises. Digital Eclipse, along with Nightdive, are in perfect alignment with Atari’s DNA and renewed purpose. I’m personally excited to see where we can push the boundaries of retro innovation together.” Andrew Ayre, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Atari and Digital Eclipse share the same ethos when it comes to celebration and preservation of gaming history. It’s an exciting combination, and I am confident this will serve Digital Eclipse and our fans extremely well as we grow our business and expand our capabilities.” Mike Mika, President and Creative Director commented: “Our experience collaborating on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was revelatory. The trust that Atari showed our team, and our clear mutual love and respect for the content, positioned us to produce something truly remarkable. I know Atari will continue to champion our approach and that we will be bringing fans exciting new projects for years to come.”

I am in the hope that SPACE continues to prosper in the future. Thanks to everybody for making SPACE function. Thanks to Glen for the DOM Library. They are truly great titles. Thanks to Brian for being the VP and for his insight. Thanks to Michael Current, our SPACE President. He has done a lot for SPACE with the Newsletter Archive on our SPACE website and also for our online presence. Especially, thanks to Greg for our Treasury. It is prospering. Also, thanks to those who put in articles for SPACE. It really helps me out. You know who you are, and I express my gratitude. Let’s hope the SPACE Election has a good turnout and that it is a good Election and meeting, which it usually is. We are strong and i hope we stay strong together as a user group. Well, thanks for letting me share. This concludes the Final Thoughts for the month. I will be back next month with another Secretary’s Report, of course. Until then, keep reading the Newsletters. I will see you soon. Take care!

Yup! We need articles! If you wish to channel your inner F. Scott Fitzgerald and want to send in an article, please feel free to send them to the SPACE Newsletter Editor! Please try to send your articles within two weeks of the Club’s occurence every month. They then will be posted. The SPACE Newsletter Editor’s contact information is, of course, on the back of every SPACE Newsletter! Thanks for posting and for supporting your SPACE Club! We hope to see more articles soon!

HAPPY SPACE ELECTION 2023! May the Best Candidates Win! GOOD LUCK!

WANTED! Ideas Suggested for Comics! Please feel free to email The Newsletter Editor! Email Address is on the Last Page of the Newsletter! Thanks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM SPACE! Have a Great Holiday! Just Don’t “Gobble” Down Your Thanksgiving Dinner! Be Safe!

Vice President: Brian Little E-Mail: demomantna@gmail.com

The next SPACE meeting and the annual SPACE Election will commence on Friday, November 10, 2023, at 7:30 PM, local time! We hope to see you there! Thanks for coming!

Another Message from Captain Irata: “That’s all she wrote, SPACE Cadets!” HOO-RAH!