11 Jul 2003 Global re-launch of Commodore by Tulip Computers and Ironstone Partners Limited

Historic C64 computer brand returns to ride the wave of ‘Retro Gaming’ currently gripping the games industry.

Today Tulip Computers NV (Tulip) and Ironstone Partners Ltd. (Ironstone) signed a licence agreement for a partnership, which is a major step in the global re-launch of the Commodore brand name.

Tulip will receive a license fee for all Commodore C64 products delivered by Ironstone, installed on all computer brands using the Microsoft or any other operating system and all Commodore 64 branded products. In addition, Tulip will receive a license fee over the revenue from software downloads, subscriptions and advertising.

Even today there is still an extensive group of about 6 million loyal Commodore users and enthusiasts around the world. This community is currently spread over hundreds of unofficial websites. The community craves acknowledgement and authenticity from the true Commodore C64 brand. Tulip is the owner of the brand name Commodore. Through this partnership Tulip grants to Ironstone the exclusive rights to exploit the official Commodore C64 web-portal and use of the Commodore 64 brand name.

Ironstone and Tulip invite the Commodore community to join the official Commodore C64 web-portal. Currently there are about 300 commercial websites that use the name Commodore or Commodore 64 without having a license from Tulip. Tulip will not allow unauthorised use of the Commodore brand.

In this partnership, Ironstone will create the official Commodore C64 games and community portal designed to focus and harness the power of the Commodore C64 user base and to efficiently provide the services required by these individuals for a fee. The founders of Ironstone are experienced and successful, in previous similar projects Ironstone achieved a subscriber to pay subscriber conversion rate that was unparalleled in the Internet space.

The main objective of the Ironstone official C64 portal is to unite this massive global fan base of passionate enthusiasts. Through its web portal, Ironstone will market the official C64 emulator in various software and hardware formats. The games offered by the Ironstone web-portal will include the famous ‘classic’ C64 games as well as exciting new games and will also sell its Commodore-branded products through the site.

Tulip will get full access to the estimated 6 million users and will also sell its Commodore branded products through this portal. Tulip will introduce, the upcoming months, new hardware products under the Commodore brand name, being able to use the C64 emulator.

According to Bjorn Bruggeman, Brand Manager Commodore: "Through strategic partnerships we’re creating a web of Commodore partner companies. Each partner, or licensee, is selected on his unique expertise and will focus on a specific market segment within the Commodore strategy. The synergy advantages are huge. The license agreement with Ironstone is an important step in this process and will enable Tulip to enter a complete new era with almost unlimited e-commerce opportunities. "

Darren Melbourne, Creative Director, Ironstone Partners commented, " The license deal with Tulip is a huge breakthrough for the millions of C64 enthusiasts and retro gamers around the world who are still loyal to this incredible games system. Ironstone is committed to bringing this technology and games library back to prominence on every platform available to us."

Commodore C64 facts and figures

*The C64 is the biggest selling home computer in world history.

*The C64 has an unparalleled heritage as a groundbreaking games and home use PC.

*The C64’s role in the evolution of the modern games industry was incredible powerful and the echoes of its influence still reverberate through the industry today.

*Even today there is still an extensive group of about 6 million loyal Commodore users and enthusiasts around the world.

*A countless number of hobbyists and Commodore enthusiast have kept the community alive. An Internet search on Commodore is still good for about 50,000 hits.

*Currently there are about 300 commercial websites that use the name Commodore or Commodore 64.

*Over 6000 games have been created for the C64

*The brand awareness of the Commodore logo is still one of highest in the industry. The famous Commodore ‘chicken head’ logo, which date from 1984, has been slightly changed to gracefully mark the new era Commodore is entering.

Ok, some things to think about

1 - A search for 'Commodore' might end up in many hits, but these are mainly Amiga hits or press releases (Commodore being bought by ESCOM, rights moving on to Tulip, etc.). A search for the good old C64 ends up in less results

2 - 6 million active C64 in the world? I wonder what and how they counted...

3 - 300 commercial websites dedicated to C64. Commercial as in making money with banners or commercial as in spreading warez? Even c64.com is loaded with them. Scary to see you need a Tulip License before you even can start such a website now. (I'm glad MSX Association doesn't do things like this)

4 - The 'new hardware products under the Commodore brand name, being able to use the C64 emulator.' - My guess is they are just ordinary PC, and if we're lucky some sort of PDA's.

5 - "Tulip will get full access to the estimated 6 million users " that truly sounds like an invasion.

6 - Although most of the points mentioned below I'd like to say I doubt that "The C64 has an unparalleled heritage as a groundbreaking games and home use PC.". I think e.g. Konami on the MSX and other platforms has more heritage than the entire C64 system ;P

All-in-all there are resemblances to the MSX Revival, but what Tulip's doing seems a lot more hostile to me. The entire press release kind of screams 'Screw the community, in the end they are going to buy out new producs anyway. If they don't listen to us we don't give them a license and will hunt them down' Furthermore I see no plans for the future. Not a _REAL_ new computer system based on the principles of the C64. It sounds like a trick to make the stocks rising (25% since the press release) and to earn some more cash selling products they always have sold (ordinary Personal Computers)

Welcome to the marketing era

Looks like our ' friends' of Pc-Magazine/ZDAVIES might be in even more trouble now with there nice cd's which where suplied with magazine 7/8.

hehehe, I didn't even think of that yet.

The PC-M thing was the first thing that crossed my mind. I tell you, they are in trouble And the MSX copyrights isn't their main concern, I think. It's the C64 stuff that's on there.....And Tulip already high on their tails.....

WTF was there something bout it in the 90's couse i rember something like that

well you could say that tulip is a little bit crazzy
its the same as panasonic would say lets repreduce a new line of Turbo-r X

tulip is developing a full c64 chip, i know the advisor, he told me this...

That's one way of killing a complete computer system. F*cking the whole community by closing the whole system like this. I'm not fond of the system when it comes to being the competition in the 1980's to MSX, but to screw the whole community in this way would most likely kill the system.

WELL DONE TULIP!

Really, the stupid thing to do is to turn your back to the community who have been using a computer system you want to 'revive into commercial state', even when it was 99.9% warez.

Well, I'd prefer a MSX chip rather than an emulator that needs thousands of MHz to run software made for a 3,5 MHz machine.
b

Does the C64 *have* an actual community, then, aside from all the people going retro with emulators? Afaik, it's a quite miserable one, everyone 'went over' to Amiga (which scene is quite lively, I believe).

Right?


~Grauw

Yup... The C64 development scene pretty much died out AFAIK... Demo's are still being made, but no games or other decent products.

Quote:

Does the C64 *have* an actual community, then, aside from all the people going retro with emulators? Afaik, it's a quite miserable one, everyone 'went over' to Amiga (which scene is quite lively, I believe). Right? ~Grauw

True, many 'went over' to amiga yet many stayed or used both. IMHO C64 has an very active community. With several quality diskmags, lots of demos (and music & graphics as well) and good new games too (metal warrior 4 for example) + new hardrware (networking card retro replay). www.c64.sk/ if someone happens to be interested in c64 related news.

Btw. I don't think Tulip is going to make any difference for the active community, it's not like there is much business to do

-Subjik

why commodore 64 and not amiga?? How many times was commodore almost bankrupted. Im sorry, im not intersted in c64. its better that tulip also invest in msx-revival. special voor europe distrubution like philips before. Who is really waiting for c64 in this centurie??

Even the never produced msx turbo-X of panansonic its better to bring on the market, also the M2 console and in these days DREAMCAST?? So about 10 years later will the dreamcast also on revival with thousand sofware titles? cozz sega supports that not anymore and left many users behind!!

okay the c64 was the biggest sold machine in worldhistory but msx is the most stabel and the most brands who supported the homesystem in the past. of course the most new hardware was always the first on msx system in the past.