ColecoVision Super Game Module now available for order

[opcode]

Hello everyone,

I am officially starting the ColecoVision Super Game Module (SGM) ordering process today. Here is some information about the SGM:

The SGM is a small device that plugs into the ColecoVision expansion port and increases the console RAM memory and sound capabilities. With the SGM you can run especially designed games that offer more complex gameplay than ever before. And of course arcade ports that play just like the real thing.

Specs:
- Increases ColecoVision RAM memory from 1KB to 32KB
- Doubles the ColecoVision and ADAM sound capabilities
- Adds a power LED to the ColecoVision
- Compatible with both the ColecoVision and ADAM
- Uses a custom plastic case based on classic Coleco design
- Comes with professionally printed box, manual and catalogs. Packaging mimics the classic ColecoVision packaging design circa 1982/83, so it will match your ColecoVision collection nicely.
- Officially licensed Coleco product


How to order: Please send Paypal payment to eduardo [at] opcodegames.com. You will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 48 hours for the confirmation email (contact me if you don't receive the email by then).

Price: $90US including shipping for orders within continental US. $95US to Canada. $100US International.

Availability: I am aiming for December 2012, but please read "Conditions" below for more information.

Conditions:
- Minimum orders: manufacturing will NOT start until 150 orders are reached. Depending on when that number is reached, the planned release date might be pushed back. I currently have 240 names in my pre-order list, so hopefully the number will be reached quickly.
- Maximum orders: maximum # of orders for the first run is 240 devices, due to logistic constraints. Further runs are possible if and when another 50 orders are reached. Price for additional runs may vary.

Games available during launch window: Thexdex (classic Transformers like action game), Spelunker (similar to the NES version), Rollerball (pinball game from HAL with 4 tables), Stone of Wisdom (Zelda-esque action game), King's Valley (action puzzle game from Konami), Dragon's Lair (ADAM's version now in cartridge), Super Zaxxon (ADAM's version now in cartridge). Those games will be released by Team Pixelboy and CollectorVision, so you need to contact them about order.

Games planned for 2013: Donkey Kong (new port of the arcade game), Goonies (action adventure based on the popular movie), Knightmare (action shooter from Konami), Space Invaders Collection 10th Anniversary (enhanced version of the popular CV game).

FAQ:

- Does the SGM improve my existing ColecoVision games?
No, to take advantage of the SGM you need to use especially created SGM games.

- Does the SGM have its own cartridge slot?
No, SGM games are just like regular CV games and plugs into the CV cartridge slot.

- Do I need to remove the SGM to play regular games?
No, you don't. The SGM is compatible with virtually every ColecoVision game.

- Can I use the SGM with my ADAM?
Yes, you can.

- Why are you taking orders before the SGM is ready to ship? Why is it so expensive?
The SGM project is very expensive. The total cost for 200 units is $16,000US. Because of that I cannot pay for the whole manufacturing out of my pocket. The SGM uses a custom printed board, plastic case and packing, all professionally designed and manufactured and thus very expensive to manufacture in low volumes.

- Wasn't Donkey Kong supposed to be a launch game? Why has it been delayed to 2013?
Unfortunately, due to time and budget constraints I was forced to delay the game to be able to concentrate on the SGM and most of the launch day games.

- So is everything in place to start manufacturing of the SGM?
Kind of. The packing is missing pictures of the SGM, because we need the final plastic case for that, as the prototype 3D printed case isn't the correct color, and lacks the proper finishing that only a plastic mold can offer. So the first component that must be ordered is the case mold. The PCB is still going beta, but so far so good, we had a minor rev in the process to compensate for a ColecoVision design flaw that was giving us an out of sync video after power ons exclusively with regular CV games, but that has been fixed and I am now waiting for rev E. So we are going to probably have an extra month of beta before we go to manufacturing. But as long as I place the order for the boards by November, we should have the SGM in time for Christmas.

Some pictures and screenshots:

- The prototype SGM. Final case will be black, with the exact same finishing as the CV sides. The name plate uses the same silver material that Coleco used with their CV stuff. Interestingly Coleco used a PVC material for the name plates, even though they look like metal.
- Screenshots of the manual, catalog and box.The box designed was ordered from a professional printer to make sure it will assemble perfect and offers the proper sturdiness you might expect from such a box.

Next, more info about the games...

[Greg2600]

Congratulations on getting the product done, Eduardo. Looks very cool.

[starsoldier1]

It'll be cool to see some of these upgraded games in action.

[Leo_A]

Are ADAM's running on something other than the original printer power supply still going to work with this thing?

As I recall, what I use to enable not keeping the printer hooked up only supplies adequate power for the Colecovision side of the ADAM. So I assume I'd be okay unless someone made the crazy decision someday to make some ADAM specific SGM release that used the specialized capabilities of the ADAM?

[Rickstilwell1]

Makes me wonder if any emulators will be able to run the roms of these SGM games. I'd like to at least see videos of these games in action to see how they compare with NES and Sega Master System games.

[Jorpho]

- Officially licensed Coleco productReally? How did you manage that?

[opcode]

It'll be cool to see some of these upgraded games in action.

Sure. I will post a video soon.

[opcode]

Are ADAM's running on something other than the original printer power supply still going to work with this thing?

As I recall, what I use to enable not keeping the printer hooked up only supplies adequate power for the Colecovision side of the ADAM. So I assume I'd be okay unless someone made the crazy decision someday to make some ADAM specific SGM release that used the specialized capabilities of the ADAM?

It should be enough. The SGM uses mostly modern components that requires very little power.

[sloan]

This and the coming 7800 expansion module have made me wonder, will there be sufficient bang for the buck? Are enough developers involved in interesting new projects to take advantage of the expanded RAM and sound capabilities? What will this really equate to? Will there be fully scrolling platformers ala NES? Will this module put the Colecovision on equal footing with NES? How soon will new and exciting games be released for this?

[opcode]

This and the coming 7800 expansion module have made me wonder, will there be sufficient bang for the buck? Are enough developers involved in interesting new projects to take advantage of the expanded RAM and sound capabilities? What will this really equate to? Will there be fully scrolling platformers ala NES? Will this module put the Colecovision on equal footing with NES? How soon will new and exciting games be released for this?

Ok, for those who asked about games, we have 3 publishers committed to support the SGM: myself (www.opcodegames.com), Team Pixelboy (www.teampixelboy.com) and CollectorVision (www.collectorvision.com). We have the above 10 games already announced, but there are many more coming, projects that I am aware about but not in the position to discuss, as I am not the one behind them. So you will be getting 10 games during the launch window (about 6 months from the release date, with 5 games available from day 1) with many more to come. Like any new platform, games should get better as we master the details of the new hardware.

So here is an unofficial preview, some are very early work in progress, some are ports of some other platform (though the final SGM version is virtually identical). I will post an official video with all 10 games running on actual CV+SGM hardware in about 2 weeks, as we have all 10 ready for beta (some are still alpha at this point).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPbrzezve60
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI4J28ZjIHc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t56ims1bVak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSinFyg6Y5Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1SGAjnGLro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev_a06LdCr0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z2RmIQQjP4

[opcode]

Really? How did you manage that?

I shown them the prototype and they agreed. More about that hopefully soon.

[Jorpho]

To be precise, I wasn't aware that there was anyone still around who would be interested in officially licensing Coleco products.

[Compute]

To be precise, I wasn't aware that there was anyone still around who would be interested in officially licensing Coleco products.

Plenty of "Coleco" products out there:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleco-Sonic-Handheld-Game/dp/B000IO6LEC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349095614&sr=8-2&keywords=coleco Portable GOAC thing
http://www.amazon.com/Coleco-Video-Game-System-Plug/dp/B002T5XIVW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1349095614&sr=8-3&keywords=coleco 6-in-1 PnP thing
http://www.amazon.com/Coleco-Hand-Held-Electronic-Baseball/dp/B000J47J1U/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1349095614&sr=8-9&keywords=coleco Even Baseball!

My guess is the license isn't too much, and it's a nice touch to add to the product.

[Rickstilwell1]

Does anyone else here feel like this and the games for it are going to become an extremely rare "system and games to get a fullset for" years down the road and would really be a great investment while it lasts? If this thing and its games are only being made when enough people order them, and there is only a limited number of working ColecoVision systems out there to plug this into; let alone probably only hundreds of ColecoVision gamers still playing the system; I would suspect this stuff would become rare if the company ever stopped making them. The only way I can see it becoming less rare in the long run would be if someone developed and released a ColecoVision clone that accepted this expansion module so more people could buy the base system they need in order to use it. Then it could eventually be as common as the FC Twin / Retro Duo / Retron series of systems.

Has your company considered making a clone of the Colecovision system in order to expand the userbase of your upgrade product and games? There can only be so many working original Colecovision systems left in existence.

The fact that some people might not be able to afford every single game that comes out also means many of the games could be rare while a select few popular ones are a little more common. Like I see the Zelda clone possibly being the most popular game that will surface from this batch.

[kedawa]

If someone were to build a clone, they may as well just include the SGM in the design. I doubt it would add anything to the overall cost. It would certainly be cheaper than including the expansion port.

[Greg2600]

Rick, he proposed a "new" Colecovision in the past, and there was interest of course, but Eduardo was concerned about the costs involved, far more than he's already spent. I think it's a bit of a miracle he got this product to market, as it is. In fact his reasoning for choosing this SGM over a CV2 was exactly that, he was worried he could finish a CV2.

Will the value go up? I would say yes, look at the Cuttle Cart 2 for the 7800. Those are worth 300-400 bucks now, been out of print for several years. Granted the CC2 is far more usable to a larger segment of 7800 gamers/collectors. Unless someone comes along and outdoes his SGM, which I say is next to impossible. However, if you read Eduardo's postings on Atari Age (thread) (http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/203362-super-game-module-now-available-for-order/) you'd find that they are selling (already 130 orders), but to expect more than maybe a second run is unlikely.

It's a rare answer to a gaming what-if question. What would the Colecovision been capable of if they'd gone ahead with the "third" Expansion Module?

[Rickstilwell1]

Rick, he proposed a "new" Colecovision in the past, and there was interest of course, but Eduardo was concerned about the costs involved, far more than he's already spent. I think it's a bit of a miracle he got this product to market, as it is. In fact his reasoning for choosing this SGM over a CV2 was exactly that, he was worried he could finish a CV2.

Will the value go up? I would say yes, look at the Cuttle Cart 2 for the 7800. Those are worth 300-400 bucks now, been out of print for several years. Granted the CC2 is far more usable to a larger segment of 7800 gamers/collectors. Unless someone comes along and outdoes his SGM, which I say is next to impossible. However, if you read Eduardo's postings on Atari Age (thread) (http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/203362-super-game-module-now-available-for-order/) you'd find that they are selling (already 130 orders), but to expect more than maybe a second run is unlikely.

It's a rare answer to a gaming what-if question. What would the Colecovision been capable of if they'd gone ahead with the "third" Expansion Module?

Ah I guess it looks like if I want to play these games I better strike soon or be out of luck forever? I have to re-buy the Colecovision as well just to get it. I doubt the games would be compatible with emulators even if someone dumped them just because of the extra memory. I wonder how long I have to save up money for all this stuff before it's too late?

[Greg2600]

If you can't afford it, I wouldn't get depressed about it! Most of the Colecovision homebrew scene, as well as the SGM, are conversions from other systems like SG-1000 and MSX. So they are playable on emulators on for those systems.

[opcode]

The SG-1000 is basically a CV clone, so no SGM is required to port games from that system to the CV.
A number of programmers have shown interest on creating new games for the CV+SGM, so while the initial wave of games consists mostly of ports from other systems, soon that might no longer be the case.
I will be concentrating on arcade ports from now on, but I know from other developers that will be concentrating on original stuff, so hopefully we will have something for everyone. So I am confident that it is only going to get better from here.

About the new CV, yes, I have plans for that, once the SGM is behind me. The idea of a new improved console didn't prove popular with fans, so I will be basically redoing the original CV with modern components when possible to improved reliability. And just as the SGM, the most expensive part of such project would be case, so I am considering a replacement board for the original CV, so we can recycle the existing cases. But that is something that will depend on how much interest we get on such a project. If interest is high enough then we could think of a brand new custom case too.

Another project is a replacement for the CV controllers because, you know, the originals sucked even when they were brand new.

[rolenta]

I shown them the prototype and they agreed. More about that hopefully soon.

I'm curious which Coleco you talked to.

The Coleco and Colecovision trademark was owned River West Brands

Then a company called Coleco Holdings held it between 2008 and 2009

As of June 2012, it is owned by Coleco Entertainment Corp, a NJ company

And of course, sonce most of the games for the Colecovision were licensed, none of these companies can put out a system with them built in

[opcode]

I'm curious which Coleco you talked to.

The Coleco and Colecovision trademark was owned River West Brands

Then a company called Coleco Holdings held it between 2008 and 2009

As of June 2012, it is owned by Coleco Entertainment Corp, a NJ company

And of course, sonce most of the games for the Colecovision were licensed, none of these companies can put out a system with them built in

I got the license from Coleco Holdings. But that was when Mark was still taking care of all things Coleco. Then they had a partnership with Jeff (who is from NJ), and now he is taking care of the brand.

They never disclosed much information about their plans, though I know bits and pieces that I don't think would be wise to discuss in a public forum, but I would love to tell you everything in person, Mr Herman. I am a big fan of yours. Your book, Phoenix, is my bible for classic gaming, and actually the source where I learned most of what I know about classic gaming, while I was still living in Brazil in the 90s and had just a very slight idea about what had transpired here in the US during the golden age. SO looking forward to meet you someday.

[rolenta]

I got the license from Coleco Holdings. But that was when Mark was still taking care of all things Coleco. Then they had a partnership with Jeff (who is from NJ), and now he is taking care of the brand.

They never disclosed much information about their plans, though I know bits and pieces that I don't think would be wise to discuss in a public forum, but I would love to tell you everything in person, Mr Herman. I am a big fan of yours. Your book, Phoenix, is my bible for classic gaming, and actually the source where I learned most of what I know about classic gaming, while I was still living in Brazil in the 90s and had just a very slight idea about what had transpired here in the US during the golden age. SO looking forward to meet you someday.

Thanks for the kind words! I'd love to hear your story. If you are still in Franklin, MA, perhaps we could get together some time as I have family in Newton, MA that we visit frequently. Or if you're ever in NJ.........

[opcode]

Thanks for the kind words! I'd love to hear your story. If you are still in Franklin, MA, perhaps we could get together some time as I have family in Newton, MA that we visit frequently. Or if you're ever in NJ.........

That would be great, let's keep in touch and perhaps we can have lunch or dinner together when you come to MA or I go to NJ. It has been a while since last time I attended the DP meeting at Joe's store so that would be a more reason to go to NJ. And of course I would love to get both my Phoenix and ABC to VCS books signed. :)
BTW, just received news from the Coleco people. We are going to have a conference call this weekend.

Eduardo