Retro Games Ltd clarifies things for fans of its hardware after news of Commodore’s revival, lead by retro enthusiast Perifractic.
If you’re as excited about the news of Commodore’s return as I am, you might have spent a few moments pondering on the number of devices based on their classic computers.
Naturally, I’m referring to RGL’s TheC64 Mini, TheC64, and TheA500 Mini systems, which ship with games pre-installed and are based on the Commodore 64 and Amiga 500. Oh, and there’s TheVIC-20, too.
What Retro Games Ltd says about Commodore
Posting on Facebook, Retro Games Ltd has stated:
“Just to avoid people getting confused, and with people already commenting on posts.
The recent news ref the Commodore brand has no real relevance to us, nor the pending THE A1200, nor in fact any of our products in general.
We will be making announcements on our revised release timeline soon, but to be very clear once again, the Commodore brand news is not relevant to our releases, but to also be very clear all is well with all our pending releases, keep watching!”
Subscribe to our newsletter!
They later replied to a query about licensing:
“…we pay game owners royalties, other IP owners, and with rising global manufacturing and transport costs rising we have no desire to have to charge you guys even more by adding further license fees”
So, in short, RGL has no intention of using the Commodore name. Which, when you think about it, is fair enough. Their products are emulation systems that resemble old computers, they don’t have a Commodore badge (and have been at pains to avoid using the logo) and as such a licence is not required.
It’s a shame, of course, but the easier to get retro games into the hands of the masses without individual settings for each title in an emulator, the better.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
