Perifractic’s Retro Recipes (Perifractic being the online handle of retro enthusiast Christian Simpson) has released a new video about how to save Commodore.
When a channel you subscribe to releases a video called “Can we save Commodore?” it’s a good idea to watch it. Of course, my initial reaction was “how can this happen, and what can fans do to save Commodore?”
But watching Perifractic’s latest video actually brings a whole new dimension to this. It isn’t just about how a few fans might save Commodore and bring the brand back into prominence. It’s about how Perifractic himself, plus a group of other Commodore enthusiasts, are actually in the throes of doing just that!
How an idea to save Commodore snowballed
Checking out this video will help to contextualize everything for you. In short, Perifractic is, like many of us, a longterm Commodore fan, and has watched in disappointment as the brand has faded from view. This is particularly galling, I think, when we observe Atari’s recent revival.
But he’s managed to find a way to do something about it.
Commodore’s various trademarks have recently been purchased by a single owner, Commodore Corporation BV. Perifractic’s plan, explained in the video, is to license the rights, which then allows community members to sublicense the brand. So, those retro computing products for or related to the C64? They’d be able to officially display the Commodore name.
One key example was enabling the Mega 65 to finally become the Commodore 65.
It sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?
But there’s more. The plan also features a charity initiative, “Commodore Care” which aims to introduce Commodore computers into children’s hospitals, schools, and foster homes, providing a positive experience for underprivileged kids, and Perifractic has pledged $150,000 to kickstart that plan.
Anyhow, this is just a portion of what happens in the video, which nicely frames Christian/Perifractic’s love of Commodore. However, I reckon you should watch through to the end… or skip to the bit where this project takes a surprising new turn.
Could Perifractic end up buying Commodore? We’ll be keep an eye on this.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
