@database CD32VIEW.guide @$ver CD32View1.01 @node main "CD남VIEW, Vol. 1, No. 1" C D 3 2 V I E W ---------------------------- The information source for the Amiga CD남 ---------------------------- Vol. 1, Issue 1 - March 1, 1994 Table of Contents: @{" The Front Page "link front} @{" New Game Reviews "link reviews} @{" Amiga News/Stuff "link anews} @{"Click here to see CD남" system "vt cd32.gif"} @{" The Back Page "link back} @ENDNODE @NODE FRONT "Welcome!" The Front Page @{" Editorial Column " link edit} - Welcome to CD남View! @{" How to Reach Us " link addr} - How to contact CD남View @ENDNODE @NODE edit "Editorial Page" Welcome to the inaugural issue of CD남View! You're probably asking yourself, "Why an electronic magazine for the CD남?" Videogamers don't have computers, do they? Well, I'll tell you why. I decided to start CD남View for two reasons. One being the fact that the CD남 add-ons will open the world of the CD남쟴o Amiga owners. To keep them informed of what's going on, CD남View was born. The other reason is the amount of misinformation on the CD남쟴hat was, and still is, being circulated on the electronic networks that criss cross the world. In particular, I am referring to FIDONet, since that's the most accessable network to me. A lot of proponents of the new videogame systems are bashing each other over the head with a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo that truly means little to the type of consumer that the CD남쟧s going to be aimed at. This newsletter will look at the CD남 in a totally objective manner. We will not hesitate to call a bad game a bad game or a bad product a bad product. Supposedly, CD남 proponents are notorious for saying that the CD남쟧s superior to everything, no matter what the truth may be. That won't happen here. The CD남 game system truly is a spectacular piece of equipment. A 32-bit gaming system with a CD-ROM drive and an optional full-motion video module for what some other systems with half the capability cost. That's a given. What's not is the software. The software is what I want to concentrate on most. To truly succeed, the CD남 needs quality software. To get support for quality software, it has to sell in large numbers. If anything and everything sells, then anything and everything (read: SHOVELWARE) will be released. Our aim is to give you an idea of what to buy and what to steer clear of. There are some real stinkers out there and there are some true classics (already!) available for the CD남. The problem is finding out what is what. That's where we come in. We're looking for those who share this same feeling and who want to write for us. You can contact me via FIDONet netmail at 1:2601/512. I'm also available via the Internet (see below for address) and I occasionally frequent Compuserve, and can be reached there. In return, I'll pass along the details on how you can contribute to the magazine as a writer. You can also pass any interesting news tidbits to us at those same addresses. We also welcome your comments, either positive or negative. If we make a mistake, point that out too. We're not perfect and we'll gladly accept corrections. I look forward to seeing this magazine spread as far as possible, so I'm also looking for contacts on the various commercial services as well as the FTP sites. Thanks and see you next issue! Sean Caszatt, editor & founder of CD남View Click here for @{"electronic addresses." link ADDR} @ENDNODE @NODE ADDR "How to Contact CD남View" CD남VIEW can be contacted via the following means: FIDONet Netmail: 1:2601/512 (Sean Caszatt) BBS Number: (412) 962-1590 Internet: Sean.Caszatt@f512.n2601.z1.fidonet.org 72143.521@compuserve.com Compuserve: 72143,521 Or good old Snail Mail: 2978 Ford Avenue Sharpsville, PA 16150 @ENDNODE @NODE REVIEWS "CD남 REVIEWS" CD남 REVIEWS - GAMES @{" Labyrinth of Time " link GAME1} - Electronic Art's first Amiga CD game! @{" Pirates! Gold " link GAME2} - Microprose enters the fray! @{" Mean Arenas " link GAME3} - Pac Man with booby traps! @{" Previously Reviewed... " link PREV} - Previous Reviews @{" Rating Explanation " link RATINGS} - How we rate the games. @ENDNODE @NODE GAME1 "Labyrinth of Time Review" Electronic Arts has thrown it's hat into the CD남 arena with it's first Amiga CD-ROM game. Although the game will work with the CD남, it is not a CD남쟳pecific release. It will also work on the Commodore CDTV as well as any Amiga with a CD-ROM drive and at least 1 megabyte of chip memory. As a result of this cross platform compatibility, the game does not use the CD남's AGA chipset. However, this does not stop it from being the best looking CD남 game on the market right now. How is that possible? LABYRINTH OF TIME uses interlaced HAM mode to display fully rendered 3D objects. HAM is capable of displaying pictures in 4,096 colors at the same time. HAM is available on ALL Amiga models. (It's also known as HAM6 now that the AGA machines such as the Amiga 1200 and Amiga 4000 have what is known as HAM8, which can display 262,000 simultaneous colors.) The object of the game is to manuever your way through the Labyrinth to break the evil grip of a wizard over the Earth and the world of the mortals...or something like that. Along the way, you will have to piece together puzzles and navigate through a dreamlike world full of all sorts of interesting things: like an old movie theatre, a mirror maze, and an old hotel. Everything looks fantastic. Your movements are controlled via a panel at the bottom of the screen. It features arrows to control your direction, a hand icon to pick things up and use them, a look icon to examine objects more closely and an inventory list (with an automatic mapper so you can't get lost too easily.) All that aside, the gameplay is slow. Moving from one scene to the next is time consuming as each screen needs to be read from the CD and then displayed. There is also no way to turn completely around in one move, one must turn twice to the right or left to reverse direction. Also, the CD남's controller moves the pointer very slowly. Plugging an Amiga mouse into the second port provides much speedier control. Some of the objects are out of perspective from one scene to the next, which can possibly cause confusion. It's possible to think something was hidden behind another object and is suddenly visible because you moved. When in fact, it's the same object drawn out of perspective. This leads to unnecessary confusion for the player who is given enough to explore without looking at the same item and wondering if it's new or not. The music that accompanies the game is wonderfully atmospheric, but don't expect it to give you clues or encouragement that you're going in the right direction. It's the best sounding music on any Amiga game ever. It just doesn't seem appropriate sometimes. Overall, the game is wonderful to look at and listen to, but not as fun to play. I desperately wanted to say that this is THE CD남 game to get right now, but it's not. It's too slow and clunky on the user interface side of things to be fun. It's interesting to explore, but not something that will keep you coming back again and again. It does allow you to save games in the CD남's memory and the auto-mapping feature is a definite plus. But, it just doesn't have the UMPH in the gameplay department. @{"Ratings:" link RATINGS} Graphics: 95% Manufacturer: Sound: 90% Electronic Arts Gameplay: 60% 1450 Fashion Island Road Control: 70% San Mateo, CA 94404 OVERALL RATING: 79% Video Mode: NTSC @ENDNODE @NODE GAME2 "Pirates! Gold Review" PIRATES! GOLD is a game about a historical era. It also has a history of it's own. Going as far back as the Commodore 64 computer, gamers have been putting themselves in the place of a swashbuckler on the Caribbean. Fighting, sailing and dueling in the name of gold and riches. Back then, the game was known as PIRATES! Now, PIRATES! has returned in a new version, PIRATES! GOLD. This new version seems to be the same game with some slight graphics enhancements and some other superficial tweaking. Essentially, however, it's the same game as the one played on the Commodore 64. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. A good game is a good game no matter what platform its played on...unless something is ruined in the translation, that is. Fortunately, PIRATES! GOLD has survived intact. Unfortunately, this is not a game that tests the CD남's limits. Now, you're probably going to hear that about a lot of games until one comes down the pike that DOES push the envelope. In this case, we're not going to count it against PIRATES! GOLD. It's a good solid, fun game. It's worth the price of admission, so to speak. The game casts you as either a young swashbuckler just acquiring his first ship or as a famous explorer set on completing one of several expeditions. The main point of the game is to sail around. (Sounds like fun, huh?) You can encounter ships on the open ocean and fight or get information from them. The information is useful in planning treasure hunts as well as attacks on port cities. You can also dock at some port cities as long as the flag you're flying agrees with the particular administration running the city. While you're there, you can get a stronger crew, buy a bigger ship or bank your stash. The game is involving because you never quite know how things are going to turn out. Not that the game's unpredictable, but there is a sense of adventure in the game. You aren't quite sure who's going to come bounding onto your ship with sword-in-hand asking for a fight, for example. The graphics aren't great. They're standard Amiga game-type graphics which are, of course, just as good as something like the Genesis or SNES machines. They don't push the envelope of performance and if not for a rather nice 3D animation introduction, you'd never know it was a game for a 32-bit game machine. But, like we said, we're not going to hold that against it. The sound, however, is marvelous. The music is wonderful. Listen for the "remix" version of the PIRATES! GOLD theme! It's doubtful this kind of sound could be accomplished on anything less than the CD남. Not every game can be responsible for pushing the CD남 to its limits and this game more than makes up for what it lacks in graphics with gameplay. @{"Ratings:" link ratings} Graphics: 75% Manufacturer: Sound: 90% MicroProse, Ltd. Gameplay: 95% The Ridge, Chipping Sodbury Control: 90% Avon, BS17 6AY UK OVERALL RATING: 87.5% Video Mode: NTSC @ENDNODE @NODE GAME3 "Mean Arenas Review" "Yuck!" That was my first reaction to the graphics of MEAN ARENAS. I thought to myself, "When was this released?" Scanning the box for a copyright date, I found that, indeed, this was a new game. So, I popped the disc into the CD남 and prepared myself to be disappointed. I wasn't totally disappointed. In fact, I found myself rather entertained. That's the sign of a good game. Unfortunately, it's not all good. The major problem with the game is that it's in PAL video mode. I played the game on an NTSC CD남 connected to a Commodore 1084s monitor through its composite jacks. The CD남 defaulted to an NTSC screen when it booted up. That caused the bottom of the screen to be cut off. I had to get the machine to boot in PAL to see the whole screen. That wasn't a problem for me because I had a mouse that I could plug into the second game port. Using the "hold the two mouse buttons down when the CD남 boots up" trick, the machine boots in PAL mode. However, someone who's bought the game and doesn't have a monitor that can display PAL or the knowledge on how to get the machine into PAL mode in the first place is, basically, screwed. Important information concerning gameplay appears in the area that isn't visible to NTSC users. That's a BIG minus. Once that was straightened out, I discovered that the game has a certain charm. Combining the "TV show of the future" approach of SMASH-TV and the maze chase aspect of PAC MAN, MEAN ARENAS is not going to win any originality awards. However, it does introduce a pair of comedic announcers who cover the action and make comments that give the game a real atmosphere. That's a BIG plus. So, what's the game like? Well, basically, one moves around mazes picking stuff up while avoiding the "bad guys". MEAN ARENAS' "bad guys" come in all shapes and sizes. Part of the fun is finding out what things in the maze do. There are booby traps, power-ups and teleporters. There are even switches that move the walls, revealing even more stuff. Controlling your on-screen character is relatively easy. It's nice to be able to get from Point A to Point B without worrying about an awkward control system. With the high number of enemies that are after you in MEAN ARENAS, that's a real comfort. I don't want to ruin the game by giving away too much of it. Just be aware that the game is not groundbreaking in concept or appearance. It IS fun to play. I hesitate to recommend MEAN ARENAS to everyone due to the PAL display problem. To get the full enjoyment out of the game, one has to see the whole screen. A regular TV set cannot display a PAL signal. Doing so would render the game completely unplayable as well as unwatchable. If you can display a PAL signal on your monitor then go ahead and grab MEAN ARENAS. If you can't view PAL on your monitor or if you are using a TV set as your display device, wait for an NTSC version of the game. If you do get the PAL version, make sure you have an Amiga-compatible mouse handy to put the machine in PAL mode by holding the two mouse buttons down when the CD남 boots up and then selecting "PAL" from the Display Options menu. MEAN ARENAS is a game that you'll come back to again and again...as long as you can see what you're doing. @{"Ratings:" link ratings} Graphics: 55% Manufacturer: Sound: 75% I.C.E. Gameplay: 85% Bridgehouse, Merrywalks Control: 85% Stoud, Glos GL5 1QA UK OVERALL RATING: 75% Video Mode: PAL @ENDNODE @NODE prev "Previous CD남 Reviews" A little while ago, on FIDONet, I posted some "spot" reviews of some of the original batch of CD남 titles available. Rather than expand those reviews into something completely different, I just decided to reprint them here. These same reviews were re-printed in Amiga Report. (Since I never gave permission to have them re-printed in Amiga Report, there really should be no problem printing them in my own magazine.) In the next issue of CD남View, I will recap all the ratings from this issue as well as attempt to translate the star rating system I used for these reviews into the rating system we currently use. Here it is...the original review. The spawning of CD남View! Here's my personal opinion on the CD남 titles I've seen so far: (by "seen", I mean "sat down and played for a while") Ratings: (*****) = best (*) = worst OSCAR - nice platform game, with really good parallel scrolling. Some of the screens are too "busy", and it's hard to see what you're doing with all the stuff in the background. Well done, though, and just as good as Sonic and the Mario games. (****) PINBALL FANTASIES - not exactly the most eye-catching game, but it is undeniably the most addictive game I've ever played. You know it's addictive when you're hitting the start button for that "just one more time" for about an hour. Great CD sound on this one. (*****) SLEEPWALKER - I didn't like it on the Amiga, and I still don't like it on the CD남. It's not my type of game at all. It's really "different", but contrary to what some think...different isn't always good. The graphics are not much, and the gameplay is lousy. Good thing it's free with the console, because it's not worth buying. (*) CASTLES II - A strategy game for those that like medieval stuff. The graphics are good and the CD sound in the intro is spectacular. It seems like a game one could get wrapped up in, but it's hampered by the CD남's controller. This was a game meant for a computer with a mouse, not a game console with a keypad controller. I didn't try plugging in a mouse on the 2nd port. It may help...but still... (** 1/2) LIBERATION - A definite cool game! 3D texture mapped graphics and a large world to roam about in make this a game worthy of the CD남 and vice versa. It has a lot of options and is very open-ended. A lot of fun to explore and get lost in. Not a game that one can start playing in two seconds, but one that you grow into and don't grow out of. Really good! (*****) WHALE'S VOYAGE - Another crap Amiga game trying to milk the CD남 market for some sales. The game is not worth buying for any system. Avoid at all costs and at any price. (no stars) DEEP CORE - Adequate shoot-em-up with a lot of stuff to blow up. Nothing original, just mindless destruction. Good for what it is. Nothing special in the graphics department. (The intro sequence doesn't not appear to be converted from PAL to NTSC, so it jumps and flickers...kind of annoying, but still quite readable and does not affect the game.) (***) ROBOCOD: JAMES POND 2 - More platform action. A lot cleaner display wise than OSCAR, but not quite as frantic and fun. Very nice graphics and sound. (***). TROLLS - Another platform game. A little more frantic than OSCAR and a little more annoying. So, it balances out. The graphics are colorful and the sound is good. Nothing better than a 16 bit console though, so not really worth it, if you have OSCAR already. (They're practically the same game.) (***) ZOOL - The Amiga's Sonic beater comes to the CD남. A really cool 3D rendered Zool character is featured in the intro...and that's where the differences stop. If you've seen ZOOL AGA on the A1200 or A4000, then you've seen this game. Nothing fascinating...just solid play. I prefer OSCAR as platforms go. (***) NIGEL MANSELL'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACING - A solid race game. Much improved over the A1200 version of the game in an intangible way. I didn't enjoy the Amiga version of this game at all for some reason. The CD남 version is good, solid fun. The game is fast, easy to control and a lot of fun. The graphics are quite good, and the sound is fair (what do you what from a racing game?) Solid entertainment. (*** 1/2) D/GENERATION - A novel puzzle/maze/shoot-em-up. Unfortunately, the graphics are on a par with the old 8-bit NES console and not a 32-bit CD-ROM based system. The gameplay is good, but the graphics are a real letdown. (**) ARABIAN NIGHTS - Yet another damn platform game. Annoying and not really any good. There's nothing to stand it apart from the other platform games on this system other than maybe the price. It's cheaper than the others, but remember, you get what you pay for. (**) So far, these are the ones I've played. Far and away the most addicting game is PINBALL FANTASIES. It's one of the most fun games I've played on any system ever. But, it comes with the machine in the US/Canada release of the console, and what's going to have to sell the machine are the OTHER titles. Right now, LIBERATION and OSCAR are the only other two titles I'd buy. (Maybe NIGEL MANSELL too.) ------- Remember, this was written before I'd even thought of putting together CD남View. I'll translate this "star" rating system into the current system and will print the results in next month's issue. @ENDNODE @NODE RATINGS "The Ratings - Explained" We judge the games we review in four different categories: Graphics -------- This is pretty self explanatory. The higher the percentile, the better the graphics are. Sound ----- Another no-brainer. The higher the percentile, the better the sound. Although, this also relates to it's coordination with the gameplay. If the sound seems inappropriate for the type of game it is, the game will score lower in the Sound category even if the sounds are technically well done. Gameplay -------- The gameplay refers to the addictive quality of the game as well as the way the game plays. If you find your self sitting and watching rather than interacting with the game, the game will score lower than one that actually involves you. Control ------- This refers to how easy the game is to control given the standard CD남 controller. A game requiring a special controller that is not specified or not included will be penalized. A game that comes with a special controller or one that recommends that, say, an Amiga mouse might work better than the standard CD남 controller will not be penalized. @ENDNODE @NODE ANEWS "Amiga/CD남 News & Stuff" Amiga & CD남 News @{" CD남 vs. the Competition " link SPECS} - The lowdown on the game systems. @{" Amigaman Speaks Out " link AMAN} - Mail order house goes on record @{" Rumors/Rumors/Rumors " link RUMORS} - What's buzzing around. @ENDNODE @NODE SPECS "CD남 vs. the Competition" Note: This is the absolute LAST time we'll print this list! (Yeah, it's also the FIRST time, but this is not what we want to get involved in.) The CD남 has been reviewed in a number of different videogame magazines. For some reason, the machine never seems to have the same specs from one magazine to the next. It's not because the machine keeps changing, believe me. For what it's worth, we're going to list the CD남's specs and compare them with the competition as we see it. We see the Philips CD-I, the Atari Jaguar, the Sega CD and the Panasonic/3DO R.E.A.L. system as the major competitors. Please remember that specs have a way of only telling half of the story. Just because one system sounds fantastic in a technical light doesn't mean the software's any good. The software is what will make or break a videogame system. Along with the specs, we'll add a few little notes on each system. We welcome any comments from any one with better information about the other systems. We don't profess to be experts on the other systems, and it's possible our information is wrong. We do not want to skew the information towards any particular system on the basis of a mistake. The Specs --------- @{" Panasonic/3DO R.E.A.L. " link 3do} @{" Atari Jaguar " link jag} @{" Philips CD-I " link cdi} @{" Commodore CD남 " link comm} @{" Sega CD " link sega} @ENDNODE @NODE 3DO "Panasonic/3DO Spec Sheet" Panasonic/3DO's R.E.A.L. System (aka 3DO) PROCESSOR: 32-bit SPEED: 12.5 Mhz RESOLUTION: 640x480 pixels GRAPHICS: 64 million pixels per second animation COLORS: 24-bit, 32,000 on screen from a 16.7 million color palette SOUND: 8 channel, stereo 16-bit CD PRICE: $699.99 Notes: Still a small software selection, although games in development look impressive. The high price has caused doubters to rumble about it's impending failure. It's still too early to tell and it's possible the price may drop. It has been promoted with a limited campaign, but has a tremendously high profile due to the Panasonic name brand and the involvement of former EA honcho Trip Hawkins. Recently, price cutting has been reported and this may lead to the system's sales picking up a notch or two. @ENDNODE @NODE JAG "Atari Jaguar Spec Sheet" Atari's Jaguar PROCESSOR: 64-bit SPEED: 55 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second) RESOLUTION: 720x576 pixels GRAPHICS: 850 million pixels per second animation COLORS: 16.7 million colors SOUND: DSP with 13.3 Mhz 68000 COST: $250.00 Notes: Atari, who let Nintendo sneak up and steal the videogame market from them in the late '80's, is apparently back with a vengeance. They have awakened their slumbering marketing department and have given this system the highest profile they can. It's an impressive system, but with a software selection that is still too small to make it a "must own" system. The cost of the system is for the cartridge based console. A CD-ROM unit will be available for an additional cost, but price and expected availablility date were not clear. @ENDNODE @NODE cdi "Philips CD-I Spec Sheet" Phillips CD-I PROCESSOR: Motorola 608040 (not the 68040) SPEED: 15 Mhz RESOLUTION: 384x280, 768x560 or a combination of the two COLORS: Up to 32,768 from a 16.7 million palette GRAPHICS: Capable of full screen full-motion video with DV cartridge SOUND: CD Audio up to 1.2 hours, ADPCM Level A up to 2.4 hours, Level B up to 4.8 hours, Level C up to 9.6 hours PRICE: $499.00 for basic system (Note: I have no way of verifying the above specs so, please if you can confirm or offer corrections, please do so.) Notes: The Phillips CD-I has been around a long time. It originally competed with the CDTV in 1991. (The CDTV actually outsold it then.) Phillips have been pushing CD-I hard lately and have effectively advertised it's capabilities via infomercials. The software being released now is light years ahead of original releases, but still the quality is only evident in recent titles. @ENDNODE @NODE comm "Commodore CD남 Spec Sheet" Commodore CD남 PROCESSOR: Motorola 68EC020 (32-bit) SPEED: 14 Mhz RESOLUTION: 320x256 up to 1280x512 COLORS: Up to 262,000 from a palette of 16.7 million GRAPHICS: AGA Chipset SOUND: 4 Channel, stereo 8-bit CD PRICE: $399.00 Notes: Like the Jaguar and the 3DO, the CD남 is brand new. And just like those systems, it's too early to tell if it will succeed in the marketplace. It is selling like gangbusters in Europe, but has not, as of yet, been officially released to mass-merchandisers in the United States. While it is true that the CD남쟦as more software available now than the 3DO and the Jaguar combined, that fact is misleading. The CD남 can run some of the old CDTV titles and those were obviously not developed as CD남 titles. However, that does point a finger to one asset the CD남 has, and that's a large developer base with an established platform. However, whether that software will be any good remains unknown. @ENDNODE @NODE sega "Sega CD Spec Sheet" Sega CD PROCESSOR: Motorola 68000 (16 bit) SPEED: 12.5 Mhz RESOLUTION: 320x200 COLORS: 64 from 512 color palette, 16 when running full motion video. SOUND: 8 channel PCM PRICE: $299.00 (excluding price of Sega Genesis console which is required to use the system) Notes: The Sega CD is probably the most successful of the CD-ROM based game consoles. Although, most of the time it's been out, there's been nothing in it's price/performance class. It has a large number of titles available, but Sega owners themselves complain that the games are usually the same as the cartridge versions with only minor enhancements. (That is, of course, if there is a cartridge version of the same game available.) Although it's starting to show it's age, it's still selling quite well due to Sega's heavy advertising and constant promotion via TV ads. @ENDNODE @NODE AMAN "Amigaman Speaks Out" Amigaman Speaks Out Fueled by rumors of the impending death of the Amiga in the North American market spread by doom and gloomers, the president of the large Amiga mail order firm Amigaman (Computer Basics, Inc.) has released the following statement of Commodore's position. 2/9/94 The long road back: There seems to be a lot to moan about these days in the Amiga community. Everywhere you turn, you read or hear rumors and critics complaining of Commodore's troubles. Commodore indeed has been immersed in turmoil and pessimistic predictions. In the last eight months, there have been shortages of equipment and spare parts and a lack of visibility. Calling Commodore's US office only gets you an answering machine. The seeming lack of any effort here in the US is attributed entirely to one frustrating fact ... the lack of operating capital at Commodore. After a loss of $350 million last year, Commodore has had a real struggle meeting its financial responsibilities to vendors and lenders. This has caused Commodore to concentrate on other priorities and to focus their money and efforts where they create the best return. Consider these facts: 1. Commodore sells more computers in a month in the UK than they sell in the US in a year. 2. Commodore makes more profit on the units sold in Europe than they do on units here. 3. The North American market requires Commodore to build a special NTSC version of their computers. 4. One of the keys to Commodore's success is the CD남. 5. This past fall, Commodore concentrated their production resources on the CD남. There have been no NTSC Amiga 1200s made since September, which has drained stock levels down to zero. 6. From September through Christmas, Commodore sold over 100,000 CD남's and almost 200,000 A1200 computers in Europe. This compared to less than 10,000 computers here in North America. 7. The success in Europe this fall has defined Commodore's road to success and currently takes most of Commodore's resources to support and maintain. As you can see, Commodore has had very little incentive to support the meager North American market at this time. In January, there seemed to be a lot of concern by those in the Amiga business community that Commodore may desert the North American market altogether. But, all is not lost. Commodore knows that the North American market is the largest in the world and overall success for Commodore will be defined by the success of the CD남 in the US. Commodore's efforts this fall in Europe have been an exercise in preparing for an all out push of the CD남 in the US in 1994. Several positive signs have surfaced here in the first weeks of February: 1. February 1 was a magic date for CBM with some of their lenders and they have made it past that date. 2. Commodore has scheduled their long awaited stockholders meeting for March 2. 3. Commodore has agreed to build up to 5000 A1200s for the North American distributors. A1200s should be back in good supply in March, but customers should be prepared to pay a little more. In the mid $400, I suspect. 4. Commodore has several middle tier chain stores interested in the CD남 and it looks like they are prepared to release it to the US market in March. Release through normal dealer channels will follow. The dealer channel will also get the soon to be released CD남 compatable drive for the A1200. 5. The A4000 tower is reportedly in production as we speak and should show up here in the US by early March. (Remember it's a long boat ride over here.) Best of all, it will be priced just a few hundred dollars above the current desk top unit. Also, soon to be released is a less expensive desktop A4000 with an 030 processor. 6. Monitors remain a problem for Commodore, but several distributors are moving to bring alternatives into the market. Despite all the difficulties this winter, demand for Amiga equipment remains high. The CD남 is a marvelous machine, far superior in price-performance to anything else available now. Because of its success in Europe, software for it is already flowing very fast. Limited supplies of units here as well as the Full Motion Video Module (which has been shipping for about 3 weeks) have been quickly bought up. There is nothing like watching a CD VIDEO with its movie theater-like stereo sound. As Commodore moves to position the CD남 in the North American market, things will continue to be tight for the traditional Amiga computer channel. But if Commodore can carve out a substantial market share for the CD남 in 1994, especially in the Christmas quarter, I think you will find the US market embracing the Amiga computer like it never has before. Remember that in front of the name of every CD남 sold is the word AMIGA. Bill Smith, President Computer Basics/AMIGAMAN @ENDNODE @NODE RUMORS "Rumors/Rumors/Rumors" Rumors...oh, those nasty rumors: @{" Commodore's A1200/Cd남 Add On " link 12cd} - Is it or isn't it coming? @{" Microbotics CD남 A1200 Expander " link micr} - A1200 for your Cd남? Please remember that all information found in this section is based on information from sources that may or may not know what's really going on. Rumors make for interesting conversation. Rumors make for active imaginations. Don't base purchasing decisions on anything other than something you've seen or know is true. @ENDNODE @NODE 12CD "Commodore's A1200/CD남 Add On" Is the Amiga 1200/CD남 add on coming? A lot of people have been asking that question since the CD남쟷as announced. There is no firm answer yet, apparently. It was reported in at least one British Amiga magazine that Commodore has announced that it's not going to be released. However, Commodore is still talking about it actively as if it were something that is about to start shipping...although they're strangely quiet as far as a date is concerned. So, is it coming? We think so. When? Who knows? @ENDNODE @NODE MICR "Microbotics A1200 adapter for the CD남" On the flip side of things, Microbotics is rumored to be making an expander that will allow CD남 owners to expand their units into a full Amiga 1200 computer. This unit is said to fit into the same expansion slot used by the MPEG module while still allowing the use of the MPEG module. It's also possible that there will be a version that will sit under the CD남, allowing for internal disk drives and card slots. We probably won't see either version for a considerable period of time, possibly up to six months. @ENDNODE @NODE BACK "The Back Page" CD남View's The Back Page @{" Amiga/CD남 Dealers " link dealers} @{" What's coming next month? " link next} @{"CD남View Distribution Sites" link sites} @ENDNODE @NODE DEALERS "Amiga/CD남 Dealer Directory" CD남View Dealer Directory @{" Dealer Listing " link DEALLIST} @{"HOW TO GET IN THE LISTING" link HOWTO} @ENDNODE @NODE DEALLIST "CD남View's Amiga/CD남 Dealer Listing" CD남View Dealer Listing: Computer Basics, Inc./Amigaman 1490 N. Hermitage Road Hermitage, PA 16148 Phone: (412) 962-0533 Fax: (412) 962-0279 BBS: (412) 962-0961 Note: CD남View does not endorse the dealers listed here. They are listed for the convienence of our readers. No compensation is required to be listed. @ENDNODE @NODE HOWTO "How to get listed in the CD남View Dealer Listing" If you're an Amiga dealer or CD남 dealer, big or small, please send us your business' name, address, telephone number and fax number to be listed here. We'd like to provide our readership with a list of places where accessories and software can be found. We can be reached via the Internet, FIDONet Netmail or US Mail. Internet: Sean.Caszatt@f512.n2601.z1.fidonet.org 72143.521@compuserve.com Compuserve: 72143,521 FIDONet Netmail: Sean Caszatt at 1:2601/512.0 US Mail: Sean Caszatt 2978 Ford Avenue Sharpsville, PA 16150 @ENDNODE @NODE NEXT "What's coming next issue?" In the April, 1994 issue of CD남View, look for the following: o Reviews of Microcosm, Diggers and John Barnes European Football o A look at the MPEG Full Motion Video Module featuring reviews of several CD-VIDEOs including STAR TREK VI and PLAYBOY'S COMPLETE MASSAGE o CDTV titles - What works and what doesn't work with the CD남? o Can you run CD남 titles on a CD-ROM equipped Amiga? We'll take a look at some in the introduction of a new column. @ENDNODE @NODE SITES "CD남View Distribution Sites" CD남View Distribution Sites --------------------------- The latest issue of CD남View can be file-requested (FREQ'd) at these BBS' under the magic name CD32VIEW. You can also download the magazine from these systems in the traditional way as well. Project Aurora Sharpsville, PA (412)962-1590 FIDONet 1:2601/512 Sysop: Sean Caszatt Video Game Info Svc Glen Ridge, NJ (201)509-7851 FIDONet 1:2605/156 Sysop: Mark Astarita The Gateway BBS Biloxi, MS (601)374-2697 FIDONet 1:3604/60 Sysop: Stace Cunningham Glenn's World Salem, OR (503)581-6524 FIDONet 1:3406/32 Sysop: Glenn Schworak Harbour Lights Kennebunkport, ME (207)967-3719 FIDONet 1:326/209 Sysop: Rick Lembree Mike's Video House Glendale, CA (818)240-5769 FIDONet 1:102/852 Sysop: Mike Moon We're also looking for non-FIDONet sites as well, so if you run a BBS and would like to be a distribution site, don't hesitate to ask. To become an official distribution site, please leave netmail to Sean Caszatt at 1:2601/512 or call Project Aurora direct. More sites are needed!!!! @ENDNODE