[Coco] Nick's Survey results

[Sylvain Rousseau]

Hello,

My name is Sylvain Rousseau.  I acquire a Coco3 last year and I like to 
play games in RSDOS with it.
It's the principale activity I have with my Coco3 but I like to program in 
RSDOS in the past (80's) so
I expect to do it again soon.

Last year a bought somes games from Sundog Systems.  I really like it.

So I am interested in new games for Coco3.

Sylvain

>The survey so far isn't a raging success with only 6 responses so far. I
>guess it's still early to call but I am getting some data about the current
>CoCo market and community.
>
>The results so far are of no surprise. Here is my summary, adding in some of
>my own personal observations from the list.
>
>My purpose for the survey is to ascertain the viability of me spending the
>next 6-12 months of my precious little spare time to develop another CoCo3
>game. I like developing games for the CoCo but the enjoyment falls a bit
>flat if there are few people to appreciate the effort.
>
>I see the CoCo community as a mature group of adults who are past the games
>stage and primarily interested in communicating with one another and are
>fond of OS9.
>
>While there are over 100 users on this list, the number of "active users"
>appears far less, probably 20-25 with the majority taking a "back seat
>observers post". Correct me if I'm wrong on this.
>
>As for active developers of saleable/commercial level products, this number
>falls even further with people such as Mark Marlett and Curtis Boyle as the
>main ones that I can see at this point. Again, correct me if I'm wrong.
>
>
>
>I have a few questions to ask.
>
>
>
>1) Has anyone developed a new (and better!) gui for OS-9?
>
>It's probably a bit late to suggest this but I feel OS-9 really needs an
>injection of user friendliness that may attract other less OS-9 centric
>people to OS-9. I know I've tried 3 times in my lifetime and each time I
>threw it across the room in discust with it's unfriendliness, slowness and
>bugginess. This was in the early days of CoCo OS-9 when there were bug lists
>for OS-9 spanning several pages. I understand the Nitros9 is far better but
>has anything been developed to utilize this added power of Nitros9?
>
>2) It seems to me that what the CoCo needs a central website that all CoCo
>users can look at to keep up with what's going on in the CoCo world. Back in
>the "good-old-days" we had the CoCo magazines as a way of keeping up to
>date. Later, there was ???? (forgot his name) website that was kept
>up-to-date with CoCo developments. Now it seems all that is lost. Apart from
>this CoCoList (thanks Dennis!) We need a site were we can look and see what
>products are in development by others, read up on the latest CoCo news and
>going on's (Fests etc).
>
>3) Anyone interested in a good pinball game for the CoCo? What about an
>arcade perfect version of Defender? A new CoCo3 update of Zaxxon, like Z'89
>only faster and extended gameplay?
>
>4) And lastly, has anyone been able to find out more info about this
>mystical 256 color mode of the GIME? Does it or does it not exist? I'm still
>looking for the author of the book, "Super Extended Color Basic Unravelled".
>Does anyone know where I can contact someone from Spectral Associates? These
>guys worked closely with Radio Shack during those CoCo3 development days and
>may have some answers.
>
>
>
>Ok, off my soap box now before the tomatoes start to fly!
>
>Nickolas Marentes
>
>
>
>--
>Coco mailing list
>Coco at maltedmedia.com
>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco



Sylvain Rousseau, P.Eng
Comlab Inc.
2300 Leon-Harmel, suite 220
Quebec (Quebec)
Canada
G1N 4L2
Tel:418-682-3380
FAX:418-682-8996