The young Dutch company Bazix is to start the on-line sale of retro games this fall. Initially computer games will be sold which in the past were released for the computer system ?MSX.? The hundreds of games, which have been designed for this once popular system in both Europe and Japan, will be re-released one by one under license of the original developers on the website www.woomb.net. By means of emulation, these games are now available for Windows PCs. Bazix is doing this in cooperation with Japanese companies MSX Association, which manages the copyrights and trademarks concerning the MSX system, and D4 Enterprise, which manages the Japanese computer games licenses and is in charge of the Japanese version of WOOMB. If necessary, Japanese-speaking games will be released for the first time in English translated versions.
Many of these titles have never before been available commercially to the European market, nor have they been made compatible for this market. Besides Japanese software titles WOOMB will also be distributing software by European and American software producers.
Bazix will also act as intermediary in localizing and releasing European and American software in Amusement Center?s Plus and Project EGG, the Japanese versions of WOOMB. WOOMB and Amusement Center will be exchanging games among themselves as it were. In two years time, Project EGG re-released over 300 retrogames for several platforms (MSX, PC-Engine, PC-9801, Sega Megadrive, X68000). During this period, Project EGG managed to win the hearts of a multitude of Japanese gaming fans. WOOMB is applying this success formula to the English-speaking market: for a small fee per month these games can be bought separately and upon payment can be downloaded immediately.
Bazix is hoping to preserve many games from the 1980s and 1990s, which are often characterized by a high degree of originality and excellent game play, through WOOMB for future generations while respecting software copyrights. Companies that have released MSX software in the past and are interested in re-releasing them through WOOMB and EGG can contact Bazix for information about adding these titles to the catalogue. Moreover, anyone with questions pertaining to the sale of MSX systems (also through emulation), the use of the MSX logo, or the distribution of MSX software can contact Bazix for information.
At the moment, the finishing touches are put on the WOOMB website and the initial assortment is being put together. If the sale of MSX games is a success, Bazix will look into the possibility of expanding its activities to supplying software for platforms such as PC-9801, X68000, which were very popular systems in Japan in the late 1980s, and the like, and releasing this software for other operating systems such as Linux and Mac OS-X. Furthermore, plans are in the making for releasing software for operating systems on cellular phones.
For further information, contact Bazix (info@bazix.nl ; 050-3112518 or 06-24601134)
Links:
Bazix: http://www.bazix.nl/
WOOMB: http://www.woomb.net/
MSX Association: http://www.msxa.fcm.co.jp/
D4 Enterprise: http://www.d4e.co.jp/
Amusement Center: http://www.amusement-center.com/
Project EGG: http://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/
Additional information:
MSX ? Early 1980s Microsoft, the Japanese company ASCII, and 21 different producers of electronic equipment (among them Philips, Sony, and Matsushita/Panasonic) launched a home computer system set to standardize the market. The revolutionary idea behind the system, meant for both business application as well as entertainment, is summed up briefly in one of its name?s meanings: Machines with Software eXchangeability. Software written for a Sony MSX computer would run without a problem on MSX computers by other brands. A powerful yet simple programming language, Microsoft BASIC, gave rise to great popularity for the MSX and its most employed meaning: MicroSoft eXtended. Particularly in Japan, Russia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Brazil, the system enjoyed widespread popularity. Large software companies such as Konami, Activision, Nihon Falcom, Compile (the present Aiky), ASCII, and Square-Enix released a countless number of games for MSX. Over 5 million MSX computers were sold worldwide. It did not, however, come up to expectations. When success did not follow in the English and American markets, Microsoft pulled out of the project and the producers of the computers and software followed one by one. In 1992, 10 years after its start, the last commercial MSX software was released. Thousands of hobbyists, however, kept supporting the system by developing new hard- and software for it. To this day, an active community is making sure the MSX system?s hard- and software is kept up to date. (For further information: http://www.msx.org)
Kazuhiko Nishi ? The force behind the MSX system and the current director of MSX Association has more than earned his spurs in the world of IT. Personal friend Bill Gates regards Nishi as a ?visionary.? In 1977, Nishi dropped out of university and founded ASCII Publishing Corporation (the present ASCII Corporation). Here he published his first Japanese computer magazine. The company in the meantime has grown to become the largest multimedia concern in Asia. Shortly after the founding of ASCII Nishi met Bill Gates, whom he encouraged to accept IBM?s request to develop an OS for the legendary IBM PC. From 1980 until 1986, Nishi was Director and Vice-President of Microsoft?s New Technologies department. In this capacity, he was involved in the planning and development of MS-DOS, Windows, GW-BASIC, and the mouse. Furthermore, he was responsible for the prototype of the first laptop (1982), among other things, which was launched by Radio Shack in 1983 as TRS-80 Model 100. In the years that followed, Nishi was involved in many interesting developments such as the development of the AMD K6 processor, the development and standardization of MPEG audio and video, and the United Nation?s prestigious Universal Network Language project. Nishi is Visiting Professor at various universities such as MIT. He gives lectures at the University of Tokyo, Waseda University, and other universities. As of May 2001, Nishi has only been involved as an external advisor at ASCII.
Sources:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.05/jsoft.html
http://www.hypothesis.it/nobel/eng/bio/nishi.htm
http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... laptop.htm
Links:
Kazuhiko Nishi - http://www.nishi.org/
ASCII Corporation - http://www.ascii.co.jp/
Many of these titles have never before been available commercially to the European market, nor have they been made compatible for this market. Besides Japanese software titles WOOMB will also be distributing software by European and American software producers.
Bazix will also act as intermediary in localizing and releasing European and American software in Amusement Center?s Plus and Project EGG, the Japanese versions of WOOMB. WOOMB and Amusement Center will be exchanging games among themselves as it were. In two years time, Project EGG re-released over 300 retrogames for several platforms (MSX, PC-Engine, PC-9801, Sega Megadrive, X68000). During this period, Project EGG managed to win the hearts of a multitude of Japanese gaming fans. WOOMB is applying this success formula to the English-speaking market: for a small fee per month these games can be bought separately and upon payment can be downloaded immediately.
Bazix is hoping to preserve many games from the 1980s and 1990s, which are often characterized by a high degree of originality and excellent game play, through WOOMB for future generations while respecting software copyrights. Companies that have released MSX software in the past and are interested in re-releasing them through WOOMB and EGG can contact Bazix for information about adding these titles to the catalogue. Moreover, anyone with questions pertaining to the sale of MSX systems (also through emulation), the use of the MSX logo, or the distribution of MSX software can contact Bazix for information.
At the moment, the finishing touches are put on the WOOMB website and the initial assortment is being put together. If the sale of MSX games is a success, Bazix will look into the possibility of expanding its activities to supplying software for platforms such as PC-9801, X68000, which were very popular systems in Japan in the late 1980s, and the like, and releasing this software for other operating systems such as Linux and Mac OS-X. Furthermore, plans are in the making for releasing software for operating systems on cellular phones.
For further information, contact Bazix (info@bazix.nl ; 050-3112518 or 06-24601134)
Links:
Bazix: http://www.bazix.nl/
WOOMB: http://www.woomb.net/
MSX Association: http://www.msxa.fcm.co.jp/
D4 Enterprise: http://www.d4e.co.jp/
Amusement Center: http://www.amusement-center.com/
Project EGG: http://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/
Additional information:
MSX ? Early 1980s Microsoft, the Japanese company ASCII, and 21 different producers of electronic equipment (among them Philips, Sony, and Matsushita/Panasonic) launched a home computer system set to standardize the market. The revolutionary idea behind the system, meant for both business application as well as entertainment, is summed up briefly in one of its name?s meanings: Machines with Software eXchangeability. Software written for a Sony MSX computer would run without a problem on MSX computers by other brands. A powerful yet simple programming language, Microsoft BASIC, gave rise to great popularity for the MSX and its most employed meaning: MicroSoft eXtended. Particularly in Japan, Russia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Brazil, the system enjoyed widespread popularity. Large software companies such as Konami, Activision, Nihon Falcom, Compile (the present Aiky), ASCII, and Square-Enix released a countless number of games for MSX. Over 5 million MSX computers were sold worldwide. It did not, however, come up to expectations. When success did not follow in the English and American markets, Microsoft pulled out of the project and the producers of the computers and software followed one by one. In 1992, 10 years after its start, the last commercial MSX software was released. Thousands of hobbyists, however, kept supporting the system by developing new hard- and software for it. To this day, an active community is making sure the MSX system?s hard- and software is kept up to date. (For further information: http://www.msx.org)
Kazuhiko Nishi ? The force behind the MSX system and the current director of MSX Association has more than earned his spurs in the world of IT. Personal friend Bill Gates regards Nishi as a ?visionary.? In 1977, Nishi dropped out of university and founded ASCII Publishing Corporation (the present ASCII Corporation). Here he published his first Japanese computer magazine. The company in the meantime has grown to become the largest multimedia concern in Asia. Shortly after the founding of ASCII Nishi met Bill Gates, whom he encouraged to accept IBM?s request to develop an OS for the legendary IBM PC. From 1980 until 1986, Nishi was Director and Vice-President of Microsoft?s New Technologies department. In this capacity, he was involved in the planning and development of MS-DOS, Windows, GW-BASIC, and the mouse. Furthermore, he was responsible for the prototype of the first laptop (1982), among other things, which was launched by Radio Shack in 1983 as TRS-80 Model 100. In the years that followed, Nishi was involved in many interesting developments such as the development of the AMD K6 processor, the development and standardization of MPEG audio and video, and the United Nation?s prestigious Universal Network Language project. Nishi is Visiting Professor at various universities such as MIT. He gives lectures at the University of Tokyo, Waseda University, and other universities. As of May 2001, Nishi has only been involved as an external advisor at ASCII.
Sources:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.05/jsoft.html
http://www.hypothesis.it/nobel/eng/bio/nishi.htm
http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... laptop.htm
Links:
Kazuhiko Nishi - http://www.nishi.org/
ASCII Corporation - http://www.ascii.co.jp/
