Commodore set to sail the PC oceans again

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 07 March 2007 06:07

Opinion and Analysis

A quarter of a century on, the Commodore gaming PC is ready for relaunch this month.  Wipe those nostalgic tears away.

Many of us remember with (possibly misplaced) fondness, the Commodore 64 gaming PC released in 1982.  As a follow up to the VIC-20 the C64, which was, pretty much, all keyboard went on to sell 22 million units.

As a PC/Games console, the C64 hit an un-tapped market niche that exploded for the time.  The C64 successor, the Amiga became a more serious personal computer, aimed at business as well as gaming users.  The Amiga gave us high resolution graphics, expanded sound options as well as the first steps towards multitasking.

On March 15 this year CeBit electronics show in Hannover Germany may well see the return of the Commodore labelled gaming PC.

"25 years ago, Commodore launched the best selling personal computer of the late 20th Century, the C64, and defined the early computer games experience for millions of people worldwide," said Bala Keilman, CEO for Commodore Gaming. "We are privileged and excited to bring the Commodore brand back to the gaming community and mark a new chapter in its history with this exceptional machine. We're sure that it will deliver what gamers need and want."
 
Further announcements are expected; at this stage Commodore Gaming seems focused once again on producing gaming rigs for the home market.  Today’s market however is nothing like what the C64 was entering.  Consoles such as the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii are now a viable and powerful competitor to PC gaming.