Commodore swoops back into game arena
Vendor unveils plans to release gaming-optimised PCs as a part of its 2007 comeback
After a decade in the wilderness, nostalgic PC brand Commodore has relaunched in the UK with big plans for the gaming market.
The firm, which hit the big time in 1982 with its eight-bit Commodore 64 system, unveiled its gaming roadmap at last month’s CeBIT event in Hanover. Commodore Gaming is launching four configurations – ranging from an entry-level gaming PC to an extreme specification model.
Sean Charles, marketing manager at Commodore, said: “We feel the PC gaming market is not being serviced as well as it should be and it is a bit of a lopsided relationship between some vendors and end-users. There is a gap for a firm like us that can be honest on price and ensure the machine fits the most demanding of gaming needs.”
Charles said Commodore has decided not to develop its own operating system (OS), but has partnered with vendors such as nVidia and Intel to ensure its machines match the hype.
“We could have developed our own OS, but it wouldn’t have the same specifications that developers and fans have got used to in the modern gaming world. Gaming demands the most out of a PC and we have to make sure everything is fully compatible.”
He said that the firm would be selling the machines through a combination of its own online store and retail partnerships.
“Our web site will allow customers to fine tune their systems and come up with their own configuration,” he said. “They will also be able to customise the exterior of their machine to fit in with their home environment.”
However, Billy Pidgeon, program manager, consumer markets at analyst firm IDC, said: “There are quite a few competitors out there that also serve the gaming market. The only thing Commodore will have different in its favour is the nostalgia of the name. Brands such as Alienware and Voodoo, are already well established. I don’t really know what extra Commodore could offer end-users and I am a little sceptical.”