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https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=268
The arcade was a place to play games, meeting point. In the german part of switzerland there were almost only males (you could also gambel). They were dark in the most of cases.
In the ‘westschweiz’ there were a lot more women in also in the arcades and younger people (for example in Lausanne). 
In the arcades there were always different types of arcades (older and the latest), than ‘table football’, flippers and so on. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=276
Where people met, talked about computers, learnt about computers. Played games, designed games.
Yes also pirate software and games was part of this world. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=6746
Games working with Products like Cracks, Games, Demos.
Mechanics: Faster, better in the most of the time groups against other groups for symbolic or community capital. 
Like Cracking, Demoscene
Computerclubs
2022-06-30 09:42:21
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=99
Computerclubs were a very important institution. 
0. Is a place and a community in the same and also a public in the same
1. Networking people in a non internet time.
2. Bringing KnowhHow to people (Courses)
3. Showing, Selling Hardware (Internally)
4. Own public magazines
5. Part of Creating Groups/interested people
6. Only available in bigger towns 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=6815

Is there more sparetime in those days? More fun magic circles? More individual sparetime? Compared to country side living?

https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=5884

 

Facts

  • TTV1 was the first file-based Amiga virus
  • Its creation was a fun experiment. It was inspired by the boot block based SCA virus which had reached dubious fame due to its very successful spreading and the flaw of overwriting the boot block. Would it be possible to create a self spreading file, thus breaking out of the boot block dread?
  • Development took place between spring and fall 1988.
  • The early code name was HOUZ virus.
  • Thinking up the name we tried to find something that would sound mean and at the same time on the verge to ridiculous. The final name was inspired by a rap band called The Terrorists.
  • The virus does not harm the system. In fact, care was taken to avoid any even unintentional damage.
  • Identity of the authors was kept secret for 30 years. It was officially revealed on March 9, 2019 at the Demonights 008 event in Bern Switzerland
  • "The names have been changed to protect the innocent" shown in the message was inspired by the song Beat Dis by Bomb the Bass. They have sampled it from the Dragnet radio series.
  • The "BGS9" was in fact a clone. Its code is almost identical even including the resident name "TTV1". It got more reach and thus was regarded as the origin.

About the life of the beast

  1. TTV1 installs itself as a reset proof resident module (KickTag/ROMTag) named "TTV1"
  2. On reset the resident module (virus) is called
  3. Execution gets delayed in order to gain disk write access. Therefore Intuition's OpenWindow function is redirected.
  4. As soon as the AmigaDOS tries to open the CLI window the OpenWindow gets called the virus looks for the startup-sequence on the booted disk
  5. The virus is looking for the first command (A) in the startup-sequence
  6. File request windows (e.g. "Disk is write protected") are being temporarily disabled
  7. Virus renames A to $a0202020a02020a020a0a0. This is a combination of none breaking spaces and spaces. The idea is that the user will oversee this "invisible" file.
  8. Virus writes itself as an executable command with the name of A to the disk
  9. Eventually A gets loaded and executed with all its parameters by the virus
The next time the user will boot the disk the virus gets loaded into RAM and step 1 takes place. On reset the horizonal beam position gets evaluated. If the beam position is smaller than a certain number the screen turns black and a message in white letters appears.
Mobiles Kino (Basel)
2022-07-04 16:47:56
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=250
A lot of works in the area of electromechanic/optic calculation in games.
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=7881
 
  • most games - you play not act 
  • qix no
  • pac man - somehow but too hard
  • moon lander? no really
  • asteroids no
  • galaxy - some visual aspect - mukokuseki
  • missile command no 
  • atari 2600 porno games no
  • klax arcade - chain
  • frogger
  • most shootenup (space invader - war visuals) 
  • lemmings? dark behind the nice graphics
  • battle chess - reanalog - brutal
  • demoscene? biggest part - yes
  •  
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2731
social media before social media was there
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=568
Let's bring together the memories and artefacts from those times. 
Grouping
2022-07-02 08:49:18
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=4212
How people connect each other. Which places were important and why? Which media was important and why? Most of this places (Clubs, Supermarkets,  Arcades/Spielsalon, Computershops).
What happened with people from the country side? 
Pinballs & Computing
2022-05-27 18:48:48
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=260
Pinballs are really computing hells. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2059
there are two aspects came together in the universal computer. 
1. computing (sorting)
2. control (cases, if then, input)
before this were seperated functions in analoge maschines.
Historical Culture
2022-04-10 20:58:18
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=297
Culture towards technology changed massively in the last 50 years. 
About
2022-07-19 21:30:22
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=570
vintagecomputing is an open platform for people, who are interesting in the different aspects of vintagecomputing and gaming in switzerland. You can just create an account and enter data, make propositions and enter data. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=997
Games made with old technologies but not old working hardware. 
Impressions
2022-07-09 20:36:47
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1134
Some insights into vintagecomputing and research.
Capitals (Bourdieu)
2023-05-06 14:00:42
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=8741
communities (as systems) have their own language, their own values (and thus also their own capitals), their own operations, their own exensions, their own decision extensions.
Cracking
2023-02-11 14:57:25
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=768
Make games copyable. Some cracker groups where in the tradition of information freedom, others learned from cracking software creating software, others had fun, others were in a sport ‘who is first’ and of course also others gained money. 
Why switzerland? and not us? The rumor is: There was no law in switzerland against cracking. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2220
A very important place (meet people, connect with other interested persons etc social media 0.5)
Vintage Gaming
2023-06-11 09:07:51
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=113
Of course in games and amusement arcades there is a lot of computing (calculating points, statemachines and co). All started with organs (punch strips) and electromechanical ‘games’ like pinballs. 
Grotic
2022-07-01 08:46:45
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1162
Is a clone of the arcade puzzle bobble with other graphics. In development the problem was the hexagonelogic. Another was a not initialized Rectangle, who crashed on some macs and on other not. 
Specials:
- there was even a cracked version out there
- the serial of the game was in the serial number collection
- sold for 15$ > made around 3000 sFR with it. 
Years later a guy in the bus asked me: Are you the guy behind imp89, grotic and co?
Atari
2023-05-08 11:05:46
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=8877
Atari was first a company for arcades and than splitted to Arcade and Consoles/Computers. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1263
Made by crackers and a lot of anti-protection-mechanics. So a long time this game was not cracked.
Example: all tracks are not starting at the same place like normally - every track starts somewhere else. therfore they 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=4083
Very big club with 600 (?) members. There are all paying money.  A lot of people found here other persons with the same ideas and interests.
It seems that the name ist also Statement. In german spoken as KAK means shit.
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=5864
Alcatraz Pentcost Party 1990 was held at the Centre Culturel du Chene in Aubonne, Switzerland. Alcatraz was originally to have arranged this party (together with Brainstorm) in april, but the original plans fell through. There was a dj with a huge light and laser show, a large screen, around the clock movies and a snack bar, so there was plenty of activities to get into. Separate sleeping quarters were available in a nearby hall. This may very well have been the first instance of females getting free entrance to a demo party. As we know, this became the norm in the years to follow. The winner of the demo competition won an A1000, the second place took home an Action Replay cartridge and some empty disks.
Cracker Journal 19 (march 1990) reported, "Alcatraz' "Pencost Mega Party" on 2nd to 4th of june 1990. Acitivites: Mega Demo Competition, DJ - light and laser show, three little conference rooms, two mega screens, TV and video corner, snack bar, special modem phone line, sport places, about 70 beds..."
Results and information based on Pentcost Party Invitation and party report in Hack-Mag 1 (august 1990).
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=5934
Hah, I might not be the best to explain Amiga history, but I’ll do my best :) Fish disks were the main way to distribute public domain, open source, shareware etc. before the internet was wide-spread. People would send Fred Fish software, and he’d compile them into individual disks that people would copy. Magazines would have lots of companies that would allow you to order copies of these disks etc. He ended up creating over a 1000 disks this way. When cd-roms became a thing, you could order the whole collection on those. Those were strange times :)
Aminet was the most famous ftp-archive for amiga software. It was run by the same guy that made Brainfuck, Urban Müller. Rather than chronologically like fish disks, it was organized by topic, with readme’s for every file. You could upload to a staging area, and he’d put them in place. Much like fish disks, companies would print cd-roms with the latest from aminet for those not hooked up to the internets (or on 56k modems, which was most people).
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=5946
Aminet was the most famous ftp-archive for amiga software. It was run by the same guy that made Brainfuck, Urban Müller. Rather than chronologically like fish disks, it was organized by topic, with readme’s for every file. You could upload to a staging area, and he’d put them in place. Much like fish disks, companies would print cd-roms with the latest from aminet for those not hooked up to the internets (or on 56k modems, which was most people).
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=6291
  • 2nd - 4th June 1990
  • Aubonne, District de Morges, Vaud, Switzerland
Alcatraz Pentcost Party 1990 was held at the Centre Culturel du Chene in Aubonne, Switzerland. Alcatraz was originally to have arranged this party (together with Brainstorm) in april, but the original plans fell through. There was a dj with a huge light and laser show, a large screen, around the clock movies and a snack bar, so there was plenty of activities to get into. Separate sleeping quarters were available in a nearby hall. This may very well have been the first instance of females getting free entrance to a demo party. As we know, this became the norm in the years to follow. The winner of the demo competition won an A1000, the second place took home an Action Replay cartridge and some empty disks.
Cracker Journal 19 (march 1990) reported, 'Alcatraz' 'Pencost Mega Party' on 2nd to 4th of june 1990. Acitivites: Mega Demo Competition, DJ - light and laser show, three little conference rooms, two mega screens, TV and video corner, snack bar, special modem phone line, sport places, about 70 beds...'
Results and information based on Pentcost Party Invitation and party report in Hack-Mag 1 (august 1990).
(Entry is a copy of the Demozoo entry! > https://demozoo.org/parties/7/)
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=7127
@la1n/imp89 @Shana @dipswitch Sorry, I only just now noticed about this intense discussion going on. Shana has put it 100% correct already. The name eventually was given to the event by Furball/Fake That back in 1996 for Bünzli#1 (taking place near Bern). Was changed to 'Buenzli' (no umlaut) once international visitors started to appear. This then was kind of a 'trademark' for a while. When we changed the location from Winterthur to Olten, we also rebranded the party to Demodays, a name that was a bit generic but worked without the need to explain it all the time. It also allowed for the Demonights pun afterwards. 'Demodays', however, has not really been adopted by the demoscene too much, many people just kept it calling Buenzli (or 'Buenzu' for some). This is also somewhat reflected in inconsistent naming/series ordering on Pouet and possibly Demozoo. I'm happy, Furball &the other teenage guys called the event Bünzli: Without that decision, we wouldn't have interesting discussions like this 😉
Keyboard
2023-03-16 15:56:19
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=7409
The keyboard is really good. 
Attention: The backspace is called ‘roubout’ and you can use it with SHIFT! on the right side on top (same place like backspace)
There are three modes:
  • Default Inser-Line (L)
  • Commands (K) - Commands : Shift-Function > The command
  • Graphics (G) - Create the char with graphics (First Shift Graphics > Shift Key)
The whole system is a token coding thing. 

 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=9255
OLIVER It all started for me at a Christmas party at Starbyte Software. It was a remarkable event. I never met so many talented people at one place before. The developers showed the games they were developing including the Amiga version of Rolling Ronny. We got the offer for converting the game and if I remember correctly, we agreed almost instantly. Previous projects of Bones Park were economic simulations, which was… how to describe… rather static stuff. I usually call those games Excel-pushers. A jump-and-run is way more interesting and it is action we wanted to create.
MARIO Back then, in the C64 era, most games took only a few weeks or a couple of months to develop. So we had to keep a constant flow of new contacts and projects. One project we did in late 1991, Trans World, for German publisher Starbyte, went pretty smooth and even became our first #1 in German sales charts, so we were invited and offered to work on other titles. One concrete offering was the C64 conversion of Rolling Ronny. Even though most of the first games I programmed were simulations, I still had spent a lot of time on developing action and real-time oriented games. So it was a perfect moment to put all the learnings into a concrete game – and that would have been Rolling Ronny.
Terra Cresta
2022-06-06 10:32:56
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=3707
We started working on Exitor right after we get our first Amigas. It was supposed to be a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up heavily inspired by Nichibutsu's 1985 arcade classic Terra Cresta (テラクレスタ). Hovever, it is still in the works.
.
2022-11-28 14:18:15
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=5792
Depeche
Demo coder, known for cool demos and trainers.
Depeche jonied Spreadponit in 1989. He mysteriously left SP in 1990 and broke up alomst all contact. He then went over to DefJam but not very much later stopped his Amiga activity. Depeche was so fond of language games that he once bought a Langenscheid's dictionary of slang-English!
Data 
Born 1972, grown up and living in Switzerland
Todays occupation: finishing studies (comp. sci)
Work
Demos: Wooow, Scrapheap, Empire, Power!, HI5 and more
Trainers: a whole lot...
Sound: some crazy mixes
Tools: a disk copier in a bootblock, TLB-Utilitydisk, more
Hobbies
old days: being creative, being cool, speaking cool, cool places, cool clothes, cool people, arcade games, pinball machines
today: unknown.
Music
DM, Art of Noise, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Yello, LL cool J, Derek B, De la soul, ...
.
2022-05-01 19:47:43
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2437
look at development with bitorrent, crypto-x and social media
War Heli (Atari ST)
2022-07-08 11:36:10
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1258
War Heli is a state of the art shoot em up game with big sprites on a computer with no hardware-scrolling! 
la1n.ch
2022-06-24 22:55:17
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1150
la1n was the direct next step from imp89. New maschines and a new platform macosx. “Therefore i learned objective-c and coded real object orientated” and switched now to 3d games with opengl. The games were now more an more like gameengines and were object-orientated. But still hardcore coded. This change with the upcoming game engine like torque or unity. 
Therefore the last games from la1n.ch till now were again hardcore coded games like axe (atari 2600 vcs), vecZ (vectrex 2016). 
ishizume - freeware
2022-04-13 10:52:32
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1188
the game is a clone of klax (arcade atari games) - an action puzzler also called the ‘tetris of the 90ies’. again all in 3d. webhighscore. specials: a mode for children and a mode for color blinds. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2250
a) because the demonstration guys/girls are in the arcade
b) it is anti-statement for male-culture?
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=2260
Because there was never someone in and they still existed over years. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=3131
  • war heli? eher nein - simulation
  • insanity fight - eher sinulation
  • traps and treasures? 
  • einfluss über japnische spiele - roman werner > arcade, consoles, pc-engine
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=3161
The difference between Homecomputer and Businessmaschines was clear for the homecomputer users. Homecomputers were cheap, colorful, had sound, modern (GUI) and you could play with them. So they were designed for ‘fun’. And they came all in one - as one consumer product. So it was ‘identity’. Clear that the Amiga was first designed as an Console. On the hardware side the homecomputers didn't use the ugly intels like almost no Arcade-Console-Maschine did. The question here why? Perhaps because the most of the Software had to be coded in Assembler? 
One of the big question was: Is the Macintosh a Homecomputer? One answer it was to expensive for beeing a homecomputer. Perhaps the homecomputers were the cheap versions of the macintoshs. 
https://vintagecomputing.ch/?browseid=1138
First developing on Atari ST (Assembler) but never published something except a demo for a bbs 1993 (First founded by two brothers). First not released ‘product’. A listing game for Happy Computer. 
Than switched to Macintosh (1995 ). Games in C . And than published over the net (website) or in Maganzines Disc-Magazines as Shareware. Paid first with checkes (almost impossible to get the money for 15$ games), so switched to real money and than to KAGI.com a first worldwide payment service.
Inbetween the author worked produced Flash-Games for advertising and ported a lot of games for Java (Applets) 1996 . 
Afterwards switched to Objective-C on MacOSX with a new name: la1n.ch.