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Path: utzoo!watmath!bstempleton
From: bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari
Subject: Atari ST relations with software developers are TERRIBLE
Message-ID: <11674@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 19:59:13 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.11674
Posted: Tue Feb 26 19:59:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 20:49:29 EST
References: <1342@hou4b.UUCP> <8284@watarts.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 25

I called Atari with regard to their policy towards software developers.
In particular, I was trying to see if they were interested in my
company's software.

Their policy is not very good:
	1) The machines will be sold in K-Marts and similar stores
	2) No software will cost more than $50
	3) On that $50 software, developers will get no more than ONE dollar.
	4) If you want a machine now, you can get one for $4,500, and all
	   that gets you is a machine with floppies and a monitor, plus
	   a download kit.  No C compilers etc.
	5) No advances to developers of any kind
	6) No bundled software except GEM.

At this rate, most developers are saying no.  You'll have to wait a while
for good software on this one, folks.  $1 per product is a joke.  Your
product would have to become one of the all-time sales greats of the
microcomputer industry to make you some decent money.   At the same time,
they are distributing the computer through distribution channels that a
small company can't use easily or even get access to.  And who ever heard
of developers having to pay a 500% premium to get a machine whose success
is uncertain.

-- 
	Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ont. (519) 886-7304