Retro tech tuber Perifractic has released an intriguing video dubbed Can We Save Commodore? My Biggest Project Yet! During the video, we hear that the reason for the channel host’s recent absence is rather dramatic – he is attempting to buy Commodore, and thus bring it back into the hands of its fans. Ultimately, this will mean a whole host of new Commodore branded and ‘chicken head’ logo-bearing products that the community believes pass muster to be worthy of the official marque.
The above video at Retro Recipes is just part 1 of a series, and ends with a very big tease. Nevertheless, it is pretty interesting for retro fans to hear about the chance of a beloved brand of old being rejuvenated – and not just for a cash grab (fingers crossed).
After an intro, a brief history of Commodore, and talk about the achievements of the retro community up to this point, Perifractic starts to outline his plan. The blockbuster success with his earlier passion project, the Commodore 64x PC, inspired the retro tech tuber to believe that “the love is definitely still there for the brand and for new Commodore computers.”
It started as a community licensing proposal
Starting to outline the plan, Perifractic explains that to begin, efforts should be made to “negotiate an exclusive license with Commodore.” This would honor the company legacy, deliver fairer pricing for the community, and provide QC-tested branded Commodore machines, official upgrades, and official replacement parts.
Next, the video broached the potentially thorny issue of funding in situations like this where crowdfunding isn’t possible. The current owners of Commodore Corporation B.V. aren’t going to give away licenses or the brand for peanuts. Thus, Perifractic directs viewers of the video to an outreach form, and asks angel investors to get in touch. Don’t worry about checking out the form, all it does is give Retro Recipes a way to get in touch about updates. However, you can also use parts of the form to indicate if you are interested in any investments, partnerships, licensing, or other business matters.
‘The Plan’ video chapter suggests that the goal was to negotiate a great community licensing program, where the community pays a modest flat 6.4% to use the brand for products that pass QC.
Commodore responded with an unexpected offer
Right at the end of the video, there is a twist that may raise the graying eyebrows of Commodore fans around the globe. Perifractic reveals that he received a message direct from Commodore Corporation B.V. that states “yes we can grant you an exclusive license, but your team seems to know Commodore better than we do, we might like to sell you the whole company.”
Sadly, we are left with this cliffhanger. Viewers are told to stay tuned for Part 2 of this video, “live and Let Buy.” But we don’t have a date for the video publication. Stay tuned, indeed.
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