CommaVid, Inc.
Moby ID: 8179
- Computer Magic, Inc. - Initial company name (from 1981 to 1981)
Overview edit · view history
CommaVid was a game developer/publisher based in Aurora, Illinois. The company was formed in 1981 by three Ph.D.'s from the computing and physical sciences: Irwin Gaines, John Bronstein and Joseph Biel, and began life as Computer Magic, Inc.
The company developed games for the Atari 2600 VCS. All of CommaVid's games are very rare. Their first release, a programming tool called MagiCard, was long considered to be the rarest Atari 2600 game ever made.
Like many companies of the era, CommaVid fell victim to the video game crash of 1983-84. In 2002, the rights to the CommaVid name were purchased by Digital Press/CGE, who subsequently released Rush Hour, a near-complete but previously unreleased CommaVid title.
Credited on 7 Games from 1982 to 2003
| Rush Hour (2003 on Atari 2600) |
| Stronghold (1983 on Atari 2600) |
| Cakewalk (1983 on Atari 2600) |
| Mines of Minos (1982 on Atari 2600) |
| Cosmic Swarm (1982 on Atari 2600) |
| Room of Doom (1982 on Atari 2600) |
| Venture (1981 on Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision...) |
Trivia +
All of CommaVid's games (minus MagiCard and Video Life) were once available through the Columbia House Video Club.
The name CommaVid is derived from Computer Magic Video, the original proposed name for the company.
CommaVid bowed out during the video game crash of 1983-84 like many other companies, but unlike many others, paid all of the bills. The company was privately owned, but there were a few investors in the company. They were offered 50 cents on the dollar when the company was about to go under. All of them took that deal.
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Related Web Sites +
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The Story of CommaVid
Digital Press feature article on CommaVid -
CommaVid page at AtariAge
Info on CommaVid releases -
CommaVid page at AtariHQ
Gives background info on CommaVid
Frequent Collaborators
Companies- 1 game with Atari Corporation
- 1 game with Coleco Industries, Inc.
- 1 game with Exidy, Incorporated
- 1 game with CGE Services Corporation
- 3 games with Irwin Gaines
- 2 games with Joseph R. Biel
- 1 game with John M. Bronstein
- 1 game with Ben Burch
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