Copyright Find on Donkey Kong

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I don't have the instructions to the red Atari boxes version of Donkey Kong but I'm going to assume since that game shared the same artwork that it also shared a bit of the instructions, too.  Which is why I'm posting what I find when I have something I think is interesting.

My copy of Donkey Kong for the 7800 has the expected copyright notices on the back of the box.  Atari Corp owns this and this and NOA owns this and that.  But upon reading the instructions I found this on the back:

 

 

I know it's blurry and sorry.  My cellphone camera sucks. But here is what it says:

"Program and audiovisual (c) 1982, Coleco Industries, Inc."

OK.  So is 7800 Donkey Kong using some programming from the 2600 version? Also the instructions say that the 7800 version is by ITDC.  Who is that or did I miss something?

Edited March 21, 2023 by Atari 5200 Guy

[RickR]

How strange!  Coleco owned the rights for "home console" versions of Donkey Kong.  So maybe Atari had to pay them a fee to release the game.  Atari owned the "home computer" rights. 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

On 3/21/2023 at 2:07 AM, Atari 5200 Guy said:

I don't have the instructions to the red Atari boxes version of Donkey Kong but I'm going to assume since that game shared the same artwork that it also shared a bit of the instructions, too.  Which is why I'm posting what I find when I have something I think is interesting.

My copy of Donkey Kong for the 7800 has the expected copyright notices on the back of the box.  Atari Corp owns this and this and NOA owns this and that.  But upon reading the instructions I found this on the back:

 

 

Was Coleco still around when Atari released DK on the 7800?

[RickR]

According to Wikipedia, they went OOB in July 1989. 

It is possible, though, that they license still held until court proceedings and liquidations were all done. 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Makes sense to me.  So Atari had to pay 2 licenses: One to Nintendo and another one to Coleco?  Dang.  Nintendo double dipped.  From Atari and Coleco.

[RickR]

It gets more interesting the more you think about it.  I would conjecture that Nintendo did NOT want a 7800 version of DK produced.  Atari probably used that license from Coleco to get it done.  It would not surprise me at all that Nintendo bought that asset back from Coleco if it was liquidated to prevent future home releases of DK on systems that weren't Nintendo branded.

It is also very possible that Atari owned that license as part of the deal they made to take ownership of the Coleco games for Atari.  Because keep in mind, the 2600 games that Coleco made mostly ended up in Atari's hands and released as red-label games.

[TrekMD]

What's interesting is that the NES and 7800 versions of both Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr are nearly identical visually.  There are color differences but the levels, the score, the timer, all that is exactly the same.  Even the music on the title screen is the same (though the NES has better sound).  I wonder if that was some requirement by Nintendo.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Interesting 🤔

Ok ... more to think about.  The Famicom released in Japan in 1983 and only 3 games were available: Donkey Kong, DK JR., and Popeye.  

Now, coming from that angle a few things we know happened.  The 7800 was suppose to be released by 1984 if my research is correct.  Nintendo had originally approached Atari to bring the Famicom and games to the U.S.A.. Atari essentially passed.  Nintendo test released the NES in New York on their own by 1985.  Atari later released the 7800.

Now, during the negotiations between Nintendo and Atari is it possible Atari might have attempted to reverse engineer DK, DK junior, and quite possibly Mario Bros (which should have been on the Famicom when negotiations were being done)?  Because @TrekMDhit a nail on the head; while not as good as the NES in terms of sounds the rest of DK and Junior are spot on identical.  What is even more strange is when you consider ports of those games were done by two separate third parties.

Rick also mentions something interesting I didn't think about.  If Atari bought up Coleco's works did Atari actually pay anything to release those games?

just more food for thought.  It's just an interesting thought.