Paper Soft type-ins (comments) (ITA/ENG)

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:41 am

I've found two versions of "Zap" in English, one was attributed as said to Dub Scroggin which I figured must be some made up name. There have been a few games I've found with altered title screens. I also found one attributed to Pierre Bitz, and this is the one I've kept and used in GB20. Sounds much more plausible name!

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:59 am

I've found a nice place with scans of cbm mags and some type-in:
http://www.jbrain.com/pub/cbm/mags/

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:07 am

Duck McScrooge?

Post by **Jeff-20** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:38 am

I'm always amazed by how little credit was given to programmers back then. Now, the size of the industry (in revenue) hasn't seemed to change things. I would expect designers to get the attention film directors get.

gklinger · Post by **gklinger** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:35 pm

Mayhem wrote:I've found two versions of "Zap" in English, one was attributed as said to Dub Scroggin which I figured must be some made up name.

Made up by his parents, I suppose. He's a real guy and he really did write software. I can ask him to confirm what he wrote, if that would help.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:17 pm

Apologies to the Scroggin family...

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:27 am

gklinger wrote:
Mayhem wrote:I've found two versions of "Zap" in English, one was attributed as said to Dub Scroggin which I figured must be some made up name.
Made up by his parents, I suppose. He's a real guy and he really did write software. I can ask him to confirm what he wrote, if that would help.

Hey Golan, that's incredible, you know an old vic programmer ?!?!
May you ask him if he released other type-ins programs and which ?
Has him original lists or tapes/disks ?

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:19 am

So the "Dub Scroggin" version is real? Then who is Pierre Bitz and how is his name on the front of "Zap" as well then? Hmmm...

gklinger · Post by **gklinger** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:51 am

nbla000 wrote:Hey Golan, that's incredible, you know an old vic programmer ?!?!

No no no. I do not know Dub Scroggin. The name, however, rang a bell so I checked the index of Compute! articles and found these. Then I searched Google and found many photographs that were copyright to Dub Scroggin and came across an email address for someone I believed to be Mrs. Dub Scroggin. I emailed her and she confirmed her husband had written computer programs in the 80's. She's going to ask him to email me when he returns home this weekend from a trip. Hopefully he can shed some light on things.

May you ask him if he released other type-ins programs and which ?
Has him original lists or tapes/disks ?

Will do.

gklinger · Post by **gklinger** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:52 am

Mayhem wrote:So the "Dub Scroggin" version is real?

100%

Then who is Pierre Bitz and how is his name on the front of "Zap" as well then? Hmmm...

That's a good question.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:17 am

I guess some clarification is needed. I've been trying where possible to use the original, unmolested and unchanged versions of games (aside from bug fixing) so if the "Dub" version is the correct one...? I might have to change it back over again.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:10 am

Perhaps Pierre Bitz was a friend of Dub who originally wrote the particular game but was too shy to publish it?

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:48 am

I've just added Demon Star that is a clone/translation of Demon Star that was published from COMPUTE!'s Gazette September 1983 - Issue 3, Vol. 1, No. 3.
See pages A, B, C

I've not found the PRG file of the original version in any place on the web, Mayhem hasn't it too so i've retyped the italian version after 20+ years

I wish to note that PaperSoft reports that the author of the game is S. Mc Daniel and COMPUTE!'s Gazette reports that the author is Stan McDaniel so again PaperSoft published correct credits.

It is another sign that PaperSoft published translated and not pirated version of a lot of foreign works and some original italian works.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:46 am

Sure, they gave credits to the authors but did they pay royalties on sold magazines too? I can rip almost any PC game and put in on my web page for free download and mention that it is (c) EA Sports, but it won't make it any less piracy because I honor the credits.

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:53 am

carlsson wrote:Sure, they gave credits to the authors but did they pay royalties on sold magazines too?

Reading PaperSoft there is no answer to your question.

I can rip almost any PC game and put in on my web page for free download and mention that it is (c) EA Sports, but it won't make it any less piracy because I honor the credits.

Yes true...