Propaganda 15 ch04

 I            M
 Interviews - Meet the people
________________________________________
Today we have been having discussions
with one of the potential future soft-
ware companies on this machine. We do
so, because we consider it to be a
proper support in the market of games,
and by doing so, people might pay
attention to situation we are dealing
with.

We have put CHERRY SOFTWARE against the
wall, or the two people behind the con-
cept that is, to find out what lurks
behind it and whatever the future may
bring from them.

________________________________________


WE WELCOME Simon Mannheimer, PRESIDENT
AT CHERRY SOFTWARE AND Peter Jones,
ECONOMIC MANAGER.

DO TELL US ABOUT Cherry Software AND
ITS CURRENT ACTIVITIES.

(Simon) - Cherry Software, the concept
itself was born summer 1993, when I was
dealing with Russian partners in the
trade. We saw a highly potential market
in Commodore 64-software growing in
Eastern Europe, and a lot of talents
to use for this market. We set up some
pretty fine deals with freelancing
talents and started distributing both
old and new software in Russia. However,
having our headoffice in Gothenburg,



Sweden, I have gotten touch with quite
a few people on what you people would
normally call "the scene". What we have
always believed in, is that there is
still a very potential games-market on
the Commodore 64, something that few
companies realize today. So what we
did, was to set up advertising deals
with magazines and fanzines that were
related to the Commodore 64, and as it
looks today, we have a very potential
future. One of our freelancing-teams,
has been working on the full-price
game BOUNCY BALLS for quite some time,
and being at a final stage, we are about
to advertise it the United Kingdom,
Russia, Poland, Sweden, USA and Germany.
There may very well be basis for further



advertising in the future. But looking
at it as it is, we'll reach over
8OO.OOO readers, and figures of sales
speak of a minimum of 2O.OOO copies
per game.

BUT IS THERE REALLY A POTENTIAL MARKET
FOR THE COMMODORE 64 TODAY?

(Peter) - You see, that is the main-
problem today. People and companies
barely see the possibilties. In the
United Kingdom, the Commodore 64 is
a machine for very young kids, and a
machine for lower class people, that
cannot afford the more expensive alt-
ernatives offered today, such as SNES,
SEGA, PC, Amiga. To reach them, we have



Commodore Format. In Poland and Russia,
known as fairly poor countries, the 64
is still reaching for a peak, where the
64 stands tall and buyers exist in
masses. Germany has always been a big
market, and through the right kind of
advertising, we can reach them. The USA
is a bit more difficult, but with the
launch of Commodore World, an American
magazine we can get hold of a market as
well. Then you have all the fanzines,
produced by enthusiast and die-hard
fans of this computer, that function as
an advertising basis as well.

MONEYWISE, WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT BEING
AN INTERESTING MARKET THEN?

(Peter) - Why of course! Otherwise you

wouldn't have us sitting here! So far,
we've earned quite some money into the
company, and with BOUNCY BALLS that more
or less will put us on the map as a
serious, global company, we will reach
a point where there is finally money
in the 64 again. Calculations made by
us and the magazines we've been nego-
tiating with speak of fine sales, and
with that there is money with high
figures, both for us and the producers.
For companies like OCEAN and US GOLD,
that concentrate on CD, Consoles and
bigger computers, the money earned on
a 64 seems a lot like hot air. But for
us, and the programmers, it is interest-
ing when we can make over 8O.OOO dollars
per game, depending on quality.



IT ALL SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING, BUT WHAT
CAN WE EXPECT, GAMESWISE IN THE FUTURE?

(Simon) - Well, we have some very
interesting projects under development.
BOUNCY BALLS is at a stage, where we can
consider it almost done, and it will be
featured the covertape of Commodore
Format pretty soon. Our In-house pro-
gramming team are involved in an ex-
citing project on a flying-game with
similarities to the old game TYPHOON,
though a lot faster and better. Some
of our freelancers, are involved in
so far secret licensed project, with
a famous character taking part in the
game.

(Peter) - Do not forget we are dealing


with some of the old famous producers
in the United Kingdom for taking over
unfinished projects. Some conversions
are being talked about as well, but
nothing has yet been settled. There
are some titles that would be well
worth doing on the Commodore 64.

SO WILL YOU CONTINUE ON THE COMMODORE
OR WILL THE COMPANY URGE FOR NEW
MACHINES AND STANDARDS?

(Simon) - Well, as it looks now, we will
also start working on other machines,
but by all means, we will continue on
the Commodore 64 for a long time to
come. We are also setting up deals with
ATARI for productions on the JAGUAR,
and we have started digging into the



world of other machines too.

(Peter) - Yes, there is really money
to make on the Commodore, so we can
settle your fears by the aknowledge-
ment that we will not abandon the
machine you all seem to find so lovable.

YOU HAVE TALKED MUCH ABOUT "IN-HOUSE-
PROGRAMMERS" AND "FREELANCERS". HOW
DOES IT BASICALLY WORK BEHIND THE
SCENES OF CHERRY SOFTWARE?

(Simon) - We have employed a staff of
in-house programmers that so far have
been a very productive section. Dwight
Clarke, a talented programmer from the
United Kingdom stands behind this squad
and will hopefully stay with us.

Recently, or more like the past 8 months
we've been dealing with freelancers, and
we still hunt them high and low. These
freelancers usually work completely
independtly on a complete game and then
come to us for valuation. If the game
is considered fairly budget, we sign
up a contract, that offers money, and
we distribute it on a rather quick
basis. If the game is good enough be
considered full price, we sign up a
contract, a lot more compex, with better
pay-off, royalties and more deals.

The freelancers can also be involved in
different projects, that we have going,
which means they can be give a ceratin
job, or a certain effort, that is also
signed up through a contract.



(Peter) - Right now we have a Norweigan
team involved in a game all together,
and there is an entire team with people
put together from 3 countries by us.
We do hope to find more freelancers,
and that is basically why we now are
seeking talents at "the scene" knowing
there is so much potential out there
in the field.

(Simon) - Yes, I attended the TRIBUTE
trying to seek talents, and I believe
we had some people interested. Still,
I am considering going to Denmark around
Christmas, or at least get some inform-
ation spread about our activities.





ANY OTHER FUTURE PLANS?

(Simon) - Whatever the company concerns,
we are most probably moving into our new
office early next year, and by then
we should be coordinating even more
projects than now. We are employing a
few more people by then, not only
programmers. Staff manager, Information
manager and the story goes on.

________________________________________
That puts us behind the scenes of what
we can expect softwarewise in the
future. The following pages will cover
requests from the people at CHERRY
SOFTWARE and what you can do for them..





________________________________________
       **      JOB OFFERI     **
       \/      JOB OFFER.     \/
           AT CHERRY SOFTWARE

________________________________________
We at CHERRY SOFTWARE are looking for
skillful talents throughout the entire
world.

Having worked with various people on
the demoscene, we now seek more talents
that would enjoy working in a peace-
ful atmosphere, involving projects on
the Commodore 64.

________________________________________



WE SEEK:

- GAMEPRODUCING TEAMS THAT CAN COME
  UP WITH AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OR
  ARE WILLING TO WORK UNDER COORDINATION
  OF CHERRY SOFTWARE'S OWN PROJECTS.

- CODERS THAT CAN PERFORM ENTIRE, OR
  PIECES OF SPECIALIZED CODE, SUCH AS
  GAMEINTRODUCTIONS, GAMEPROTECTIONS,
  LOADERS ETC.

- MUSICIANS THAT CAN PROVIDE OUR
  ALREADY EXISTING GAMEPRODUCING TEAMS.

- ARTISTS WHO CAN PAINT EITHER PICTURES,
  SPRITES AND GAMEGRAPHICS.




- PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING
  ON ONE OF OUR EXCITING GAME LICENCES.


________________________________________

    AND HEY, DID WE TELL YOU THERE'S
         MONEY TO MAKE IN THIS?

      (ADDRESS CAN BE FOUND IN THE
          CLASSFIEDS CHAPTER)