Is there an 'Invada Load' on the CPC. If not is there a reason?

[Puresox]

 I've wondered for a long time whether there is an 'Invada load' on the CPC, and if there hasn't wondered if there was a reason for it. I mean we have always had nice loading screens, and music whilst loading 'Thrust' for example. But I have never come across a simple game to play during loading. The C64 obviously had one and I think the Speccy may have, although I can't be certain so correct me if I have got that wrong.
I'm surprised that it hasn't been done for the CPC just to tick that box, so to speak...?

[ralferoo]

Essentially, yes it's possible but it's a lot of effort. And probably wasn't worth the effort of any company trying it back in the day.


On the CPC, there's also an additional caveat. Because the keyboard/joystick is attached to the PSG (sound chip) input, to read the keyboard you need to read data from the PSG port. However, to change the keyboard row or play a sound you need to be able to write data to the PSG port. Due to another (arguably bad) decision in the CPC design, the PSG is attached through yet another chip, the PPI. Unfortunately, changing the data direction of any of the PPI ports resets all the ports to 0. This in turn has the side effect of turning the tape motor off. Whilst you could immediately turn the motor back on, you'd hear a loud clicking from the relay and also the tape speed will be unreliable.


So, you could make a loading game using the joystick (as once you've selected the row, you can leave the PSG in input mode and read the joystick as often as you like without stopping the motor, but you couldn't have any sound effects to accompany the game.

[AMSDOS]

The game that always comes back to me is Rescue from Atlantis with the Mastermind mini game you can play while the main game is loading.

[trocoloco]

I if remember well Astro Marine Corps has a master mind mini game while loading

[AMSDOS]

CPC-Power seems to have a whole bunch of games going all the way back to Technician Ted that does stuff while it's loading.





They have been all put in the Baudload category.

[Puresox]

I if remember well Astro Marine Corps has a master mind mini game while loading

Oh cool I'll being loading up the Tape version of AMC then. See what its about.
But it sounds like the the trouble to produce a arcade style game within  al oader is pretty impractical on the CPC

[EgoTrip]

Also, didn't a company patent the concept?

[pelrun]

Yes, but it expired last year: http://kotaku.com/the-patent-on-loading-screen-mini-games-is-about-to-exp-1744705351

[ivarf]

I've wondered for a long time whether there is an 'Invada load' on the CPC

Wasn't the C64 version coded by one og the good Amstrad coders? Checking Wikipedia.... Yes, Richard Aplin! Japanese patent 1998 should never have been given. It was invented at least 10 years earlier

[EgoTrip]

Wow some serious corruption going on there with that patent. No way should they have ever been able to get it considering they were not the ones who even thought it up.

[pelrun]

Just like basically every software patent ever.

[Carnivius]

Yes that was a dodgy move from Namco especially at the time CD-based consoles were taking off and almost EVERY game could have used some distraction during load time. Did they expect all the other game companies to pay them?   All that happened is that we had to endure many hours of our gaming time taken up by loading with no fun.  Guess us 8-bit guys especially those with cassette based computers were used to it but people who were only used to instant loading cartridge consoles must have hated the transition.

[Gryzor]

I don't get it - how can you even patent such a general idea? If I' not mistaken, it's the specific mechanism that you can patent, not the functionality of it... am I wrong?

[Skunkfish]

The patent should never have been granted (in 1998!), there have been examples of the same thing since 1984!

You can read the patent at https://www.google.com/patents/US5718632 - there's no new invention there.

Abstract:
A recording medium, a method of loading games program code, and a games machine is provided. The recording medium has a program code relating to an auxiliary game and a program code relating to a main game. The size of the auxiliary game program code is small compared to the size of the main-game program code, and the relationship between the auxiliary game program code and the main-game program code is such that the auxiliary game program code is loaded first, before the main game program code. Unnecessary wastage of time can be prevented by first loading the smaller, auxiliary game program code into the games machine, before the main-game program code is loaded, then loading the main-game program code while the auxiliary game is running.

[Gryzor]

Excuse me while I patent breathing.

[TMR]

The patent should never have been granted (in 1998!), there have been examples of the same thing since 1984!

The various 8-bit examples (i believe there's one from 1983 on the C64) persumably weren't anywhere near well known enough in the US to get in the way of Namco's patent as prior art; games like Defender Of The Crown or Rocket Ranger on a range of 16- and 8-bit platforms all played one part of the game as other assets were loaded but don't count in that specific case. You could possibly push it and claim that Dragon's Lair 2 on the C64 is a series of minigames loading each other but, again, don't think that got a US release.

Excuse me while I patent breathing.

There's demonstrable prior art for that. =-)

[Gryzor]

There's demonstrable prior art for that. =-)

Drat!


But not if I (or the friendly patents office clerk) can help it!

[TMR]

But not if I (or the friendly patents office clerk) can help it!

What, you're both going to hold your breath as they do ther paperwork? =-)

[dragon]

I if remember well Astro Marine Corps has a master mind mini game while loading

Is the same of rescue to Atlantis?
Dinámic call It "poliload"

[trocoloco]

Is the same of rescue to Atlantis?
Dinámic call It "poliload"

Yes, that's the one