That reminds me of this gem from Usenet's comp.sys.amiga.advocacy, circa 1994:
VNP NewsFlash - 05/09/94 - 4:00 p.m. EST
-- Amiga Technology Purchased --
Xoah Gib, spokesperson for Giama Ltd., announced today that
they have acquired the rights to the Amiga technology as part
of a deal with Commodore. Included in the buyout deal are
the rights to the AGA and AAA chipsets. The former is now used
in machines ranging from the CD-32 (a CD-i compatible) to the
Video Toaster (used for Star Trek and other television shows).
Although no exact details were provided concerning how the Amiga
technology is to be used, Xoah did hint that it would be a new
direction for the Amiga. Giama has been involved in the production
of slot machines as used in gambling establishments, many of which
are now using video displays. The Amiga technology provides for
very high-resolution displays not possible on other platforms,
perhaps providing Giama with the edge over competitors.
Mr. Gib has stated that there are no plans at the moment to restart
the halted production lines, but did not rule that out entirely for
the future. If and when the interactive set-top boxes become the
norm in homes, the Amiga techology could provide an excellent
vehicle for bringing gambling into the home. With connections to
the players credit lines there would be no need to use coins or
other currency when gambling. Xoah was quick to point out that
there will be protection against children using the systems, but
that there will be no artificial spending limits imposed upon
adults who wish to play. This is heralded as a major breakthrough
by the various gambling organizations, with several alreay in
negotiations with Giama to use their technology.
Eko Jasiti, head of Giama's technology division, provided a bit of
information as to why the Amiga technology was chosen over others.
The primary reason is the cost and flexibility of the hardware,
allowing Giama to get rid of extraneous parts such as the ROM and
disk drives. By using a custom ROM containing an updated version
of CP/M, Giama will be able to significantly lower the cost of
the units and make them much easier to update. Ms. Jasiti was able
to provide preliminary specs for the first machine:
AGA Chipset - 14.32MHz
68EC020 - 8MHz, 7.16MHz in operation
256k RAM - 64k for display, 32k for sound, 32k program, 128k data
256k ROM - 64k BIOS, 64k sound samples, 128k graphic images
GiamaNet - Proprietary network based on RS232
GiamaPort - Proprietary button controller based on 9pin ports
An engineer with Giama who asked to remain anonymous said that
he is very happy to see the Amiga finally making money. The Amiga
never did make much money for Commodore, although a few did profit
from it, but will make a lot of money for Giama. The engineer has
predicted that Giama's profits for the first year will easily beat
the total sales for C= in the last three years. (Skip Sauls)
