CommaVid

CommaVid

Company type	Private
Industry	Video games
Founded	1981
Founder	Dr. Irwin Gaines, Dr. John Bronstein, Dr. Joseph Biel
Defunct	1983
Headquarters	Aurora, Illinois , United States
Products	Video games for Atari 2600, programming utility (MagiCard)

CommaVid operated as both a developer and publisher of games for the Atari 2600, producing six titles between 1981 and 1983, in addition to a programming utility for the system. The company, originally named Computer Magic Video before shortening to CommaVid, was established by Dr. Irwin Gaines, Dr. John Bronstein, and Dr. Joseph Biel and was headquartered in Aurora, Illinois. Beyond its proprietary games, CommaVid also handled the port of the arcade title Venture to the Atari 2600 for Coleco in 1982.

The majority of CommaVid's releases were impacted by the video game crash of 1983, although some, such as Mines of Minos, received favorable critiques. In 2010, Retroist remarked that while the company's catalog was inconsistent in quality, even the less successful games featured noteworthy gameplay aspects.

Games

The following titles were published by CommaVid:

• Cakewalk, featuring gameplay reminiscent of Tapper
• Cosmic Swarm
• Mines of Minos
• Room of Doom
• Stronghold

MagicCard

MagiCard is a programming cartridge designed for the Atari 2600, distributed primarily through mail order and accompanied by a comprehensive 100-page manual. Co-founder Gaines indicated that production was limited to between 50 and 100 units.

Video Life

An adaptation of the cellular automaton Conway's Game of Life for the Atari 2600, Video Life was exclusively available via a special mail order offer restricted to owners of MagiCard. Fewer than 20 copies were manufactured, with a 2003 appraisal estimating their worth at approximately $3,000.

Unreleased

• Frog Demo
• Mission Omega
• Rush Hour
• Underworld