Or: How a Guy in an Atari T-Shirt Became CEO of the Company That Made Your Childhood
Remember when the wildest tech news was which smartphone had slightly better cameras? Well, buckle up buttercup, because 2025 just served us a plot twist that sounds like it was written by someone who binged too many 80s movies and too much caffeine.
Christian Simpson – better known to the retro computing world as “Perifractic” from the YouTube channel Retro Recipes – has just pulled off what might be the most audacious fan move in tech history. He bought Commodore. Not a Commodore computer. Not some Commodore merchandise. The actual, honest-to-goodness Commodore brand itself.
Wait, What Now?
I know, I know. Your first thought is probably “Didn’t Commodore die back when I was still using dial-up?” And you’d be right – the original company went belly-up in 1994. But here’s the thing about beloved brands: they’re like zombies. They just keep shuffling around, getting bought and sold by various companies who usually have about as much connection to the original spirit as a grocery store has to actual groceries.
The Commodore brand (specifically Commodore Corporation B.V., a Dutch company that owns the trademarks) has been bouncing around like a pinball since the 90s, mostly serving as a way for various companies to slap that iconic “chicken head” logo on random products and charge licensing fees.
But this time? This time it’s different.
The Story That Sounds Made Up But Isn’t
Picture this: It’s October 2024, and Simpson is just trying to do something nice for the retro computing community. He contacts the current owners of the Commodore brand, thinking maybe he can negotiate some reasonable licensing deals so all those awesome C64 clones and Amiga tributes don’t have to pay through the nose for the right to use the official logo.
Normal response: “Here’s our licensing fee structure.” Actual response: “You seem to know more about Commodore than we do. Want to buy the whole company?”
It’s like asking your neighbor if you can borrow their lawnmower and them offering to sell you their house instead.
From Fan to CEO in Eight Months
What followed was eight months of the kind of wheeling and dealing that would make Gordon Gekko proud, except instead of “greed is good,” the motto was more like “nostalgia is expensive but totally worth it.”
Simpson didn’t just throw money at the problem (though he did take out a second mortgage on his house – because apparently that’s what you do when you really, really love the Commodore 64). He assembled what can only be described as the Avengers of retro computing.
The All-Star Lineup:
- Bill Herd – The guy who designed the C128 and Plus/4. You know, actual Commodore royalty.
- Albert Charpentier – Former VP of Engineering at Commodore. This man probably has 6502 assembly code running through his veins.
- David Pleasance – The former joint managing director who tried to save Commodore in the 90s. Talk about getting the band back together.
- Thomas Middleditch – Yes, that Thomas Middleditch from “Silicon Valley”. Because apparently even Hollywood actors miss the good old days of computing.
- Jeri Ellsworth – Creator of the C64DTV, because you need someone who knows how to cram a classic computer into a joystick.
And that’s just the starting lineup. It’s like someone took a wishlist of “people you’d want running Commodore” and somehow convinced them all to join the same company.
The Price Tag That Makes Sense (Sort Of)
The deal reportedly came in at “low seven figures” – which Simpson calls “a steal.” And honestly? When you consider that the brand was valued at $79.8 million back in 2008, and that Atari was worth around $70 million during the same period, getting the Commodore name for less than $10 million does seem like finding a mint-condition C64 at a garage sale.
Of course, there’s a small detail: the deal isn’t quite done yet. They’ve signed the paperwork, Simpson is acting CEO, but they’re still securing the final funding. It’s like being engaged to your dream partner – you’re committed, but you haven’t quite made it to the altar yet.
What This Actually Means
Now, before you start planning your preorder for the Commodore 128X or whatever, let’s manage expectations. Simpson didn’t buy the rights to AmigaOS or the C64’s KERNAL ROM – those are still scattered among other companies in a legal mess that makes a plate of spaghetti look organized.
What he did buy is something arguably more important: the soul of the brand. The right to decide who gets to put that iconic logo on their products, and more importantly, the responsibility to make sure those products are actually worthy of the name.
The plan isn’t to flood the market with cheap knockoffs sporting the Commodore logo. Instead, it’s about creating a legitimate pathway for the amazing projects the retro community is already building. Think of it as quality control for nostalgia.
The Vision (And It’s Actually Pretty Cool)
Simpson’s vision goes beyond just slapping logos on things. He’s talking about:
- New Commodore hardware that honors the classics while embracing modern capabilities
- A licensing system that doesn’t require selling a kidney to use the official branding
- Community-driven products that actually deserve the Commodore name
- Bringing back classic publications like Compute!’s Gazette
They’re even floating the idea of a “Commodore Cares” charity program that would put Commodore machines in children’s hospitals. Because apparently, when you’re already doing something this audacious, why not aim for making the world a better place too?
The Skeptics Have a Point
Not everyone is popping champagne bottles over this news. Some in the community are asking legitimate questions: Do we really need official branding? Haven’t products like the Ultimate 64 and MEGA65 done just fine without the Commodore logo? Is this just expensive nostalgia?
And you know what? They’re not wrong. The functionality of your favorite FPGA C64 clone doesn’t change whether it has an official logo or not. But here’s the thing – sometimes it’s not about functionality. Sometimes it’s about respect for the legacy and making sure that when someone slaps the Commodore name on something, it’s actually worthy of that heritage.
Thoughts
Look, this could all go sideways. Reviving beloved brands is littered with more failures than successes (looking at you, Intellivision Amico). But for the first time since 1994, the Commodore brand is in the hands of people who actually give a damn about what it represents.
Whether Simpson and his dream team can turn this into something meaningful remains to be seen. But at the very least, they’ve already accomplished something remarkable: they’ve given everyone who ever typed “LOAD “*”,8,1” a reason to feel hopeful about the future of their favorite brand.
And in a world where most tech news is about which megacorp is buying which other megacorp, there’s something beautifully analog about a passionate fan taking control of the thing he loves most.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go dig out my C64 and load up some old games. You know, for research purposes.
Actually: I’ve been rediscovering the C64 world over the past three years, diving back into the computer that defined my childhood while finally exploring the depths I never had the time or knowledge to understand back then. 8-Bit coding in 2025!
My current favorite C64 revived hardware & software
Hardware
- Ultimate 64 Elite II (Complete C64 FPGA-based board)
Ultimate II+ Cartridge ( The plug-in module is a complete floppy disk drive replacement for the Commodore 64. A USB stick or MicroSD card can be used as the data medium. The module can emulate a maximum of two 1541 floppy disk drives. The compatibility is extremely high, so virtually all afterloaders, fast loaders, and IRQ loaders work. Additionally, popular modules such as Action Replay, Final Cartridge 3, and REU-type memory expansions can also be emulated. WLAN with an addon. ) - Kung Fu Flash ( Kung Fu Flash can emulate different cartridge types, load PRG files and use D64 disk images. )
- VIC II Kawari (VIC II replacement)
- VIC II dizer / RGB to HDMI (Quick HDMI with no hardware changes) / Case / Add Audio
- Yaumataca – Yet another USB mouse and joystick to Amiga, Atari ST & C64 Adapter
- ARMSid ( Perfect SID replacement )
- Keyrah V3 – ( C64 Keyboard to USB )
- XUM1541 (Use your 1541 via USB) – Perfect to backup or restore to disc
- The C64 + Mini
- Meatloaf ( Emulates a floppy drive / Supports multiple virtual drives / Supports additional virtual device types / Connects to the internet ) – Cloud Discdrive LOAD”HTTP://C64.MEATLOAF.CC/GAMES/H.E.R.O.PRG”,8
Software
- OPENCBM (Kernel driver and development library to control serial CBM devices, such as the Commodore 1541 disk drive, connected to the PC’s parallel port via a XM1541 or XA1541 cable.)
Games
Sources & Further Reading
- Perifractic’s Personal Website
- Retro Recipes Official Page
- HotHardware: Beloved Commodore May Rise From The Ashes
- Tom’s Hardware: Commodore shocks retro TechTuber with option to buy ‘the whole company’
- Tedium: This Retro YouTuber Wants To Take Over Commodore
- Gaming Retro: BREAKING: Perifractic buys Commodore, is now CEO
- Hackaday: Let’s Buy Commodore! Well, Somebody Is.
- The Escapist: Commodore is back, and retro gamers need to get behind Peri Fractic’s powerplay
- DataGubbe.se – “On Buying the Commodore Brand”
- Lemon64 Forum – “Perifractic buys Commodore??”
- BigGo News – “YouTube Creator Christian Simpson Pursues Acquisition of Historic Commodore Brand”
- Gaming Retro – “BREAKING: Perifractic buys Commodore, is now CEO”
- Amiga News – “Youtuber claims to have received an offer to buy the Commodore brand”
- Archyde – “Commodore Revival: YouTuber & New Team Bring Classic Computer Back to Life”
- Geeky Gadgets – “Commodore’s Revival: Tech Icon Returns with Modern Innovations”
- Nouvelles Du Monde – “Perifractic rachète Commodore : le retour des anciens!” (French)
- GadgetGear.nl – “Commodore opnieuw verkocht, ditmaal aan Youtuber” (Dutch)
- Zeus News – “Commodore torna dal passato: lo youtuber Perifractic ha davvero comprato il marchio” (Italian)
