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Forums > CSDb Discussions > Speculations on the growth/decline of the C64 scene

2017-03-27 13:54

Frantic

Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1647

Speculations on the growth/decline of the C64 scene

According to CSDb the peak of the C64 scene, in terms of number of releases, was 1988. In 1988 more than 20000 releases were released. After that, there was a decline in the number of releases each year until year 2000. This is not very surprising.

Then a new phase began and there was a fairly steady number of releases each year between 2000 and 2010, with about 9001200 releases per year. During this period the trend was rather going sideways than clearly going up or down.

From 2010 to 2013 the number of releases went upward again, peaking in 2013 with almost double the amount of releases (2073) compared to the average during 20002010. After 2013 there has once more been a decline in the number of releases each year.

Any ideas what the reasons would be for this upsurge in the number of releases from 2010 to 2013? Was there indeed more productivity (caused by what? Internet/CSDb, or even codebase64 to some extent?), or is it rather an effect of people starting to release standalone pictures/tunes a lot more? ..or did the sons/daughters of the average C64 scener get a bit older around this time so that the average C64 scener got a bit more time at their disposal around this time? ...or is this when almost everybody had finally switched to cross development (including perhaps also cross platform editors like GoatTracker and Timanthes/Project One)?

What would be the reason for a declining number of releases each year from 2013 and up to now? Is the scene finally dying? Was 20102013 the final death rattle in terms of possibly being the last period when the number of C64 releases increased each year?

I know I could get at least a few more answers by looking closer at information that I would be able to extract from CSDb myself, but I felt like hearing some opinions from others so that's why I started a thread. Of course I am also aware that the sheer number of releases may not even be very interesting in itself, since the health of the scene may be better judged by the quality of the releases.

2017-03-27 14:44

user

Registered: Mar 2011
Posts: 8

I guess the peak around 2012 is explainable by two things:
- many articles about the 30th birthday of the C64
- articles about the death of Jack Tramiel which also often mentions the C64

IMHO: Everytime the C64 get advertisement, the release counter will rise. I guess the next increase will be around 2022 for it's 40th birthday ;)

2017-03-27 16:46

encore

Registered: Aug 2010
Posts: 67

Some thoughts:
- A lot of JSL releases (over 200 entries from him in 2014-2015) compared to few today.
- Lack of steady RGCD competitions (and related cracks).
- It could also be that the quality bar in cross-platform releases are going up and thus the number of releases are going down (more time is spent on a specific release).

2017-03-27 17:52

jailbird

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1578

I don't see any misteries here.

Quote:

between 2000 and 2010

CSDb happened. A lot of people started to release individual releases here, especially graphicians. That pushed the number of releases upwards. Then there are years with some stupid compo with hundreds of releases, so the number goes up and down.

Don't look at individual releases. What actually counts, is the number of demos.

Do you see any unusual pattern here? Me neiter.

The C64 scene is alive and well.

2017-03-27 18:12

Mr. Mouse

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 235

CSDb - Quantify Me Too - Hype stopped?

Please read ;)

2017-03-27 18:26

Frantic

Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1647

I had a vague memory of that thread. :)

2018-02-07 10:07

Heavy Stylus

Registered: Apr 2007
Posts: 62

I think there was also that font compo in 2013 which resulted in a crazy amount of new entries being uploaded to CSDB.

2018-02-07 21:31

Oswald

Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5086