Has the ColecoVision Scene Slowed Down — or Is It Changing?
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2026 3:27 pm
## Has the ColecoVision Scene Slowed Down — or Is It Changing?
Milli Hicks recently posed an interesting question in the ColecoVision & ADAM Fanatics group:
**“Is it just me or has the ColecoVision scene slowed down? It seems the enthusiasm has dropped off a lot.”**
The question generated quite a few thoughtful responses, and after reading through them, there doesn't seem to be a simple yes-or-no answer. Instead, several common themes emerged.
### Maybe It's More of a Shift Than a Slowdown
One interesting observation was that ColecoVision development itself may not have slowed as much as the *way games are developed and distributed* has changed.
Tools such as CVBasic have made ColecoVision development much more accessible. Developers can now share demos, works in progress, and finished ROMs directly with players, sometimes followed later by a complete-in-box physical release.
That means counting physical releases from the larger publishers no longer necessarily gives us an accurate picture of how much ColecoVision development is actually happening.
There are still a considerable number of games being created and made available as ROMs, including titles being preserved and distributed through resources such as the ADAM Archive.
### The Traditional Publishing Model Has Changed
Another recurring point was that some of the names that once accounted for a large percentage of ColecoVision physical releases aren't operating in quite the same way today.
Team Pixelboy has closed its publishing operation, Opcode isn't supplying the same volume of games that once flowed through publishers, and CollectorVision's release model has changed.
For years, those companies created a very visible and steady stream of announcements and boxed releases. With that activity reduced or changed, the scene can *feel* quieter even while independent development continues.
### Are We Looking for Something New?
Several people brought up another interesting issue: **original games versus ports.**
The ColecoVision built much of its original reputation on bringing the arcade experience home, so arcade conversions are naturally part of its DNA. But today we have countless ways to play extremely accurate versions of classic arcade games.
Some collectors therefore said they're becoming more selective. Rather than another version of a familiar arcade title, they're increasingly interested in original games, new genres, story-driven games, and experiences that weren't available on the ColecoVision before.
There were also suggestions that another technological step forward—whether through enhanced cartridges, future expansion hardware, or simply increasingly sophisticated programming—could open the door to features such as save games, continues, pausing, larger games, and entirely different styles of gameplay.
### Maybe We Need More Ways to Actually Play Together
One response raised a point I hadn't considered enough: perhaps we don't have a shortage of games so much as a shortage of ways to **share the experience of playing them.**
High-score competitions, online leaderboards, challenges, tournaments, and other community activities give people a reason to pull a cartridge off the shelf—or load a ROM—and actually play.
One example mentioned was the ColecoVision high-score competition on AtariAge, where participation can sometimes be only a handful of players despite having a worldwide potential audience.
Perhaps creating more opportunities to *play together* could be just as important as creating more games.
### Collectors Are Changing Too
Several responses pointed toward something none of us can completely avoid: **the community itself is getting older.**
Some collectors have moved among different systems over the years rather than concentrating exclusively on ColecoVision. Others already own most of what they want. Some have become more selective about buying homebrews, while health, available time, and other interests naturally affect participation.
There was also the unusual collecting boom during COVID. Retro gaming and collecting grew tremendously during that period, and some cooling afterward was probably inevitable.
At the same time, there are still people discovering—or rediscovering—the ColecoVision. One person in the discussion had just purchased two systems and an Expansion Module #1 and was looking forward to restoring and playing them.
So new enthusiasm certainly hasn't disappeared.
### Perhaps What Has Declined Most Is Interaction
This may be the part I notice personally.
There are still people researching, programming, designing hardware, restoring systems, creating games, preserving software and documentation, and uncovering pieces of Coleco and ADAM history.
But sometimes something that required many hours of work gets posted and receives very little discussion.
That can create the impression that interest has disappeared when perhaps what has really declined is **visible participation**.
And participation doesn't necessarily mean buying something. Commenting on someone's project, joining a high-score challenge, testing a new game, sharing an old photograph, scanning a manual, identifying an obscure piece of hardware, posting a memory, or simply encouraging someone working on a project all contribute to keeping a community active.
### So, Has ColecoVision Slowed Down?
After reading everyone's responses, my takeaway is:
**Yes, certain parts of the ColecoVision scene have slowed—but other parts have simply changed.**
The era when a few major homebrew publishers generated a steady stream of boxed releases isn't quite what it once was. The COVID collecting surge has subsided. Our community is aging, and competition for people's time and collecting dollars is greater.
But development hasn't stopped. New tools have lowered the barrier to creating games. ROM distribution has opened another avenue for releases. New hardware is still being developed. People are still restoring systems and discovering the ColecoVision. And there are developers working on projects right now.
Perhaps the next step isn't simply asking how we can produce *more* ColecoVision games.
Maybe we should also be asking:
**How do we give people more reasons to play them, talk about them, share them, and participate in the community?**
With the **45th anniversary of the ColecoVision coming in 2027**, we have a particularly good opportunity to do exactly that.
I'd be interested in hearing what everyone here thinks. Has your own involvement with ColecoVision increased, decreased, or simply changed over the last few years? And more importantly, **what would get you more involved again?**
Milli Hicks recently posed an interesting question in the ColecoVision & ADAM Fanatics group:
**“Is it just me or has the ColecoVision scene slowed down? It seems the enthusiasm has dropped off a lot.”**
The question generated quite a few thoughtful responses, and after reading through them, there doesn't seem to be a simple yes-or-no answer. Instead, several common themes emerged.
### Maybe It's More of a Shift Than a Slowdown
One interesting observation was that ColecoVision development itself may not have slowed as much as the *way games are developed and distributed* has changed.
Tools such as CVBasic have made ColecoVision development much more accessible. Developers can now share demos, works in progress, and finished ROMs directly with players, sometimes followed later by a complete-in-box physical release.
That means counting physical releases from the larger publishers no longer necessarily gives us an accurate picture of how much ColecoVision development is actually happening.
There are still a considerable number of games being created and made available as ROMs, including titles being preserved and distributed through resources such as the ADAM Archive.
### The Traditional Publishing Model Has Changed
Another recurring point was that some of the names that once accounted for a large percentage of ColecoVision physical releases aren't operating in quite the same way today.
Team Pixelboy has closed its publishing operation, Opcode isn't supplying the same volume of games that once flowed through publishers, and CollectorVision's release model has changed.
For years, those companies created a very visible and steady stream of announcements and boxed releases. With that activity reduced or changed, the scene can *feel* quieter even while independent development continues.
### Are We Looking for Something New?
Several people brought up another interesting issue: **original games versus ports.**
The ColecoVision built much of its original reputation on bringing the arcade experience home, so arcade conversions are naturally part of its DNA. But today we have countless ways to play extremely accurate versions of classic arcade games.
Some collectors therefore said they're becoming more selective. Rather than another version of a familiar arcade title, they're increasingly interested in original games, new genres, story-driven games, and experiences that weren't available on the ColecoVision before.
There were also suggestions that another technological step forward—whether through enhanced cartridges, future expansion hardware, or simply increasingly sophisticated programming—could open the door to features such as save games, continues, pausing, larger games, and entirely different styles of gameplay.
### Maybe We Need More Ways to Actually Play Together
One response raised a point I hadn't considered enough: perhaps we don't have a shortage of games so much as a shortage of ways to **share the experience of playing them.**
High-score competitions, online leaderboards, challenges, tournaments, and other community activities give people a reason to pull a cartridge off the shelf—or load a ROM—and actually play.
One example mentioned was the ColecoVision high-score competition on AtariAge, where participation can sometimes be only a handful of players despite having a worldwide potential audience.
Perhaps creating more opportunities to *play together* could be just as important as creating more games.
### Collectors Are Changing Too
Several responses pointed toward something none of us can completely avoid: **the community itself is getting older.**
Some collectors have moved among different systems over the years rather than concentrating exclusively on ColecoVision. Others already own most of what they want. Some have become more selective about buying homebrews, while health, available time, and other interests naturally affect participation.
There was also the unusual collecting boom during COVID. Retro gaming and collecting grew tremendously during that period, and some cooling afterward was probably inevitable.
At the same time, there are still people discovering—or rediscovering—the ColecoVision. One person in the discussion had just purchased two systems and an Expansion Module #1 and was looking forward to restoring and playing them.
So new enthusiasm certainly hasn't disappeared.
### Perhaps What Has Declined Most Is Interaction
This may be the part I notice personally.
There are still people researching, programming, designing hardware, restoring systems, creating games, preserving software and documentation, and uncovering pieces of Coleco and ADAM history.
But sometimes something that required many hours of work gets posted and receives very little discussion.
That can create the impression that interest has disappeared when perhaps what has really declined is **visible participation**.
And participation doesn't necessarily mean buying something. Commenting on someone's project, joining a high-score challenge, testing a new game, sharing an old photograph, scanning a manual, identifying an obscure piece of hardware, posting a memory, or simply encouraging someone working on a project all contribute to keeping a community active.
### So, Has ColecoVision Slowed Down?
After reading everyone's responses, my takeaway is:
**Yes, certain parts of the ColecoVision scene have slowed—but other parts have simply changed.**
The era when a few major homebrew publishers generated a steady stream of boxed releases isn't quite what it once was. The COVID collecting surge has subsided. Our community is aging, and competition for people's time and collecting dollars is greater.
But development hasn't stopped. New tools have lowered the barrier to creating games. ROM distribution has opened another avenue for releases. New hardware is still being developed. People are still restoring systems and discovering the ColecoVision. And there are developers working on projects right now.
Perhaps the next step isn't simply asking how we can produce *more* ColecoVision games.
Maybe we should also be asking:
**How do we give people more reasons to play them, talk about them, share them, and participate in the community?**
With the **45th anniversary of the ColecoVision coming in 2027**, we have a particularly good opportunity to do exactly that.
I'd be interested in hearing what everyone here thinks. Has your own involvement with ColecoVision increased, decreased, or simply changed over the last few years? And more importantly, **what would get you more involved again?**