TFS : Could you introduce yourself?

Dragon/Ellfire : Former founder of FUZION (under the pseudo of Dragon, then Ellfire), I am now almost 30 years old (pfff... time passes!) and I completely left data processing except the usage of a PC laptop computer within the framework of my professional activity (management of human resources, it is well so far from the data processing!). I play occasionally on PlayStation (maybe soon on X-BOX OR PS2 according to the evolution of the market), simply for the ease of use and to avoid the infernal race of the evolutions of PC more the problems of configurations, conflicts, etc.! I have not any more of time for it …

Which were you first contacts with the data processing? With the ATARI ST?

My first contact with the data processing took place when I was 9 years old with a ZX SINCLAIR SPECTRUM. A magnificent little black box, linked with a tape recorder, with 48 Ko of memory (!!!).
I enjoyed it during several years, it had to be in 1982 or 1983 I believe. It was incredible in which point the programs was optimized, unlike today when one asks you to change processor, to buy back some RAM or a video card. Proof, "Captain Blood" which was a classical game on ST was still adapted on the ZX at the same time (imagine contrast in term of capacities of the machine!). And " Manic Miner ", a classical game on Spectrum (there was almost 20 years!) goes out on GameBoy Color nowadays!! (Nostalgia, Nostalgia).
The computer following the ZX was naturally an ATARI 520 ST, what marked my passage of the 8 in 16 bits. 1040 came then, then STE.

When did you join your first group?

I created FUZION in school re-opening in 1989, if I do not make a mistake over the year, with a friend met with small advertisements on " TILT " (THE newspaper of the video games in 1989!!!). This pal returned a short time later at the REPLICANTS, he allowed us to contact the ST scene .

Of which groups were you member during all these years? Which were your pseudos?

FUZION since the origin till the end, at first under the pseudo of DRAGON, then ELLFIRE. I have also join the REPLICANTS over the end with this pseudo. FUZION made then CD and REPLICANTS cracks.

When did you start up to code, swap or draw for FUZION? And Why?

From the creation of the Group, it became even quickly sharply more amusing than playing video games. The crack scene and the competition was a game in itself. Moreover, the management of the group was somewhere comparable to that of the company (various competence: cracker, to code, musician, graphic designer, swapper, / products: CD and novelties / distribution networks: swapping, network on Minitel limps mail, / the "customers" or "the users": all the players on ATARI ST worldwide / competition between the groups to be the fastest, etc. - We had even realized a sounding, I believe on CD towards 123 - 130 …).

What did you make at FUZION who makes you the most proud? The most shameful?

We was rather proud of the number of realized CD, the quality of intros on CD … In the typical computer newspapers Amazine, Toxic Mag and the others, it seems to me that we were at the moment N°1 for CD with FUZION and at the same time N°1 for cracks with THE REPLICANTS …
For the shameful recollections, the first crap realizations of the group, without speaking about games stolen from the compilations of the other groups in our first numbers …

Wich was your best memories? Your worse one?

As good memories: copy-party, group, evenings, sleepless nights to see complete WE with the friends, the pleasure to take out a new CD, competition with the other groups pirates, frenzies, meetings with the other French and European pirates, etc.
As worse memories: naturally my arrest.

Which are according to you the best games taken out on ST? The worst?

The best games or those witch was the most funny, as I can remember myself: Captain Blood, Super Cars I and II, Super Sprint, Defender of the Crown, Operation Wolf, Sim City, Shufflepuck Cafe, Turrican II, Bubble Bobble, Lemmings, Populous, Lotus Esprit Challenge, Archipelagos, Stunt Car Racer, Double Dragon, Buggy Boy, Rick Dangerous and I forget a lot it certainly!!
The worst, they was numerous, especially in the end of the ST …

Which are according to you the best demos on ST? The worst?

I do not remember myself any more so demos, except the first which marked me: the UNION DEMO (the one that we remember…). There was then several superb one, which we could find on the NET. A big step was the adaptation of musics .mod, the famous Amiga modules on the ST.

Do you think that the cracking scene killed the ATARI ST?

No, absolutely not. The ST knew numerous and beautiful years. It had an enormous success and the traffic of video games by the swappers, the exchanges in the classes of secondary schools contributed certainly to the sales of computers. It was simply exceeded technologically like every machine , by the video games system (Super Nintendo, Mega Drive) and especially the PC (486).

When did you left FUZION? Why?

I did not leave FUZION, I was arrested by the french police force in 1993. The group stopped all his activities after this event.

Did you keep contact with the other group members or with the ST scene? Do you have some projects involving them?

I have some contacts with 2 members of the group. No project.

Wich computer do you own at present? Have you some projects?

I possess a PC laptop computer and it is of use only for my professional activity. No big computer project, if it is not vaguely a personal Web site.

What do you think of the current ATARI scene?

I completely dropped out, but I find staggering that there is always an " ATARI scene " all these years later … I do not however imagine that it can continue as our generation will age, seen the speed of technological innovations. For the users of X-Box, GameCube and future supports, term " ST " will not mean big matter…

What do you think of the cracking scene of the PC?

I do not know it.

What changed?

I would tend to think that it is nowadays much less funny and pioneer than the madness of the cracking groups scenes on ATARI ST and COMMODORE AMIGA of the years 80-90, when microcomputing called domestic started really, 16 bits computers succeeding the good old CPC AMSTRAD, ZX SPECTRUM AND COMMODORE 64. It was a small revolution and numerous young people were burst in these cracking groups.
Now, whoever can go to the FNAC, buy a CD writer and copy audio CD or CD ROMS either download of the music, the software packages even films by Internet … No more need of cracking groups , and if one was the object of attentions by some rare polices specialized at the time, it was commercially the droplet with regard to that it is possible to make today for any newbie …

What do you think of the evolution of the data processing today?

It goes without saying that INTERNET revolutionized everything and is really brilliant. I think that in this domain there is still great fun to had. Otherwise, the PC has no charm compared with a ST or AMIGA, it is just a tool, one box filled with components in permanent evolution without any emotional link (it was necessary to see war between the defenders of the ST and those of the AMIGA!!!). I shall not speak about Mac, the market is almost non-existent.

Have you anything to add?

I notice that I did not evoke Jochen HIPPEL ( Mad Max), David WHITTAKER, Chris HUELSBECK or COUNT ZERO who were the best musicians of the ST, of whom we take regularly musics for our intros. Greetings to them.
Otherwise, congratulations for this site and enjoy the FUZION CDs as we had lots of fun to make them!!!