Originally Posted by benasselstine

I suspect Billy will always profess his innocence and there will always be this mass of evidence against him. Why would he want to add a failed lawsuit to that? KOK2 maybe?

RTM REPLY - think long-term for a minute. Everything post-KoK is unfolding to such an extent that a sequel-story is almost inevitable...sequel meaning more $$ for those directly involved with the producer and director. Off-off Broadway plays are not out of the picture either. I'm actually waiting for Billy to attempt trademarking of "Road to Redemption" at some point. And should the matter actually go to trial, no matter how brief, "The Trial of Billy Mitchell" is likely another possible story to tell down the line.

Put it all together and you may one day have a ghost-authored book about the life-story of Billy Mitchell and a related made-for-cable-TV movie.

In short, he could theoretically turn adversity into $$ over time. It's all possibly part of some plan...a public relations crisis management plan, but a plan nonetheless.

Much like his arch-nemesis, Roy Shildt, Billy seems to be of the belief that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Consider the old Howard Stern Radio Show back in its hey-days. More people listened who HATED Stern than people who liked him...and they listened just to hear what he would say next.

Billy, comparatively, issues a single "Tweet"...I think it was that he only plays live and never submits tapes, whatever the verbiage was in the dispute thread. When you consider the YouTube count of recent views of newly released videos to the rapid escalation and growth of the dispute thread, he is apparently thriving on bad P.R. just as much as if it was good P.R.

I wonder...I just did a Google Search on the two words "Billy Mitchell" and Billy the video game player comes up first before the other Billy Mitchell, the one out of history. Makes me wonder if that Wiki page had any SEO performed on it to make this happen, but even if not then it is likely that recent negative P.R. is driving the hits thus causing that page to appear first in a search. I'm sure that Billy is quite aware of this as well. Years back he informed me post-KoK of various posts being made as he had "alerts" going to his phone/handheld device which had to do with his search criteria...so I know that he monitors to some extent recent media posts involving his name. But that was post-KoK and no lawsuits were underway, so that tells me it was done for the same reason that today's teenagers and tweens check how many "likes" their posts and pics garnered.

Bottom line is this...attention. Bill thrives on it, and whether it comes good or bad that does not matter. In the entertainment-slash-sport of Pro-Wrestling, more often than not a "heel" role (i.e. bad guy) can actually get more "pop" than the "face" role (i.e. good guy). Harken back to the days of "Stone Cold Steve Austin" outselling t-shirts of even "Hulk Hogan" during his heyday).

Nothing, and I mean nothing, would likely please Billy more than if he were to see himself as the subject matter of some "tell-all" tome featuring his side of the "story", or better yet, some made-for-cable movie about his "Rise and Fall" and his attempt to "Rise" from adversity. The pursuit of the score would no longer matter if that were to happen, as his true legacy would be the story itself, in his eyes.

That's what I foresee as potentially happening in the long-term. Worldwide media exposure well beyond the niche of gaming circles and nostalgia buffs. And short of that, a "People Magazine" article chronicling his "plight" which also might be the end-all/be-all for him in terms of worldwide exposure.

Don't laugh too hard, it could happen. Remember...within days of the original record announcement of Steve Wiebe's 947K DK score, articles appeared nearly overnight in USA Today, CNN.com and even was part of a Jay Leno opening monologue...so when it comes to nostalgia, never discount anything.

Originally Posted by ersatz_cats

Keep in mind, it's not just about his highest score, which itself is a ways down the leaderboard now. A lot of their demand focuses on reinstating various Guinness records, including "First to 1 million on Donkey Kong". It's absurd that he's trying to say 1.047m was never submitted while simultaneously wanting it recognized as the first 1m on DK which was entirely predicated on it being a submission at the time that he claims it was not submitted, but as has been said many times, there are many things about their position that don't make sense.

RTM REPLY - remember, Billy publicly in Lincoln Center, with Walter right there alongside for the ride, proclaimed his 1.014M score as the world's first 1M+ score on DK. And he pressured both Walter and I NOT to accept Steve Wiebe's score as the 1st TG-recognized 1M score on DK as well.

This is not Billy trying to "right a perceived wrong" or even a perceived "slight"...it is simple ego, pure and simple.

Steve's 1M score threw a monkey wrench into his earlier MTV interview promise of a "great feat" in gaming "that has never been done before". THAT is the core of his incessant drive to claim the recognition of first 1M on DK.

Billy just HAD to be recognized as "first" in terms of the "Perfect Pacman", and the same applied to being the "first" 1M on DK. Massive ego, pure and simple. Small wonder in that parody sketch which he sued (and lost over) that his head was drawn so disproportionately huge. And small wonder that in the now-classic "South Park" episode Billy's antics were so masterfully captured by Trey and Matt...the source material, Billy himself, was so transparent that the outcome was inevitable.

Regardless of how or when this ad trafficking came into effect, wouldn’t it be considered more of a response to these events instead of a direct influence or manipulation? I don’t see how that could be considered something shady against TG’s integrity during this time of damage control, esp when former administrations promoted top players for exposure while completely ignoring other players like Tim Sczerby to fuel a narrative and/or spotlight other players.

Originally Posted by RTM

RTM REPLY - Walter sold me out on multiple occasions already so his actions here do not surprise me at all...
...
-> Coercing me to accept Steve's taped 1.049M based on "the totality of the performance" - Nov/06
...

Originally Posted by RTM

RTM REPLY - remember, Billy publicly in Lincoln Center, with Walter right there alongside for the ride, proclaimed his 1.014M score as the world's first 1M+ score on DK. And he pressured both Walter and I NOT to accept Steve Wiebe's score as the 1st TG-recognized 1M score on DK as well.

wow, that must have been awful. billy pressured you to not accept the score that you didnt want to accept anyway but walter coerced you into.

so which is it? is billy the bad guy trying to stop you from accepting the score you wanted to accept? or is walter the bad guy trying to make you accept thescore you didnt want to

nevermind, i know which. you dislike steve as well. thats why after you were banned one of your final comments on the way out was how you had no regrets on how you treated steve and why you have no problem bashing steve's wife publicly.

walter and billy arent very popular, and you can ride that. but try not to over play the saint card. you had your fair share of involvement in all this nonsense as well. its great to see you finally swap sides and all, and finally take the right side, but dont go with your revisionist history to absolve yourself.

Originally Posted by BotzaBrand

Regardless of how or when this ad trafficking came into effect, wouldn’t it be considered more of a response to these events instead of a direct influence or manipulation? I don’t see how that could be considered something shady against TG’s integrity during this time of damage control, esp when former administrations promoted top players for exposure while completely ignoring other players like Tim Sczerby to fuel a narrative and/or spotlight other players.

That whole line of argument offered by Team Billy - that TG "exploited" the Mitchell dispute review for financial gain - was just a tactic to undermine the legitimacy of the dispute review, and its eventual determination. I do think that some people picked up on it innocently, but to be clear, this notion that TG used the dispute review as a profit engine is ultimately a cynical response to the evidence at the centre of the dispute review, which Mitchell hasn't been able to address after nearly two years when it was first presented in February 2018.

Originally Posted by The Evener

...which Mitchell hasn't been able to address after nearly two years when it was first presented in February 2018

RTM REPLY - makes you wonder what that toilet paper was that Billy was waving at everyone claiming it was "Evidence" seeing how so much of what is in that 150+ page "package" were statements and affirmations dated within the past several months.

My guess is that it was "Krusty Brand" toilet paper

Although the dispute review thread is now closed, there's one element I wanted to have posted here following the publication of the EGM article "The Split-Screen Man" (30 September 2019). It pertains to the color output of a Two-Bit converter which was used by Childs for Mitchell's direct capture to VCR. TG tests found that the converter signal output was recorded in either in black and white/monochromatic, in contrast to the Mitchell games that were rendered in full "standard" DK color schemes. With a little troubleshooting, Pineiro reportedly found a VCR set-up that captured the Two Bit output in (almost) full color, a situation that was cited in the evidence package as a specific demonstration of the ineptitude of TG and Jace Hall. New information cited in the article, however, puts TG's initial test results and hypothesis back into play.

The Color Issue (Evidence Package: page 128)

"TG claimed that a two-bit converter could not capture color, which it supposedly did in Billy Mitchell's performances...They [TG] were going to claim that the equipment used in Billy Mitchell's performance can't produce color, therefore, Billy Mitchell's performance couldn't have been produced by an original Donkey Kong machine. However, these claims were debunked in less than 24 hours.

After receiving the phone call from Jace Hall, Carlos Pineiro and Neil Hernandez began attempts to produce color through a two-bit converter. Almost immediately, Hernandez suggested the issue lied within the dry resistors and capacitors on the game board. Hernandez and Pineiro decided to put new resistors and capacitors onto the Donkey Kong game board, and it resulted in the two-bit converter producing color to a 95% match of Mitchell's alleged tapes. What Hall and his technicians failed to do for over a month had been easily done in a few hours...However, this debunked claim is probably the most significant, because it highlights Jace Hall's and his technicians' incompetence better than anything else in the entire dispute. Hall and his technicians had spent "over a month" researching this, and were so confident that this converter could not produce color that they published an entire article about it. This event highlights Jace Hall's inexperience with arcade equipment better than anything else."

In the article "Split Screen," author Josh Harmon touches on this very issue, with a significant addition to the story:

https://egmnow.com/the-split-screen-man/

"The evidence package makes a point of stating that the major developments in the investigation and testing process originated from Mitchell’s team, not from the tests being conducted by Twin Galaxies. In particular, it points to the efforts to produce stable color from the Two-Bit Converter. Pinero agreed that he and those helping him made breakthroughs Twin Galaxies could not, including on the color issue. What he left out of his official reports, however, was that maintaining this color wasn’t just a matter of finding the right VCR and replacing the dried-out capacitors and resistors on the Two-Bit Converter. To record color, someone also had to place a finger in a certain position on the convertor’s chip and hold it there the entire time, Pinero told me. He speculated this was because poking the chip in the right place increased the resistance by just enough that the VCR could interpret the signal."

I think it's fair to say that it's a massive stretch to consider someone volunteering to press their finger onto a chip for six-plus hours of attempts at getting a world record, let alone something you'd forget to highlight in describing said set-up for TG and other third parties.

Originally Posted by The Evener

I think it's fair to say that it's a massive stretch to consider someone volunteering to press their finger onto a chip for six-plus hours of attempts at getting a world record, let alone something you'd forget to highlight in describing said set-up for TG and other third parties

RTM REPLY - Kuh would have done it if Billy asked him to.

Twin Galaxies, it is time for you to release the gameplay footage used as evidence of the record which was the target of this dispute. Continuing to keep this footage secret is harming the credibility of your claims of transparency, Twin Galaxies, so you ought to desist from doing so. To help you locate the videocassettes containing the footage, here is what they look like:-

Originally Posted by The Evener

Although the dispute review thread is now closed, there's one element I wanted to have posted here following the publication of the EGM article "The Split-Screen Man" (30 September 2019). It pertains to the color output of a Two-Bit converter which was used by Childs for Mitchell's direct capture to VCR. TG tests found that the converter signal output was recorded in either in black and white/monochromatic, in contrast to the Mitchell games that were rendered in full "standard" DK color schemes. With a little troubleshooting, Pineiro reportedly found a VCR set-up that captured the Two Bit output in (almost) full color, a situation that was cited in the evidence package as a specific demonstration of the ineptitude of TG and Jace Hall. New information cited in the article, however, puts TG's initial test results and hypothesis back into play.

The Color Issue (Evidence Package: page 128)

"TG claimed that a two-bit converter could not capture color, which it supposedly did in Billy Mitchell's performances...They [TG] were going to claim that the equipment used in Billy Mitchell's performance can't produce color, therefore, Billy Mitchell's performance couldn't have been produced by an original Donkey Kong machine. However, these claims were debunked in less than 24 hours.

After receiving the phone call from Jace Hall, Carlos Pineiro and Neil Hernandez began attempts to produce color through a two-bit converter. Almost immediately, Hernandez suggested the issue lied within the dry resistors and capacitors on the game board. Hernandez and Pineiro decided to put new resistors and capacitors onto the Donkey Kong game board, and it resulted in the two-bit converter producing color to a 95% match of Mitchell's alleged tapes. What Hall and his technicians failed to do for over a month had been easily done in a few hours...However, this debunked claim is probably the most significant, because it highlights Jace Hall's and his technicians' incompetence better than anything else in the entire dispute. Hall and his technicians had spent "over a month" researching this, and were so confident that this converter could not produce color that they published an entire article about it. This event highlights Jace Hall's inexperience with arcade equipment better than anything else."

In the article "Split Screen," author Josh Harmon touches on this very issue, with a significant addition to the story:

https://egmnow.com/the-split-screen-man/

"The evidence package makes a point of stating that the major developments in the investigation and testing process originated from Mitchell’s team, not from the tests being conducted by Twin Galaxies. In particular, it points to the efforts to produce stable color from the Two-Bit Converter. Pinero agreed that he and those helping him made breakthroughs Twin Galaxies could not, including on the color issue. What he left out of his official reports, however, was that maintaining this color wasn’t just a matter of finding the right VCR and replacing the dried-out capacitors and resistors on the Two-Bit Converter. To record color, someone also had to place a finger in a certain position on the convertor’s chip and hold it there the entire time, Pinero told me. He speculated this was because poking the chip in the right place increased the resistance by just enough that the VCR could interpret the signal."

I think it's fair to say that it's a massive stretch to consider someone volunteering to press their finger onto a chip for six-plus hours of attempts at getting a world record, let alone something you'd forget to highlight in describing said set-up for TG and other third parties.

1.) Someone standing there holding their finger to the device so that it can produce a result that is different from its standard operation would be considered a modification of the claimed process used.

2.) Yes we were and still are 100% confident that the converter can not produce the color seen in the score performance video we were evaluating without modification to the defined description of how the original recordings were made. It has yet to be proven otherwise, by anyone.

3.) The reason that the Two Bit converter does not produce a signal that a VHS recorder can properly record is because the signal being output does not conform to the required specifications that VHS recorders need. This is consistent among all TWO BIT converters that are outputting an original unmodified Donkey Kong PCB signal. It has nothing to do with resistors or capacitors being old. The TWO BIT converter we were using was brand new. All one has to do is measure the differential gain and differential phase components in the signal with any cheap network spectrum analyzer to see and understand that what is coming out of the TWO BIT device is likely not going to get you what you need for a matching recording.

Certainly, there are a number of methods to "correct" the signal to perfection (not just "almost" as Carlos' human finger-resistance method reportedly obtained) - which we could have easily done, but all of which require adding an element that was not specified in the description of how the original footage was reportedly captured.

It is important to understand that you can make one piece of hardware do anything you want if you allow modifications to accomplish the goal. I could make a DK PCB output a Harry Potter movie with enough modifications.

It is not helpful to the investigation and verification process of the recording method claimed to be used, by providing information about a method for a different recording process. Not sure how that creates supportive evidence of the original recording process.

If modifying the claimed process is acceptable, I would suggest that instead of using a human finger to fix the signal to get a good color recording (that still doesn't match the tapes), you may want to use something like this instead. Might be better, might not. Who knows!: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Corrector.html