Another one bite the dust (Hercules has shut it's doors)

[dotado]

Just a transcript from voodooextreme

I Just got back from Hercules of Fremont California. I was just informed by the staff that Hercules is indeed "out of business". The anonymous employees told me that they site financial woes as the main reason why Hercules can no longer continue. The staff also informed me that the employees have not been paid for two weeks. The reason that they do not answer the phones is because they are working for free and are basically clearing their desk out. It will be clear very soon when Hercules issues their press release regarding their departure from the graphics business. Hercules will also be calling the game sites with additional statements. The staff also said that its unlikely that they will be fulfilling any more video card orders, even the ones that have been ordered weeks ago. They did say that there was some employees(out of charity) still there packing up some cards for shipment. So if your credit card was not charged, then you should not be receiving a video card. I was able to get what is probaly one of the last new Hercules TNT2 Ultras that will be seen again. They sold me the Hercules TNT2 Ultra /TV-out with dvd software for a discount price of $200. They said that if you are lucky enough to live in the Fremont area, able to arrive at Hercules Co. with the next days before they clear out, that you could also get the Hercules TNT2 Ultra/ TV-out with dvd software for the discount price of $200.

[Kruzin]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Bet you all wish ya'd pre-ordered a Herc TNT2U, huh?

2 more sources...

http://www.maximumpcmag.com/inside_s...erculesBowsOut
http://www.bluesnews.com/

buh-bye, Hercules

[KvHagedorn]

Strange as it may be to say, it's sad to see them go. Hercules was one of the few companies trying to produce a superior product for gamers. It's too bad companies like Hercules (and Matrox) suffer because certain companies (hmm could I be talking about DIAMOND?) try to corner the market on high speed memory and flood the market with inferior and overpriced goods before the better cards can reach those who really want them?

Don't give up guys, Those MAXs are starting to ship in greater numbers. I would be very disappointed in any of you who would cancel their order and get a Viper770 Ultra just cuz they are THERE.

Keep the faith, everyone.

Kind Regards,

KvH

[skycriesmary]

This is actually sad. It is companies such as Hercules that drive the competiton in the market. I like having choices. I don't like the current trend of S3/Diamond, 3dfx/STB. less and less competition means higher prices and less inovation. Next it will nvidia/creativelabs.

[Scytale]

Bad news indeed. My first PC video card was a Hercules, a monochrome adapter. I had to write the video drivers myself. They were the only competition IBM had to face. MS were still a joyfull group of anarchists... doh.

[Jorden]

What if we all laid 100 dollar on the table, would we be able to do a take-over then?? (And make some Hercules G400 Maxes ... hmmm )

Jorden

[KvHagedorn]

Good idea Jorden! a G400MAX with a built-in, easy to use overclock utility.. hmm.. I'm dreaming I suppose

Kind Regards,

KvH

[DK_]

Gonna be some mad people at sharky's, they have been talking about this happening.

Everyone that pre-ordered.

DK

[Ant]

Hey this place could quite easily have been the HURC I had a couple of Hercules cards before I got my original Millennium, they were the best cards around until that surfaced.

[billko]

Before I got my first Matrox card a Millenium (g200) ago, I had Hercules cards of various shapes and sizes, because they represented the best compromise between performance and price - and sometimes it *wasn't* a compromise.

Bill

[tish]

Nice to see so many happy Hercules customers. I'm not though...

Last year I (pre-)ordered a Hercules Thriller 3D from a local store. I didn't get it until 3 months later. When I finally got it the drivers were full of bugs. I waited one year to see one (or was it two pherhaps?) driver-updates. Those fixed five of thousand bugs. Then finally I went back to the store and demanded a full refund. I got my money back.

I guess they weren't that bad in their last days cus nvidia made their drivers.

I for one had a shitty computer with many crashes/artifacts through a whole year. **** hercules. That's what I feel about them now... hasta la vista suckers ¦ )


Cheers,
Fish.


[This message has been edited by tish (edited 08-21-1999).]

[billko]

Tish:

I *never* pre-order anything, any more. I learned the hard way. It took about 5 or so times, but I learned.

Usually, the stores will have them before you get your pre-order, and I think it's because they fill the pre-orders only after they fill their commitments to the retail stores. I mean, seriously - you think the stores just might have had some pre-orders in, too?

Bill


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People call me a computer god; I remind them that I am merely a minor deity...

[Jutai]

I think that's pretty sad too... I am a faithful follower of M but they really did produce a superb card in the dynamite tnt2U with a lot of focus on what gamers want most "BANG FOR THE BUCK" they pushed their cards to the limit and came up with a Dynamite product BANG... it is too bad competition drives many advances in technology ;( we'll miss you Hercules

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Chris K.

[Slartibartfast]

Jutai,

Not to nitpick, but they didn't PRODUCE any TNT2U cards. And, it's pretty much looking like they won't, either.

Funny, the TNT2U from Hercules has been nVidia's holy grail for a few months now. Now their followers will have to praise the Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor (or is it Maxi Overheater Xentor?), which has a failure rate of close to 100% (percentage based on the 3 cards in a row that smoked up in my machine due to malfunctioning fans).

- Ash

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Portions of this message may have been Copyright 1999, Jorden van der Elst. All rights (and lefts) reserved.
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Specs? You want specs? Yeah. Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up. See this? This is my boomstick! It's a twelve gauge double barreled Remington, S-Mart's top-of-the-line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop Smart. Shop S-mart. Ya got that?! Now I swear, the next one of you primates, even touches me...

[tish]

First Canopus, now Hercules. I wonder who's next... 3dfx? hihihi