> A good example of this is the console video game industry.

I don't think thats the best example.
Consider instead J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition):
There is a J2EE standard which everyone supports. There are several different vendors all of whom support the standard but also differentiate themselves by giving you add-ons.

I could write a program which runs on Weblogic or WebSphere but if I use any of the extensions it wouldn't work on the other. However if I write one to J2EE only it'll run on *both*. It is an advantage to everyone to support this, It allows developers to get an app across all the systems without having to write an app 3 times.

>But frankly I don't expect too much co-operation from closed-Amiga team.

I've been in contact with the guy who set this up and he said that there had been support from all sides. There is hope yet...