2 replies to this topic

[jstefans]

Doing a search in the 2600 North America section, I noticed that the following games all have two entries with the same name, company, and label variation (same cart scan also). Just wondering if there is a difference between them:

Blackjack by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Chase by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Dodge 'Em by Atari, Label Variation: Picture
Fire Fighter by Imagic, Label Variation: Picture
Math by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Othello by Atari, Label Variation: Picture
Othello by Atari, Label Variation: Picture - Text end label
Outer Space by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Pong Sports by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Race by Sears, Label Variation: Text - 99821
Riddle of the Sphinx by Imagic, Label Variation: Picture
Speedway II by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Tank Plus by Sears, Label Variation: Text
Target Fun by Sears, Label Variation: Text - 99802

[Albert]

Hi Midnight,

The difference is that these games came in more than one box style. Unfortunately we're not displaying that fact right now in the rarity list, so there's no way to know. Ideally you'd see something like, "Color Box" and "Gatefold Box", but there's already so much information crammed in each row that I'm not sure what the best way is to convey that information.

For instance, the Fire Fighter entry you listed is shown twice because we have two different boxes for it: Yellow and the more common Silver style. So in the rarity listing you'll see two entries that appear identical. I could change this so if you hover over the box icon it says what the box style is (which works in Internet Explorer but not Netscape/Mozilla), but that's not an ideal solution.

Box styles are something we'll pay closer attention to down the road, we just have our hands full with quite a few other things right now so they're somewhat neglected at the moment. In due time we'll address this issue and make an effort to get more box styles online as well.

..Al

[jstefans]

Al,

Then, your current rarity ratings are for the cartridge only? (Since you said the yellow boxing is less common for Fire Fighter yet the two entries have the same rarity of 3.)

Does this mean you'll eventually have a rarity rating on the boxes themselves completely independent of the game cartridge? For instance, maybe a really common game has a much rarer box than the game is? Maybe a game like Pole Position II for the 7800...since the game came for free with the system most people didn't get a box? A rarity list along that line?

I guess you could really get crazy though....you could have a rarity list for the manuals also....Activision's black and white versions versus the color manuals for instance!

It's obvious that this will be really involved when you open that can of worms! But it sounds like a really interesting undertaking!

Thx,
Midnight