17 replies to this topic

[MegaManFan]

I was the winning bidder for more than a week on these two.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...me=STRK:MEDW:IT

Now I'm really boggled that two users with ratings under 10 would bid this up over $250 (my limit was $150, they are known games and probably not different from the final versions) so either they are two stupid sh#%s who got in a bidding war or these are mult accounts for some other more well known proto collectors (but not two that I recognize).

[UK WOMBLE]

I was watching these as well, but as you said they went toohigh, I was only looking to go a little over $150 myself, and when I looked earlier and saw you'd been outbid at that amount I decided to leave it..


Theres not even any guarantees about whats on them either...


Si

[CPUWIZ]

MegaManFan said:

(but not  two that I recognize).

Isn't that the whole purpose of having multiple accounts?

No, it wasn't me, Activision protos like that are worth $50-$75 a piece in my opinion.

[video game addict]

Lot of money for some LVAR.

[MegaManFan]

CPUWIZ said:

Isn't that the whole purpose of having multiple accounts?      

No, it wasn't me, Activision protos like that are worth $50-$75 a piece in my opinion.

That's exactly the basis I was going on. $75 each.

[2600 Forever]

video game addict said:

Lot of money for some LVAR.

No kidding.

[Xot]

So those are legit protos, huh? I figured as much, but it still strikes me as odd that they'd actually say the word "prototype" on them. Heck, even AtariAge's protos don't have the word Prototype on them.

[MegaManFan]

Hey if CPUWIZ says they're legit, that's enough for me.

[Tempest]

Wow! I didn't think those would go for nearly that much. Hell, I got an unreleased prototype (Sabotuer) for only $150 last week! I can pretty much guarantee that those are the final versions too. Maybe the demand for prototypes is back?

Tempest

[MegaManFan]

That's just what I want to hear. There go my dreams of EVER getting a prototype for under $100.

[Breakpack]

Im not real familiar with prototype stuff but I hope to own at least one someday.But do the eventually die or something?Like the program erases of the eprom or something like that?

[Albert]

Breakpack said:

Im not real familiar with prototype stuff but I hope to own at least one someday.But do the eventually die or something?Like the program erases of the eprom or something like that?  

It's always possible, but in my experience pretty unlikely. I've seen prototypes that haven't been shielded inside a cart and even without labels over the EPROM windows they still can be read fine after 25 years. Obviously it's a good idea to dump the prototype just in case, but odds are pretty good that if you get your hands on a prototype you'll be able to read it.

..Al

[privateers69]

Albert said:

Breakpack said:

Im not real familiar with prototype stuff but I hope to own at least one someday.But do the eventually die or something?Like the program erases of the eprom or something like that?  

but odds are pretty good that if you get your hands on a prototype you'll be able to read it.

..Al

Unless you happened to buy it from a certain dealer in Vegas that decides to take it apart to just look at it, and then put it back together bending the pins in the process.

[Atari2600guru]

Breakpack said:

Im not real familiar with prototype stuff but I hope to own at least one someday.But do the eventually die or something?Like the program erases of the eprom or something like that?  

I think I read that when these EPROMS were made, they were specified to hold their program for at least 20 years. Personally, I haven't had any die on me...

[Tempest]

Quote

I think I read that when these EPROMS were made, they were specified to hold their program for at least 20 years. Personally, I haven't had any die on me...

I've never had an EPROM die on me. I've had one where the board had traces cut (so I assumed it was a dead EPROM until I took a closer look) and one where the pin was broken (you all know that story). However I've never had a proto where the eprom had bit rot, and I've handled ALOT of protos over the years.

Tempest

[Breakpack]

Wow,I need to buy one

[Spirantho]

Tempest said:

I've never had an EPROM die on me.  I've had one where the board had traces cut (so I assumed it was a dead EPROM until I took a closer look) and one where the pin was broken (you all know that story).  However I've never had a proto where the eprom had bit rot, and I've handled ALOT of protos over the years.

At the moment I'm trying to fix a Mission Survive cart but the Video Gems people used a particularly unusual type of EEPROM (a 2332 IIRC) so I can't find a way - yet - of reburning the data. I think I'm going to have to use a compatible 2532 or something. The cart itself shows every sign of bit rot, though - the EPROM looks fine, the connections are fine, but it consistently does the wrong thing.

Maybe the EPROMs used by Atari bods are a better quality than the EEPROMs used by small volume publishers?

[Bruce Tomlin]

Isn't a 2332 a PROM? They also have bit rot problems because the blown fuses could have crystal growth on the metal edges and over time could bridge back together. It's the old zinc whisker problem.