70 replies to this topic

[Rom Hunter]

When something happens, it will happen.

[dwh]

It would be sad to have any proto die due to bit rot before being copied in any way.
Just like us collectors, these protos ain't getting any younger....

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

dwh, on Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:16 PM, said:

Just like us collectors, these protos ain't getting any younger....

100% correct!

[Omegamatrix]

I just hope Wonder tightens the screws on that guy that screwed him!

[tenoch]

Hey Matt

I'm just curious, how do you see the 2 snow white proto that exist. Two versions of the same game that exist or each version being a unique snow white game. I'm not familiar with how much a version changes direction when creating a game.

Thanks Matt
-h

Tempest, on Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:25 AM, said:

Crazy Climber, on Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:46 AM, said:

Pink Panther (un-dumped) = several thousand dollars
A-Team (dumped) = a hundred bucks or so

Yes that's true, but there are more reasons for this than just dumped vs undumped.

1. There are several A-Team protos known to exist (I owned 2, and I know of at least 4 others). There is only 1 known PP proto.
2. PP has a "mystique" about it. Pictures of the prototype have been floating around the net for ages, but the prototype was MIA.
3. PP is a unique game, A-Team is a hack of a game that has been floating around the net for ages.
4. Best Electronics sold copies of A-Team at one point. PP has never been offered for sale.

Honestly though, it's more the fact that there is only one known PP prototype that keeps the price high. If two or three more are discovered the price will go down, regardless of if it has been dumped or not. If no other copies are found and the game is dumped, the price will stay high. It's all about the number of known copies.

Tempest

[Tempest]

tenoch, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:31 AM, said:

Hey Matt

I'm just curious, how do you see the 2 snow white proto that exist. Two versions of the same game that exist or each version being a unique snow white game. I'm not familiar with how much a version changes direction when creating a game.

Greg said that he programmed several different versions because marketing kept changing their minds on what they wanted. Normally a game doesn't change that dramatically, although it has happened more than once (look at Meebzork and RS Basketball on the 5200 for instance).

Tempest

[Allan]

Tempest, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:30 AM, said:

(look at Meebzork and RS Basketball on the 5200 for instance).

Tempest

Are there different versions of Meebzork out there? I'd love to see them.

Allan

[Tempest]

Allan, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:48 AM, said:

Tempest, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:30 AM, said:

(look at Meebzork and RS Basketball on the 5200 for instance).

Tempest

Are there different versions of Meebzork out there? I'd love to see them.

Allan

Yes there is an 'Action' version and an 'Adventure' version. You can see them here: http://www.atariprot...rk/meebzork.htm

Tempest

[Allan]

Tempest, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:24 AM, said:

Allan, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:48 AM, said:

Tempest, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:30 AM, said:

(look at Meebzork and RS Basketball on the 5200 for instance).

Tempest

Are there different versions of Meebzork out there? I'd love to see them.

Allan

Yes there is an 'Action' version and an 'Adventure' version. You can see them here: http://www.atariprot...rk/meebzork.htm

Tempest

Was the action version ever dumped and put on the Net?

Allan

[Tempest]

Allan, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:29 AM, said:

Was the action version ever dumped and put on the Net?

Allan

It was dumped, but I did not give it out. I recentally sold the prototype and the new owner expressed interest in releasing it. I'll let them do that.

Tempest

[Allan]

Tempest, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:34 PM, said:

Allan, on Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:29 AM, said:

Was the action version ever dumped and put on the Net?

Allan

It was dumped, but I did not give it out. I recentally sold the prototype and the new owner expressed interest in releasing it. I'll let them do that.

Tempest

Thanks for the update, Tempest.

Allan

[Dino]

Crazy Climber, on Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:06 AM, said:

WOW Looks like I bit off more than I can chew

OK
A-Team was a bad example, I only said that one since it's the one I have seen for sale the most that was an "un-released" game (although true it was just a hack of Sabotuer) and the times I have seen it for sale it usually got around $100. I can't document this but one in a loaner case sold on Atari2600.com about 2 years ago for $120, maybe somebody here got it? Who knows. Anyways, I was also under the impression that there is more than one Pink Panther out there. I was sure I heard a story of a guy with one a long time ago that just dropped out of exsistence and then the second one that was on Ebay recently from the Magnavox collection. If there is only one then nevermind my comment, I realize one of a kind items get a LOT more than 2 of a kind or even possibly 3 of a kind items Sorry if any one got mad about this I really wasn't trying to do that

CC, I tend to agree with you. There is a price drop in many cases, even though they are still worth a considerable amount of money. If a working Meltdown prototype for the 2600 was found, the new owner could release a few hundred copies as a limited edition run before releasing the BIN, netting a few thousand bucks profit. Once the BIN is released released, you can't really do that, so as a collector, you have a greater capacity to pay for the cart knowing taht you can recoup some of your outlay through a production run. That may not work with a game like PP where it is likely to have copyright issues, so releasing the BIN won't impact the price very much.

[Shawn Sr.]

Dino, on Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:47 AM, said:

CC, I tend to agree with you. There is a price drop in many cases, even though they are still worth a considerable amount of money. If a working Meltdown prototype for the 2600 was found, the new owner could release a few hundred copies as a limited edition run before releasing the BIN, netting a few thousand bucks profit. Once the BIN is released released, you can't really do that, so as a collector, you have a greater capacity to pay for the cart knowing taht you can recoup some of your outlay through a production run. That may not work with a game like PP where it is likely to have copyright issues, so releasing the BIN won't impact the price very much.

There is a complete copy of meltdown already been dumped and on the net by the DP guys. It was released the same time frame that Tempest got that one in Vegas that didn't work right.

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:26 PM, said:

Dino, on Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:47 AM, said:

CC, I tend to agree with you. There is a price drop in many cases, even though they are still worth a considerable amount of money. If a working Meltdown prototype for the 2600 was found, the new owner could release a few hundred copies as a limited edition run before releasing the BIN, netting a few thousand bucks profit. Once the BIN is released released, you can't really do that, so as a collector, you have a greater capacity to pay for the cart knowing taht you can recoup some of your outlay through a production run. That may not work with a game like PP where it is likely to have copyright issues, so releasing the BIN won't impact the price very much.

There is a complete copy of meltdown already been dumped and on the net by the DP guys. It was released the same time frame that Tempest got that one in Vegas that didn't work right.

The DP copy of Meltdown came from the original programmers. The one I owned was a WIP copy that was damaged.

Tempest

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:26 PM, said:

The DP copy of Meltdown came from the original programmers. The one I owned was a WIP copy that was damaged.

Tempest

Owned? Past tense?

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:21 PM, said:

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:26 PM, said:

The DP copy of Meltdown came from the original programmers. The one I owned was a WIP copy that was damaged.

Tempest

Owned? Past tense?

Very. It is in hands of someone in a far better place now.

Tempest

[moycon]

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:40 PM, said:

Very. It is in hands of someone in a far better place now.

Tempest

Is there any possiblity it can be repaired or has the new owner just decided to get it for collecting purposes?

[Tempest]

moycon, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:55 PM, said:

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:40 PM, said:

Very. It is in hands of someone in a far better place now.

Tempest

Is there any possiblity it can be repaired or has the new owner just decided to get it for collecting purposes?

Probably not. It appears to be too damaged to fix, but I wouldn't say it is completely impossible.

Tempest

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:38 AM, said:

moycon, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:55 PM, said:

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:40 PM, said:

Very. It is in hands of someone in a far better place now.

Tempest

Is there any possiblity it can be repaired or has the new owner just decided to get it for collecting purposes?

Probably not. It appears to be too damaged to fix, but I wouldn't say it is completely impossible.

Tempest

When you tried to dump it prior to sending it to that guy with the scope did you get any code out of it that wasn't garbled from the rot? Even enough to see it was a different version from the final?

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Thu Oct 2, 2008 2:17 PM, said:

Tempest, on Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:38 AM, said:

moycon, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:55 PM, said:

Tempest, on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:40 PM, said:

Very. It is in hands of someone in a far better place now.

Tempest

Is there any possiblity it can be repaired or has the new owner just decided to get it for collecting purposes?

Probably not. It appears to be too damaged to fix, but I wouldn't say it is completely impossible.

Tempest

When you tried to dump it prior to sending it to that guy with the scope did you get any code out of it that wasn't garbled from the rot? Even enough to see it was a different version from the final?

Yes, and it appears to be a different version. Probably a beta.

Tempest

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Thu Oct 2, 2008 2:20 PM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Thu Oct 2, 2008 2:17 PM, said:

When you tried to dump it prior to sending it to that guy with the scope did you get any code out of it that wasn't garbled from the rot? Even enough to see it was a different version from the final?

Yes, and it appears to be a different version. Probably a beta.

Tempest

Cool thanks for the info.