13 February 1998
Piracy: Collectors' Friend or Foe (originally for Suite 101)
[Suite 101 articles introduction]
It is with regret that I tell you this will be my last Suite 101 article for now. But it is with happiness that I tell you the reason is because my wife and I are having a baby. I was hoping to be able to continue my Suite 101 duties during her pregnancy, but as the due date gets closer, there's more and more to do and less time to do it. I simply don't have time to even write a monthly article any more, which is why this article is so late. I apologize for its lateness and thank you for your patience.
Now let's see if I can go out with a bang . . .
Software piracy is a touchy subject with classic video game collectors. Some flaunt it, some do it secretly, some avoid it, and some ignore it. Software piracy is simply owning a copy of a piece of software (in this case, a game) that you do not own in the original or other legally licensed format. (In most cases here, a cartridge.) Today, most piracy over the Internet is copying the ROM chips within cartridges for use with an emulator. Approached from a strictly legal perspective, it's wrong. Period. Most collectors, however, approach it from a moral and ethical perspective. This is where the arguments begin.
Some that argue against piracy simply believe that the companies or individuals who wrote and/or released the games have the right to do whatever they want with the games, including nothing, since they own them. This is, for the most part, the same as the legal viewpoint. There is a great deal of merit to this argument. If video game copyright laws were done away with, developers would be hard pressed to make any money from their products because once one copy was sold, it could theoretically become the most popular game in the world without a second copy being sold. Without the ability to sell copies, the monetary incentive for creating games is gone, thus fewer games will be produced. True, some games would be produced just for the sake of doing it, but most developers would be unable to devote the time it would take to produce a game like Doom without receiving any pay for it. So, by disregarding game copyrights, we begin a breakdown of the system the is responsible for these games' development.
On the other hand, most of the games classic video gamers are interested in are 10 to 20 years old. Their commercial life would seem to be over. Most of the companies that produced them either no longer care about them, no longer remember them, or have completely dissolved. If the company no longer has any interest in them and has already made their money off of them, what's the harm in those that still want to play them sharing copies?
Well, the harm comes when products like the Stella Gets a New Brain CD come along. The CyberPunks went to a lot of trouble to get legal permission from the game owners to create the CD. As a result, it was far more than pirated copies of the game code. It contained scans of as much Supercharger-related material as they could find and other tidbits. The CD has been universally praised by those collectors lucky enough to get one as an outstanding piece of work.
There is also harm when sales of a commercial product like Activision's Atari 2600 Action Packs are hurt by the availability of emulators and ROMs. The first two sold well, but the third one didn't do as well. When the first Action Pack was released, there were no other Atari 2600 emulators available, but there were several by the time the third Pack was released. Admittedly, this is not the entire reason the third pack sold poorly, but it must certainly figure into it.
Having the permission of the owning companies to sell some sort of product that uses game binaries is the absolute best way to make sure these games survive, as the Supercharger CD has shown. Unfortunately, some companies seem to value their past games only when it is convenient for them. They turn a blind eye to the piracy on the Internet, but as Glenn Saunders, head CyberPunk, puts it, "Common sense indicates that inaction = consent, and ultimately breaking the letter of the law is rewarded whereas go to these companies and seeking to cut a deal PERPORTIONATE [sic] TO THEIR LIMITED COMMERCIAL VALUE, PARTLY DUE TO THIS PROLIFERATION OF PIRACY, and they spout off unrealistic figures or fail to deal with you at all."
This creates a catch-22 situation. The games' best chance of long-term survival, particularly prototypes stored on EPROMs that will eventually go bad, is through their use in emulators. Unfortunately, the companies involved don't seem to want to be reasonable about their licensing fees, thus the images are pirated, thus the commercial appeal of releasing licensed packages is reduced, and so on.
So what are collectors to do? Should they condemn piracy in the hopes of getting more licensed products? Or should they go ahead and keep as many ROM images as they can get to help preserve them? Frankly, I don't know, but if we don't start doing something soon, we will begin losing rare prototypes that hundreds of people might otherwise have gotten to play and enjoy.
Copyright 1998 i5ive communications inc. Used with permission.
12 February 1998
$50 Brag
[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]
Last night, I purchased a 5200, some 5200 stuff, and 2600 games from a former co-worker. I had made the offer over a year ago (when he was still my co-worker), but it took me a while to save up the $50 I offered. I know that sounds like a lot, but he had over 60 games ... *and* keep in mind as you read this, that EVERY GAME WAS COMPLETE WITH MANUAL AND BOX!!!
Personal Highlights
I never thought I'd see in person, much less own the Tron joystick. The same goes for Intellivision-style Atari 2600 cart boxes. (Too bad they're Sears instead of Atari. I'd still like to see one of those.)
BTW, before he left my company, he had given me some mint condition folders with arcade game logos on them (Centipede, Tempest, Space Invaders, etc.) and a Robot Tank poster.
The Rest
[While I still have almost all these items today, I've decided to sell the 5200 console and games. I'm just not that interested in it and something's got to go. — 17 June 2010]
Last night, I purchased a 5200, some 5200 stuff, and 2600 games from a former co-worker. I had made the offer over a year ago (when he was still my co-worker), but it took me a while to save up the $50 I offered. I know that sounds like a lot, but he had over 60 games ... *and* keep in mind as you read this, that EVERY GAME WAS COMPLETE WITH MANUAL AND BOX!!!
Personal Highlights
- Complete, 2-port 5200 system in box (no packing materials)
- 2600 adaptor for 5200 (Okay, he didn't have the box for this.)
- 5200 games:
- H.E.R.O.
- James Bond 007 (!!!)
- Star Wars: The Arcade Game
- 2600 Tron joystick (!!!) in box with Adventures of Tron & Tron Deadly Discs (No packing materials, but the $57.95 price tag was still on it.)
- 2600 games:
- Sears' Chase, Outer Space, Tank Plus, & Target Fun all in the ORIGINAL (Intellivision-style) type boxes (!!!)
- Beamrider
- Crackpots
- Megaforce
- Stellar Track (Sears)
- Two 2600 keyboard controllers
I never thought I'd see in person, much less own the Tron joystick. The same goes for Intellivision-style Atari 2600 cart boxes. (Too bad they're Sears instead of Atari. I'd still like to see one of those.)
BTW, before he left my company, he had given me some mint condition folders with arcade game logos on them (Centipede, Tempest, Space Invaders, etc.) and a Robot Tank poster.
The Rest
- 2600 games: Adventure (Sears), Air Raiders, Amidar, Asteroids, Atlantis, Barnstormer, Berzerk, Breakaway IV (Sears), Capture (Sears), Codebreaker (Sears), Cosmic Ark, Defender, Demon Attack, Dragonfire, E.T., Flash Gordon, Frogger, G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike, Gunslinger (Sears), Haunted House, Keystone Kapers, Laser Blast, Memory Match (Sears), Missle Command, Ms. Pac-Man, Pitfall, Raiders of the Lost Ark, River Raid, Robot Tank, Seaquest, Sky Jinx, Space Invaders, Spider Fighter, Star Master, Star Raiders, Star Wars: Jedi Arena, Star Wars: RotJ -- Death Star Battle, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, SwordQuest (EarthWorld of FireWorld, I forget which), Video Pinball, Warlords (Sears), Yars' Revenge
- 2600 controllers: Two stock joysticks, one pair of paddles.
- 5200 games: Countermeasure, Joust, Pac-Man, Pole Position, Popeye, Qix, Vanguard
[While I still have almost all these items today, I've decided to sell the 5200 console and games. I'm just not that interested in it and something's got to go. — 17 June 2010]
12 December 1997
When is a Combat not a Combat? (originally for Suite 101)
[Suite 101 articles introduction]
Question: When is a Combat cartridge not a Combat cartridge?
Answer: When it's a Sears Tele-Games Tank Plus cartridge.
When the Atari Video Computer System (a.k.a. VCS or 2600) debuted, Sears was one of the strongest retail chains in the United States. If you wanted to sell your product at Sears, it had to have a Sears label on it. Thus, when Atari signed an agreement with Sears to have them sell the VCS, it became the Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade. (Tele-Games was the product line name for all video games at Sears. As far as I know, it is of no relation to the current Telegames company, which happens to sell classic video games.)
This was not the first time Atari had dealt with Sears. In 1975 Sears approached them with an offer to sell their new Pong console in return for one year of exclusive rights to do so. Pong became a top seller that Christmas and fueled Atari's development of the VCS. Without Sears, the VCS might never have made it to consumers!
The console was not the only thing renamed. Several of the games received new names as well. It's uncertain exactly why Sears did this. Perhaps it was to confuse shoppers and have them buy what they thought was new game, but was actually one they might already have. To make things more confusing, they named some cartridges after dedicated consoles they had previously released and just added a Roman numeral to the end to differentiate them. The most obvious example is Breakaway IV (a.k.a. Breakout).
Not all games were renamed. Home versions of arcade games Atari had to secure licenses for were not (e.g. Space Invaders, Pac-Man), nor were those based on other licensed properties (e.g. Superman). There were also three games that Atari created, but only sold through Sears. Here is a complete list of Atari cartridges that Sears renamed:
It is interesting to note that while Sears similarly renamed Mattel's Intellivision as the Super Video Arcade, they didn't rename any of Mattel's games. The boxes and instructions were different, but the cartridges and overlays are generally indistinguishable from Mattel's normal releases when found loose.
As a collector, you might ask whether the Sears version of games and consoles are rarer and more desirable. The answer is, "it depends." Some collectors who don't care about most cartridge label variations do collect Sears labels. Others don't care, except for the "Sears exclusive" games. In general, all Sears releases are slightly rarer than their Atari counterpart. (Check a rarity list, such as the one compiled by Craig Pell for details.) The same goes for consoles, although according to JerryG, the four-switch Sears console is possibly the rarest of the regularly released 2600's.
Copyright 1997 i5ive communications inc. Used with permission.
[2013-04-29: Craig Pell's list is still online, but hasn't been updated in a long time. You might prefer searching the database at Atari Age.]
[2013-06-09: This article was modified and re-used in Classic Gamer Magazine a few years later.]
Question: When is a Combat cartridge not a Combat cartridge?
Answer: When it's a Sears Tele-Games Tank Plus cartridge.
When the Atari Video Computer System (a.k.a. VCS or 2600) debuted, Sears was one of the strongest retail chains in the United States. If you wanted to sell your product at Sears, it had to have a Sears label on it. Thus, when Atari signed an agreement with Sears to have them sell the VCS, it became the Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade. (Tele-Games was the product line name for all video games at Sears. As far as I know, it is of no relation to the current Telegames company, which happens to sell classic video games.)
This was not the first time Atari had dealt with Sears. In 1975 Sears approached them with an offer to sell their new Pong console in return for one year of exclusive rights to do so. Pong became a top seller that Christmas and fueled Atari's development of the VCS. Without Sears, the VCS might never have made it to consumers!
The console was not the only thing renamed. Several of the games received new names as well. It's uncertain exactly why Sears did this. Perhaps it was to confuse shoppers and have them buy what they thought was new game, but was actually one they might already have. To make things more confusing, they named some cartridges after dedicated consoles they had previously released and just added a Roman numeral to the end to differentiate them. The most obvious example is Breakaway IV (a.k.a. Breakout).
Not all games were renamed. Home versions of arcade games Atari had to secure licenses for were not (e.g. Space Invaders, Pac-Man), nor were those based on other licensed properties (e.g. Superman). There were also three games that Atari created, but only sold through Sears. Here is a complete list of Atari cartridges that Sears renamed:
| Sears Name | Atari Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade Golf | Miniature Golf | |
| Arcade Pinball | Video Pinball | |
| Baseball | Home Run | |
| Breakaway IV | Breakout | |
| Cannon Man | Human Cannonball | |
| Capture | Flag Capture | |
| Chase | Surround | |
| Checkers | Video Checkers | |
| Circus | Circus Atari | |
| Code Breaker | Codebreaker | |
| Dare Diver | Sky Diver | |
| Dodger Cars | Dodge 'Em | |
| Gunslinger | Outlaw | |
| Math | Fun With Numbers | |
| Maze | Slot Racers | |
| Maze Mania | Maze Craze | |
| Memory Match | Hunt & Score | |
| Outer Space | Star Ship | |
| Poker Plus | Casino | |
| Pong Sports | Video Olympics | |
| Race | Indy 500 | |
| Slots | Slot Machine | |
| Soccer | Pele's Soccer | |
| Space Combat | Space War | |
| Speedway II | Street Racer | |
| Spelling | Hangman | |
| Steeplechase | [Sears exclusive] | |
| Stellar Track | [Sears exclusive] | |
| Submarine Commander | [Sears exclusive] | |
| Tank Plus | Combat | |
| Target Fun | Air-Sea Battle |
It is interesting to note that while Sears similarly renamed Mattel's Intellivision as the Super Video Arcade, they didn't rename any of Mattel's games. The boxes and instructions were different, but the cartridges and overlays are generally indistinguishable from Mattel's normal releases when found loose.
As a collector, you might ask whether the Sears version of games and consoles are rarer and more desirable. The answer is, "it depends." Some collectors who don't care about most cartridge label variations do collect Sears labels. Others don't care, except for the "Sears exclusive" games. In general, all Sears releases are slightly rarer than their Atari counterpart. (Check a rarity list, such as the one compiled by Craig Pell for details.) The same goes for consoles, although according to JerryG, the four-switch Sears console is possibly the rarest of the regularly released 2600's.
Copyright 1997 i5ive communications inc. Used with permission.
[2013-04-29: Craig Pell's list is still online, but hasn't been updated in a long time. You might prefer searching the database at Atari Age.]
[2013-06-09: This article was modified and re-used in Classic Gamer Magazine a few years later.]
03 December 1997
Re: What was your last thrift purchase??
[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic. Robert Batina asked, "tell everyone what your last thrift store purchase was and why."]
THRIFT STORE:
What?
-----
Five boxed Intellivision games with manuals and overlays for $2 each. (A bit pricey, but that's the going rate for classic cartridges at this thrift, boxed or not. I refuse to buy anything from them unless it's boxed and I don't have it.)
Why?
----
"Recently" bought an Intellivision + Intellivoice ($5) elsewhere and needed more games. Left a couple with boxes, but no overlays and/or instructions.
RUMMAGE SALE:
What?
-----
Boxed Odyssey 2000 with switchbox, power adaptor, and packing foam. (Only lacked instructions, as if I needed them.) Also a Merlin with half the instructions. Five bucks for both.
Why?
----
Desperate to buy *something* so I felt like I hadn't wasted my time. 8) Also, it was a high school band fund raiser and I was in band back in high school, so I sympathized with them and didn't try to talk them down. Besides, I didn't have an Odyssey 2000 or a working Merlin.
[I honestly don't remember either of these very well any more, so I can't give any more details. I'd guess the Intellivision games came from the Breaking Free Rescue Mission Thrift Store, based on the comments, but I'm not 100% certain. — 2 July 2010]
THRIFT STORE:
What?
-----
Five boxed Intellivision games with manuals and overlays for $2 each. (A bit pricey, but that's the going rate for classic cartridges at this thrift, boxed or not. I refuse to buy anything from them unless it's boxed and I don't have it.)
Why?
----
"Recently" bought an Intellivision + Intellivoice ($5) elsewhere and needed more games. Left a couple with boxes, but no overlays and/or instructions.
RUMMAGE SALE:
What?
-----
Boxed Odyssey 2000 with switchbox, power adaptor, and packing foam. (Only lacked instructions, as if I needed them.) Also a Merlin with half the instructions. Five bucks for both.
Why?
----
Desperate to buy *something* so I felt like I hadn't wasted my time. 8) Also, it was a high school band fund raiser and I was in band back in high school, so I sympathized with them and didn't try to talk them down. Besides, I didn't have an Odyssey 2000 or a working Merlin.
[I honestly don't remember either of these very well any more, so I can't give any more details. I'd guess the Intellivision games came from the Breaking Free Rescue Mission Thrift Store, based on the comments, but I'm not 100% certain. — 2 July 2010]
14 November 1997
Book Review: Phoenix (2nd Edition) (originally for Suite 101)
[Suite 101 articles introduction]
In 1994 Leonard Herman wrote a first-of-its-kind book called Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Home Videogames. It simply covered, one chapter per year, the entire history of home video games through to 1993. He has recently released a second edition titled Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Videogames (ISBN 0-9643848-2-5), which covers some coin-op history in addition to the original history of home consoles. I had the pleasure of being among the earliest ones to receive it.
First, let's get the most important part of the book out of the way: the acknowledgments. Near the end, Mr. Herman includes me in the list of people thanked, even though I'm not entirely sure what I did for him. Nevertheless, let me state that I have no financial arrangements with Mr. Herman or Rolenta Press and receive absolutely nothing for any sales made. Therefore, I will do my best to keep this review unbiased.
This edition is largely unchanged from the first. The additions primarily consist of more information on arcade games, three new chapters (covering 1994, 1995, and 1996) and black and white photographs throughout. The photos definitely add much to the book and I am glad Mr. Herman added them for this edition.
As for the book itself, I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. Only those that have a bit of interest in video games will find it fascinating, but that is the audience it was written for! The book is somewhat dry as it simply relates the facts of video game history. It's hard to build much suspense for the reader when he already has an idea of what's going to happen. In a few places, Mr. Herman attempted to have some suspense by describing a system or game before actually naming it. I found this annoying, but perhaps that's because of my familiarity with video game history.
While the book is a bit dry to read through, it is an excellent reference for video game history. The index is incredibly complete, plus there is a separate photo index. Mr. Herman also makes excellent use of comparisons between new systems and those that came before. This ensures the reader, or even the casual browser, doesn't forget facts such as that the Game Boy was not the first programmable, portable system. (Regardless of what Nintendo would like you to think.)
There are other books written on the history of video games, notably David Sheff's Game Over and J.C. Herz' Joystick Nation. I haven't read the latter (only read negative comments about it from other collectors), but the former is focused on Nintendo, its business dealings, and the people behind them. Phoenix, on the other hand, focuses on the actual systems, peripherals, and games that people enjoy playing. If you want to know about a specific slice of video game history, you might try another book, but Phoenix is the best at covering the whole pie.
In the final analysis, I give Phoenix three stars out of four. It is the best overall history of video games you'll find. You'll be amazed by some of the things you learn reading it. Quite frankly, if you're a classic video game collector, you can't do without it.
Related links:
Copyright 1997 i5ive communications inc. Used with permission.
In 1994 Leonard Herman wrote a first-of-its-kind book called Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Home Videogames. It simply covered, one chapter per year, the entire history of home video games through to 1993. He has recently released a second edition titled Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Videogames (ISBN 0-9643848-2-5), which covers some coin-op history in addition to the original history of home consoles. I had the pleasure of being among the earliest ones to receive it.
First, let's get the most important part of the book out of the way: the acknowledgments. Near the end, Mr. Herman includes me in the list of people thanked, even though I'm not entirely sure what I did for him. Nevertheless, let me state that I have no financial arrangements with Mr. Herman or Rolenta Press and receive absolutely nothing for any sales made. Therefore, I will do my best to keep this review unbiased.This edition is largely unchanged from the first. The additions primarily consist of more information on arcade games, three new chapters (covering 1994, 1995, and 1996) and black and white photographs throughout. The photos definitely add much to the book and I am glad Mr. Herman added them for this edition.
As for the book itself, I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. Only those that have a bit of interest in video games will find it fascinating, but that is the audience it was written for! The book is somewhat dry as it simply relates the facts of video game history. It's hard to build much suspense for the reader when he already has an idea of what's going to happen. In a few places, Mr. Herman attempted to have some suspense by describing a system or game before actually naming it. I found this annoying, but perhaps that's because of my familiarity with video game history.
While the book is a bit dry to read through, it is an excellent reference for video game history. The index is incredibly complete, plus there is a separate photo index. Mr. Herman also makes excellent use of comparisons between new systems and those that came before. This ensures the reader, or even the casual browser, doesn't forget facts such as that the Game Boy was not the first programmable, portable system. (Regardless of what Nintendo would like you to think.)
There are other books written on the history of video games, notably David Sheff's Game Over and J.C. Herz' Joystick Nation. I haven't read the latter (only read negative comments about it from other collectors), but the former is focused on Nintendo, its business dealings, and the people behind them. Phoenix, on the other hand, focuses on the actual systems, peripherals, and games that people enjoy playing. If you want to know about a specific slice of video game history, you might try another book, but Phoenix is the best at covering the whole pie.
In the final analysis, I give Phoenix three stars out of four. It is the best overall history of video games you'll find. You'll be amazed by some of the things you learn reading it. Quite frankly, if you're a classic video game collector, you can't do without it.
Related links:
Copyright 1997 i5ive communications inc. Used with permission.
[2013-04-29: You can currently order the third edition of Phoenix directly from Rolenta Press. Mr. Herman is currently busy working on the fourth edition.]
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