Re: Rare vector finds web page

On Feb 24, 4:48pm, JOE.MAGIERA@a1il.ameritech.com wrote:
> Subject: Re: Rare vector finds web page
> Hey Mark, I'm not trying to doom you to failure before you start (I think
> it's a cool idea for a web page), but I do think you'll need to lay
> yourself some ground rules on the scope involved. I think you'll need to
> decide if you are going to limit your efforts to truly rare games as
> opposed to prototypes. Nothing wrong with including prototypes, but if
> you include them, when you get input from someone that worked for Atari
> (or Bally or Stern or Williams...) you'll get so much input that would be
> worthless because maybe one did survive the lab but will never be found.
>
> If you decide to split them up, how would you define where a prototype
> ends and production begins?

I'm talking about games that have been "lost" or "unknown" for many years and
found recently by people on the newsgroup. Rare games, like games no one has
seen for a great while, rumored or known to exist, and then when found was the
only one anyone knew of at the time.

Prototypes that are found are cool, but more recent prototypes (in the 90's),
aren't really that exciting.

> Anyway for what it's worth, while Zector is certainly rare, I believe
> there were several hundred made, and I'm guessing a poll on RGVAC would
> show up a few dozen of them.

In late 1997, I had the only known boardset. In January 1998, there was only
one known fullsize cabinet, and Videotopia bought it. A second one was found a
few months later. Those are the only two I know of, and they were all found
just last years. "Few dozen" is a serious overstatement. A lot of people
currently have Zektor as a boardset simply because of the 10 or so I
distributed, and from Clay Cowgill's Multigame kit. Still an ultra rare
cabinet.

> My entries for your page, while not vectors,
> would be Marble Man, Marble Madness 2 (I saw a picture on a web page
> somewhere, and that's the only time I've ever seen or heard about it)

That would be a good one.

>, and
> a wood cabinet Blaster. Rick's was the only one I ever saw or even heard
> of.

Yeah, but that game wasn't "lost" per-se, as a lot of people owned Duramold
versions of the game, and Rick Schieve owned the cabinet for a few years. I'm
talking about "lost" or "unknown" games that people have found in the last few
years.

> I'm guessing one interview with Al Kossow and Rick Schieve will give you
> enough info for a lifetime. ;^)

Rick's hasn't really had too many rare *game* discoveries, although he's had
access to a lot of rare stuff due to location (Being near Williams helps your
chances of finding something cool from them). He's found a lot of rare and
prototype miscellaneous items, though (artwork, etc). Prototype Tempest would
be neat to see running.

However, I do agree that maybe my scope is unclear. There have been a few neat
stories of finds in the last few years, and I was just trying to capture those.

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Mark Jenison E-mail address: jenison@cig.mot.com
Cellular Infrastructure Group Motorola--Arlington Heights, IL
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Received on Thu Feb 25 08:53:30 1999