Collecting the recently deceased?

[+davidcalgary29]

Just curious -- have any collectors seen the recent commerical demise of systems (Dreamcast, GBC, Xbox) as an opprotunity to track down and pick up protos and development software while they can still be traced fairly easily? Has anyone capitalized on systems on "deathwatch" to contact development houses and pick up protos and betas cheaply when it's becoming clear that a system isn't going to make it?

[Buyatari]

The best time to get protos is AS they are being produced. After that its a race against the clock. The sooner the better.

 

Dev hardware is a bit different. As it now worthless many chances for great deals pop up.

[+Wonder007]

There are two types of carts.....the dead and the dying.......

[Crazy Climber]

Discs just don't do it for me, I don't think I will ever view them as collectible

[Salvatore]

can you really get protos from the developers by just asking?

[Artlover]

The "commercial" demise of the Dreamcast was just recent?

[+FujiSkunk]

The "commercial" demise of the Dreamcast was just recent?

 

Actually, yes, it was. The last commercially released games for the Dreamcast came out this year. Sega announced in February that they would stop manufacturing GD-ROM discs, but some developers were trying to talk them out of it (linky). Dunno if they succeeded.

Edited August 23, 2007 by skunkworx

[Artlover]

The "commercial" demise of the Dreamcast was just recent?

 

Actually, yes, it was. The last commercially released games for the Dreamcast came out this year. Sega announced in February that they would stop manufacturing GD-ROM discs, but some developers were trying to talk them out of it (linky). Dunno if they succeeded.

Wow, interesting. I had assumed it was limited to homebrew long ago. Nope, offical releases up till this year and some planned for next year.

 

Albeit very very few and are Japanese releases.

 

That said, what is the big deal about that link. So Sega wants to stop supporting it. DC can read CD's, so can the Nomad. It's not like not producing GD discs anymore will stop development, it will just stop Sega from putting their name on it and licensing it. At this point in time, how important is that really?

Edited August 23, 2007 by Artlover

[+FujiSkunk]

That said, what is the big deal about that link. So Sega wants to stop supporting it. DC can read CD's, so can the Nomad NAOMI. It's not like not producing GD discs anymore will stop development, it will just stop Sega from putting their name on it and licensing it. At this point in time, how important is that really?

 

In the grand scheme of things, it may not be all that important.

 

However, those developers like the NAOMI platform. It's standardized, it's well documented, it still packs enough power for decent arcade games, and it allows a home version to be released with very little effort. It also probably comes with strings attached that force arcade owners to only run "authorized" NAOMI releases, or else find themselves in breach of contract with Sega.

 

Same story with releasing Dreamcast games: There might not be anything stopping developers from doing so (and that's assuming they didn't sign a restrictive contract to get the NAOMI/Dreamcast development boxes), but if they can't put those games on GD-ROM, and Sega convinces game stores not to sell any "unauthorized" Dreamcast releases (just like Sony did with Bleem), that kills a good chunk of the revenue stream.

 

So, if GD-ROM discs dry up, and Sega won't bless any non-GD-ROM NAOMI or Dreamcast releases, there goes that nice development platform. Sure the developers can move onto another platform, and they probably will if they have to, but since they think the system has some life left in it, they're hoping they can make Sega believe that as well.

Edited August 23, 2007 by skunkworx

[Artlover]

(just like Sony did with Bleem)

Not really the same thing. That was a situation where Sony's hardware sales were being compromised by allowing the use of their products on a platform they didn't support. Pretty big deal, especialy when talking about exclusive titles (like Gran Turismo).

 

In the scheme of DC/Nomad developers developing for DC/Nomad, particularly when Sega themselves is not supporting either (beyond blank media production), I can't see what motive Sega would have to stonewall unoffical releases on systems they no longer have interest in. It's not like they are still in the hardware business and trying to push a new platform, are they?

[+FujiSkunk]

(just like Sony did with Bleem)

Not really the same thing. That was a situation where Sony's hardware sales were being compromised by allowing the use of their products on a platform they didn't support. Pretty big deal, especialy when talking about exclusive titles (like Gran Turismo).

 

I was refering to the end result, not the motivation behind the move. Bleem's sales were killed because Sony told game stores not to sell it. I'm theorizing Sega is in a position where they could do the same thing with "unauthorized" Dreamcast releases if they wanted to.

 

In the scheme of DC/Nomad DC/NAOMI developers developing for DC/Nomad DC/NAOMI, particularly when Sega themselves is not supporting either (beyond blank media production), I can't see what motive Sega would have to stonewall unoffical releases on systems they no longer have interest in.

 

Big game companies have made similarly boneheaded moves in the past, so why not now?

[Artlover]

{Artlover doesn't know why he kept saying Nomad. He's a dope!}

 

Big game companies have made similarly boneheaded moves in the past, so why not now?

Very true.

[FastRobPlus]

Just curious -- have any collectors seen the recent commerical demise of systems (Dreamcast, GBC, Xbox) as an opprotunity to track down and pick up protos and development software while they can still be traced fairly easily? Has anyone capitalized on systems on "deathwatch" to contact development houses and pick up protos and betas cheaply when it's becoming clear that a system isn't going to make it?

 

For Xbox, betas are usually distributed electronically and stored on the HDD of a dev unit, so there is no real end-user playable media. Some games that had some element of a public or media beta, like True Fantasy Online should have discs floating around. Some games were released in PAL or NTSC, but the other region had certification discs made. So that's not a beta, but it is a version of a game that will never be seen in the wild, except for these certification disks in the possession of the publisher.

Finally, some games were changes after they were certified, and the original certification disks are in the hands of the developers. Those may somehow be obtainable, but the difference between them and the final released game will often be very slight.

[+Psionic]

Discs just don't do it for me, I don't think I will ever view them as collectible

True...cartridges are the "vinyl" of video games.