Looks like Actionauts is ready

[godzillajoe]

So this is a fully tested and playable game right?

 

I'm not of the "I need everything ever" camp just for the sake of having it

 

I did sign up for it but am having second thoughts after the "I don't want people to be disappointed about gameplay" comment

 

Nothing to do with price either.

 

I'm sure half of the buyers will try to recoup their investment on eBay in a couple of years anyway

 

That's how these things work

Since no more are available right now anyway .. you would be advised to wait for the reviews from people who purchased a copy. The last thing I want is a disappointed customer, especially at this price point. I'm also going to be releasing the binary image after the carts are gone ... and we all know that somebody is going to beat me to it anyway and release the binary without my permission .. so I'd much prefer you to wait and see, before making your decision. I think the people who purchased the game so far are not looking at this as much as a "game" .. but more as a collectible ... a previously unreleased fragment of Stella history.

 

 

Wow, so even though I was on the list, I'm SOL anyway?

 

Guess I'll wait for the rom.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply though

[Mirage]

It doesn't really seem like most people disagree about this, with the exception of a couple whiny ridiculous people who feel that this is somehow "ruining" the hobby for them.

 

I would expect those on the 'buying' side of the fence will probably see most things that drive up game prices as detrimental to the hobby. An understandable viewpoint, though not necessarily entirely accurate.

 

In this market, as in most others, rising prices will cause more people to produce goods to sell. Obviously if prices rise so much that a would-be buyer can't afford anything, the presence of more sellers won't help the "buyer". On the other hand, if the price increase is large enough to attract good quality producers, but small enough that the buyer can still afford some product, the buyer may find the increased quality worth the higher price.

 

Given that N.E.R.D.S. and The Last Ninja seem to have made some money for their producers despite being total garbage, I suspect that many AtariAge games are really underpriced. I would guess that many programmers would spend more time on 2600 development (and thus produce games a lot faster) if there were more financial incentive to do so; some might regard such a thought as 'ruinous' to the hobby, but I think it would in fact be beneficial toward it.

 

Yeah, I see your point. I was more referring to the person a few posts back who commented that this cart being for sale somehow ruins their experience of playing their garage-sale bought Tapper cart.

[rob fulop]

It doesn't really seem like most people disagree about this, with the exception of a couple whiny ridiculous people who feel that this is somehow "ruining" the hobby for them.

 

I would expect those on the 'buying' side of the fence will probably see most things that drive up game prices as detrimental to the hobby. An understandable viewpoint, though not necessarily entirely accurate.

 

In this market, as in most others, rising prices will cause more people to produce goods to sell. Obviously if prices rise so much that a would-be buyer can't afford anything, the presence of more sellers won't help the "buyer". On the other hand, if the price increase is large enough to attract good quality producers, but small enough that the buyer can still afford some product, the buyer may find the increased quality worth the higher price.

 

Given that N.E.R.D.S. and The Last Ninja seem to have made some money for their producers despite being total garbage, I suspect that many AtariAge games are really underpriced. I would guess that many programmers would spend more time on 2600 development (and thus produce games a lot faster) if there were more financial incentive to do so; some might regard such a thought as 'ruinous' to the hobby, but I think it would in fact be beneficial toward it.

John, what I found out a few weeks ago when I did my infamous "salary survey" was that most enthusiasts of this particular hobby are unwilling to pay the true price of what it costs somebody like yourself to make a new 2600 game. The expectation is that people like yourself should do this pro bono, for the benefit of all. Right or wrong, such represents a fairly reasonable segment of this community, if you look at the results of the poll.

 

What I don't understand is your statement that it could in any way be "ruinous" to this hobby if there existed an environment where it made sense for a young, talented programmer to craft more content. Put another way, if people were willing to pay the "real price" of what it costs to offer a homebrew game similar to the ones that you have offered, then obviously there would be more such games available. I think your work , and that of other talented homebrew authors, is a pretty good indicator that even MORE is possible with the original platform, than anybody ever imagined 'back in the day'. But it's just NOT going to happen if people raise their hand and answer the question "should a homebrew author receive compensation?" by announcing that NO, they should not expect such .. or if anything, they should be willing to work for this community for a salary way below what they could earn doing something else. People like you have basically subsidised (or spoiled) this community rotten over the past few years .. which is why I totally agree with your observation that Atari Age carts are pretty much under priced. Albert, for the most part, doesn't really consider "development costs" as a factor in setting prices, since it appears that such have come in at zero enough times, that he doesn't even consider such as costs anymore. The only costs that seem to matter are "hard" goods ... cart assembly, printing, shipping and handling. Thus it's no shock that a $25 price point occurs to most people as "fair and reasonable".

 

Thus it's no shock that the overall community has no chance of growth, over time, it must wither and die a slow death due to a lack of new content. If many hobbyists are unwilling to pay the 'real price' or supplying them with fresh content ... they cannot be shocked when such goes away. Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess .. but one thing occurs to me as pretty much a given at this point. If people balk at the notion of compensating a content creator to the degree demonstrated in the poll .. this hobby cannot expand. Truth be told, I didn't do that poll because I didn't know the price for Actionauts. I sort of knew it back in October. OK, I came down a bit as a result of the poll, because I just wanted to blow these carts out there, which is what has happened. I did the poll to generate the precise conversation that occured ... to get on the table and out in the open the issues that came up .. some of them painful .. but important nonetheless. At least such is how it occured to me.

Edited April 13, 2008 by rob fulop

[gospeedde]

So this is a fully tested and playable game right?

 

I'm not of the "I need everything ever" camp just for the sake of having it

 

I did sign up for it but am having second thoughts after the "I don't want people to be disappointed about gameplay" comment

 

Nothing to do with price either.

 

I'm sure half of the buyers will try to recoup their investment on eBay in a couple of years anyway

 

That's how these things work

Since no more are available right now anyway .. you would be advised to wait for the reviews from people who purchased a copy. The last thing I want is a disappointed customer, especially at this price point. I'm also going to be releasing the binary image after the carts are gone ... and we all know that somebody is going to beat me to it anyway and release the binary without my permission .. so I'd much prefer you to wait and see, before making your decision. I think the people who purchased the game so far are not looking at this as much as a "game" .. but more as a collectible ... a previously unreleased fragment of Stella history.

 

 

Wow, so even though I was on the list, I'm SOL anyway?

 

Guess I'll wait for the rom.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply though

 

I'm pretty sure that's not what he's saying. The first set of 100 is taken, but he is still going to release another 150 after he's finished signing and boxing and shipping the first set. I'm assuming (though I don't know for sure) that anyone who was on the list and who lets him know that they're still interested before he puts the next batch out will get a shot at those.

[rob fulop]

So this is a fully tested and playable game right?

 

I'm not of the "I need everything ever" camp just for the sake of having it

 

I did sign up for it but am having second thoughts after the "I don't want people to be disappointed about gameplay" comment

 

Nothing to do with price either.

 

I'm sure half of the buyers will try to recoup their investment on eBay in a couple of years anyway

 

That's how these things work

Since no more are available right now anyway .. you would be advised to wait for the reviews from people who purchased a copy. The last thing I want is a disappointed customer, especially at this price point. I'm also going to be releasing the binary image after the carts are gone ... and we all know that somebody is going to beat me to it anyway and release the binary without my permission .. so I'd much prefer you to wait and see, before making your decision. I think the people who purchased the game so far are not looking at this as much as a "game" .. but more as a collectible ... a previously unreleased fragment of Stella history.

 

 

Wow, so even though I was on the list, I'm SOL anyway?

 

Guess I'll wait for the rom.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply though

Not SOL. I just didn't expect the first batch to fly out. The remaining 150 are not ready to go, and I'm knee deep in order processing right now, and don't think it right to accept payment with a longer delivery time than I like. It won't be a secret when I'm taking orders again. I'd just advise until then that somebody like yourself take a look at what the first batch buyers say .. and maybe get your hands on the game before purchasing. My goal is that NOBODY asks for a refund, which I will grant without question, but still a hassle, nonetheless.

[rob fulop]

So this is a fully tested and playable game right?

 

I'm not of the "I need everything ever" camp just for the sake of having it

 

I did sign up for it but am having second thoughts after the "I don't want people to be disappointed about gameplay" comment

 

Nothing to do with price either.

 

I'm sure half of the buyers will try to recoup their investment on eBay in a couple of years anyway

 

That's how these things work

Since no more are available right now anyway .. you would be advised to wait for the reviews from people who purchased a copy. The last thing I want is a disappointed customer, especially at this price point. I'm also going to be releasing the binary image after the carts are gone ... and we all know that somebody is going to beat me to it anyway and release the binary without my permission .. so I'd much prefer you to wait and see, before making your decision. I think the people who purchased the game so far are not looking at this as much as a "game" .. but more as a collectible ... a previously unreleased fragment of Stella history.

 

 

Wow, so even though I was on the list, I'm SOL anyway?

 

Guess I'll wait for the rom.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply though

 

I'm pretty sure that's not what he's saying. The first set of 100 is taken, but he is still going to release another 150 after he's finished signing and boxing and shipping the first set. I'm assuming (though I don't know for sure) that anyone who was on the list and who lets him know that they're still interested before he puts the next batch out will get a shot at those.

right, no need to tell me anything .. I'll use the same list as before, removing the names of people who have purchased already.

[pangasinan]

So Rob when are you going to sell the original prototype ???

[rob fulop]

So Rob when are you going to sell the original prototype ???

I dunno ... "later" I guess ... right now I have my hands full .. given I'm doing nineteen things other than Actionaut order processing ... it may be only after the carts are all gone.

[Mirage]

Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess ..

 

I think this is a key point that you've nailed here, and was absent (I think) from the conversation last time. It's not our (community's) "fault" that there aren't 10,000 people in the world willing to buy new 2600 games. If that were the case, then likely the situation would be "fair" to everyone. We'd all get cheap games, AND the creators would be paid much more. But the case is that there are only a few hundred maybe, or some smallish number, and therefore for a creator to be paid well, the carts would need to be priced higher than has been generally the case. Many of us feel that a creator _should_ be paid more for their efforts... but is it realistic that many are going to pay a ton more for a "normal" (non-Actionauts) release?

 

Interesting questions and problem.

 

So, it really is chicken-egg. Very well said.

 

How many more people can be drawn into this hobby, or can be drawn into buying more new games if they are already collectors?

[+Random Terrain]

How many more people can be drawn into this hobby, or can be drawn into buying more new games if they are already collectors?

Making YouTube video clips of the games is one way to get people interested. Show them and tell them why the game is cool and although you'll get a lot of "this game has crappy graphics, it's not as good as HALO 3" type of comments, more people than usual will become interested.

Edited April 13, 2008 by Random Terrain

[Lord Thag]

Thus it's no shock that the overall community has no chance of growth, over time, it must wither and die a slow death due to a lack of new content. If many hobbyists are unwilling to pay the 'real price' or supplying them with fresh content ... they cannot be shocked when such goes away. Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess .. but one thing occurs to me as pretty much a given at this point. If people balk at the notion of compensating a content creator to the degree demonstrated in the poll .. this hobby cannot expand. Truth be told, I didn't do that poll because I didn't know the price for Actionauts. I sort of knew it back in October. OK, I came down a bit as a result of the poll, because I just wanted to blow these carts out there, which is what has happened. I did the poll to generate the precise conversation that occured ... to get on the table and out in the open the issues that came up .. some of them painful .. but important nonetheless. At least such is how it occured to me.

 

Interesting point. You're right if you look at this as a business model, I don't see this hobby growing as a financially profitable venture. Those days are over, for sure. The user-base is too small. I'm not sure I agree about the hobby not growing because of development costs not being factored in though. It's done the exact opposite over the last few years. I think the reason that development costs are not factored in is because (unlike the early eighties), programming for the VCS is considered a hobby in and of itself, due to the extreme limitations of the system, and not a commercial venture. Sort of like assembly language haiku. Most of the people who code for the system these days do so because they love writing the software, and the challenge of 'doing the impossible' on a system with 128 bytes of memory. I've written a few demos myself for the same reason. If anything, as online documentation and support have continually increased over the last decade (not to mention batari basic), the influx of new software has gone from a trickle to a flood. There are as many games sold here now as there were by Atari in it's prime. It's growing, not dying.

 

The hobby, I think, is doing fine. The real obstacle, long term, is the lack of a new version of the VCS that is compatible with the newer plasma/LCD TVs. Most of the 2600s in use are over thirty years old, getting harder and harder to find, and they are difficult to hook up to modern TVs without being modded to use A/V or s-video. Unless someone markets something like the recent Flashback console WITH a built in cart slot, it will become more difficult to draw in 'new blood', as it were. Still, we've got plenty of time before that becomes an issue

 

Interesting discussion!

Edited April 13, 2008 by Lord Thag

[supercat]

John, what I found out a few weeks ago when I did my infamous "salary survey" was that most enthusiasts of this particular hobby are unwilling to pay the true price of what it costs somebody like yourself to make a new 2600 game.

 

BTW, first rule of holes: when in hole, stop digging. Your survey was not well-received, for a variety of reasons. Some of the marketing conclusions you draw from it have some truth, but the attitude conveyed by the survey questions may have skewed the results.

 

There isn't enough of a market to justify 2600 software development as a career path. That should be pretty obvious. Nonetheless, there is a continuum of people between those who would do it for satisfaction alone even if they lost money out-of-pocket, and those who would only do it if they could receive full market price for the time involved. Many people are willing to work for less than what they could get--sometimes significantly less--because a particular lower-paying job offers certain satisfaction that would be lacking in higher-paying ones. That does not imply, however, a willingness to work for free.

 

I haven't plotted which games were developed when, but there does seem to be a significant drop in the number of assembly-code games in the market place. If the demand for games would be sufficient to allow for higher prices, then increased royalties would seem likely to attract more developers (or encourage existing developers to spend more time finishing off their games). I don't know exactly what demand exists, but I would certainly think there should be more demand for better games.

[rob fulop]

Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess ..

 

I think this is a key point that you've nailed here, and was absent (I think) from the conversation last time. It's not our (community's) "fault" that there aren't 10,000 people in the world willing to buy new 2600 games. If that were the case, then likely the situation would be "fair" to everyone. We'd all get cheap games, AND the creators would be paid much more. But the case is that there are only a few hundred maybe, or some smallish number, and therefore for a creator to be paid well, the carts would need to be priced higher than has been generally the case. Many of us feel that a creator _should_ be paid more for their efforts... but is it realistic that many are going to pay a ton more for a "normal" (non-Actionauts) release?

 

Interesting questions and problem.

 

So, it really is chicken-egg. Very well said.

 

How many more people can be drawn into this hobby, or can be drawn into buying more new games if they are already collectors?

Whose talking about "paid well?" Look at the poll. A bunch of people are pretty adament that the designer should earn $0 for his efforts. A large group of others indicated $2K month felt okay. It's really not gonna happen at that price.

[supercat]

I think the reason that development costs are not factored in is because (unlike the early eighties), programming for the VCS is considered a hobby in and of itself, due to the extreme limitations of the system, and not a commercial venture. Sort of like assembly language haiku. Most of the people who code for the system these days do so because they love writing the software, and the challenge of 'doing the impossible' on a system with 128 bytes of memory.

 

When did Thomas Jentzch last release a full-fledged game? How about Chris Walton? Or John Champeau? Or Darrel Spice, Jr.? Or me, for that matter?

 

I can't speak for the others, but I know that I'd spend more time finishing off some of my WIPs if I knew that such efforts would turn into more cash.

[rolenta]

This is becoming so weird to me. We've long ago established at this point that there exists TWO markets .. the "gamers" and the "collectors".

 

Actually, there are three markets: the gamers, the collectors, and the speculators. I belong in the second group. I buy everything that is released for the 2600 (except hacks), with no plans to sell them, and to include them in future editions of ABC To The VCS (if that happens).

 

But IMO those two games prove that collectors buy anything at almost any price. Which is definitely not encouraging to those who prefer quality games over nice packaging.

 

I've been buying both good and bad games for the 2600 ever since I started buying them in 1979.

[supercat]

A large group of others indicated $2K month felt okay. It's really not gonna happen at that price.

 

I don't expect anyone to take up 2600 development as a full-time job. Thus, monthly salary is really not a meaningful figure. Further, there are such huge variations in productivity and quality that even attaching an hourly figure isn't terribly meaningful. If someone could crank out a Thrust+ caliber game every week, that person should get paid a lot more than someone who puts forth a N.E.R.D.S. quality game once every two months.

 

For many of us here, 2600 programming has considerable value as a hobby. I guess one way to look at it would be to say that 2600 development projects are usually a mixture of 'fun' and 'work'. The hobbyists don't mind too much if they don't get paid for the 'fun' parts, but they're more likely to get through the 'work' parts quickly if more lucrative rewards await. Since I would expect all or nearly all 2600 programmers have some other primary source of income, there isn't the same need to 'put food on the table' as would be present with a full-time job.

[Mirage]

Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess ..

 

I think this is a key point that you've nailed here, and was absent (I think) from the conversation last time. It's not our (community's) "fault" that there aren't 10,000 people in the world willing to buy new 2600 games. If that were the case, then likely the situation would be "fair" to everyone. We'd all get cheap games, AND the creators would be paid much more. But the case is that there are only a few hundred maybe, or some smallish number, and therefore for a creator to be paid well, the carts would need to be priced higher than has been generally the case. Many of us feel that a creator _should_ be paid more for their efforts... but is it realistic that many are going to pay a ton more for a "normal" (non-Actionauts) release?

 

Interesting questions and problem.

 

So, it really is chicken-egg. Very well said.

 

How many more people can be drawn into this hobby, or can be drawn into buying more new games if they are already collectors?

Whose talking about "paid well?" Look at the poll. A bunch of people are pretty adament that the designer should earn $0 for his efforts. A large group of others indicated $2K month felt okay. It's really not gonna happen at that price.

 

I know Rob, I'm on your side here. I meant being paid well as being paid MORE than that.

 

And also, many of us don't feel that "$0 or $2000 feels okay", it's just looking at this market for what it is -- a small group of buyers... if there were 10,000 buyers, selling carts at the same price as for 300 copies would be a lot more profitable. So, either more must be charged for a programmer to make more, or there must be more buyers. Pretty simple. So, it's more about what people are willing to pay for a given cart that it is about what a programmer is "worth". Some people (including myself) tried to say that nicely in the last thread, and by your post about the chicken-egg situation, it seems that you see it that way too. It would be _great_ if you guys _could_ be paid more, and I doubt anyone would begrudge you of that. But there just simply aren't a lot of buyers. It's an interesting question. Now -- can that problem be solved somehow, and if so... how? That's the productive way of continuing this conversation.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Mirage1972

[+stephena]

Thus it's no shock that the overall community has no chance of growth, over time, it must wither and die a slow death due to a lack of new content. If many hobbyists are unwilling to pay the 'real price' or supplying them with fresh content ... they cannot be shocked when such goes away. Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess .. but one thing occurs to me as pretty much a given at this point. If people balk at the notion of compensating a content creator to the degree demonstrated in the poll .. this hobby cannot expand. Truth be told, I didn't do that poll because I didn't know the price for Actionauts. I sort of knew it back in October. OK, I came down a bit as a result of the poll, because I just wanted to blow these carts out there, which is what has happened. I did the poll to generate the precise conversation that occured ... to get on the table and out in the open the issues that came up .. some of them painful .. but important nonetheless. At least such is how it occured to me.

As someone else above said, I can understand that outlook if you're considering things from a financial POV. But there's more to this hobby than just money, and IMHO that's how it should be. Note that I'm not advocating that developers work on stuff and release it for free all the time. Perhaps a more balanced approach could be found, although I don't know what it would be; I haven't really thought about it that much.

 

What I do know is that introducing money as the main motivation of developing new games will change the dynamic of the community. Whether it's for good or bad I can't say, but things will change. I've seen it all my life in various jobs. When you have a group of people working together altruistically, things are usually fine. However, when you introduce compensation into the equation, it throws everything off. You have some people complaining that others are making more than them, and question why they aren't getting the same. And still others feel if someone else is getting paid, why should they continue to work for cheap/free. In the end, it creates conflict all around.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a hippie suggesting that everyone do everything for free all the time, and depend on others for everything. I realize that money makes the world go 'round, and that it's a necessary evil. But one thing that nobody can argue with is introducing compensation as the sole reason for being involved with this community will greatly change the dynamic. As I said before, whether the change is for better or worse is anyones guess.

 

All I can do is speak for myself. I personally put significant amounts of time into developing Stella (the Atari 2600 emulator). I do this freely, as I realize other benefits from the endeavor. And I don't state this to say that all other people should also freely give their time. But I can personally say that if this community were to become more about money than sharing and comraderie, I would cease to be involved with it. And I think some others feel the same way.

 

Finally, my opinion is in no way meant to tell you (or other developers) what to do, or how much to charge. I fully support any decisions that developers may make, and wish everyone involved all the success they deserve (whether that means money or personal satisfaction).

[homerwannabee]

It doesn't really seem like most people disagree about this, with the exception of a couple whiny ridiculous people who feel that this is somehow "ruining" the hobby for them.

 

I would expect those on the 'buying' side of the fence will probably see most things that drive up game prices as detrimental to the hobby. An understandable viewpoint, though not necessarily entirely accurate.

 

In this market, as in most others, rising prices will cause more people to produce goods to sell. Obviously if prices rise so much that a would-be buyer can't afford anything, the presence of more sellers won't help the "buyer". On the other hand, if the price increase is large enough to attract good quality producers, but small enough that the buyer can still afford some product, the buyer may find the increased quality worth the higher price.

 

Given that N.E.R.D.S. and The Last Ninja seem to have made some money for their producers despite being total garbage, I suspect that many AtariAge games are really underpriced. I would guess that many programmers would spend more time on 2600 development (and thus produce games a lot faster) if there were more financial incentive to do so; some might regard such a thought as 'ruinous' to the hobby, but I think it would in fact be beneficial toward it.

John, what I found out a few weeks ago when I did my infamous "salary survey" was that most enthusiasts of this particular hobby are unwilling to pay the true price of what it costs somebody like yourself to make a new 2600 game. The expectation is that people like yourself should do this pro bono, for the benefit of all. Right or wrong, such represents a fairly reasonable segment of this community, if you look at the results of the poll.

 

What I don't understand is your statement that it could in any way be "ruinous" to this hobby if there existed an environment where it made sense for a young, talented programmer to craft more content. Put another way, if people were willing to pay the "real price" of what it costs to offer a homebrew game similar to the ones that you have offered, then obviously there would be more such games available. I think your work , and that of other talented homebrew authors, is a pretty good indicator that even MORE is possible with the original platform, than anybody ever imagined 'back in the day'. But it's just NOT going to happen if people raise their hand and answer the question "should a homebrew author receive compensation?" by announcing that NO, they should not expect such .. or if anything, they should be willing to work for this community for a salary way below what they could earn doing something else. People like you have basically subsidised (or spoiled) this community rotten over the past few years .. which is why I totally agree with your observation that Atari Age carts are pretty much under priced. Albert, for the most part, doesn't really consider "development costs" as a factor in setting prices, since it appears that such have come in at zero enough times, that he doesn't even consider such as costs anymore. The only costs that seem to matter are "hard" goods ... cart assembly, printing, shipping and handling. Thus it's no shock that a $25 price point occurs to most people as "fair and reasonable".

 

Thus it's no shock that the overall community has no chance of growth, over time, it must wither and die a slow death due to a lack of new content. If many hobbyists are unwilling to pay the 'real price' or supplying them with fresh content ... they cannot be shocked when such goes away. Obviously one answer would be MORE hobbyists, thus increasing the market size to a number that is more "doable" in terms of ROI from a designer's perspective. It's sort of chicken-egg I guess .. but one thing occurs to me as pretty much a given at this point. If people balk at the notion of compensating a content creator to the degree demonstrated in the poll .. this hobby cannot expand. Truth be told, I didn't do that poll because I didn't know the price for Actionauts. I sort of knew it back in October. OK, I came down a bit as a result of the poll, because I just wanted to blow these carts out there, which is what has happened. I did the poll to generate the precise conversation that occured ... to get on the table and out in the open the issues that came up .. some of them painful .. but important nonetheless. At least such is how it occured to me.

You need to understand something about the people in this hobby. The people in this hobby do not want this hobby to grow. The Atari 2600 community is underground, and there are people here who want it to remain that way. I personally disagree with this sentiment, but I fully understand it.

[CPUWIZ]

You need to understand something about the people in this hobby. The people in this hobby do not want this hobby to grow. The Atari 2600 community is underground, and there are people here who want it to remain that way. I personally disagree with this sentiment, but I fully understand it.

 

And the 2008 tinfoil-hat award, goes to homerwannabee!

 

 

Last years winner:

 

[homerwannabee]

You need to understand something about the people in this hobby. The people in this hobby do not want this hobby to grow. The Atari 2600 community is underground, and there are people here who want it to remain that way. I personally disagree with this sentiment, but I fully understand it.

 

And the 2008 tinfoil-hat award, goes to homerwannabee!

 

I have a question for you. Do you want the hobby to grow CPUWIZ? Yes or no? Do you want there to be 10 times as many people in this hobby as there are now? Yes or no?

Edited April 14, 2008 by homerwannabee

[CPUWIZ]

I have a question for you. Do you want the hobby to grow CPUWIZ? Yes or no? Do you want there to be 10 times as many people in this hobby as there are now? Yes or no?

 

Of course, why wouldn't I?

[Mirage]

I have a question for you. Do you want the hobby to grow CPUWIZ? Yes or no? Do you want there to be 10 times as many people in this hobby as there are now? Yes or no?

 

I personally think that would be great. The more the merrier... but then, I already have most of the carts I want except for new ones!

[homerwannabee]

I have a question for you. Do you want the hobby to grow CPUWIZ? Yes or no? Do you want there to be 10 times as many people in this hobby as there are now? Yes or no?

 

Of course, why wouldn't I?

Because the games would become more expensive. If they become more expensive, than they become harder to get. If they become harder to get than people have a harder time getting the games they want. You once said you would be happier if Video Life was worth $5 or some low number like that. The only way games can be attainable is if there are not an expanding number of people in the hobby.

Edited April 14, 2008 by homerwannabee

[CPUWIZ]

I have a question for you. Do you want the hobby to grow CPUWIZ? Yes or no? Do you want there to be 10 times as many people in this hobby as there are now? Yes or no?

 

Of course, why wouldn't I?

Because the games would become more expensive. If they become more expensive, than they become harder to get. If they become harder to get than people have a harder time getting the games they want. You once said you would be happier if Video Life was worth $5 or some low number like that. The only way games can be attainable is if there are not an expanding number of people in the hobby.

 

I could really care less at this point, wouldn't it be awesome to have a ComiCon sized Atari convention, where in one day 10000 (of the same) homebrews get sold?