I think I may have found a Neverhood proto. Thoughts?

[MrMark0673]

Couldn't find much info on this CD I just purchased, I've never been much of a PC guy:

 

 

 

 

The seller claimed:

 

"Super rare Golden Release on Microsoft Company CD-R. This was an original company copy prior to sale to public and was not for resale. It was given to me by a former Microsoft employee, who was one of the first few hundred in the door and was a multi-millionaire when she retired. She gamve this to me to try out before it ever went out."

 

Anyone have any more info on this sort of pressing? Again, I just don't know enough about PC stuff to determine the origin.

 

I normally shy away from this stuff, but The Neverhood is amazing and I just had to gamble on this one.

 

Thanks!

Edited December 22, 2011 by MrMark0673

[Shawn]

Looks to be exactly what she said it is. Nice proto there for sure. I'm no expert by any means but that is an offical MS disc as I've seen that type of disc before as well as that label style.

[GrizzLee]

It is my understanding that "Gold" releases are the final product. In my line of work, we get similar CDr's/DVDr's from software suppliers when the code is final (Final code is traditionally called "Gold" code or "Golden"). We get discs like this quite often... early because but the discs are being sent out to be mastered for retail production and many times our schedule dictates that we have the software implement far ahead of supplier store release. I suspect that this isn't a prototype, but rather, the final production build of the release.

 

Just my thoughts.

-GrizzLee

Edited January 11, 2012 by GrizzLee

[Shawn]

It is my understanding that "Gold" releases are the final product. In my line of work, we get similar CDr's/DVDr's from software suppliers when the code is final (Final code is traditionally called "Gold" code or "Golden"). We get discs like this quite often... early because but the discs are being sent out to be mastered for retail production and many times our schedule dictates that we have the software implement far ahead of supplier store release. I suspect that this isn't a prototype, but rather, the final production build of the release.

 

Just my thoughts.

-GrizzLee

 

Same goes for 90 percent of Activision red label protos for the 2600. It's still an internal product not ment for retail.

[Dino]

It is my understanding that "Gold" releases are the final product. In my line of work, we get similar CDr's/DVDr's from software suppliers when the code is final (Final code is traditionally called "Gold" code or "Golden"). We get discs like this quite often... early because but the discs are being sent out to be mastered for retail production and many times our schedule dictates that we have the software implement far ahead of supplier store release. I suspect that this isn't a prototype, but rather, the final production build of the release.

 

Just my thoughts.

-GrizzLee

 

Same goes for 90 percent of Activision red label protos for the 2600. It's still an internal product not ment for retail.

 

Correct. They're still considered protoypes. Obviously, if the code on a protoype differs from the final release then its worth more than this one, but this is still a proto

[AdvancedJudas]

i'd give ya 75 bucks for it.

[AdvancedJudas]

but dont have the money right now... (have it, but not to spend)

[AdvancedJudas]

Would you be interested in showing video or uploading it somewhere?

[MrMark0673]

Wasn't really thinking of selling, but for $100 I'd let anyone do whatever they wanted to with it.

[Asaki]

It is my understanding that "Gold" releases are the final product.

 

I was thinking the same thing myself. Would be considered a "master copy", and not a prototype.

 

Still seems like a really cool collectible, though. I don't think I've ever seen any golds out there before.

[FastRobPlus]

I’ve been away for a while so just read this post.

 

I worked for what is now called Microsoft Studios when Neverhood was released. The disc you have there is called a “golden master.” In the classic sense, that means that the disc is considered 100% complete and is ready to be shipped to the duplication facility (at the time, this might have been the Canyon Park facility in Bothell.)

 

Several copies of the golden master were made, some for setting up the duplicators and some for use as reference discs to check the duplication conformity. My team always got one or two for sanity testing and release signoff. I think an additional batch was typically made for last minute checks by various teams. My team (User Experience) would make sure the disc didn’t do anything that it wasn’t supposed to. For example, with Flight Sim’s first CD based Scenery Expansion Pack, we noticed the 8 character abbreviation for the disc icon was SEXPACK, which violated a certification rule we’d put into place (no naughty words in filenames.) On occasion we also prevented more serious things - like removal of all files on the hard drive’s root directory if a user specified C: as the default folder, then later uninstalled the program. You might be surprised at how many companies didn't do this kind of checking.

 

For the disc you have to have escaped into the wild it would likely mean that the disc duplicator disposed of their reference discs poorly and they were removed from the facility. I used to hear of these sorts of leaks with Xbox 1 titles before they became 100% digitally beamed to Technicolor or the other disc pressing facilities overseas.

 

By definition, the game ought to function identically to the version found in stores.

[MrMark0673]

And THAT is exactly the sort of info I was looking to hear! Super cool info and much appreciated, thanks so much!

[Asaki]

...removal of all files on the hard drive’s root directory if a user specified C: as the default folder, then later uninstalled the program.

 

It makes my brain cry that anyone would even do that.