Why are INTV homebrews harder to come by?

[zetastrike]

I just bought my first INTV that I'm eagerly waiting to arrive in the mail. By luck, it will have a CIB Boulder Dash bundled with it. After doing some research, it looks some of the other homebrew like Carol, D2K, and Ms Pac Man are not that easy to get, unlike a lot of the 2600 homebrew carts. I was kind of disappointed, given how AA has a ton of homebrew here that you can just buy. Do the three games I brought up get a print run every year or am I out of luck if I was looking forward to getting them someday?

[+nanochess]

Essentially the producer makes a hundred of copies and that's all.

[+Tarzilla]

The intellivision collectors seem to be a bit different in that they don't settle for cart only releases. They want complete in box and as a result the leading publishers have to balance the box's upfront cost vs expected sales leading to shorter runs and availability.

[+intvsteve]

This depends a lot on who made the games. A lot of the games from IntelligentVision had only a single smallish print run, but then many are available as ROMs at the site. Many of the Elektronite games can still be found, but not all - D2K being one. Intellivision Revolution has done multiple runs of many if not most of their games. CollectorVision seems to have had things available for a reasonable amount of time, but I'm not sure long-term if the produce multiple runs.

 

The ones that are hardest to get are the earlier ones. I don't expect that to ever change.

 

Remember, too, that nearly every single Intellivision homebrew has had the full Complete in Box w/ Overlays treatment, and that the boards for the carts are a bit more involved than for Atari or ColecoVision homebrews. The box and overlays put a lot of cost into the initial run, and it puts a limit to what will be produced, usually. There's usually a lot of cash outlay to get those boxes and overlays printed, and costs go way, way up for really small batches.

 

It's hard to say if the CiB approach will change. BBWW released Piggy Bank as a loose cart, and there's the whole Blix story, which was a loose cart as well. Will Inty settle for cart + manual only releases? So far, it's the rare exception. The Magic 8 Ball to this date has answered "Unlikely".

[+fdr4prez]

There is the D2K Special Edition CIB that is still available at https://www.naberhood.com/

 

There will be soon a flash cart released, called LTO Flash, and the Ms Pac-Man and Carol are both free roms, so just hang tight for the flash cart released. Although it is a bit behind schedule, but better late than never.

 

Roms:

Ms Pac-man: http://www.carlmuellerjr.com/search/label/Ms.%20Pac-Man%20for%20Intellivision

 

Carol: http://www.carolvsghost.com/index.html

[zetastrike]

Ah, that's disappointing. At least I'll have Boulder Dash.

 

I care a lot more about playing the games than having the box and etc, so the LTO cart sounds promising.

[+grips03]

I have extra copy of Ms. Pac-Man for sale. Send PM if interested.

 

edit: $90 shipped

[Games For Your Intellivision]

www.naberhood.com is selling new CIB copies of DK Arcade for $45 US plus shipping.

 

I understand that buying 2 or 3 games may save shipping costs. Check with Tim, the owner.

 

There are over 500 copies of D2K floating about. The rest of the Elektronite games are pretty much unlimited and still available.

 

Minehunter, Match 5, and Paddle Party have been permanently reduced to $60 in price.

[GroovyBee]

There will be soon a flash cart released, called LTO Flash

There is also Hive on the horizon. Its deluxe version will ship with 11 full game ROMs.

[zetastrike]

Is there anything special about Ms Pac Man, Carol, Ms Night Stalker roms that would keep them from running on any available flash cart that comes out? I'll start saving up for one. I haven't been able to keep track of exactly who makes what.

[+DZ-Jay]

Is there anything special about Ms Pac Man, Carol, Ms Night Stalker roms that would keep them from running on any available flash cart that comes out? I'll start saving up for one. I haven't been able to keep track of exactly who makes what.

 

I can't speak for the others, but at least Christmas Carol should run on all upcoming flash carts. I can even play it on the CC3. And if there are any problems, I can work on resolving them.

 

-dZ.

[Noah98]

I got into Intellivision right after Christmas Carol sold out. It's the one game I wish I had. I'll be buying a flash cart just for that game!

[Rev]

I just bought my first INTV that I'm eagerly waiting to arrive in the mail. By luck, it will have a CIB Boulder Dash bundled with it. After doing some research, it looks some of the other homebrew like Carol, D2K, and Ms Pac Man are not that easy to get, unlike a lot of the 2600 homebrew carts. I was kind of disappointed, given how AA has a ton of homebrew here that you can just buy. Do the three games I brought up get a print run every year or am I out of luck if I was looking forward to getting them someday?

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254246-the-biggest-intellivision-homebrew-sale/?view=getnewpost

[HunterZero]

I personally don't mind cart only releases at all, but because overlays (and to a lesser extent the gatefold boxes) are such an integral part to the Intellivision nostalgia, most homebrews go the "CIB" cart, manual, overlays and box route. Compared to NES/SNES, a large proportion of Intellivision boxes seem to have survived, most collectors have lots of boxed games, and homebrew boxes just look cool on the shelf next to the regular official releases.

 

Christmas Carol was available for quite a long time until the stock gradually sold through. I was pretty lucky to pick up one of the last available copies. I think that this particular game had multiple print runs as it was quite popular.

 

It comes down to the fact that even the best selling Inty homebrews have fairly low volume print runs, with only a few hundred units produced. Given there is a minimum production run size that will guarantee covering costs, the producer has to weigh up demand and if and when they estimate the production run will sell through, especially when re-ordering second, third etc print runs. That, and there is a lot of manual work in organising and storing stock and posting orders all over the world which is a deterrent, since most homebrews are made by hobbyists.

 

Homebrew producers seem more inclined to try and estimate the demand with prerelease orders, and only have one print run to minimise costs, so if you're not in the right place at the right time, you miss out sadly.

 

- J

[Games For Your Intellivision]

I personally don't mind cart only releases at all, but because overlays (and to a lesser extent the gatefold boxes) are such an integral part to the Intellivision nostalgia, most homebrews go the "CIB" cart, manual, overlays and box route. Compared to NES/SNES, a large proportion of Intellivision boxes seem to have survived, most collectors have lots of boxed games, and homebrew boxes just look cool on the shelf next to the regular official releases.

 

Christmas Carol was available for quite a long time until the stock gradually sold through. I was pretty lucky to pick up one of the last available copies. I think that this particular game had multiple print runs as it was quite popular.

 

It comes down to the fact that even the best selling Inty homebrews have fairly low volume print runs, with only a few hundred units produced. Given there is a minimum production run size that will guarantee covering costs, the producer has to weigh up demand and if and when they estimate the production run will sell through, especially when re-ordering second, third etc print runs. That, and there is a lot of manual work in organising and storing stock and posting orders all over the world which is a deterrent, since most homebrews are made by hobbyists.

 

Homebrew producers seem more inclined to try and estimate the demand with prerelease orders, and only have one print run to minimise costs, so if you're not in the right place at the right time, you miss out sadly.

 

- J

 

I don't know what other producers do, but I only do ONE print run. Set up costs alone (on boxes) are high enough that I'll never do another. If I even remotely expect to sell more than the minimum print number, I simply increase the number printed. Once past the minimum, the cost per box is marginal. The sales on a game would have to be phenomenal to even consider doing a second print run.

 

I know for a fact that Christmas Carol only had one print run. I know, because I had them printed.

 

How many are built is another matter entirely.

 

When printing boxes, overlays, stickers or even manuals, I don't print off 150 copies and then run to the printer to do another 50 or 100.

 

Digital printing of boxes is a different matter. That could be done in small batches. However, at my printer anything more than 100 copies and I may as well go with full on 4 colour printing because the cost begins to approach a 'proper' run. If you only expect to sell 200, you just print it and toss the remainder in the recycle bin.

[+DZ-Jay]

I know for a fact that Christmas Carol only had one print run. I know, because I had them printed.

 

You had the boxes and overlays printed, yes. There were quite a bit of those, as well as instruction booklets (which I printed), shell stickers, serial numbers, and a virtually unlimited supply of PCBs and shells from LTO.

 

Nonetheless, there was a single production run (not to be confused with the "print run" which yields virtually unlimited units in any practical sense) of 300 units, which was the license LTO Productions and I negotiated. The reasons that a new production run did not occur are many and complex, and I rather not discuss them.

 

Suffice it to say that 300 units sold is a rather large number for an Intellivision home-brewed game, and with many collectors and speculators purchasing multiple copies, there are plenty around in circulation.

 

I am quite happy with the response the game has received from the community, and I feel honoured that so many people have enjoyed it. Although not strictly the same to collectors, I now give away the ROM for free so that anybody may play the game.

 

 

How many are built is another matter entirely.

 

True; a "print run" should not be confused with a "production run." See above.

 

If you only expect to sell 200, you just print it and toss the remainder in the recycle bin.

 

Or you pass them on to some enterprising reseller or "executive producer" to take over, right?

 

-dZ.

Edited June 29, 2016 by DZ-Jay

[Games For Your Intellivision]

 

Or you pass them on to some enterprising reseller or "executive producer" to take over, right?

 

-dZ.

 

I guess you can't resist trying to get a 'shot' in at me whenever you can, can you? I am not sure what you are implying but I'm guessing that it has something to do with the fact that Tim is selling DK Arcade and D2K Arcade Special Edition right now. Am I right?

 

Both of those titles were discontinued because they were causing problems with making legitimate deals as well as opening me up to possible legal action against my business.

 

Not that it is any of your business, but Classic Game Publishers, Inc. shut down when i left Canada and I did indeed toss a lot of boxes in the recycle bin on my exit. A lot of boxes went to Naberhood Games. Some are still at my friend's house including I think about 150 or so Christmas Carol boxes.

 

I've still got some projects going and I do work with Tim. However, If Tim wants to sell copies of DK Arcade or D2K Arcade Special Edition, it really is no concern of mine. I printed his Special Edition posters which will be going in the mail tomorrow by the way. He sells Rev's games too if you didn't notice.

[+DZ-Jay]

 

I guess you can't resist trying to get a 'shot' in at me whenever you can, can you? I am not sure what you are implying but I'm guessing that it has something to do with the fact that Tim is selling DK Arcade and D2K Arcade Special Edition right now. Am I right?

 

Oh stop your whining, it wasn't a "shot" of anything.

 

I just said it because the actual destruction of materials is greatly exaggerated, and it seldom happens for one reason or another -- whether it's Elektronite material or from whomever.

 

As long as there is perceived value in it, people will just figure out how to extract it. I imply no judgement on this, it's just how things are.

 

dZ.

Edited June 29, 2016 by DZ-Jay

[Rev]

"I guess you can't resist trying to get a 'shot' in at me whenever you can, can you?"

 

 

Kinda like you can't resist taking a shot at me about bootleg games on facebook.

[Rev]

"Not that it is any of your business, but Classic Game Publishers, Inc. shut down when i left Canada and I did indeed toss a lot of boxes in the recycle bin on my exit. A lot of boxes went to Naberhood Games. Some are still at my friend's house including I think about 150 or so Christmas Carol boxes."

 

 

So, did any Carol boxes make it to Naberhood or just the copyright violating dk boxes and other Elektronite game materials.

 

I am still in disbelief that you publicly admit you tossed Carol boxes in the trash can. Like it was no big deal. It really shows what kind of character you are.

[+Black_Tiger]

Low print runs + collectors buying multiple copies each time a run is done = limited supply.

 

The Intellivision is also a niche library and most people interested in it already have what they plan to buy and don't often let spares go. The rest race to snatch up these games when a copy happens to become available.

[m-crew]

Share Brothers Share, it would be nice to purchase discontinued homebrew games at when released prices. Im sure there are plenty extra copies sitting on shelves.

[ZillaRUSH]

Keep on eye out for fellow AA members selling their Homebrews. I only found out about Homebrews last year. My collection has grown. You will have to pay a price to get these old copies....but well worth it. Finally adding Space Patrol to my collection next week. D2K Special Edition is a must own...get it now at Naberhood. Based upon what I have...my top 5 HomeBrews:

1. D2K Special Edition

2. Ms. Nightstalker

3. Super Chef BT

4. Piggy Bank

5. Space Raid

[+Gemintronic]

If anyone can get me a way to obtain a flash cart I'm all in making new games. More active developers means more games. More games means cart production services have something to do.

[+Lathe26]

The LTO Flash! and the Hive multi-carts are in the works but do not have a release date yet. In the meantime, there is the Cuttle Cart 3 but since they are out of production, their prices have skyrocketed.