Good_Times Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 But I wanna play Hard Head!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Would be cool to have the ROM if Mr Poland Buyer is out there reading. I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 But I wanna play Hard Head!! You already can, the NTSC rom is out there. I'd love to see that newer PAL rom, but I don't think that's going to happen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good_Times Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Would be cool to have the ROM if Mr Poland Buyer is out there reading. I wouldn't hesitate to do it. For real. I was happy to photograph my rare PAL stuff for Rom Hunter's archive, and I'd be just as happy to dump and and all roms in the name of posterity. What's with these uptight d-bags that won't dump? "B-b-but I paid THOUSANDS for this RARE game, dammit!!" Biiiiiiiig deal -- pull your panties out of your crack and DUMP those rarities, ya cheap selfish bastards! Like friggin Gollum & the One Ring, ffs.....and we all KNOW how that worked out.... "Myyyy preccccioussssss RARE GAME/ROM....I NEEDSISSS IT! MINE!!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 What's with these uptight d-bags that won't dump? Their game, their choice. Why should they dump it just because YOU want to play it? You wanted the game? Then you should have ponied up the big bucks for it. Mocking and taunting them won't make them dump it, in fact it probably makes things worse. I certainly wouldn't be inclined to share after reading what you posted. As long as the game is backed up somewhere in case the EPROM dies, I'm happy. I'd love it if they shared the rom, but they are under no obligation to do so. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Actually...unless the person in question wrote the program, it's not really "theirs". Active trademarks could put such ownership in jeopardy. Personally, I don't care one way or the other...as modern attempts at these old titles often turn out much better. BTW such rarities usually HAVE been dumped (the owners of them would be stupid not to, since bitrot is a concern). They are just not shared. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Actually...unless the person in question wrote the program, it's not really "theirs". Active trademarks could put such ownership in jeopardy. I'm curious as to how far back that goes. Can Activision really call the owner up and demand their property back? I can see them saying that the person can't make reproductions or something of that nature though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Their game, their choice. Why should they dump it just because YOU want to play it? You wanted the game? Then you should have ponied up the big bucks for it. Mocking and taunting them won't make them dump it, in fact it probably makes things worse. I certainly wouldn't be inclined to share after reading what you posted. As long as the game is backed up somewhere in case the EPROM dies, I'm happy. I'd love it if they shared the rom, but they are under no obligation to do so. I am with Tempest on this. Despite what a small majority think I have never expected roms to be made public just for the sake of it. I have always advocated for games to be logged in some form and photographed so we can read about them, see what they looked liked and know how they played. In this instance the previous owner did the community a huge favour and filmed the game in motion and attempted to explain how it played. For me that was always enough and I just wish others would do the same, especially the owner of Astro Chase for I would love to see a pic of that game in action. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 If a trademark is active, why not? Film studios can (and have) gotten "disappeared" movie props back. Such items were always meant to be their property (unless they themselves sold/gave them off). I'd imagine it's the same for prototypes and loaners. Either way, they can certainly put a stop to reproductions being made and sue the person responsible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 If a trademark is active, why not? Film studios can (and have) gotten "disappeared" movie props back. Such items were always meant to be their property (unless they themselves sold/gave them off). I'd imagine it's the same for prototypes and loaners. Either way, they can certainly put a stop to reproductions being made and sue the person responsible. Theoretically true, but it would likely cost more than it was worth in the U.S., let alone extradition from Poland. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Is the Trademark still active though? It wasn't a released game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Is the Trademark still active though? It wasn't a released game. This is more crazy complicated as it is not so much trademark for trademark sake as trademark for proof of ownership of the physical object. I don't think the prototype is legally different than any mass distributed cart, except for its value. It was marked with a copyright, wasn't it? Activision (Atari?) would also have to prove this was wrongfully removed from their property and not legally given away or sold. So, I think this is one of those cases where possesion is 9/10ths blah, blah, blah. Although, if you are referring to a programmer finishing the game so it is like the newest PAL version, then we are in the the same territory as all the homebrew Pac Man and Donkey Kong hacks and remakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergun Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 I just wanted to chime in and state for the record that we still have no official statement from the current owner in Poland. Any assumptions regarding his immediate or eventual intentions are just that, assumptions. He certainly doesn't deserve any criticism; especially from anyone unfamiliar with the politics of Protos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhd Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 (edited) I am with Tempest on this. Despite what a small majority think I have never expected roms to be made public just for the sake of it. I have always advocated for games to be logged in some form and photographed so we can read about them, see what they looked liked and know how they played. In this instance the previous owner did the community a huge favour and filmed the game in motion and attempted to explain how it played. For me that was always enough and I just wish others would do the same, especially the owner of Astro Chase for I would love to see a pic of that game in action. I agree with this sentiment, too. I very much enjoy reading the write-ups (and looking at the screen shots) for prototypes, but I have no desire to actually play them. Most are unfinished. With a few limited exceptions, unreleased games do not look particularly appealing or fun. Had they been good games, they would have been published. Theoretically true, but it would likely cost more than it was worth in the U.S., let alone extradition from Poland. Beyond possibly sending a letter threatening a lawsuit, it would be unreasonable for Activision to spend any amount of money to regain property of limited (if any) commercial value. They may not even own it. If the game was actually developed by an independent contractor, as has been suggested above, rather than an employee, he/she/it may still actually own the rights to the software. I can easily imagine a scenario where Activision would have formally acquired the game upon completion. Since it was never actually finished, the contract was not executed, and so the rights never passed from the original programmer. Practically speaking, given the passage of time and the limited amount of documentation available, it is very probably impossible for anyone to prove their ownership of the game at this point (as opposed to the physical cartridge itself, which is clearly and indisputably owned by the Polish collector). Edited August 14, 2017 by jhd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 I'll have to see if I can at least get screenshots of Astrochase. I saw it in action once and it looked pretty nice for a 2600 game (too bad I can't stand the game). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Around 10:30 in this video he says he originally posted it for several hours as a buy it now for 100 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I'll have to see if I can at least get screenshots of Astrochase. I saw it in action once and it looked pretty nice for a 2600 game (too bad I can't stand the game). That would be fantastic if you could. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari181 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Their game, their choice. Why should they dump it just because YOU want to play it? You wanted the game? Then you should have ponied up the big bucks for it. Mocking and taunting them won't make them dump it, in fact it probably makes things worse. I certainly wouldn't be inclined to share after reading what you posted. As long as the game is backed up somewhere in case the EPROM dies, I'm happy. I'd love it if they shared the rom, but they are under no obligation to do so. As soon as you dump the ROM and make it available for everyone to use, you loose value. If I purchased this, especially for such an outrageous price, I wouldn't even think of giving away the ROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 As soon as you dump the ROM and make it available for everyone to use, you loose value. If I purchased this, especially for such an outrageous price, I wouldn't even think of giving away the ROM. Yes and no. It does hurt the value, but not by as much as everyone thinks. Still, unless you're feeling generous there really isn't any incentive to release the rom I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 As soon as you dump the ROM and make it available for everyone to use, you loose value. If I purchased this, especially for such an outrageous price, I wouldn't even think of giving away the ROM. If he was concerned about value I don't think he would have paid such an outrageous price in the first place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 If he was concerned about value I don't think he would have paid such an outrageous price in the first place. No, there are 3 types of prototype buyers. 1.) Buy, release ROM. God! 2.) Buy, make repros, to get back some of your investment. (99% AUTO DUMPED) Still get shit for it and have a bunch of ebay dicks make money beyond of what was in mind off of it. THUMBS UP! TOTALLY RECOMMENDED! 3.) Buy, precious! Hate! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good_Times Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 "Meet the greed that killed me...." What a sad state of affairs this 'collecting game' has devolved into for some, tsk tsk tsk....they're video games, people..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 No, there are 3 types of prototype buyers. 1.) Buy, release ROM. God! 2.) Buy, make repros, to get back some of your investment. (99% AUTO DUMPED) Still get shit for it and have a bunch of ebay dicks make money beyond of what was in mind off of it. THUMBS UP! TOTALLY RECOMMENDED! 3.) Buy, precious! Hate! Option 2 seems like it would be very astute of him. He could work with someone like Al and make most or all his money back if he could sell a couple hundred carts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzeri Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 I don´t know how helpful this is but I´ve just asked Mr. Steve Cartwright if he ever heard of "Hard Head" since he was an Activision programmer back in ´83. Here´s his answer: " Sorry... never heard of it. It might have been prototype work of one of the external design centers... perhaps New Jersey, LA, or Sacramento." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Here´s his answer: " Sorry... never heard of it. It might have been prototype work of one of the external design centers... perhaps New Jersey, LA, or Sacramento." That's probably the most plausible answer. None of the core Activision programmers seem to recognize it, so it must have been done externally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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