Room 34 Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 OK... I own a copy of Slot Machine. It was necessary for my goal of acquiring every Atari release from the text and picture label eras. But for the love of God WHY would anyone have actually bought this back in the day? What appeal did it have??? Couldn't David Crane just have had a copy made for his grandmother and left it at that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csonicgo Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 If I was David, I would be too embarrassed to release that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 13, 2003 Author Share Posted September 13, 2003 Well I guess I have three things to say about it, as far as David Crane is concerned: 1. He just designed the game for his grandmother. He probably had no real say in whether or not the company released it. 2. It was one of his first games. (Or his very first? I think he did Outlaw before it.) 3. It's -- arguably -- better than Star Ship. Of course, both he and Bob Whitehead, creator of Star Ship, went on to much bigger and better things with Activision, despite these inauspicious beginnings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 13, 2003 Author Share Posted September 13, 2003 Welcome to the forums, by the way... I notice this was your first post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csonicgo Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 Yep, it is. I'm a hardcore Atari fan, It was practically my babysitter. I played it all the time. Asteroids and Spider Fighter are my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 But for the love of God WHY would anyone have actually bought this back in the day? They didn't know any better? Really, were there any gaming mags at the time that told us what was good and bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 For whatever reason Slot Machine simulations were very common back in the late 70's and early 80's. Probably because they were easy to program. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 I've wondered this as well. Is'nt the whole point of playing a slot machine to win money? I can't see myself playing a real slot machine if I knew there wasn't going to be a payoff! AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 I've wondered this as well. Is'nt the whole point of playing a slot machine to win money? I can't see myself playing a real slot machine if I knew there wasn't going to be a payoff! AM Maybe people played it to practice for when the went to Harrahs. It takes a lot of skill to press a button of pull a lever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Maybe people played it to practice for when the went to Harrahs. It takes a lot of skill to press a button of pull a lever. Maybe Slot Machine was sponsored by the casino industry? By giving the player better odds (did they?) the dumber ones could think that they could make easy money in Vegas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 I think it was a decent game at that time.... We're in the year 2000+ now. It's the new millennium. You realize this game was released in the 70's right??? A time where a person being able to control what happened on their television screen was a brand new concept??? If you are old enough to understand this...You'll understand why people bought the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 I didn't know it was by David Crane. Oh dear. Oh DEAR. These kind of games really amaze me. It's like Pool video games now, you can pay $40+ for a computer simulation of for a TINY amount of money you can go and play the real thing somewhere. This said, I suppose Car jacking is free, but people still buy GTA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Car jacking only free if you don't get caught... Other wise...Best to pay the $19.99 and save yourself a couple thousand bucks and/or jail time. Also think of it this way...You could still bet and play the slot's back in 79 right there on your own TV set...And not lose a dime. Cept for the $30 you paid for the game. Same concept...Different year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 I think it was a decent game at that time.... We're in the year 2000+ now. It's the new millennium. You realize this game was released in the 70's right??? A time where a person being able to control what happened on their television screen was a brand new concept??? If you are old enough to understand this...You'll understand why people bought the game. Sure... but as with a real slot machine, what do you REALLY control? I totally understand the concept... I can see why games like Surround would've been big back then. But Slot Machine, it still just escapes me. Granted, I have played the slot machine game in the Hoyle Casino computer game... but that's just because it has a cheat that allows you to rack up millions of dollars, which you can then go and blow at the poker tables! At least casino games that involve some decision making and interaction make sense to simulate... but something like a slot machine is just lame. Crane's explanation of why he programmed it makes sense. (His grandmother loved slots but was too old to go to the casino.) But it seems to small of a niche to justify releasing the game. (Then again, it WAS one of the first to be discontinued, so I guess that says something.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 At least casino games that involve some decision making and interaction make sense to simulate... but something like a slot machine is just lame. Crane's explanation of why he programmed it makes sense. (His grandmother loved slots but was too old to go to the casino.) But it seems to small of a niche to justify releasing the game. (Then again, it WAS one of the first to be discontinued, so I guess that says something.) Think of it this way: Atari also had X Rated 3rd party games with terrible pixellated graphics, yet people bought them because they were naughty. I personally have always thought that Slot Machine was about as lame as it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 Think of it this way: Atari also had X Rated 3rd party games with terrible pixellated graphics, yet people bought them because they were naughty. I personally have always thought that Slot Machine was about as lame as it gets. I think in both cases, VERY FEW people bought them... In any sampling large enough you're bound to have a handful of idiots, I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Well I guess I have three things to say about it, as far as David Crane is concerned: 1. He just designed the game for his grandmother. He probably had no real say in whether or not the company released it. 2. It was one of his first games. (Or his very first? I think he did Outlaw before it.) 3. It's -- arguably -- better than Star Ship. Of course, both he and Bob Whitehead, creator of Star Ship, went on to much bigger and better things with Activision, despite these inauspicious beginnings... Star Ship is a VASTLY better game than Slot Machine. At the very least, there is a point to Star Ship, and you can actually control the game. You've gotta be smokin' some really heavy stuff if you think Slot Machine is better than Star Ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmeroid Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I think Moycon has a good point. Back in the late 70's I would have been amazed at having a game like Slot Machine because there was very little else that could have compared with it AND it was in colour!!!!! I'm not saying that Slot Machine is a great game but it is about 25 years old, so it needs to be taken in context. It does have nice box art tho'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 15, 2003 Author Share Posted September 15, 2003 Star Ship is a VASTLY better game than Slot Machine. At the very least, there is a point to Star Ship, and you can actually control the game. You've gotta be smokin' some really heavy stuff if you think Slot Machine is better than Star Ship I suppose you're right. Well, yesterday I went through all of my 2600 games and gave them ratings of 1 to 5 stars, with the option of giving real dogs 0 stars. Slot Machine was the only one that got 0. I gave Star Ship 1 star, just for NOT being Slot Machine. I would say that Slot Machine is better than Star Ship only in that it more successfully achieves what it sets out to be. If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Calling Slot Machine bad now is easy but look at when it's released. 1. Vegas is a big tourist attraction but not like today where 60% of Americans have gone there. Back then the number is somewhere around 15%. I can dig up the stats from Casino Player but I'm sure thats close. 2. Atlantic Gambling is only a year old in 1978 so most people haven't gone there either. 3. Gaming does not exist in Native American Casinos in 49 of 50 states. In 1978-79, most people here have never seen a slot machine in real life, let alone play one. Considering it was the first of it's kind on a home system, I think it's really not that bad. Certainly more fun then Skeet Shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I think in both cases, VERY FEW people bought them... Do you actually know how many of each of these games were sold or are you just making this up as you go along?? Yeah so early Atari 2600 games wern't as good as some of the later releases, The fact remains. Home video games and hell... video games in general were just starting out...Cut the games some slack. Slots functions just like a slot machine...You pull the lever or push a button and you try and match up symbols, or fruit or whatever... Before you do this you place a bet...Thats how it works. They still make hand held games like this and even the occassional casino game will include a slot machine or two. So after all these years...People still buy this type of game and to answer your original question...What's the appeal?? Well Room 34 ...You just have to like playing the game of slots I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrizzLee Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Me like Slot Machine. The limited edition box is also one of my favorite 2600 boxes as well. -337 "Hang from the ceiling by your feet and read.. then you'll know" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCroniger Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I like it too. I actually got the game came out when I was a kid. I haven't played it since then, but there are worse games. I think about games like Pac-Man that are just plain terrible. I think a lot of it comes to expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted September 15, 2003 Author Share Posted September 15, 2003 I think in both cases, VERY FEW people bought them... Do you actually know how many of each of these games were sold or are you just making this up as you go along?? I said "I think..." Sorry, I'll make sure to get a minimum of 3 documented sources for any opinion I put forth from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
video game addict Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I think in both cases, VERY FEW people bought them... Do you actually know how many of each of these games were sold or are you just making this up as you go along?? I said "I think..." Sorry, I'll make sure to get a minimum of 3 documented sources for any opinion I put forth from now on. I have a boxed Slot Machine. Cool box, crapy game. I played it once for like 2 minutes, that was enough for me. I think comparing it to Pac-Man is just wrong. Pac-Man may have looked like sh!t compared to the arcade, but the gameplay was actually good. It's definitely and enjoyable game. Just don't stare at the screen to long and you won't have the seizures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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