Value of Homebrews vs Prototypes

[NovaXpress]

Here's a hypothetical question for those in the classic gaming business:

 

Let's say that I had the skills and talent to put together a decent 2600 game (ha!). Let's say that it was developed without anyone else from the classic gaming community knowing about it. So if I was being an unscrupulous mercenary, which of the following would make more money: releasing it as a homebrew through the usual methods or claiming that it was a prototype from the classic days and selling it as such.

 

I have no knowledge of, and make no accusations, against the current protos floating around. This is just something I've wondered about for awhile.

[Stingray]

I think that there are enough knowlegable and talented programmers here that pulling something like this off without one of them busting you would be very difficult. I'm certainly not one of these people, which is why I don't buy prototypes.

 

-S

[maibock]

I think the obvious guess would be the proto since you're dealing with an entity from "back in the day" which may have more worth to certain people. But then again with some of the quality homebrew's in mind, you might be able to ride off the backs of of those successes..

[Robert M]

If you have the skills to put together a convincing prototype, then you have the skills to earn money at a REAL programming job which will earn you a hell of a lot more money than a fake protoype ever will. It would be one of the most unproductive scams in human history.

 

Plus in a way, what you are selling IS a prototype, you just are faking the date it was made, and taking no credit for the several hundred hours of work it took to produce it. What's the point?

 

Cheers!

[sku_u]

You'd make more off the homebrew. You're only going to sell a prototype once. You can sell 100 homebrew carts off the same program.

[Big Player]

But if you spend hours on your homebrew and it sucks, releasing it as a fake proto might be the way to go.

[rockman_x_2002]

Seriously, it's getting quite ridicilous, every newbie is given a frigging retina-scan and anal probe lately and every time somebody says they have something that other people don't, they get questioned and scrutinized beyond belief.

 

This statement from a prior topic poses the situation as best as any.

 

When the word "prototype" is spoken, everything goes red alert and the questioning promptly begins.

 

It would only be a matter of time before someone would find the truth as to the authenticity of such a program.

 

Try though they might, I figure there's enough talent and know-how out there to bust anyone that even tries to fake a prototype. And enough force to sentence him to 30 years of playing ET non-stop.

[+Nathan Strum]

which of the following would make more money:  releasing it as a homebrew through the usual methods or claiming that it was a prototype from the classic days and selling it as such.

 

I think it would depend on the game. If it was a prototype for a "known" game like Hulk or AirWorld (and somehow survived the inevitable endless scrutiny), assuming you could find a sucker, er... buyer for it, you could probably make a pretty big load of cash off it. Then, of course, you'd have to go into hiding from anyone who'd ever even heard of Atari. And of course, there's the whole issue of being brought up on fraud charges, too.

 

With a homebrew, it would have to be a really good game, have broad appeal, and a price that would allow enough people to afford it while still netting you a little bit of money from each sale. Both would require a lot of programming effort, but a homebrew doesn't involve all of the extra work of subterfuge. Plus you wouldn't risk the ire of gamers or the legal system.

 

Anyway, homebrews are crafted with love, and generate feelings of warm squishy goodness to all those whose path they cross, causing the sun to shine and flowers to grow.* Fake prototypes are drawn from the dark recesses of the evil side of human nature, and cause only misery, heartache, and unpleasant odors vaguely reminiscent of cauliflower.**

 

So I'd go with the whole homebrew thing.

 

Unless you could make a lot of money the other way. 'Cuz that'd be pretty cool.

 

 

* Note: Not actually scientifically proven to cause flowers to grow.

** Note: May also smell like broccoli