The First Homebrew

[NovaXpress]

Wouldn't it be Ed Salvo's Sheet Shoot?

 

According to legend, he developed it completely on his own at home. He was then hired by the fledgling Games By Apollo, which released Skeet Shoot to a hungry marketplace whaile Salvo worked on Space Chase.

 

In this light, should we give Skeet Shoot a break? We'd all probably praise a modern day homebrewer who made such a game on his first attempt. It never should have been sold in stores, but we can't blame Salvo for that. And he sure did learn a few tricks over time, didn't he?

[jetset]

Interesting question....if Skeet shoot was the first homebrew, then what would be the first homebrew that didn't completely suck....

[bjk7382]

Hey, I was just going to make this topic

 

I would think that skeet shoot was first, but eventually got released as a commercial game. So technically it was a homebrew, it wasn't released as such.

 

I know that Sound X was released in '94 and Edtris was released in '95.

[oesii]

More importantly, why hasn't Skeet Shoot been one of the games on the High Score Club? I think sku_u and I would have fun

 

But, I think a good definition of a homebrew would probably answer your question. Many programmers probably brought some code into a developer once they got a job, but are their games considered homebrews?

 

I've seen some definitions of homebrews that includes games made only after a system is being actively supported by big developers. Or you could focus on the one-man aspect of the endevour although that's not exactly true in the 2600 scene right now.

[NovaXpress]

But, I think a good definition of a homebrew would probably answer your question. Many programmers probably brought some code into a developer once they got a job, but are their games considered homebrews?

Back then, there weren't many development companies, just publishers that dealt directly with solo programmers. So how is that any different from today, when a homebrewer has his work published by AtariAge? It's on the smaller scale, but it's the same thing.

 

Atari, Activision, Imagic and the like developed their games in the company lab, with a group of programmers helping one another out. Skeet Shoot would be the first 2600 game developed by a newcomer (a teenager no less) at home without assistance. Wait, what about Space Jockey?

 

I guess the first homebrewer would be Higinbotham, wouldn't it?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Maybe we should separete the question into pre 1991 and after.

[NovaXpress]

Thomas, if you'd been born 25 years earlier with your talent you might have been one of the original Activision "gang of four" yourself. Or been the founding programmer for Apollo. Crazy perspective, isn't it?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Thomas' date=' if you'd been born 25 years earlier with your talent you might have been one of the original Activision "gang of four" yourself. Or been the founding programmer for Apollo. Crazy perspective, isn't it?[/quote']

Crazy? Yes!

 

But I bet I would have been still programming the ENIAC back then. My timing is just bad.

[NovaXpress]

And if you were programming in the 40s, you'd probably be punching cards for a Jacquard Loom.

[bjk7382]

But I bet I would have been still programming the ENIAC back then. My timing is just bad.

 

So did you ever use an Altair or anything like those manual switch computers [/size]

 

I know on "Once upon Atari" Larry Kaplan said he was hired into atari because he was one of the only applicants that had a personal computer at home (an Altair 8800)

[DEBRO]

Wait' date=' what about Space Jockey?[/quote']

Space Jockey couldn't be considered a homebrew because Garry worked for US Games and helped steer them into the direction of doing VCS games.

[sku_u]

More importantly' date=' why hasn't Skeet Shoot been one of the games on the High Score Club? I think sku_u and I would have fun

[/quote']

 

We'd probably be the only two posting scores

[Mindfield]

Heh... I just got my Skeet Shoot yesterday and played it for the first time.

 

All I have to say is that the world is right: Skeet Shoot is a world-class stinker. I mean, it might not have been so bad as a paddle game that let you adjust the angle properly, and if it gave you enough time to actually shoot the clay pidgeons more than once every six shots, and if your character didn't appear in random spots every pull, and if your character didn't freakin' disappear between pulls, but holy mother of Pete, it's not even remotely fun.