Ultra-generic 2600 game boxes...

[FABombjoy]

I picked up Othello and Dodge 'Em the other day in these super-ultra-generic boxes. They basically just have the name and requirements printed on them in pure black and white.

 

The strange thing is that, they're 1980 copyright, with reference to Atari being a Warner division. Not like my 1986 version of Codebreaker that's greyscale printed.

 

The boxes sort of remind me of the old generic '2 red stripe' food labels. Or Kroger cost-cutter brand

 

Anybody know the story on these things?

 

-Luke

[King Atari]

Uh, can you post scans of them?

[mos6507]

Some Warner-era game boxes were intentionally B&W for artistic purposes. I think Night Driver was one.

 

Not that this necessarily applies, though.

[FABombjoy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by King Atari:

Uh, can you post scans of them?

---

 

Sure... click 'em for bigger versions

 

Dodge 'Em front:

 

Dodge 'Em back:

 

They look really out of place alongside the other 2600 boxes...

[FABombjoy]

One other thing I noticed... The box part numbers are different:

 

Color box: G-C017039-37 REV.1

B&W box: G-C018064-37 REV.1

 

[ 05-17-2002: Message edited by: 10270 ]

[Marco(2)]

The are from the Atari Action Pak. These white boxes show up quite regularly though, so it may be that Atari also sold these loose.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

 

[ 05-17-2002: Message edited by: Marco ]

[Room 34]

These were part of various "PAK" (sic) collections of multiple games that Atari put together to sell some of the less-popular games at reduced prices. I believe there was an "Action Pak" and I KNOW there was a "Back-to-School Pak" that featured Brain Games, Basic Programming, and keyboard controllers, because I just lost a bid on a mint copy of this on eBay!

 

Basically, the "Pak" was a large box in color that contained these B&W simplified boxes for the individual games in the "Pak."

 

These "Paks" are in the rarity guide on this site. Word is that the individual games from them were also sold in the late '80s for pennies at Federated Electronics.

 

[ 05-17-2002: Message edited by: room34 ]

[Marco(2)]

There were three, the Racing Pak being the third.

 

And don't worry too much about not winning something on Ebay. Items you're after *will* in 95% be listed by some other seller. I'm sure the Back to School Pak is one of them.

 

Good luck,

 

Marco

[ATARIPITBULL]

I have those boxes also, I don't know if it was to save money on these games, or if they were made to put into boxed 2600 systems, but they sure are the worst looking boxes of any company.

[CincYnoTi]

the generic boxes came in the three multi-paks from atari. they also showed up in the 40-games w/atari 7800 from Famous Brand Electronics or the 20-games w/atari Jr. from some other Radio Shack closeout chain. so from time to time you will see them on ebay along with a bunch of other boxed games and a "almost new in box" atari system (guy buys it, plays jungle hunt or pacman once and never opens the rest of the games).