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Giant Label Variation PHOTO Website. Check it out!


Philflound

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Ok, I decided to can the last thread and put one with a corrected title for the word "website" along with adding the word "photo" to the thread title.

 

For those of you who don't know what this is, I am working on the giant list of label variations and have been for many years. This list was abandoned and I took it upon myself to "own" it and make it good. People used to email someone and that person would pretty much just add their version to the list, most likely without verification. Though to his credit, most of what was on the list was accurate. But the list was so incomplete it wasn't funny. Boxes were also listed, but again, very incomplete.

 

So when I took it over, I decided a couple of years ago to change the format, add manuals for each title that I personally had in my possession, or could verify with AA or Atariguide.com and then prove that each and every label/cart variation and box listing really existed through acquiring a scan.

 

For awhile I was trying to rely on someone to help me with this task and host it. But lack of effort on his part, and poor communication overall due to moving led me last year to go ahead and take the task upon myself. So last summer, I purchased the domain names www.videogamevariations.com, .net, and .info and Al let me use the AA server to host the site. I had a vision as to how I wanted this to look. Nothing fancy, just an informational purpose site to go along with the list. I started working on it, then got a little lazy and busy with school and other things in life and stopped doing it altogether for the past 4 months.

 

A few days ago, I got back in the swing of things and started working on it again. What the site is supposed to eventually have will be Atari 2600, Intellivision, and Colecovision photos of all cartridge and box variations. That is why the domain name is NOT www.atari2600variations.com or something similar. I want to include other systems. Most collectors I know collect other systems, and even variations of those systems. But so far I've gotten 20th Century Fox completed, Absolute I finished the other night, so that is complete, and for Atari made games, I've finished from 32 in 1 through Gremlins. I still need to fix the format on several of the cartridges for the B's and C's, which I've been doing slowly as I added new titles.

How should you use this website? I'm particularly using the word "should" in that question so it's easy to understand. First off, you should download the actual 125 page MS Word list on your own computer. I don't have it set up to see the list on the website, but rather when you click the link, it downloads the file. After you download the file, you should look at the list in MS Word and if you're curious as to which variation you own, go to that title and read the description and see which description matches yours. You'll see a * next to the version letter. That * means I have a MAIN label scan of the cart, possibly an end label. If I've finished the title on the website, you'll be able to go to the site and see what the scans look like. If you see a black box with "no scan" written under that variation, it means I don't have that main label scan, end label scan, or box scan. That means if you own it, I'd appreciate you getting me those scans so I can put them up on the site.

 

I want to mention how the site is set up and why I chose to do it that way. The home page has an intro with my contact email along with the links to the different systems. Since the Atari 2600 is the only system being worked on at this time, it is the only link.

 

When you click that link for Atari 2600, it brings you to the Atari 2600 title page. The first link is the actual MS Word list, which if you already have a copy on your computer, you can skip this. If you don't, you'll want to download one. In addition you will see the various companies who made Atari games. Right now I only have Atari, 20th Century Fox, Absolute, and Activision, but this will increase soon enough. At the bottom of the page I give credits for the major contributor sites whom I got scans of carts and boxes from, not who added to the variation list itself.

 

When you click one of the companies, say Atari, I may have a small paragraph about the company. If I need to explain about cartridge label variations or mold variations in general, you'll see a link under that paragraph. Both Atari and 20th Century Fox have them at this time. Activision, Coleco, M Network, Parker Brothers, Data Age, and I think Imagic will also have them and maybe a few others. After this link (if there is one), you'll see a 3 column table. The first column lists the games themselves, the second column has a link to each game's cartridges, and the third column has a link to each game's boxes. So if the company has lots of title releases, you'll scroll down till you get to the particular title you're curious seeing the photos of the carts and boxes.

 

You can then click on a particular cartridge link, which brings you to that particular title. What I'm showing with this is the actual entry from the giant list of variations with its scan of main and end label below it. It will say "version a" with the description, then have the scan below version a. Under the first scan, you'll then see "version b" with the description with the scan of main and end label of version b. You scroll down the page for each and every version, be it 1 or 26 different versions. There will be a scan of main and end labels for each and every version. If I do not own a scan, you will see a blank box with "no scan" written, thus I need a scan of this particular label, be it main or end label. Sometimes I don't put an end label, even if I suspect it is the same as others, just because I like total verification. The boxes work the same with versions listed with scans of both front and back below. The only exception to a version not having a unique scan is if the two version scans have the same main and end labels, but the cartridge mold or protector is different. That will be noted though above the scan.

 

I chose to put all the scans of a particular title on one page, one under the other for easy access. Atarimania and Atariguide are great, but having to click the scan, then click the back button, and click the next, then click the back button, etc. becomes extremely tedious. Here you do one click and scroll. And I'm telling you exactly what you are looking at with the description from the giant list of variations so you aren't confused as to what you are looking at.

 

So how SHOULD you use the site, download the giant list first, look up your cart on the list, maybe you think you could have version c or d, then go to the list of cartridges, click on the cartridge link for that title, scroll down to scan for version c, compare yours, then scroll down to version d, compare yours, and you should be able to figure out which you own. There were many times I was confused looking at the list and not knowing exactly which version I had, and it frustrated me. This is what pushed me to create this site.

 

Where do I go from here? Each day I will try and add a few new titles, or if I'm really ambitious, lots of titles. I want to get this thing finished so I can move on to the next project. I'm also slowly fixing the format of the ones I had side by side originally, so they all should be done within a few days too. Once I'm done with Atari, I'll be moving on to Activision and then other companies from there.

 

How can you help? Well, if a title is complete and up on the site with all the scans I have, then you can see if I need a scan. If you think your version doesn't exist at all from looking at the list, contact me, and even send me a scan of what you have along with what you think is different from the ones I already have up on the site. If it turns out to be a new variation, great and we'll add it to both the giant list in MS Word, and put the scans up for all to see. I'd like this thing to be as accurate as possible. Please be honest with variations.

 

I know Staberinde showed a photo of a 32 in 1 box variation, but I need a good close-up scan for it to add to the site. Also, I'm missing lots of Sears box scans and there are several collectors on here who own them. If you can, please send me scans of ones I don't have. Just look at the list and either there is no * next to the entry, or I don't even have a box entry for several titles. One last thing, many Activision titles had like 4 or 5 different boxes, and I'm missing many of those scans. If anyone has ones I'm missing, again contact me.

 

Thanks for the support and patience with this. The final product will be one of greatness with lots of information.

 

Phil

Edited by Philflound
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Been working on the site the past two hours or so and have now finished through "I". I also only need to fix 10 more listing formats for everything to be in sync. One thing I noted that is new is a Battlezone end label variation, which you can look under the cartridge listing for an explanation. Hoping to get through "K" by tomorrow night, and then the M's.

 

Phil

Edited by Philflound
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Right now I don't care about how it looks, as long as the info is there. When I'm finished, then maybe I'll try and dress it up, and possibly add a search line to make it easier.

 

How do I save or convert a word file as pdf? The problem is that I update the document, so then I'd have to update the pdf too.

 

Phil

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How do I save or convert a word file as pdf? The problem is that I update the document, so then I'd have to update the pdf too.

 

Google for "FreePDF XP", it's a little tool that installs as a Windows printer driver. You can then create PDFs from any application that can print, like Word.

Just select the Print... command from the menu, then choose the FreePDF XP printer instead of your actual printer (if you have one) and there you go.

 

There are other freeware programs that do the same, however FreePDF XP is the one I know and use. It's from Germany, but don't worry you can select your language.

Edited by Herbarius
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Maybe you should make that Word document into a pdf file for people who don't have Word (like me.)

Can you still get OpenOffice for free?

 

 

I actuly just died a little inside when i read that dude, lmao.

 

its open source software, so it will alwase be free, and editable by the comunity, its under the gpl licence for open source software.

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Just worked on this for the past 1 1/2 hours. Fixed all formats, and as promised, I finished through K, which ended in Krull. I also pointed out in Centipede specifics about the spider's leg and the centipede's segment at the beginning of the cartridge listing, so check that out. If at any time you are confused about a listing, and want me to do zoomed in photos with more detailed explanation of cartridge variations, let me know. I'll do these for several variations regardless, which I think may need a little better explaining and pointing out with zoomed photos. I did a nice one with Asteroids. Anyway, tomorrow should bring more listings completed.

 

Phil

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I created the PDF file, and I'll try and get a link to it right away. I couldn't upload it, then realized I had it open in Adobe. hehe.

 

The file is now on there. You can view the list through Adobe via the pdf and save it if you want. The MS Word doc is still going to be downloadable only. Hope this helps everyone out. I'll try and keep it as updated as possible on both the .doc and .pdf files.

 

Phil

 

PS: I started changing the background color to a light greenish-blue. I'm doing that so it's easier to read and also easier to see some scans. Some of the red boxed versions have a white back, and you can't really tell where the end of the boxes are. You'll probably see this finished by tonight.

Edited by Philflound
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Started changing backgrounds. Should have that all done by tomorrow. I think the light blue/green color is much easier on the eyes and you can see the scans much better. I'm not doing anything else fancy with this at this time, or any time in the near future, so please don't suggest anything else.

 

On a side note, I actually added in the general Activision variations page, just to give you a glimpse of things you can look for with Activision games. My bottom link gets you to that website which originally showed this, but I'm looking to get rid of that site soon. Too many sites leads to confusion. Don't know if I'll add any more of the Atari M's today, but we'll see.

 

Phil

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Maybe you should make that Word document into a pdf file for people who don't have Word (like me.)

Can you still get OpenOffice for free?

 

 

I actuly just died a little inside when i read that dude, lmao.

 

its open source software, so it will alwase be free, and editable by the comunity, its under the gpl licence for open source software.

I guess we can't all be experts on every bit of software that ever existed. Personally, I've had no need for it, have only used it in the StarOffice incarnation and haven't looked at it since shortly after OpenOffice first came into being and wasn't positive that it was still around. Just trying to propose something potentially helpful and constructive.

Edited by BigO
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Maybe you should make that Word document into a pdf file for people who don't have Word (like me.)

Can you still get OpenOffice for free?

 

 

I actuly just died a little inside when i read that dude, lmao.

 

its open source software, so it will alwase be free, and editable by the comunity, its under the gpl licence for open source software.

I guess we can't all be experts on every bit of software that ever existed. Personally, I've had no need for it, have only used it in the StarOffice incarnation and haven't looked at it since shortly after OpenOffice first came into being and wasn't positive that it was still around. Just trying to propose something potentially helpful and constructive.

 

I have never used open office and i have only used microsoft office for school/tafe studdies, sorry if i was a little harsh.

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Starting to get through the M's. It takes a long time. There are some additions to the list, which I'll have to update the actual list soon. Millipede has been changed with a pal edition being thrown in, and additional Miniature Golf variations were added for box and label. There are over 60 more entries to go to complete Atari. I think I'm over half done now. Still fixing some background colors. Doing several per day, which aren't too hard to do.

 

Phil

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Finished the M's. Hooray! Done for today, have an early day tomorrow. Variation list is still not updated, but each cart or box listing has all current variations. I'm missing quite a few Ms. Pac-man end labels. If anyone has these versions and can scan their end labels, please send them to me. Also look at some of the box scans for the M's. I'm missing quite a few.

 

Phil

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I'm into the P's now, and discovered Pac-Man had more box variations. It's coming along, doing a few at a time. All the backgrounds for every page now have that light green/blue color, so it's easier on the eyes and easier to see the scans. It's getting there. Slowly but surely. I was also lucky enough to pick up one of the Activision Skiing boxes that I didn't have scans of and got a Yars' Sears box that I had no scans of whatsoever. Anyone who has scans I'm missing, I'm still asking. I'm double checking Atarimania though because it seems Rom has gotten some scans in the past year or so that are either new or fill in the missing ones. Thank God for Atarimania.

 

Phil

Edited by Philflound
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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry I took off for the past week. I'm trying to get stuff on Ebay and on the Comic Collector Live website at the same time. Need to make some money besides doing info stuff. :) I'm going to be working on more this week. I have to double check some stuff with scans because I believe I may have skipped scanning some of the items I thought I had scans of.

 

Phil

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I'll be done with the R's real soon, then move on to the S's. There are about 40 titles to go before I get into Activision. I found thanks to Atarimania.com more variations, so the MSword file will be changing soon. I don't want to update it just yet, since I am bound to come across even more. I'll update the .pdf file too when I update the MSword one.

 

Phil

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I'll be done with the R's real soon, then move on to the S's. There are about 40 titles to go before I get into Activision. I found thanks to Atarimania.com more variations, so the MSword file will be changing soon. I don't want to update it just yet, since I am bound to come across even more. I'll update the .pdf file too when I update the MSword one.

 

Phil

 

 

This is an amazing site, thanks for all the hard work.

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I have to say that besides Combat, I believe Space Invaders was the hardest title to do with the 2nd most variations. I have 20 of 22 cartridge scans and 11 of 13 box scans. If you have a missing scan, please contact me. This one was crazy and took me a good hour to do. Only 25 or so titles to go.

 

Phil

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Whew! 19 titles to go before I finish Atari. I'm running slow because I'm adding more variations that weren't known a year ago. So I'm huffing it through title after title. I should be done with the Atari section by Sunday evening. Then this coming week I'll work on Activision, which probably should take a good week. Besides Sears, they have the most titles behind Atari. And they also have many more variations than Sears does. This is a nice challenge.

 

Phil

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