Prototype - Pole Position Cockpit

[Curt Vendel]

After 4 long years and 3,000mi the Pole Position Cockpit Prototype arrived. This was acquired from one of the Atari engineers who worked on developing it. Very interesting design, obviously they used parts from existing machines while they were developing the sitdown game.

 

The board looks to be a very very early version of the Namco board. More photo's to follow.

 

 

Curt

 

 

[Cebus Capucinis]

Very sleek! I like that it keeps the 'cockpit' look without completely enclosing the driver. Definitely looks like it's much more fun to play than the stand-up Pole Position! Was this before finalization of the game title? I'm surprised to not see any text or anything on the sideart or really anywhere. Was that common with in-design prototype arcade hardware -- sort of like even after completion they would keep it in its previous state, or did they add to the prototype as they developed?

[Curt Vendel]

If you check out Scott Evan's atarigames.com site you'll see other proto wip games. I am not certain, but having no name may have to do with them also field testing a game to see if it gets enough plays to make it worth the while to go into full production. In coin-ops, that was very standard back in the 70's and 80's to do field testing first to see about interest and replay value of the games.

 

 

Very sleek! I like that it keeps the 'cockpit' look without completely enclosing the driver. Definitely looks like it's much more fun to play than the stand-up Pole Position! Was this before finalization of the game title? I'm surprised to not see any text or anything on the sideart or really anywhere. Was that common with in-design prototype arcade hardware -- sort of like even after completion they would keep it in its previous state, or did they add to the prototype as they developed?

[Cassidy Nolen]

Absolutely amazing. I am away a while and I roll up on Curt and ANOTHER amazing discovery my FIRST read back!

 

You can really see the developmental stage here from the Firetruck style game to the soon-to-be cockpit. It has a certain boxy feel, like the early 80's in particleboard. Very cool. When you say the Namco board, do you think it is as unreliable as the later boards or maybe a better design? You literally can get boxes of those boards for next to nothing. Cobbled many a PP board together for route myself!

 

Cassidy

[Curt Vendel]

It is actually neither, seems to be an early board design, also no battery, totally different layout, very odd....

 

 

 

Curt

 

Absolutely amazing. I am away a while and I roll up on Curt and ANOTHER amazing discovery my FIRST read back!

 

You can really see the developmental stage here from the Firetruck style game to the soon-to-be cockpit. It has a certain boxy feel, like the early 80's in particleboard. Very cool. When you say the Namco board, do you think it is as unreliable as the later boards or maybe a better design? You literally can get boxes of those boards for next to nothing. Cobbled many a PP board together for route myself!

 

Cassidy

[Crazy Climber]

Woah! That would be worth the price of admission to play. Does the board power up, is it playable?

[Rybags]

Nice. Where's the gearshift?

 

Fairly sure I only ever played the sit-down, covered version. I think all the machines here were Namco ones.

 

Also pretty sure the shifter was on the left on those ones.