Pixelboy Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Hello ColecoVision lovers (and non-lovers too)! I've got an exciting announcement for you today! Really, you better sit down for this one. IT'S RAINING GAMES, HALLELUJAH! As you probably know, Eduardo Mello has been selling some SG-1000 and MSX ports on eBay, prototypes which he didn't think were worthy of a full Opcode Games release. He's been selling these prototypes on eBay to raise funds for the Super Game Module and his other Opcode projects. Problem is, having only five cartridges of each prototype means that only five lucky people can play and enjoy the games on their ColecoVision. At the beginning of March, Eduardo contacted me and offered me some SG-1000 and MSX ports, so that they could be given full releases under my Team Pixelboy label, instead of being sold on eBay as prototypes. As you can guess, I gladly accepted! The publishing deal includes several games: - Circus Charlie - Ninja Princess - Champion Ice Hockey - Bank Panic - Golgo 13 - Wonder Boy - Mopiranger You can see screenshots and info on these new games on the Team Pixelboy web site (http://teampixelboy.com) via the "outsourced" section of the sidebar. As I'm writing this, several games have already been ported and are ready for beta-testing, including Circus Charlie and Ninja Princess. Eduardo has been working hard to get these games ported, and his job should be completely done by mid-summer 2011 (according to him). There are three downsides to this juicy piece of news. The first is that, while I will be selling these new games at the lowest price possible, each game will likely cost over 40$US once released, and you can probably guess why. But in accepting to pay this higher price, you'll be helping Eduardo to progress with his own projects, and that means even more ColecoVision gaming goodness later (Donkey Kong Arcade, Goonies, Knightmare, just to name a few). The second downside is the release date: With all these great games falling on my lap, it will take several months to get all the boxes, manuals and cartridges produced, in addition to beta-testing and everything else. I'm aiming for a Christmas Day 2011 release for a group of six games (like last year) but I really don't know if I'll be able to meet that deadline, so no promises there. One big question mark is The Black Onyx, as absolutely no progress has been made on that game since the beginning of the year. I'm hoping this particular project will see some progress next summer... The third downside is that with all these new pending ColecoVision releases, I'll have to put BasicVision on ice again. I'm sure few people here will mind, but it's rather sad for me. But hey, I'm glad I can help in making these SG-1000 and MSX ports available to more than just five people! THE GAMES THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT There's another SG-1000 game that Eduardo successfully ported earlier this month, namely Star Force. However, after giving the game some play time, I'm not so sure I want to publish it. While the game offers nice visuals, varied levels and nice music, the problem is the difficulty level. If you thought Gulkave was difficult, Star Force is downright brutal, at least in my opinion. I'll be running a special poll about that game shortly, so watch out for it and please participate. Another SG-1000 port that Eduardo had been working on is Hang On II. However, porting this game to the ColecoVision has proved to be quite a technical challenge, and given that the game is rather easy to begin with, Eduardo suggested that Hyper Rally (MSX) should be ported instead. I tried Hyper Rally under emulation, and again, I'm not so sure I want to publish it under my Team Pixelboy label. The game offers more varied levels than Hang On II, but the problem here is that every time the road goes into a curve, the physics of your car are such that it's near impossible to dodge oncoming cars. And braking or slowing down to avoid a collision only makes you lose time and fuel. I've decided to run another poll about that game, to determine if I should publish it or not, so watch for it. ANYTHING ELSE? One or two more games may be added to the outsourced section of the Team Pixelboy web site later this year, but it would be highly premature to make announcements about these games now. I'll just be keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out favorably, and I'll make an announcement when I feel the time is right. This concludes this Team Pixelboy News Bulletin. We now return you to your regular forum activities. EDIT: By the way, does anyone here know what happened to chuys450? He ordered some Team Pixelboy games in early January, and I haven't heard from him since... Edited March 26, 2011 by Pixelboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cmart604 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Holy crap! Fantastic news Luc, I'm glad you and Eduardo were able to get together on this, very exciting. As far as the increased price I think most people would understand you both need to make money and these will be a lot cheaper than me continuing to buy the protos. If it turns out to be Christmas that just gives us lots of time to save up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+evg2000 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Put me on the pre-order list! Looks like it's gonna be a good christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Wow - fantastic news - this is astounding news. I must check these games out and will be ready for the poll. Oh and if there is a pre-order list then please count me in. Edited March 26, 2011 by Ikrananka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Great news Luc!! Count me in for buying them all! Also, I'll be happy to publish the games that didn't make the cut if Eduardo wants As for chuys450, he's MIA since January, I usually talks offen with him, but I've not heard of him since December... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Tremendous news Luc and pass along all of our gratitude to Eduardo (as well as yourself) for his continued support of our favorite system! As far as the pricing, I think $40 is very fair, especially considering the amount of time and effort that you have to put into bringing just one of these games to fruition. I'll have to check out these games on the SG-1000 emulator to get a little taste of the goods that are coming down the pipeline. As far as a release schedule, whatever works for you will have to work for us, so I wouldn't sweet it. With your previous six releases and all of J-F's recently and that are coming, we have plenty to keep ourselves busy with. However, have you considered spreading out the releases over a period of time to ease the workload or is it better for you to do a group release all at once to cut down on costs such as cart shells, pcbs and printing. As far as the games that you don't think will make the cut, have you considering making a Digital Only release of these in rom image format with text file instructions say for around $10... I think that would be a very easy way for Eduardo to raise needed capital for his main project of the SGM? I would like to think that 100 sales in this format would be a slam dunk and there would be very little time needed to be invested especially if Eduardo has done a lot of the porting already... you would just need to beta test in a couple different emulators and on a CV/ADAM with one of the AtariMax carts. Whatever the decisions end up being, good luck with everything and when the games are available... you know where to find me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Tremendous news Luc and pass along all of our gratitude to Eduardo (as well as yourself) for his continued support of our favorite system! I second this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) BTW, would you and Eduardo considering changing the name of Champion Ice Hockey.... SUPER ACTION HOCKEY Edited March 26, 2011 by NIAD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted March 26, 2011 Author Share Posted March 26, 2011 With your previous six releases and all of J-F's recently and that are coming, we have plenty to keep ourselves busy with. However, have you considered spreading out the releases over a period of time to ease the workload or is it better for you to do a group release all at once to cut down on costs such as cart shells, pcbs and printing. I would like to spread out the releases, but it's logistically impossible: When I place an order for printing boxes (with a printer company in Germany via a friend who acts as my contact) I have to get at least 6 different boxes printed in a single order, with 150 printed copies per box. It's a difficult prerequisite, but you've seen the quality of my boxes, it's definately worth the effort. And of course, I save some money on bulk orders of manuals and cart electronics, so that contributes to lowering the end price as well. As far as the games that you don't think will make the cut, have you considering making a Digital Only release of these in rom image format with text file instructions say for around $10... I think that would be a very easy way for Eduardo to raise needed capital for his main project of the SGM? I would like to think that 100 sales in this format would be a slam dunk and there would be very little time needed to be invested especially if Eduardo has done a lot of the porting already... you would just need to beta test in a couple different emulators and on a CV/ADAM with one of the AtariMax carts. Call me a cynic, Jim, but once the ROM is out there, some people are going to find ways to get it for free. I honestly don't think I would sell 100 digital copies of any new CV game. And at 10$ per copy, I wouldn't get my invested money back anyway. Whatever the decisions end up being, good luck with everything and when the games are available... you know where to find me! My M.O. is to contact everyone on my customer list whenever I release a new game. So don't worry, you'll be contacted when the proper time comes. BTW, would you and Eduardo considering changing the name of Champion Ice Hockey.... SUPER ACTION HOCKEY In a word... NO. Seriously, Champion Ice Hockey has a certain japanese vibe to it (especially with the background music) and it doesn't feel at all like a game that Coleco would have made back in the day. That's why I would rather just keep the same name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I should start REALLY collecting Colecovision. All these games look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+5-11under Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Pretty soon there'll be more homebrews than old releases. Pixelboy, have you investigated any local printers? There's got to be some that could do the job to your specifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Pretty soon there'll be more homebrews than old releases. For sure! Pixelboy, have you investigated any local printers? There's got to be some that could do the job to your specifications. After using "local" printing services until our last releases (Kobashi,Smurf,LotD), I can only say that you're more disapointed than offen with them... they offen bring great quality, and then Bang! ... poor quuality And those bastard never wants to refund I'm now happy with the new printing services company I use now If I were Luc, I would continnue with his current printing services from Germany, and Germany products are known for their great quality and it shows judging by the Team Pixelboy boxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) Pixelboy, have you investigated any local printers? There's got to be some that could do the job to your specifications. There may be printer companies in Canada that could do the job, but there are certain problems with your idea: 1) Printer companies that produce cardboard boxes are usually highly-specialized. They will use a certain type of cardboard to cater to certain types of clients, and if you come to them with specifications that do not conform to their usual production methods, they will just say "sorry, we don't do that, good bye". Finding a printer that offers the exact same product can be quite difficult. 2) If I did find a printer company that did the job as well as the one I found in Germany, there's a very high probability that they would charge me the same amount of money for the job. And if I were to place a smaller order (say 3 boxes at 150 pieces each), they would probably charge me more money, and the per-box price would go up. This is especially true in Canada, where everything costs more to produce. 3) If I deal with a printer company elsewhere in Canada (i.e. outside my own city), then I run the risk of getting boxes that do not meet my expectations of quality. And I would still need to pay them regardless. You may recall that I did business with the printer company in Germany because the Gulkave, Girl's Garden and Peek-a-boo boxes I got from retroillucid's printer were simply atrocious and unacceptable. Not all printer companies have the same standards of quality and customer satisfaction. Some will only give you barely sub-par products to maximize their profits, and if you happen to complain, they'll just say they fulfilled their contract and there's nothing more to discuss. The bottom line: I found a company in Germany that does the job the way I like it, and you can be sure that I will be a repeat customer. Edited March 27, 2011 by Pixelboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 ... because the Gulkave, Girl's Garden and Peek-a-boo boxes I got from retroillucid's printer were simply atrocious and unacceptable. Not all printer companies have the same standards of quality and customer satisfaction. Some will only give you barely sub-par products to maximize their profits, and if you happen to complain, they'll just say they fulfilled their contract and there's nothing more to discuss. Yeah true, those bastards never wanted to refunded for those boxes that were indeed look like mess.... That was also the last time I've done buisness with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblenkle Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I echo Jim's feelings...I would pay $10 for a digital copy of a game (something I could afford) before I'd pay $40+ for a cartridge version (which I can't afford). While the concept is neat (having a cart, box & instruction manual), I'd rather just have the game to play...I don't need all the extra stuff. Of course you could have the best of both worlds. Release the game on cartridge and after they are sold out, release the game digitally. I'm sure there are lots of others out there on tight budgets who can't afford the full blown cartridge versions. Tremendous news Luc and pass along all of our gratitude to Eduardo (as well as yourself) for his continued support of our favorite system! As far as the pricing, I think $40 is very fair, especially considering the amount of time and effort that you have to put into bringing just one of these games to fruition. I'll have to check out these games on the SG-1000 emulator to get a little taste of the goods that are coming down the pipeline. As far as a release schedule, whatever works for you will have to work for us, so I wouldn't sweet it. With your previous six releases and all of J-F's recently and that are coming, we have plenty to keep ourselves busy with. However, have you considered spreading out the releases over a period of time to ease the workload or is it better for you to do a group release all at once to cut down on costs such as cart shells, pcbs and printing. As far as the games that you don't think will make the cut, have you considering making a Digital Only release of these in rom image format with text file instructions say for around $10... I think that would be a very easy way for Eduardo to raise needed capital for his main project of the SGM? I would like to think that 100 sales in this format would be a slam dunk and there would be very little time needed to be invested especially if Eduardo has done a lot of the porting already... you would just need to beta test in a couple different emulators and on a CV/ADAM with one of the AtariMax carts. Whatever the decisions end up being, good luck with everything and when the games are available... you know where to find me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youki Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Great news for whom like this kind of port. Personally, i would prefer game done specifically for the colecovision. Event these same games but remade not ported. But i'm very happy each time i see new games coming on the colecovision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpgcollector Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) Wow! This is amazing news. As always you have a buyer in me for all things coleco!!!! Edited March 27, 2011 by rpgcollector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coleconut Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Wonderboy, great! This is a favourite on several platforms, especially looking fwd to this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEFF31 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 This indeed is great news! I of course will buy each game you decide to produce! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAC-MAN PRIME Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Luc, this is AWESOME news! I am a fan of both yours and Eduardo's works, so you can surely count me in for all of these too! Congrats man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozma wars Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 if there is a pre-order list then please count me in ( no trades this time ) :-) NO DIGITAL COPIES, but only in cartridge form !!! ciao Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 As for the printing issue, keep that German company. I LOVE the Gulkave box artwork and manual. The quality of the box and manual blows my mind. I think it blew everyone's minds when I show them the box LOL. I'm happy you shopped around and getting the best quality. Digital copies, I'm not to comfortable with digital distribution. Ninja Princess, I'm interested in getting that game. Also the original Wonderboy looks interesting to play. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purenergy Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Fantastic news! Great list of titles you have planned for the Colecovision! Count me in for one of each, and I hope Star Force will get enough support to also be released. Thank you for your great work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordiway73 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Put me on the pre-order list, and I'd like to thank you two for getting the band back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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