Were the 1978 releases sealed?

[Andre81]

Hi,

 

was the top of the 1978 releases sealed like for example Defender?

 

Andre

[pimpmaul69]

from memory, being that was the first game i was ever given as a present, i believe i remember having to unwrap it.

[Andre81]

I'm not taking about Defender. I'm talking about the 1978 releases of games like Slot Racers, Space War, Combat or Home Run. I wonder if the top and bottom flaps were sealed in any way.

[pimpmaul69]

ok. sorry. i saw you mention defender. now i look like a dumbass. story of my life

[Foxsolo2000]

I remember in my local retail store that virtually all the Atari Games were unsealed and included Activision and Imagic titles. I remember it well for you could take them off the rack and actually look inside. This was 1981-1982 in the UK

[Scrabbler15]

I remember when we went shopping for Atari games at the local department store in Pennsylvania (might have been Hills or Ames, I don't remember). We would open the game in the store and read the manual to see if we wanted it or not. This was the time right after the 2600 was released.

 

They kept the games under a glass counter next to the checkout. That was back when you could return a game because it wasn't fun, as long as you had your receipt.

[dommie]

I think it could have gone either way. I have several unopened games with just the tabs glued down, and the retail store price tags directly on the cardboard.

 

To further complicate the matter, some individual stores would unwrap the plastic from the products because of the cardboard hang tab built into the box. And some store would shrink wrap stuff themselves.

 

Right now I'm looking at a 1982 Defender, sealed with plastic, a plastic Nintendo style hang tab, and a Boscovs price sticker for $6.99, so it's obviously a later, super-discounted, crash era game.

 

I also have a 1982 ET unopened, no plastic, with a True Value Hardware price tag of $34.99 and 2 additional reduced price tags directly on the cardboard.

[SONDER2600]

They were and the weren't at the same time the hang tab was glued down to effectively seal it but alot of stores would "open" it so they could hang the boxes and as scabbler15 had said before since the box didn't tell you anything alot of people just opened it and read the manual

[Skylark68]

I remember a few games not being sealed, they just had a plastic tab so it could hang on display racks. I don't think any of the Coleco games were sealed.

[bobotech]

I got my 2600 early on. I got it probably in 78-79, thinking 79. I do not remember having to unwrap the console, the sides were just glued shut.

 

As for games, I don't remember them being sealed and what seals that memory is that I received Super Breakout for xmas. What happened was that I found the Super Breakout in my parents closet. It was already wrapped. So I went and very carefully undid the tape for it and unwrapped the wrapping paper at the top of it. I was able to open the top of the box because it was NOT sealed with shrinkwrap. I must have played it a bunch of times before I got it offically for xmas.

Edited October 27, 2011 by bobotech

[Tempest]

I received a few of what I believe to be NOS 78-79 2600 games a long time ago and none of them were sealed. I don't think any 2600 games were actually sealed at the factory, I think the individual stores sealed them if that was their policy

[Chris++]

It was already wrapped. So I went and very carefully undid the tape for it and unwrapped the wrapping paper at the top of it. I was able to open the top of the box because it was NOT sealed with shrinkwrap. I must have played it a bunch of times before I got it offically for xmas.

 

I did the exact same thing with Adventure in late 1982. I'm thinking that Tempest is correct; any shrink-wrapping was probably done at certain stores, post-shipment.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Chris++

[SoulBlazer]

So that raises the question -- we know all video games sold NOW are sealed by the manafacturer, before it even reaches the store. When did this start, and by who?