boxpressed Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I don't have the answers, but I'm hoping the rest of you do. I want to write an article with this title for my blog. However, given how valuable protos are, I don't know how many or how much people want to share this information. All I know is that the possibility of finding a proto is one of the exciting things about collecting old videogames. Some thoughts and observations I have just to get us started: Activision protos for the 2600 all have a pretty distinctive look (and they may not be actual protos but preview copies). PCBs with socketed EPROMS may just be pirate boards, not actual protos. It's easy to be fooled by reproductions of prototype carts on eBay. Atari's "Lab Loaner" carts are pretty easy to spot and may or may not be actual protos. Selling rare proto hardware can finance a new car or house. Any and all thoughts you have about spotting protos, telling real from fake, pitfalls of buying and selling them, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 You'll probably get more/better responses in the Prototypes forum - http://www.atariage.com/forums/forum/36-prototypes/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxpressed Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Shoot. I'd appreciate it if a mod could move this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxpressed Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Thanks, Tempest. How appropriate that you're the mod to do it! Any tidbits of proto wisdom you could bestow would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purduecrum Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Is there a geographical probability associated with prototypes? For example, I would expect California to be a more likely place to find prototypes than here in Indiana. Any truth to that suspicion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Is there a geographical probability associated with prototypes? For example, I would expect California to be a more likely place to find prototypes than here in Indiana. Any truth to that suspicion? Sure. Most of the protos that got leaked out are from programmers who took their copies with them when they left the company. Since most of them stayed in California, their protos also stayed in California. Of course not every programmer or company was located in CA, so protos can be found just about anywhere. Cities around where old game companies used to be tend to have a high number of prototypes for obvious reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofrills100 Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Either houses are cheap in the US, or you'd have to have a house full of protos to finance a house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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