So what's the story of Telegames and their releases?

[goldenpp72]

So I am in the midst of buying a bunch of Jaguar titles, and i typically only focus on original releases rather than reprints or reproductions, so I find myself very confused by this company. I searched this forum but can't seem to figure out how to require a topic to be in the title too, so I figured i'd make my own.

 

According to wiki they released these titles

 

• Breakout 2000
• Brutal Sports Football
• Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
• International Sensible Soccer
• Iron Soldier 2
• Towers II
• World Tour Racing
• Worms
• Zero 5

 

My question is, did any of these games release when the Jaguar was actually alive and kicking, and if so, was that the Telegames release too? Or did they only release these in cart form beyond the Jaguars natural life span? I own Towers 2 "limited edition" and brutal sports football, but nothing else on that list..

 

I'd love to hear anything people know about them or what they did and when! Thanks!

 

Edit: Also, was soccer kid ever released on a cart for the Jaguar?

Edited August 10, 2015 by goldenpp72

[+save2600]

Brutal Sports, DD and ISS were among the original releases at the time, the rest came shortly after '96/'97. Except maybe Worms, which was released a bit later IIRC - '98 according to AA.

 

Wasn't aware Telegames had anything to do with DD until now, outside of maybe stocking them at their Texas warehouse at one point.

 

From what I remember, shortly after their warehouse/business suffered a calamity (flooding/hurricane), they ceased U.S. operations and continue to this day out of England.

[goldenpp72]

Is there a way to tell the difference between the ones released at their time versus the ones reprinted? I assume some kind of copyright or company mentioning would be present but it's hard to say with my lack of knowledge on this system.

 

I scored this off ebay recently (got it today) so it made me want to finish what else i'd like to buy, and it got quite confusing

 

Edited August 10, 2015 by goldenpp72

[+madman]

Football, ISS and DDV don't have modern prints AFAIK, what's out there is out there. Packing with Telegames has been a mystery since the 90s, even with their Lynx releases. However if you get something that says "Limited Edition" it is a more modern run. If you search for Telegames threads on here you can see more discussions, the label/manual/box variants have been discussed multiple times.

 

Soccer Kid was released and is available from Songbird.

[goldenpp72]

Football, ISS and DDV don't have modern prints AFAIK, what's out there is out there. Packing with Telegames has been a mystery since the 90s, even with their Lynx releases. However if you get something that says "Limited Edition" it is a more modern run. If you search for Telegames threads on here you can see more discussions, the label/manual/box variants have been discussed multiple times.

 

Soccer Kid was released and is available from Songbird.

 

Looking at songbirds site they seem to have a lot of the games i'd like to find like Zero 5 and Worms, now i'm even more confused. Are these reproductions of reproductions or are they the only way they ever existed or, something? Talk about a rabbit hole to me, lol Basically if i'm a collector and want the original article, how would I even be able to tell if theirs is not?

Edited August 11, 2015 by goldenpp72

[+madman]

 

Looking at songbirds site they seem to have a lot of the games i'd like to find like Zero 5 and Worms, now i'm even more confused. Are these reproductions of reproductions or are they the only way they ever existed or, something? Talk about a rabbit hole to me, lol Basically if i'm a collector and want the original article, how would I even be able to tell if theirs is not?

Reproductions, in my view, are bootlegs made by people who didn't license the game. Everything you see on Songbird's site is licensed. As mentioned, Telegames production qualities have changed over the years, this is nothing new. Songbird doesn't sell repros or bootlegs, they sell official Telegames releases or their own releases. There are many threads about Telegames here and the variants as I've already mentioned. Take some time to do a search and learn.

[high voltage]

Read the story of Telegames (US) and Telegames (UK) in Retro Gamer issue 130

[Willard]

look at the images in the AtariAge rarity guide. If the boxes / carts look like those it's probably a first print from the 90's (or at least using the same packaging from the initial print run).

 

Many of the reprints have small changes in the packaging or label variations for the cartridges. All of the late telegames releases from songbird are probably reprints.

[sh3-rg]

Telegames stuff gets remade from time to time. Nobody knows the terms of the original Telegames license agreements with the people who made the software, but I suppose you have to assume they are well within their rights to keep producing these to meet collector demand.

 

Stocks out there are small and "sell out", but are refreshed in time. This kind of semi-forced scarcity has seen some of them do stupid things price-wise on eBay and the like, but Songbird and the like always get them back in, but really it's more about demand being small but steady and catering to it.

Edited August 11, 2015 by sh3-rg

[Atlantis]

If you "once" had a licence to produce games, who would be able to count them to tell their within the limits of that licence?

"Hey you seem to produce new Worms though you're not allowed!" said the spirit of Atari.

Songbird or Telegames responds: "No, it's all part of the original bundle, no new prints - promise... You can count them at the market if you like, and see yourself...."

I guess they have a licence to produce the games, and can continue doing so for many 1000 of years to come. Who would bother about "peanuts" in a obscure retro market? Hasbro? Atari SA? How/worth it?

[108 Stars]

This is again an argument about "who cares". But nobody bothering to intervene is not the same thing as being legal.

 

For example, the issue with Worms would not be Atari's spirit. But it could be Team 17 who are bothered. It is possible a game's license is only given out for a limited time. Likely, actually.

 

As for "parts of the original print"... well, everyone can see the games are not. The newer prints can be pretty clearly identified by cheaper labels etc. On the Lynx they are bare PCBs.

 

 

 

I honestly hope Telegames can and actually do take care that they actually have the right to keep producing those games. But I would not say it is a sure thing. I imagine Team 17 being more laid back than for example Electronic Arts.

[82-T/A]

Is there a way to tell the difference between the ones released at their time versus the ones reprinted? I assume some kind of copyright or company mentioning would be present but it's hard to say with my lack of knowledge on this system.

 

I scored this off ebay recently (got it today) so it made me want to finish what else i'd like to buy, and it got quite confusing

 

 

 

I just want to make sure I understand you.

 

All of the games that Telegames released were licensed at the time. Many of the games they released were AFTER Atari had discontinued the Jaguar, but that didn't mean that those releases weren't "original." Is that what you mean?

 

There's no cheap "reprints" if that's what you mean.

[108 Stars]

 

There's no cheap "reprints" if that's what you mean.

Yes, there are. Cheap as in with downgraded packaging and labels. In the case of Lynx games even bare PCBs.

Iron Soldier 2 is a famous Jag example of several print runs appearing over time, with some looking cheaper than others. Jag fans should know more about other possible reprints. On the Lynx Desert Strike, Double Dragon and others fall into that category.

Edited August 12, 2015 by 108 Stars

[+save2600]

Yes, there are. Cheap as in with downgraded packaging and labels. In the case of Lynx games even bare PCBs.

Iron Soldier 2 is a famous Jag example of several print runs appearing over time, with some looking cheaper than others. Jag fans should know more about other possible reprints. On the Lynx Desert Strike, Double Dragon and others dall into that category.

 

All the current Telegames reprints are "cheaper", but NOT in price.

 

Thinner boxes that by the time you get them, look shopworn. Crappier res/graphics printing on the boxes. Labels that seem to have more of a vinyl quality to them than paper. Ie: they stretch and when you indent over the screw holes, you're screwed as the label is now permanently warped. Quality of the print on the labels looks on par with sumguy's inkjet done at home too.

[Pete5125]

Could be wrong but I can't imagine that their would be a licence amount of years on any system being that a typical system has a 5 year to maybe 10 year lifespan. I could see the licence to worms having to be reissued if released on another system l...how many systems still have a platform to sell games 20 years later

[Pete5125]

Could be wrong but I can't imagine that their would be a licence amount of years on any system being that a typical system has a 5 year to maybe 10 year lifespan. I could see the licence to worms having to be reissued if released on another system l...how many systems still have a platform to sell games 20 years later

[Atlantis]

Can't see TEAM 17 push around lots of law suit costs to protect a very old version of there super-smash-hit series....

Probably the got licence that says: you can print and sell it = all in infinite forms, that is 4ever.

Maybe they, anyone involved, didn't gaze the stars and knew about the prophesy that guys like us would care 25 years later.... !! OMG!!! And that some small companies would push the infinitre production gaining som smaller amount on the games even to this day.

[108 Stars]

Only if game companies handled licensing very different from other companies.

Look at publishers who had games with some movie, comic or other licenses. Those licenses expired. That's why modern rereleases of the games are either altered (Revenge of Shinobi without Marvel license or license to the likeness of Sonny Chiba), or get pulled (Out Run) or not released at all (too many to count).

 

I highly doubt video game publishers were more unprofessional in the 1990ies than other media companies and gave out infinite licenses.

[+madman]

True story on the thinner boxes with crap artwork, looks photocopied. There was this thread: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/209512-i-just-got-a-new-copy-of-towers-ii/

No offense to Gunstar, but you can tell from the photos that box already looks beat to hell and he just received it. Personally, I prefer the original "generic" red and black Telegames labels over the new color inkjet labels. I think Towers 2 and Breakout 2000 are the only "Limited Edition" style boxes/carts I have, the rest are OG. Wait, no, my IS2 cart is that way, but the CD is from the second run (pressed CD, not the CDR).

 

Edit: Also this post I made after I got my first poor quality reprint: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/200954-poor-quality-telegames-re-releases/

[MAYAman]

Hey Goldenpp long time dude! Good to see you here.