+Rick Reynolds Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Well, it wouldn't have escaped your attention next weekend as you will be right beside the stack of them Yes, I think even I would have noticed that... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheel Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Hey Freewheel, an indication on the reservation list of PRGE attendees would help us know that we are included to be able to pick it up. Who knows, 2 days from now I may (probably) not remember that I told you. That's actually a really good idea - I've added a note beside everyone's name that I know is going. If I've missed anyone, or if I think you're going and you're not, please let me know. I'm trying to avoid hauling 200 copies of this thing back and forth across the border. While I'd like to think I could sell that many at PRGE, I need to keep expectations reasonable And yeah, I kinda figured I could pawn some off on Rick & Paul. Their booth is going to host the life-sized Desert Bus replica prop after all (disclaimer: bus may not actually be life-sized, nor real). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthompson Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 That's actually a really good idea - I've added a note beside everyone's name that I know is going. If I've missed anyone, or if I think you're going and you're not, please let me know. I'm trying to avoid hauling 200 copies of this thing back and forth across the border. While I'd like to think I could sell that many at PRGE, I need to keep expectations reasonable And yeah, I kinda figured I could pawn some off on Rick & Paul. Their booth is going to host the life-sized Desert Bus replica prop after all (disclaimer: bus may not actually be life-sized, nor real). Have you considered packing all those games inside a Trojan Goat to get them across the border? Everybody loves goats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Tarzilla Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 That's actually a really good idea - I've added a note beside everyone's name that I know is going. If I've missed anyone, or if I think you're going and you're not, please let me know. I'm trying to avoid hauling 200 copies of this thing back and forth across the border. While I'd like to think I could sell that many at PRGE, I need to keep expectations reasonable And yeah, I kinda figured I could pawn some off on Rick & Paul. Their booth is going to host the life-sized Desert Bus replica prop after all (disclaimer: bus may not actually be life-sized, nor real). Wait, wait, wait...I thought Paul's booth was where we were going to tie up the live goat we rented? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tales from the Game Room Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I'll definitely want a copy of this game...any numbered copy will do. ~ Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritas Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 #73 and #197 for me, thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymailman Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I will be at PRGE as well. I'm #37 on the ordering list. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheel Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 Excellent! I've added everyone new, and we've officially cross the 1/3 threshold towards bankrupting cmart! Keep it coming, guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 this makes me want an Intellivision 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLPHawk Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I'd love a copy! No preference on number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daldude Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 This is for real? A game where you Kill people just because they are trying to escape? It did not say they were supposed to be criminals convicted of mass murder or other serious crimes against humanity, just deserters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intellivotion Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Teams Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Yeah, that'll learn 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdoerty Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I would like #52 if available. If not, lowest available is fine. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intellivisioner Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 One copy - any number please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 This is for real? A game where you Kill people just because they are trying to escape? It did not say they were supposed to be criminals convicted of mass murder or other serious crimes against humanity, just deserters. Video games have been about killing since the beginning. What did those poor bats really do in night stalker? Chef pepper slaughtered poor innocent pickles. I can go on for days.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lathe26 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 What did those poor bats really do in night stalker Those poor bats are all that are left after their colony was wiped out by white nose syndrome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroAl Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Email sent. RetroAl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunion1971 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Please, I am interested in the number 50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SoulBuster Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Please, I am interested in the number 50 Look here to find out which numbers are available http://fwgames.ca/desert-bus-ordering/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunion1971 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I can't see the page. Can You let me buy a number with final 0? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheel Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 I can't see the page. Can You let me buy a number with final 0? #60 is yours The page *should* always work, but if anyone's having problems seeing it, feel free to ask and I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunion1971 Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Well, 60 is fine. When payment and shipping are planned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheel Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 This is for real? A game where you Kill people just because they are trying to escape? It did not say they were supposed to be criminals convicted of mass murder or other serious crimes against humanity, just deserters. I should probably address this, because you're not the first person to ask me about this. This actually came up many months ago when I first came up with the concept for "Deserter Bus". Disclaimer: skip to the next post if you don't want to read boring nonsense. After coding Desert Bus, I needed to come up with actual, you know, gameplay - driving a bus for 8 hours straight isn't exactly most people's idea of a fun time. And I wanted to play off the name "Desert Bus". There were a few ideas tossed about, and I settled on this. To me it fits perfectly as a video game - let's face it, plenty of (heck, most) video games involve senseless violence. And most games of the era are really designed around the fun factor with a thin veneer of "story" added on to stir your imagination. So I went with this. It's a harmless silly rail shooter with a potentially controversial twist. And I won't lie - I've thought a lot about this. The "risqué" element is largely intentional on my part. For those that aren't aware of the full history, the original Desert Bus was created as a parody reaction to the hysteria over video game violence in the early 1990s: that video games were going to turn our children into homicidal maniacs, and they didn't teach kids any practical skills. That's why it's boring, and that's why it's an 8 hour game. Because odds are, kids aren't going to grow up to be Fomula 1 drivers, or magical plumbers, or ninjas - they're far more likely to have a very mundane, boring jobs like driving a bus across the country. Penn & Teller go on at length about this. So - you're recreating a game that was a direct response to hysteria over gaming violence, and you want to add a fun element back in? I came up with a pointlessly violent, overly gory (for the Intellivision) game. With an element that is not going to sit well with some people, especially given our modern day "Support the Troops" sensibilities. Shooting deserters has a long tradition in many militaries. Heck, it still is practised in some places. But yes, I'm fully aware of how ridiculous and over the top this is. That was deliberate. I wanted to add something that would have been considered shocking back in the day. That's the whole point. Plus, I just like shooting stuff - I'm an old-school gamer that way. Am I claiming some grand artistic vision? Nope. It's a bad pun, a goofy game, and I'll probably offend a few people. I have a lot of military in my family and that's where the initial "wtf are you doing??" came from. I'm not intentionally trying to piss on the military - far from it. I have nothing but respect for our armed forces. One of my original ideas was "DeZert Bus", where the "soliders" would be zombies instead. But the zombie thing didn't really take off until long after the Intellivision era, and I wanted to keep it at least in the spirit of the 80s. There were plenty of stupid games back then where you shot at soldiers. If I released this in Europe 30 years ago, it probably WOULD have been zombie themed. If this offends anyone, then I can respect that. Not all games are for everyone. If it helps, just pretend they're zombies. Heck, maybe I'll release a modded version where they ARE zombies. It would look and behave identically, just with different instructions and a different title screen. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheel Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 Well, 60 is fine. When payment and shipping are planned? The game will physically debut at PRGE in Portland next weekend (Oct 22-23), and once I get home I'll start taking orders and shipping copies as soon as payments start coming in. Everything will be ready to go at that point - all of the physical manufacturing is done, I just need to put everyone's numbers together and label up some shipping boxes. I'll make an update here, and reach out to people via PM/email as needed to co-ordinate. This will all be via PayPal, in case I haven't mentioned that yet. For those that are coming to PRGE, you won't have too much trouble finding it. Just keep your eyes peeled. While we're a bit at the back of the vendor area, you can't miss Desert Bus - trust me. There will be additional copies for sale there as well, for those who want to save on shipping. It's almost here! We're nearly 40% of the way towards bankrupting cmart as well, so keep the orders coming 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.