Chase the chuckwagon

[Captain_Combat]

I know this game is around 40 years old but did anyone here purchase this via mail order from Ralston purina? If so how much did it cost and did anything else come with it. I know you had to buy dog food and send in proof's of purchase.

[+Random Terrain]

I'd also like to know if anyone has seen any magazine ads or commercials about it so I can get closer to a release month.

[Swami]

Id like to know who bought dog food even if they didnt have a dog. ?

[jhd]

I'd like to know who bought dog food even if they didn't have a dog.

 

Slightly O/T, but back in about the mid-1970s, my Mother won a local contest for a huge quantity of groceries. We did not get to select what we wanted; the prize was predetermined. This assortment included a large bag of cat litter (which was of rather limited value since we did not have a cat).

[+Psionic]

I'd also like to know if anyone has seen any magazine ads or commercials about it so I can get closer to a release month.

I'm not aware of anyone ever having discovered the original ad/offer for this game. Ditto for Tooth Protectors.

[godslabrat]

 

Slightly O/T, but back in about the mid-1970s, my Mother won a local contest for a huge quantity of groceries. We did not get to select what we wanted; the prize was predetermined. This assortment included a large bag of cat litter (which was of rather limited value since we did not have a cat).

Gritting the driveway and sidewalk, containing liquid spills, filler for exceptionally large holes... cat litter has a bunch of unorthodox uses.

[Bob Holly]

I know this game is around 40 years old but did anyone here purchase this via mail order from Ralston purina? If so how much did it cost and did anything else come with it. I know you had to buy dog food and send in proof's of purchase.

This is going on old ass memories.

 

I had a copy and so did a friend of mine. Iirc it was 4 or 5 proofs of purchase us 3 or 5 bucks for shipping. By 87 my buddy had given me all his 2600 carts. Ended up selling one of the Chase the Chuckwagons in 95 for 40 bucks. Then the other in 2005.

[Captain_Combat]

This is going on old ass memories.

 

I had a copy and so did a friend of mine. Iirc it was 4 or 5 proofs of purchase us 3 or 5 bucks for shipping. By 87 my buddy had given me all his 2600 carts. Ended up selling one of the Chase the Chuckwagons in 95 for 40 bucks. Then the other in 2005.

Nice thanks for replying, so the game was basically free other than the 4 or 5 proof of purchases. Do you remember if the company sent you a letter back with the game or maybe something for the dog...bowl, toy etc lol

[Bob Holly]

Nice thanks for replying, so the game was basically free other than the 4 or 5 proof of purchases. Do you remember if the company sent you a letter back with the game or maybe something for the dog...bowl, toy etc lol

I don't remember there being anything else in the package. I kinda remember seeing the ad and order form on the bags of dog food and at the Food World grocery store chain.

[Captain_Combat]

interesting so maybe the only advertising ralston did was on the back of their dog food and you basically had to have a dog and buy ralston or randomly seeing it at the grocery store thanks

[Bob Holly]

That is what I remember. But I was also 9 or 10.

 

Remember in the eArly 90s getting in a Atari VCS collectors zine. They had a listing of the top 5 rarest 2600 games. Saw CtCw was 1. With Custers revenge at 2,TCM at 3,Halloween at 4 and Pitfall II at 5.

[chas10e]

Id like to know who bought dog food even if they didnt have a dog.

[+save2600]

I'd imagine they did a little more advertising than just what was on the back of some dog food. Very common marketing for grocery stores, pet stores, etc. are those hang tags with a tear pad of rebates, coupons or other small advertisement. Guessing maybe something like that was employed next to the food?

 

Veterinarians that partnered with Purina could have used something like that up at their counter or by the food too.

 

Some pet enthusiast magazines? Who knows... just trying to think of things and places you would have seen such promotional material.

[Captain_Combat]

That is what I remember. But I was also 9 or 10.

Remember in the eArly 90s getting in a Atari VCS collectors zine. They had a listing of the top 5 rarest 2600 games. Saw CtCw was 1. With Custers revenge at 2,TCM at 3,Halloween at 4 and Pitfall II at 5.

The dang Internet changed everything, I remember reading a timdu newsletter from the 90s and in his rare and valuable article someone wrote in saying they had an air raid and he said you better keep that one because it's rare maybe this was air raids first appearance to the collecting world.

[Rom Hunter]

Here's a nice article:
https://www.badgamehalloffame.com/blog/chase-the-chuck-wagon/

[Mockduck]

Playing this on Stella, I'm always surprised at how fun and playable this game actually is, given its creation history.

[SIO2]

Real or fake?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingretro/7449255538

[Rom Hunter]

Real or fake?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingretro/7449255538

 

Looks real to me.

 

Thanks!

 

[ubersaurus]

Curious when that ad ran. Might have to check newspapers in 1983.

[+Random Terrain]

Real or fake?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingretro/7449255538

Looks real to me.

 

Thanks!

 

If it's real, here's a copy of it in case it disappears:

 

 

 

 

 

Curious when that ad ran. Might have to check newspapers in 1983.

I hope you can find something. If the ad is real, then we already know the game was available before November of 1983, so that should help a little:

 

Orders received before November 15, 1983 will be delivered before Christmas.

 

Offer expires June 30, 1984.

[lasscassidy]

Hey y'all! I'm the gal who wrote that "Bad Game Hall of Fame" article that got linked earlier.

 

If I had to pinpoint my guessing, I'd probably say that given the dates specified in the promotion, the ad itself ran in magazines starting in June of '83. Could be wrong, but that window would make the most sense given the general longevity of coupons and whatnot. At the very least, we can assume that shipping began in late November / early December, if y'all are trying to narrow down something like a "release date" proper for it.

 

Someone brought up an interesting point in my comments about how the man who took credit for the development of the game as well as for Artillery Duel doesn't necessarily match up with what's on record as far as who is credited for the latter game. Any ideas on who the true creator might be?

Edited March 14, 2018 by lasscassidy

[Rom Hunter]

Someone brought up an interesting point in my comments about how the man who took credit for the development of the game as well as for Artillery Duel doesn't necessarily match up with what's on record as far as who is credited for the latter game. Any ideas on who the true creator might be?

 

It´s the other way around.

 

I don´t think John Perkins programmed the VCS version of Artillery Duel at all (Perkins did program the original Astrocade version).

 

IMO Mike Schwartz did that (and Chase the Chuck Wagon).

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by Rom Hunter

[ubersaurus]

I

I hope you can find something. If the ad is real, then we already know the game was available before November of 1983, so that should help a little:

 

Orders received before November 15, 1983 will be delivered before Christmas.

 

Offer expires June 30, 1984.

 

The good news is that the Library of Congress not only has its own newspaper archive, but has access to online databases that have OCR search functions (which is what other people I've talked to used to find Atari ads and such). So hopefully if this ran in any newspapers portions that have been scanned, it should be findable when I head up there in the coming weeks to do some research.

[+Psionic]

It´s the other way around.

 

I don´t think John Perkins programmed the VCS version of Artillery Duel at all (Perkins did program the original Astrocade version).

 

IMO Mike Schwartz did that (and Chase the Chuck Wagon).

Correct. John Perkins programmed the original Astrocade version. The ports on other platforms were presumably done by other programmers at Action Graphics. Whether Schwartz worked for Action Graphics or was subcontracted by them, I do not know.

 

Hey y'all! I'm the gal who wrote that "Bad Game Hall of Fame" article that got linked earlier.

 

...

 

Someone brought up an interesting point in my comments about how the man who took credit for the development of the game as well as for Artillery Duel doesn't necessarily match up with what's on record as far as who is credited for the latter game. Any ideas on who the true creator might be?

In that article, you refer to Mike Schwartz as a "Spectravision programmer" but it should be noted that he did not work for Spectravision/Spectravideo, nor is it likely that company had anything to do with the game whatsoever beyond manufacturing it. They did not develop the game, nor did they distribute it. Most of Spectravision's 2600 titles were developed in Asia. There's only a few that weren't.

 

Schwartz did the game under subcontract with TMQ Software in Wheeling, IL. The game is copyrighted to Ralston Purina, and it is their return address in Illinois appears that appears on the original shipping box.

[+Random Terrain]

The good news is that the Library of Congress not only has its own newspaper archive, but has access to online databases that have OCR search functions (which is what other people I've talked to used to find Atari ads and such). So hopefully if this ran in any newspapers portions that have been scanned, it should be findable when I head up there in the coming weeks to do some research.

Thanks to the information you provided, this is from the Madison Wisconsin State Journal Sunday, October 16, 1983:

 

 

The same ad was also in the Cedar Rapids Gazette Sunday, October 16, 1983, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

 

Now we know that people could order Chase The Chuck Wagon in October of 1983. We need to see if there were any ads before October, but I haven't found any yet.