New 2600, 5200, 7800, and Atari 8-bit Computer Games! Pre-Order Today!

[zylon]

this is one of the reasons I keep a 2600 around still, all the new goodies

[mhodgeshvs]

On 5/28/2021 at 9:04 PM, nadir said:

My order doesn't appear to have hit the mail yet, but I can imagine it'll take awhile to get all those orders shipped out even once they're all assembled!

I’m about to give up hope on these games... So frustrating, feels like I’ve spent the entire pandemic waiting for them. I realise having little to do doesn’t help, but it would’ve been so nice to have these when we were locked indoors. Now it’s back to work, no time for games, and they’re still nowhere in sight...

Edited June 3, 2021 by mhodgeshvs

[sn8k]

Im still here waiting for my games like an asshole.......going on like 7 or 8 months now.

[Albert]

I'm working on them and I'm getting closer to shipping everything. I've learned a lot doing this round of games and certainly will never run pre-orders like this again. Nor will I release a large number of games simultaneously again, unless they are ready to ship right away (but even then, it's still too many games to do at once--smaller, more frequent releases are better). 
 

  ..Al

[leech]

5 hours ago, Albert said:

I'm working on them and I'm getting closer to shipping everything. I've learned a lot doing this round of games and certainly will never run pre-orders like this again. Nor will I release a large number of games simultaneously again, unless they are ready to ship right away (but even then, it's still too many games to do at once--smaller, more frequent releases are better). 
 

  ..Al

Ha, our wallets will thank you as well for not releasing a bunch at once!

[leech]

21 hours ago, sn8k said:

Im still here waiting for my games like an asshole.......going on like 7 or 8 months now.

Chill dude.  There are things I have literally waited for years on, but they eventually show up.  I know in this day and age of instant gratification, that people no longer have patience.  I still remember it taking months for Atari 8bit games to show up, and that was after the company had mailed them.  Usually once they are in the mail it takes maybe a week. 

 

On 6/3/2021 at 1:58 AM, mhodgeshvs said:

I’m about to give up hope on these games... So frustrating, feels like I’ve spent the entire pandemic waiting for them. I realise having little to do doesn’t help, but it would’ve been so nice to have these when we were locked indoors. Now it’s back to work, no time for games, and they’re still nowhere in sight...

Al is doing his best to get them into people's hands.  It isn't like he is holding them hostage.  At least I don't think so.  Maybe he is a sadistic bastard, I don't know him personally.  ?

[mhodgeshvs]

4 hours ago, leech said:

Chill dude.  There are things I have literally waited for years on, but they eventually show up.  I know in this day and age of instant gratification, that people no longer have patience.  I still remember it taking months for Atari 8bit games to show up, and that was after the company had mailed them.  Usually once they are in the mail it takes maybe a week. 

 

Al is doing his best to get them into people's hands.  It isn't like he is holding them hostage.  At least I don't think so.  Maybe he is a sadistic bastard, I don't know him personally.  ?

I know... and I appreciate it greatly. But I felt better after saying that.

[CPUWIZ]

4 hours ago, leech said:

Maybe he is a sadistic bastard, I don't know him personally.  ?

 

More like a masochistic bastard, I get pictures of his socks with holes in them, for old farts sake!  He is breaking his back to support the classic gaming community, the volume is getting larger and it is hard to delegate some of this work.  And never forget, there are outside influences that can not be controlled, like "Whoops, we printed the wrong 1000 labels." or whatever it may be, like shipping delays on boxes. 

 

I encourage anyone to spend a weekend and try to make 10 carts, from removing the label until putting it into a box.

 

On 6/3/2021 at 12:32 PM, sn8k said:

like an asshole

 

Admitting it, is a good first step. ?

[+Nathan Strum]

22 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

I encourage anyone to spend a weekend and try to make 10 carts, from removing the label until putting it into a box.

Or more to the point:

• Working with the programmer and a graphic artist to get a box, label, and manual designed, proofread and made print-ready (this can take months... so be prepared to wait).
• Dealing with printers (yes, plural) to get those items printed to a consistent and professional quality (this can also take months... patience is a virtue!) (It's also expensive.)
• Obtaining cartridge shells (either new or used). Be prepared to spend more money, and wait some more.
• If using used shells, prepping them by removing the old labels and cleaning them to look like new again, and discarding the dozens that people sold you that were unusable.
• Obtaining the circuit boards and other necessary components to build the games. (More money. More waiting.)
• By the way, you don't yet know it will only be 10 carts. So you'd better order whatever you think you *might* need.
• Soldering the components to one of the boards.
• Loading the game onto the circuit board (having acquired the necessary hardware/software to do so in the first place, of course).
• Testing the game on a variety of oddball console variations to make sure it works.
• Working with the programmer to fix the issues that have cropped up.
• More testing!
• Yelling at the printers to fix their stupid mistakes and reprint whatever they screwed up.
• Keeping all of AtariAge running while this is going on.
• Prepping the store entry for the game, including photos, screenshots, descriptions and videos.
• Keeping track of the orders that have come in (fortunately, we're only talking 10 carts here).
• Making sure you have everything needed for all 10 carts.
• Yelling at the printers some more (note: for the sake of brevity we'll limit this to only three times, but that's laughably optimistic).
• Answering emails, forum posts and PMs from the 10 people wondering where their games are.
• Soldering the rest of the components onto the circuit boards.
• Loading the game onto all of the circuit boards.
• Testing every single one of them.
• Fixing the ones that don't work.
• You're still keeping AtariAge running, right?
• Assembling the carts, applying the labels, folding the boxes, adding any extras such as flyers, buttons, stickers, etc. (I just made this one line because it can't be all that hard.  )
• Making sure you have enough shipping materials for all 10 orders.
• Packing all 10 orders, making sure you didn't miss anything, and getting everyone's address correct.
• Don't forget postage!
• Driving them to the post office and shipping them.

What could be easier? It's only 10 carts.

[CPUWIZ]

16 minutes ago, Nathan Strum said:

[MINOR DETAILS SNIPPED]

 

What could be easier? It's only 10 carts.

 

I didn't say write a handbook, now you made it easier.

[Albert]

46 minutes ago, Nathan Strum said:

What could be easier? It's only 10 carts.

This is an epic post.

 

 ..Al

[+KaeruYojimbo]

1 hour ago, Nathan Strum said:

[BLAH BLAH BLAH]

 

What could be easier? It's only 10 carts.

Ha ha! Now that I know the secret, there's nothing to stop me from creating my own rival site!

 

(Except for a complete lack of patience and dedication.)

[Cobra Kai]

Let's be blunt, Amazon Prime has really spoiled us all. 

[AtariBrian]

2 hours ago, Nathan Strum said:

Or more to the point:

• Working with the programmer and a graphic artist to get a box, label, and manual designed, proofread and made print-ready (this can take months... so be prepared to wait).
• Dealing with printers (yes, plural) to get those items printed to a consistent and professional quality (this can also take months... patience is a virtue!) (It's also expensive.)
• Obtaining cartridge shells (either new or used). Be prepared to spend more money, and wait some more.
• If using used shells, prepping them by removing the old labels and cleaning them to look like new again, and discarding the dozens that people sold you that were unusable.
• Obtaining the circuit boards and other necessary components to build the games. (More money. More waiting.)
• By the way, you don't yet know it will only be 10 carts. So you'd better order whatever you think you *might* need.
• Soldering the components to one of the boards.
• Loading the game onto the circuit board (having acquired the necessary hardware/software to do so in the first place, of course).
• Testing the game on a variety of oddball console variations to make sure it works.
• Working with the programmer to fix the issues that have cropped up.
• More testing!
• Yelling at the printers to fix their stupid mistakes and reprint whatever they screwed up.
• Keeping all of AtariAge running while this is going on.
• Prepping the store entry for the game, including photos, screenshots, descriptions and videos.
• Keeping track of the orders that have come in (fortunately, we're only talking 10 carts here).
• Making sure you have everything needed for all 10 carts.
• Yelling at the printers some more (note: for the sake of brevity we'll limit this to only three times, but that's laughably optimistic).
• Answering emails, forum posts and PMs from the 10 people wondering where their games are.
• Soldering the rest of the components onto the circuit boards.
• Loading the game onto all of the circuit boards.
• Testing every single one of them.
• Fixing the ones that don't work.
• You're still keeping AtariAge running, right?
• Assembling the carts, applying the labels, folding the boxes, adding any extras such as flyers, buttons, stickers, etc. (I just made this one line because it can't be all that hard.  )
• Making sure you have enough shipping materials for all 10 orders.
• Packing all 10 orders, making sure you didn't miss anything, and getting everyone's address correct.
• Don't forget postage!
• Driving them to the post office and shipping them.

What could be easier? It's only 10 carts.

You forgot people stealing sample cart labels off your porch adding a nice little delay. 

[Kiwi]

Forgot to add full time job to the list.
Maybe sleeping and eating.

[+Cafeman]

Just make more multiplicity clones. 

[CPUWIZ]

15 minutes ago, Cafeman said:

Just make more multiplicity clones. 

 

[+Cafeman]

@CPUWIZ did you deepfake those faces?

[CPUWIZ]

What?

 

 

 

 

[mhodgeshvs]

You could throw in ‘giving a realistic/conservative time estimate to the process’; to help the impatient ones amongst us from getting ansie. Just for good measure.  But what do I know, I’ve made ONE single Atari cart in my life, and from a dui game seller. It took me all afternoon ?

Edited June 5, 2021 by mhodgeshvs

[Deteacher]

Well, maybe those that know themselves well enough to realize that they have no patience should refrain from PRE-ordering stuff, because PRE-ordering implies that the items for sale are not currently available to just grab off a shelf and mail, same day.  Maybe they should just watch the store and when the item they want is actually in stock, THEN make their purchase.  The caveat to that is that they will end up getting their items even later than someone who pre-orders. 

 

Either way, the lesson is:  If you don't have patience, then get some.

 

To Al,

 

Thank you SO much for everything you do for this community.  Your efforts are very much appreciated.  I think there needs to be an official "Albert Appreciation Day" put on the calendar.  

 

 

[+KaeruYojimbo]

46 minutes ago, mhodgeshvs said:

and from a dui game seller

Point one four?! That's it buddy, I'm taking you in. You won't be making or selling any more Atari games tonight.

[leech]

2 hours ago, KaeruYojimbo said:

Point one four?! That's it buddy, I'm taking you in. You won't be making or selling any more Atari games tonight.

Ha, I was going to make the same joke, I just happened to wake up to trying to fix my Commodore 128, which magically seems to be working now.  Developing Under the Influence can be either hilarious, or scary.

[Albert]

17 hours ago, Nathan Strum said:

If using used shells, prepping them by removing the old labels and cleaning them to look like new again, and discarding the dozens that people sold you that were unusable.

I wanted to comment on this particular aspect, as it's one of the most individually time consuming tasks (well, both removing labels and especially the cleaning of the shells to prepare them for ingestion of new boards and application of labels).  I am pretty hell bent at this point to get new cartridge shells made, although I can't devote too much time to that until I get these orders shipped.  It will be my number one priority, followed by getting the store onto new software (which will coincide with offering digital purchases of homebrew games) and then getting the forum upgraded again (some nice new features in the latest version!)

 

 ..Al

[Cebus Capucinis]

Can't be that hard. Just line 'em up on the floor, turn on the belt sander, and run while pushing down.

 

Alternately, a wire brush and a drill should produce the same result. No cartridge shell remaining, but also no DIRT remaining either.

 

DISCLAIMER: Do not try this at home. I disclaim all liability for any results.