Why can't you purchase roms for new games??

[+wongojack]

On 3/16/2021 at 7:23 PM, alfredtdk said:

Those versions that are entitled to a digital copy will run only on Stella or it will be possible to run it on Harmony or Unocart ?

In the Twitch stream hosted by @ZeroPage Homebrew, the host indicated that it did NOT currently work on the Harmony cart.  It has been tested in Stella and they confirmed several times it works on the Retron 77 from an SD card (which runs Stella).

 

For a time, Harmony updates were frequent, but in order for the cart firmware to get updated properly, they will need the ROM.  You should go ask in the dedicated Harmony forum.  I'm sure they are already thinking about it.  Same with Uno.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

28 minutes ago, wongojack said:

in order for the cart firmware to get updated properly, they will need the ROM

Since Circus Convoy uses SuperBank which was developed by batari who also developed the Harmony cart, I am pretty sure batari can update the firmware even without the ROM. Alternatively the custom bankswitching code required can be added to the ROM.

 

Note: Due to its size (128KB) CC cannot run on the original Harmony, only the Harmony Encore.

[+wongojack]

On 3/18/2021 at 9:19 AM, wongojack said:

In the Twitch stream hosted by @ZeroPage Homebrew, the host indicated that it did NOT currently work on the Harmony cart.  It has been tested in Stella and they confirmed several times it works on the Retron 77 from an SD card (which runs Stella).

 

For a time, Harmony updates were frequent, but in order for the cart firmware to get updated properly, they will need the ROM.  You should go ask in the dedicated Harmony forum.  I'm sure they are already thinking about it.  Same with Uno.

 

On 3/18/2021 at 9:53 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said:

Since Circus Convoy uses SuperBank which was developed by batari who also developed the Harmony cart, I am pretty sure batari can update the firmware even without the ROM. Alternatively the custom bankswitching code required can be added to the ROM.

 

Note: Due to its size (128KB) CC cannot run on the original Harmony, only the Harmony Encore.

Et voila:  

 

[Electric-Dreams]

On 3/13/2021 at 12:16 AM, hizzy said:

Maybe it is time for NFT roms?

Very good question !

[orange808]

On 3/16/2021 at 12:49 PM, zzip said:

This is my romz collection from the 1970s

 

 I found these today.  I feel old. 

[ultrasteve]

Some interesting opinions in this thread, but an awful lot of arguing, too!

 

I think an aspect that has been missed except for only a couple of people mentioning it, is geography. AA is a very US-centric site and store (and that's not a criticism, just an observation). I'm in the UK, and import costs are high from the US. They're high enough that a physical cart for a game that you're interested in (as opposed to dead-set on getting) becomes a difficult prospect to sell to yourself. Itch.io (along with other indie publishers' own sites) provides an excellent platform for those of us that are into multiple systems, particularly the 8-bit home micros we grew up with. I regularly pay £5-£10 ($7-$14) for brand-new C64 digital downloads, for example. I've bought some physical tapes and discs of new games, too, but generally, I prefer digital as I have mass-storage solutions for most of my systems, and limited space in my house that I share with the rest of my family! I don't pirate like I did back in the teenage Amiga days, and I can't justify spending fortunes on new physical releases. That's not to say there's not value in them, or they're not worth it, just when there's so much competition on disposable income choices have to be made. For example, I'd like to buy BeefDrop for 7800 (the TIA version). With shipping, import fees and handling, you're looking at almost $80 for an unboxed version. That's just not going to be viable for many people.

 

As someone who has a Dragonfly on the way for 7800 I'd love to be able to buy some of the HB releases I like the look of. None of us are entitled to be able to buy them digitally, it would just be nice if I could, and as a result there are many that I'll probably never get to play, but that's OK, and no different to any other entertainment medium.

 

If developers want to sell their games digitally (and that's the key, again, we're not entitled to have them do so), the markets are out there. Like any side-hustle, work also needs to be put into marketing those games. If you're not efficiently getting the word out there, then your game won't sell many copies, digital or physical, so comparisons to physical sales on AA are tricky to maintain, it's a site with a long history, and huge user base.

[H.E.R.O.]

I'm not holding my breath for roms to be added to the AA store. I've seen discussions about it over the years. I've got a new baby girl here so fiscal responsibility has to be practiced and I can't go dropping $60 to $140 for a copy of Circus Convoy. I'd spare $10 for a rom.

 

it's true there are honorable people around here. I was in the Collectorvision Colecovision club for two years. Far as I know no one has shared the massive rom packs one got with membership nor leaked the names of either secret boxed game (something that was requested by the Collecotorvision guys). The only 'leak', per se, was someone selling the 2019 Intelliivison club game on ebay.

 

I always appreciated some programmers linking their final rom versions but seems that's drying up as well. 

 

EDIT: I should state I've been buying Commodore 64 / Amiga games off of Itch.io from devs like Psytronik, RGCD.Dev & Megastyle for a few years now. I dare say the Commodore computer market is probably more niche than Atari 2600's . They sell full boxed with goodies versions as well for those who desire them for the obvious larger price than the 5 bucks they charge for the .d64 files.

[H.E.R.O.]

Well, I guess my last post was too late to continue the conversation. Sad.