Tax Avoiders History Being Rewritten

[NovaXpress]

This game has a copyright of 1982. It is always described as being actually relesed in 1982, however I've come to believe that it wasn't released until the late-80s. This is the sort of thing that matters to me, so if you are the same type then please read on.

 

First of all, we've all proven time after time that copyright dates have no relationship to release dates.

 

Looking over old EGs, Electronic Funs, Video Games, and every other source I could turn up showd no mention of this game whatsoever. No rumors, no ads, not even mentioned in those G.A.M.E.S. catalog pages which offered for sale every 2600 game even rumored about.

 

The carts themselves often (always?) are actually Sega carts. This leads to my theory that American Videogame purchased Sega's leftovers long after the crash.

 

I first saw Tax Avoiders on the shelves around 1988, widely distributed through the midwest at major toy stores. Can anyone attest to seeing this game before that time period?

[moycon]

I cannot, In fact I don't recall ever seeing that game for sale.

Some help I am.

[BONEMAN]

I'm positive it came out around 1988.

[NovaXpress]

So why a six year differeence beween copyright and release? Could this have been a homebrew created in 1982 but not sold until 88?

 

I don't believe for a second that the two tax experts credited on the box had anthing to do with the game. Theactual programmer makes no claims to being a tax expert. I suspect that American Videogames just threw the names of their accountants on the box as a marketing gimmick.

[Cootster]

Well, the "actual" programmer was the guy who did Porky's.

 

It's a hack, IMO. And isn't it the same company who released a bunch of mostly crappy NES games (Venice Beach Volleyball, F-15 City War, et al.)?

 

If they were around for the NES era, this game was NOT made in 82.

[NovaXpress]

Tax Avoiders was the only game ever released by this company. I seem to be confirming that it was not seen before 1988.

 

Porky's had quite a staff: Mark V Rhoads, Randy Hyde, B. Winston Hendrickson, Jon Simonds for Dunhill Electronics. So did Tax Avoiders. There are two tax pros credited for conception and development, credited as being designed by John Simonds and programmed by Dunhill Electronics, released by American Videogames (a division of H&L Schwartz).

 

There we go! John Simonds hacked Porky's to make this game. I theorize that they slapped the 1982 copyright on it so they would be protected from getting sued (Porky's was copyright 1983). I further theorize that it indeed was NOT created by a real tax expert. Was Duhill electronics merely a name for John Simond's personal company? Since it is a Porky's rip off by one of the designers (I bet he was the programmer) of Porky's, released at least five years after Porky's, do we really believe that it was written by an IRS Accountant, like so many promote?

 

I think this is an example of slick marketing gimmicks. Which always amount to a load of B.S. The history of this game is actually more interesting to me now. Is this the first time a 2600 programmer ever hacked his OWN game and then had it released by a different company?

 

Maybe it isn't. Hmm . . .

[Stingray]

Makes sense to me.

 

-S

[Thomas Jentzsch]

It's a hack, IMO.

Probably not just a simple hack, but definetely both games share a lot of code. CloneSpy says:

                                                0  1

0 Tax Avoiders (1982) (American Videogame)···   · 20

1 Porky's (1983) (20th Century Fox)··········  30  ·

[NovaXpress]

Shouldn't it be pretty easy for a programmer to reconfigure his own game in this manner? Even if he didn't actually borrow code, he would already know how to put thhis kernel together, would he not? And isn't that most of the battle?

[Klove]

Actually, I spoke with the guy who did Porky's. It wasn't any of the people you had mentioned either. This was sometime ago. I'm sure I have his email here somewhere. I had asked the guys about other titles he had worked on, and he mentioned that he did a couple others. But, that they were crap. For some reason or other, I don't recall asking him what what they were. Maybe I should dig him out of my Contacts and ask him. Actually, he and his cohorts were contracted by 20th Century Fox Games, to create the title. Again though.. "It wasn't any of the people you mentioned."

 

I'll see if I can find that info. I sorta' fear posting it hear though, 'cause I'm sure certain "Un-named Parties" would love to go after these guys 'n' get an unreleased title from them for their SJ show.

[Cootster]

Well, aren't the screens in a different order between the two games (and I can't remember if TA has the "pole vault")?

 

I think the same team did Entity as well . . . I thought Sirius programmed all the Fox games, though . . . At least the ones I own (Worm War, RBT, and Crypts of Chaos).

 

Unreleased material from them? Six Pack or 9 to 5, possibly?

[Cootster]

Is this the first time a 2600 programmer ever hacked his OWN game and then had it released by a different company?

 

Maybe it isn't.  Hmm . . .

 

 

Well, weren't Pengo and Elk Attack programmed by the same guy? Atari bought Pengo, didn't want his Electric Yo-Yo port, so it became a homebrew . . .

 

And (probably) Beat 'em & Eat 'em and Music Machine, which share code with each other (and some with Kaboom, too).

[Tempest]

Well, weren't Pengo and Elk Attack programmed by the same guy? Atari bought Pengo, didn't want his Electric Yo-Yo port, so it became a homebrew .

 

Yes that was Mark Hahn.

 

I think the same team did Entity as well

 

AFAIK only one person did The Entity and that was Mark Klein.

 

I think the same team did Entity as well . . . I thought Sirius programmed all the Fox games, though . . . At least the ones I own (Worm War, RBT, and Crypts of Chaos).

 

No only the first few games were by Sirius. Crypts of Chaos was a TCF original by John Marvin. Worm War I was by David Lubar. None of these people were involved with Porky's.

 

Tempest

[Cootster]

Thanks for the info, Matt . . .

 

Sadly, though, it doesn't help with the original conundrum at hand (namely Tax Avoiders). I didn't even have a 2600 until XMas '82, but I don't recall ever hearing of the game until it turned up in large numbers in the dollar bins next to ET, red-labels, and Acti commons just as the re-issue was winding down and the space was needed for the new 16-bit stuff . . .

 

Never bought it, though, because I thought it looked like yet another clunky platformer and I hate clunky platformers.

 

I wisely got ET (oh, shut up!), Sprint Master, and Cali. Games then instead.

[+bfstats]

I acquired Tax Avoiders in December of 1986 at Kiddie City in Baltimore. Some of you may recall that Kiddie City often had distress/closeout merchandise from other stores. Seems that was the case with Tax Avoiders. Original price sticker said $27.99, marked down to $4.99, so it was already a dumped item two years before 1988. Hope this sheds a little light.

[Scooterb23]

I also believe that I saw it in 1986. I remember that it was on discount at KB...that was the year I got rid of my 2600, and Tax Avoiders was one of the two games I thought looked interesting at the time.

[NovaXpress]

Actually, I spoke with the guy who did Porky's. It wasn't any of the people you had mentioned either.

It wasn't any of the four people credited in the Porky's manual? That's rather strange. Also a curious coincidence that Dunhill Electronics and a John Simonds are credited with both games. That would be great to find out more info from the mystery programmer, I agree that he shouldn't become a public figure unless he wants to.

 

I've looked around for more info on Dunhill Electronics and video games, all I could find was a logo.

 

As far as release date goes, Sega stopped prodducing games in 84, so perhaps they sold the shells to American Videogames soon after. It would make sense for the game to pop up around 85-86, and explain why it wasn't mentioned in the press. But why would I then see it MASSIVELY distributed from 88-90 with a full $14.99 price tag? There must have been a LOT of leftovers.

 

Any other theories on why this game would have a 1982 copyright?

[Saikyo]

Look im no expert with things like this but what if the original programmers

copyrighted the game for 1982 but the game was late to be finished so they "borrowed"

the code from porky's in 1983 but didn't sell the game because of the video game crash

 

Maybe the old stack of games was found by a salesman and then sold the old stack of Tax Avoiders

carts in 1986 to several shops

if this is true then it would appear that it could have been a homebrew

that uses stolen code and as we dont know who the programmers were we

can only assume that the IRS member and tax man wrote the rest of the code

 

also this could explain why this is the only release from American Videogames

[KLucanSTFU]

KL if some body kicks your A all over the P will you run home crying to M?

[Kuddy]

KL if some body kicks your A all over the P will you run home crying to M?

[liquid_sky]

KL if some body kicks your A all over the P will you run home crying to M?

 

Hmm, with a name meaning Ken Love can shut the f**k up, and a hateful first post, I concur that you must be a visitor from the dark side of classic gaming.

[Saikyo]

Yeah respect to Ken Love!

 

and as for you what are you doing posting such hateful mail in the first place?

 

[EDIT look at his username looks like it's gonna be his only post when admin gets him]

[KLucanSTFU]

I sorta' fear posting it hear though, 'cause I'm sure certain "Un-named Parties" would love to go after these guys 'n' get an unreleased title from them for their SJ show.

 

OIC

[Saikyo]

KL just who the HELL R U? and what have you against Ken?

 

if you are the so called un-named party then whatever it is just forget it

you will just be banned from AA for being rude hell man you haven't even said hello!

 

Man people like you make me

 

PS what exactly is it that you want?