End of ClassicGameCreations? Start of Packrat!

[TrekMD]

That is great news indeed!

[50tbrd]

Mar 2, 2014 5:22:29 GMT -5 hcmffm said:

PS: Nice avatar, 50tbrd! :-)

Just messing around creating a few vector avatars.

[50tbrd]

BTW, if you look at the items for Oddyssy and Atari 2600 which are already available from Packrat Games, the production quality looks very good. Full color manuals to all the games, some include glossy full color cardboard boxes, and some are produced in both black and clear reproduction cases with very nice labels.

[VectorX]

I hope bringing back the Vectrex stuff also includes the former vectrexcarts.com games. If not, we'll have John's stuff back again, at least.

[Mayhem]

Packrat is not a bad choice... to be honest, I was half expecting it to be GDG.

[ozyr]

Finally found my way to the board here per '50tbrd'.

Quick introduction: David 'Ozyr' Flemming, the new and current owner of Packrat Video Games, LLC.

I have been involved in the homebrew scene for some time now (dating back to 2004), mainly working behind the scenes, doing manuals and lots of play testing. This was mostly for the Odyssey/Videopac community. I was also good friends with Jarett, the prior Packrat owner. When he decided to sell the business in late 2012, I jumped at it, because I've always wanted to get more into the homebrew scene up front (aka - producing and selling games for programmers).

Started off of course with what Packrat has, and slowly getting game back into production (lots of time and issues, but getting there). Even release a new 2600 game, the first one from Packrat in 7 years, just last month.

Fast forward to Fall 2013, and a friend pointed out that John was shutting down his Vectrex game production (and Odyssey2 production too). I've know John Donzilla for years, so contact was made, and an initial agreement was made to take over production and sales of his Vectrex and Odyssey2 games. As with the takeover of Packrat, and no offense to John at all (I respect the guy way too much), but the process has been rather slow. Hoping to get games back for sale in the 2nd half of 2014.

As for games that John sold from other programmers, that will take time, as I will have to contact them all — and negotiate new deals with Packrat. Hoping that this goes through, as I'd like to be able to sell 'all' the games that John was selling, and at close to the same prices that I am able to do (at cost for some of them, and that works fine for me).


So for now, rest assured, John's games will be be for sale again. When is another story (it will happen - just don't have an ETA at this time).


Packrat Video Games, LLC is proud to be coming a member of the Vectrex community (I've personally have three units, and a good amount of Homebrews that I bought myself over the years for the Vectrex — outstanding system).

[50tbrd]

Glad to see that you found your way over here. I think you'll find that we've been looking forward to the return of John's games and hopefully most if not all the vectrexcart.com games. Thrust and Protector are revered as some of the best homebrew games that the Vectrex has to offer and VectorMad just made a production of screen printed YASI overlays. The hardest thing probably won't be negotiating new deals with those programmers but finding and reaching them in the first place. So many of them vanished but maybe either John left you with good contact info or some of the people on this board can help you communicate with them.

[VECTREXER]

Nice to See you here David!

I guess I should have pointed you this direction myself. I just assumed you already knew.

[VectorX]

I'm very glad of you to share good news and for signing up here.

Thank you VERY much for the update! I'm glad to hear that you plan on doing all games sold through the site as well (if you're able to), and not just John's.  But that info was good enough as it was

[ozyr]

Thanks for the welcome guys! Much appreciated.

As for the 'other' games that John made, I'm hoping to get contact info from John. Only issue is that he is very, very busy, and it is not easy to communicate with him (not blaming him, but it does get a tad frustrating at times — but almost the same thing happened for taking over Packrat itself). I hope to get contact info fairly soon. If not, I will be asking for help here, from the many Vectrex fans.

I can even say that I've been getting emails through Packrat regarding Protector, and other games (gamers are finding me, slowly but surely). Just hoping that I can deliver. Will do my best to do so!

[50tbrd]

Maybe we can expedite it. If anyone has contact info for Clay Cowgill, Alex Hutchinson, Craig Aker, Chris Salomon, Ronet Habot, or Ville Krumlinde, please message Ozyr.

kokovec, christophertumber, manu, Mayhem, vectrexmad, dgo, hcmffm

[VectorX]

^You know how to find Ronen Habot? (EDIT: think I read that wrong; Craig and Ville shouldn't be hard to contact though.)

May 3, 2014 22:22:57 GMT -5 ozyr said:

As for the 'other' games that John made, I'm hoping to get contact info from John. Only issue is that he is very, very busy, and it is not easy to communicate with him (not blaming him, but it does get a tad frustrating at times — but almost the same thing happened for taking over Packrat itself).

Yeah, I've had a Vectrex wiki page with a lot of info on CGC ready to go up for years now, and I've sent several questions for John to answer but he never did (once was at his own request!). But at times I can be slow too, so I guess I can't really complain.

[50tbrd]

I must have been lucky. He always responded to my questions even if it took a month to respond even still this year. I'd asked about production numbers but unfortunately he'd lost all records and said he couldn't even ballpark numbers but he did verify a sealed copy of Patriots I have.

[gliptitude]

Great news!

.. Any chance youwill offer cartridge building service too?

[VectorX]

May 4, 2014 7:26:24 GMT -5 50tbrd said:

I must have been lucky. He always responded to my questions even if it took a month to respond even still this year.

Well, just answering a question or two here and there isn't much, especially when his business depends on interacting with people. Getting an entire list of questions is another thing entirely.