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Post by hcmffm on Nov 5, 2013 15:42:15 GMT -5
hey all, i still have my copy and am definitely interested in releasing it a la Pitchers Duel/Cube Quest, but it seemed cost prohibitive due to the limited audience being a light pen game... Thanks for registering at VGF and joining in the discussion, Shawn. That's quite some surprise. :-) Your offer for providing your ROM for a release sounds very interesting and would be a great thing. I think your idea of a Mail Plane release is not just a release of the binary file but a full featured release. For Mail Plane this would mean a box, a manual, and the cartridge (no overlay). I'm sure that we have the people here to create the box design, find good text and create the manual. But I'm not quite clear on the production costs. Perhaps someone could elaborate this and then we could perhaps start a crowdfunding in order to find out about the number of people interested and to have the financial commitments and the money if needed. Also, we must not forget that overseas shipment can be quite expensive (plus custom fees/taxes). Perhaps we would have two distribution bases, one in the U.S. and one in Europe. Public rom release?Looking at glip's points I think he's right in saying that there should be a public ROM release. Perhaps this ROM release could be done AFTER the full featured release happened. This would make it more likely that the full featured release would happen. John Donzila could have been a distribution base in the U.S., this role might go to the John's successor depending on how good or bad John's successor does his/her job. I think all in all we are looking at something like 12 or 24 months till the full featured release might happen. But didn't we wait 31 years for the release, already? ;-) ebay offerWith Shawn's offer for providing his ROM I think we should focus on this and find out about the modalities and the possibilities. I still would like to know whether Chris (Vectrexer) got an answer and what the answer of the ebay seller is.
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Post by vectrexmad on Nov 5, 2013 18:15:24 GMT -5
There is one ROM of Mail Plane available here: www.vectrex.nl/games.htmlI haven't tested it, but I assume it is one of the lesser versions previously discussed. This is not a new or obscure link, but I think a few people were asking earlier in this thread and I didn't see any one refer to a download. Yeap, that's the non working one. After the title screen and player selection it crashes. Franck aka Parabellum verified that there was corrupt code in this binary a couple of years ago.
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Post by 50tbrd on Nov 5, 2013 18:18:35 GMT -5
I'd be willing to do artwork for a release of Mail Plane.
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Post by Mayhem on Nov 5, 2013 19:22:56 GMT -5
Yeap, that's the non working one. After the title screen and player selection it crashes. Franck aka Parabellum verified that there was corrupt code in this binary a couple of years ago. I compared this code to a dump of my chip, and it matches about 70%. It matches on all the non-corrupt/blank parts. It's as if the dump available was not properly dumped, and perhaps should match with what I own. But I guess we won't probably be able to tell if that's true or not. Mine certainly fills the whole 8k as opposed to the majority. I should really boot it up again and recheck to see if there's more in there. Like trying to start on game 3 as per the earlier video for example. I think I tried game 1 and it got as far as shown.
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Post by hcmffm on Nov 6, 2013 16:03:06 GMT -5
Hmm, still no answer from Chris. And no news from Shawn. :-( I'm getting a bit nervous because it's two days left and we have no clear and (comparatively) sure perspective, yet. :-| If I don't hear anything by tomorrow (European time) I'll contact the seller myself. While searching for the pics I've taken from my Mail Plane prototype ("Version 2") I found a small box art of Mail Plane that I found on Geekvintage a longer time ago: On Geekvintage there is even a picture showing the full box with insert, cartridge, and manual. I guess it's a selfmade picture (but a pretty good one). This box art is just for watering your mouth a bit. ;-) Instead of discussing the box art in more detail we should clarify the way to get hold of the Mail Plane binary for a full featured release and/or for a public download. Currently there's Shawn's offer and the ebay auction which will end in two days.
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Post by Rapetou33 on Nov 6, 2013 16:57:40 GMT -5
Sure we need the cart to put into it .... but nonetheless this box is quite awesome !
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Post by TrekMD on Nov 6, 2013 22:27:49 GMT -5
Sure we need the cart to put into it .... but nonetheless this box is quite awesome ! I have to agree. That box design looks fantastic!
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Post by gliptitude on Nov 7, 2013 17:25:31 GMT -5
I guess I am not keen to get involved in any big way with the ebay auction. The monetary contributions that others have quoted are all more than I would be willing to put in, given the circumstances.
Unless I missed something, the seller has been fairly unresponsive, which I find pretty strange considering this would be the most expensive item he has ever sold on ebay, and also considering that his Dark Tower Prototype received zero bids and did not sell. I would expect him to be more forthcoming with detailed information if he is actually trying to sell it. Also, while he has a reasonable explanation for it, I'm a little nervous that we don't actually have ANY photos of the physical item.
..I would certainly be willing to be the U.S. resident, for shipping purposes, if that is all one of you needs, and then repackage and re-post to Europe. But I don't really know a secure way to arrange that, especially with the time constraints and the auction format, (not knowing the price until it's over). It would be an awfully hectic way to make such a large purchase.
.. Otherwise, I would contribute something like $40, in the form of a donation, to AN INDIVIDUAL, based on that person's promise to distribute the ROM freely to EVERYONE, in a timely matter (months not years). I would not expect any physical token in return.
.. Maybe new member scallen actually has as much or more to offer than this stranger on ebay?
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Post by hcmffm on Nov 7, 2013 18:03:17 GMT -5
Thanks for your offer to be the U.S. resident for shipping purposes and your offer for a donation, glip. It's surprising that we haven't any news from Chris or Shawn. You're perhaps right in suggesting that we better trust on Shawn than on this ebay auction with just screenshots.
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Post by scallen on Nov 7, 2013 18:42:15 GMT -5
(months not years) ouch sorry, i had hoped to release it when i got it and spoke to GDG and Sean Kelly but it seemed like there wasn't enough interest to cover costs and i let it slide while life got busy for me. i'm still down to release it, but i'd really like it to be a Pitchers Duel/Cube Quest type release in a nice faux vectrex cardboard box
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Post by hcmffm on Nov 7, 2013 19:16:10 GMT -5
Thanks for your answer, Shawn. If we would create a full featured release with box, manual, and cartridge, would you provide your ROM image for free, then? Or how much would you charge for providing it?
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Post by scallen on Nov 8, 2013 4:24:31 GMT -5
Thanks for your answer, Shawn. If we would create a full featured release with box, manual, and cartridge, would you provide your ROM image for free, then? Or how much would you charge for providing it? damn, i thought i just replied but must have neglected to click "create post" - damn 21 hour day i'd be interested in hearing from anyone with time/experience to work together to produce a "full featured" release - say a limited run of 50? - if there is enough interest i'd be fine covering additional production costs and taking care of sales/shipping too. ideally i'd like to recoup the cost of the chip as well as any outlay of production costs on my end, or anyone else's end, and hopefully break even on the project. once the cart has been released/sold out i'd be fine with making the BIN public and adding it to any future multi cart releases thanks shawn
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Post by 50tbrd on Nov 8, 2013 13:49:22 GMT -5
I don't think that 100 is too lofty a goal for a physical release.
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Post by scallen on Nov 8, 2013 16:17:32 GMT -5
I don't think that 100 is too lofty a goal for a physical release. really? what was the run on Cube Quest? or the 3D homebrews? (ie less accessible games) there aren't any lightpen homebrews are there? ...and is there a CGE in 2014?
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Post by 50tbrd on Nov 8, 2013 16:27:30 GMT -5
Cube Quest - 250, Pitchers Duel - 100, 3D Sector X - 100, 3D Lord of the Robots 100.
There has never been a light pen homebrew, there has only ever been 3 "games" released for the light pen period, Mail Plane would be the 4th.
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