loose Atari game sells for $10,000 "Red Sea Crossing"

[mailman187666]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/10/holy-grail-of-atari-games-sells-for-10000

So apperently this game wasn't know to even exist until recently. It was an Atari bible game from 1983. Does that mean we have a new R10 for the rarity guide to add in?

[tom]

Yep, it's up there with Birthday Mania, Air Raid, Extra Terrestrials, Gamma Attack, Hangman grey label and SongMate.

[rewindtimegames]

Another copy has popped up on eBay.

[treismac]

Not that I'm doubting the authenticity of this recent find, but I do wonder how doable it would be to create a new 2600 game, produce a few pre-weathered cartridges, scatter them across the country, "find" them along with a few other co-conspirators, and then make a healthy profit.

[Bojay1997]

Another copy has popped up on eBay.

If you're following the drama over on Atari Age, the only reason the first copy went up for auction is because the second was found and the owner of the second began taking offers. There is also a lot of debate over the authenticity of the game to begin with and there are lots of conspiracy theories floating about this being a more recent creation.

[RCM]

If you're following the drama over on Atari Age, the only reason the first copy went up for auction is because the second was found and the owner of the second began taking offers. There is also a lot of debate over the authenticity of the game to begin with and there are lots of conspiracy theories floating about this being a more recent creation.

If the conspiracy theorists turn out to be correct it will be really unfortunate.

[TonyTheTiger]

Isn't that par for the course with the 2600? I figure people who are heavily invested in that system would be used to the untamed wild that it tends to be. Seems like most everything alluring about it stems from the chaos of uncertainty that you usually don't see as much in later consoles.

[Greg2600]

If the conspiracy theorists turn out to be correct it will be really unfortunate.

For one or two people. Wonder007 will likely get one of them.

[Bojay1997]

The new buyer of the GameGavel copy is already offering repros at $60 a pop.

[Gameguy]

So apperently this game wasn't know to even exist until recently.
It's funny how a game that wasn't known to exist suddenly has the original advertisments turn up when the creator couldn't remember what magazine they were published in. More is known about this cart's origin than Air Raid. I'm sure some people were aware it existed, just not anybody who cared.


The new buyer of the GameGavel copy is already offering repros at $60 a pop.
It would be funny if the copyright holder pops up to take them to court over this. Clearly there's some value and demand to this title now so it might be worth protecting.

[Bojay1997]

It's funny how a game that wasn't known to exist suddenly has the original advertisments turn up when the creator couldn't remember what magazine they were published in. More is known about this cart's origin than Air Raid. I'm sure some people were aware it existed, just not anybody who cared.


It would be funny if the copyright holder pops up to take them to court over this. Clearly there's some value and demand to this title now so it might be worth protecting.

The somewhat disturbing part is that the owner did actually pop up just before the auctions went live and told the person who interviewed him that he didn't want it released. I personally think the buyer should have respected that wish and the owner certainly could pursue legal action, although whether or not he will remains to be seen. I personally won't be buying a copy as I really think the rights of creators should be respected, even if it is 30 years after the fact. It's also pretty disgusting that the mods over at Atari Age are now censoring and deleting posts from anyone who questions the wisdom or morality of selling repros of something the creator specifically said he doesn't want released and which are clearly not licensed.

[Robocop2]

He also stated that he thinks he has a box of them in his storage somewhere. Now granted that he may never find it but the possibility of there being more out there is high. I know if something I made almost 30 years ago that hardly anyone bought was all of the sudden going for five figures, I'd kind of be proud...and go find my box of unsold carts too.
I don't personally doubt the authenticity of the game, that much is fairly proven with the scan of the mag advert that the programmer had in a religious mag back in the day and all.

It's an interesting part of gaming history when stuff like this turns up and seems to be more of a 2600 thing than any other system for obvious reasons but still interesting.


And where are people getting their posts deleted at AA? I haven't seen anything like that happen

[Bojay1997]

He also stated that he thinks he has a box of them in his storage somewhere. Now granted that he may never find it but the possibility of there being more out there is high. I know if something I made almost 30 years ago that hardly anyone bought was all of the sudden going for five figures, I'd kind of be proud...and go find my box of unsold carts too.
I don't personally doubt the authenticity of the game, that much is fairly proven with the scan of the mag advert that the programmer had in a religious mag back in the day and all.

It's an interesting part of gaming history when stuff like this turns up and seems to be more of a 2600 thing than any other system for obvious reasons but still interesting.


And where are people getting their posts deleted at AA? I haven't seen anything like that happen

There were several posts earlier that were critical of the fact that the buyer started selling copies before contacting the programmer that are now gone and CPUWiz said that he removed them.

[Robocop2]

I guess I wasn't aware of that I just know there has been a ton of chatter about the legality of in various threads there so it may have slipped under my radar then

[tom]

The second Red Sea Crossing sold for $14.000. Way to go, Atari games are the most valuable.

[Griking]

The new buyer of the GameGavel copy is already offering repros at $60 a pop.


So he sells 166 repos and makes his money back.

It would be kinda funny if it turned out that he was selling repos of a repo

[Greg2600]

http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2012/09/vineland_natives_stumble_upon.html

Local story.

[Drixxel]

http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2012/09/vineland_natives_stumble_upon.html

Local story.

It's certainly a cool happening for the store owners who realized they were sitting on something so significant, but I can't help but think how awesome it would have been to be a game collector stumbling upon this kind of thing on a random browse through that thrift shop. Haha, checking out its story on your phone in the store and attempting to contain yourself on the way to the till might be a real test of your acting skills.

[mailman187666]

It's certainly a cool happening for the store owners who realized they were sitting on something so significant, but I can't help but think how awesome it would have been to be a game collector stumbling upon this kind of thing on a random browse through that thrift shop. Haha, checking out its story on your phone in the store and attempting to contain yourself on the way to the till might be a real test of your acting skills.

no shit, I had a hard time acting when I found Swordquest Waterworld for $15 and Chase the Chuckwagon for $5. Wasn't much of a mark up on those when you think about it but what are the odds finding them in the wild for those prices.

[Badhornet]

no shit, I had a hard time acting when I found Swordquest Waterworld for $15 and Chase the Chuckwagon for $5. Wasn't much of a mark up on those when you think about it but what are the odds finding them in the wild for those prices.



Hey it happens. My biggest score was Music Machine for 25 cents several years ago. Was sitting in a barn (that advertised itself as a flea market) in the middle of nowhere.

[JSoup]

Not that I'm doubting the authenticity of this recent find, but I do wonder how doable it would be to create a new 2600 game, produce a few pre-weathered cartridges, scatter them across the country, "find" them along with a few other co-conspirators, and then make a healthy profit.

I don't imagine it would be very hard. It happens all the time in the book trade. Collector texts and first editions are faked all the time.

[chrd]

The second Red Sea Crossing sold for $14.000. Way to go, Atari games are the most valuable.

Wow, that means that cart costs more then my car. Not really sure if these kind of prices will last for the years to come...

Do people see these as an investment? Or do they consider this spare cash ;-|

I can mentally consider paying up to 150$ for a game I really, really want to play. How do you explain to your spouse you want to drop a few grand on an old (albeit rare) computer game?

[Bojay1997]

Wow, that means that cart costs more then my car. Not really sure if these kind of prices will last for the years to come...

Do people see these as an investment? Or do they consider this spare cash ;-|

I can mentally consider paying up to 150$ for a game I really, really want to play. How do you explain to your spouse you want to drop a few grand on an old (albeit rare) computer game?

This debate comes up all the time. Personally, I wouldn't spend more than a few hundred for a game ever and certainly not on what amounts to a homebrew from a previously unknown programmer where there is zero nostalgia value at all in owning it since most collectors only learned about it recently. Having said that, I think prices on some items will climb and others will fall, just like all collectibles. NES games seem really inflated right now, but there was a time when Atari stuff was as well. In 15-20 more years, we'll know for sure what has lasting value and what was just part of a bubble.

I've been watching Toy Hunter and Collection Intervention in the past few weeks and it is really becoming more clear to me than ever that there are tons of collectors out there, many of whom are willing to spend lots of money and rack up huge debts and essentially live a pretty restrictive lifestyle just to build their massive collections. I guess I was guilty of that when I was younger, but I am much more selective now and I feel like I have a pretty healthy relationship with collecting and that's why I can't ever see paying thousands of dollars for something that is "rare" but really has no sentimental or play value to me.

[Atarileaf]

^ Yea I agree. As a collector who is primarily into the Atari systems, items like Red Sea Crossing are an interesting curiosity but not one I'd spend any significant dollar amount on. Even $60 for a reproduction is too much IMO.

[badinsults]

What buying the repro means is that you are subsidizing their insane purchases. I don't think it is a good idea to encourage that.

[Greg2600]

What buying the repro means is that you are subsidizing their insane purchases. I don't think it is a good idea to encourage that.

Gonna take a ton of $60 repros to finance that purchase!

[Guy Bramsworth]

What buying the repro means is that you are subsidizing their insane purchases. I don't think it is a good idea to encourage that.

I think it makes sense when the person wants to release the ROM so it can be spread, but doesn't want to just hand it out for free after the effort and money involved to obtain whatever they have.

But yeah, reaping lots of profits and then some through repros I don't think is very good at all. Though I doubt he'll reach as much as this game sold for..

[JSoup]

What buying the repro means is that you are subsidizing their insane purchases. I don't think it is a good idea to encourage that.

I was actually wondering the other day if anyone had thought to simply but up a site collection for $60, gathering a $1 or so across 60 some odd people, specifically to buy one copy with the intent to dump the ROM so no one else will stupidly pay these jokers $60.

[Guy Bramsworth]

At $60 it's not even worth doing a fundraiser. Those things usually are only for the huge purchases like protos.

And the ROM really isn't out yet? Do they think they're respecting the guy profiting off the repros by not doing that? :)