Quote Originally Posted by stonic View Post
If you're only considering games sold on retail shelves as being 'official releases' then you're excluding games only available through mail order (via catalogs, magazine ads, promotions, etc.). For example, VCS Crazy Climber was never available in stores - only through Atari's own in-house magazine. Does that make it any less an official release? Perhaps Bingo was released in a similar fashion, which might explain why there are so few around.
That definition is too narrow. There have been several games released for modern consoles that were on-line or mail order retailer exclusives. The one I think is the best example is Daytona USA for the Netlink. That was only available by calling Sega Parts. It was nonetheless an official release. Of course, most of the Telegames batch of Jaguar games were pretty much mail order only (although copies were purchased and sold by a few other Atari vendors) and I don't know of any physical brick and mortar store that actually stocked them. It would also exclude games from the classic era that were mail order only as you mentioned. Is Chase the Chuckwagon an unofficial release because it was only available as a mail away premium? Seriously, you need to give this fight up. Bingo is official, end of story.