RGVAC FAQ Revision: 1.4
- From: "Don" <don@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 12 May 2006 13:57:32 -0700
Frequently Asked Questions
rec.games.video.arcade.collecting
$Revision: 1.4 $ $Date: 2006/6/07 16:55:09 $
This is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for the Usenet
newsgroup rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (hereafter
abbreviated to rgva.collecting)
This FAQ is posted every 30 days and the current copy should be
considered to supersede all previous postings.
This FAQ was developed by Tony Jones, and reviewed by Doug Jefferys
and Steve Ozdemir. This document (and all previous versions) is
copyright and may only be reproduced (either in whole or part)
with the express written consent of the author.
Information about UK sources and European TV/monitor specifications
was kindly provided by John Keay.
This document has been designed for viewing on an 80 column display.
Comments and suggestions for improvement welcomed. Send email
to don@arcadeguy[DOT]com (please replace [DOT] with a period)
Index of Items
--------------
> indicates a change since the last revision of the FAQ
* indicates new information
*1. What is rgva.collecting?
*2. Guidelines to posting to rgva.collecting
*3. Answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs)
*4. Other related FAQs
5. Further sources of information
*6. Some commonly used terms and acronyms.
1) What is rgva.collecting?
rgva.collecting is a forum for discussion related to the COLLECTING
of ARCADE VIDEO GAMES. The main topics of discussion are how to
purchase games from operators and auctions, technical discussions of
game hardware, issues relating to the maintenance/repair of games,
and game conversion, which is the process of converting or
augmenting
an existing game to play one or more additional games.
Postings advertising items FOR SALE, AUCTION or items WANTED may not
be posted to rgva.collecting, they instead must be posted to
'rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace' (rgva.marketplace).
Discussion of all games (including those currently in the arcades)
is welcome on rgva.collecting, as long as the discussion is directly
related to collecting (as defined above).
Postings relating to arcade game play, game history, game features
and game advocacy (the various merits of one arcade game over
another)
should be directed to the parent group, rec.games.video.arcade
(rgva),
unless a clear link to collecting can be made.
Please do not post discussing home/pc versions of arcade games.
Instead post to a more appropriate group,
such as 'rec.games.video.classic' or 'comp.sys.<machine>.games'.
1.1) History of rgva.collecting
The initial "request for discussion" for the formation of
rgva.collecting was issued on Wednesday October 20th 1993 by Tony
Jones. Voting began on Wednesday November 24th. With help from
Steve Ozdemir who rallied the VAPS membership, the newsgroup
came into being on Wednesday December 22nd having passed the
newgroup creation process 4 days earlier by a vote of 165 to 16.
In the early days of the newsgroup, traffic was in the low
tens of articles per day, rising by 1996 to around 100 articles
per day.
In August 1997, Steve Ozdemir organised a vote to split
Forsale/Wanted (so called 'marketplace') traffic out of
rgva.collecting into a new newsgroup rgva.marketplace.
This new group came into effect on the 1st of October 1997,
having passed it's vote by a majority of 5 to 1.
2) Guidelines to posting to rgva.collecting.
rgva.collecting is a Usenet group, no different from any other.
As such, most if not all of the usual guidelines for posting
articles apply.
Remember that before posting to rgva.collecting you should already
be familiar with the posting conventions and guidelines that are
posted
periodically to the newsgroup "news.announce.newusers". If you
cannot find these guidelines by reading the group, wait a while
and a copy *will* be posted, or try asking fellow users or the
system administrators at your site for a copy.
In addition, newcomers are strongly advised to read rgva.collecting
for at least a few weeks (at a minimum, have read this FAQ) before
posting for the first time.
You are, of course, free to ignore all of this advice. You should,
however, remember that your postings reflect upon yourself. If you
choose to pursue collecting video games further, you may be dealing
with people who read your postings, and first impressions can often
be lasting.
3) Answers to some frequently asked questions:
3.1) -- I want to buy and sell games and game parts by advertising on
rgva.collecting, are there any tips?
These types of postings are no longer allowed on rgva.collecting.
In October 1997, a new group rgva.marketplace dedicated to this
type of posting was created.
See the FAQ for rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace for more
details.
3.1b) -- OK, but if I post to rgva.marketplace, then I can also
crosspost my
Forsale/Wanted/Auction posting to rgva.collecting. Right?
Wrong. No posting of 'marketplace' items to rgva.collecting,
whether directly or via crossposting.
3.2) -- Somebody told me that this group is only for 'classic' games
such as Tempest. Is this really true?
-- I just bought a Primal Rage, can I post about it on
rgva.collecting?
The charter of rgva.collecting (which was voted upon) states:
"rec.games.video.arcade.collecting will be open to all games,
including those currently popular in the arcades, provided the
discussion is collection, rather than gameplay related".
If you hear someone say that rgva.collecting is really only for
'classic' games, you can safely ignore them.
3.3) -- How can I get the list of moves for the game "latest&greatest"?
-- I was playing "punch&kick" last night and this happened, has
anyone else ever seen it?
-- Does anyone know of an arcade which has the game "old&dated"?
-- My favourite arcade game is "classic". What is yours?
-- What is your highest score on Tempest?
Please don't post these questions to rgva.collecting. These are
"gameplay"-related questions; they belong in
rec.games.video.arcade.
3.4) -- There is supposed to be this 'cool' PD version of Tempest for
the Macintosh. Can anyone tell me where the ftp site is?
-- What good versions of arcade games exist for home machines?
These are home/pc related questions; they belong in
rec.games.video.classic or comp.sys.<machine>.games
3.5) -- I'm new to collecting, someone is offering me a PacMan for
$900.
He says it is a 'classic', it's 'hard to find' and he regularly
sells them at this price. Is this really a fair deal?
-- I have a Asteroids I'm looking to sell. Someone told me he had
heard of a friend who had sold one for $1000. I should be able
to
sell mine for the same - right?
Most rgva.collecting readers would consider $300-$400 a fair price
for one of the above machines in good condition.
Paying significantly more for the above is an example of the
phenomenon known as "Greater Fool Theory" (GFT) which Jim Grove
described as follows in a posting to rgva.collecting:
"This is the sort of thing you will see if video arcade game
collecting gets a 'guide book'. The idiot that develops the
guide book will take the claim that someone has sold a
game for $800-900 and has heard that people sell them as
high as $1200. The next issue of the guide has the game
listed at $1200. People then become consumed by GFT. The
comic book, BB and Dutch tulip markets all operate under
the GFT."
Basically, if GFT prevails, real collectors will find it much
harder to own their favourite arcade machines. Something for
you as a collector to consider next time you sell a game!
There is however a flip side. There are several games which had
production runs in the low hundreds (PacMan was produced in
the tens of thousands) for which $1000 would be considered
the 'going rate' by many collectors. Finally there are
'prototype' games which may never have been released
for which only one or two may exist.
A good way to get a feeling for what games are worth is to read
rgva.marketplace for several months.
3.6) -- I want to buy the game "myfavourite", what can I do?
First, do some research before posting. You'll learn a lot in the
process. The knowledge in this FAQ, for instance, came from doing
the same kind of research.
Games can be bought from four main sources:
a) ...from operators,
Operators are the people who provide the games you see in
arcades and movie theatres. Older games cease to make
money, and often get "warehoused". The "Amusement Devices"
section of your Yellow Pages is the best place to find a
list of operators. Many operators also place stickers
with their name and phone number on games they operate.
You can also try asking the people who work at the local
arcade where they get their games.
Often dealers who specialize in "Home Sales" will advertize
alongside operators in the Yellow Pages. Usually their prices
are far higher than those of a true operator, so it pays to
shop around.
A cool head and "don't appear too eager" are the keys to
getting a good price. Visiting in person combined with a
degree of "disinterest" towards the games present, rather
than telephoning to ask "do you have game X" almost
always results in a better deal.
There is a detailed FAQ available on buying machines from an
operator; you should probably read this before you start
hunting.
Check section 4 of this FAQ for details on where to find it.
b) ...from auctions,
Auctions are held periodically around the country. These are
where operators sell their surplus games, either to other
operators or to collectors such as yourself. You can find
out about auctions in your area by reading rgva.collecting,
by checking a "Miscellaneous Games" section in your local
paper or by asking a few operators in your area (since they
may be selling games at the auction, you may recieve
a rare showing of helpfulness)
If you live in the USA, you might want to consider obtaining a
copy of one of the following trade magazines (Replay is
probably the most popular - single issues of Replay are
available for $6 each)
Replay Magazine Play Meter Magazine Vending Times
PO Box 2550 6600 Fleur de Lis 1375 Broadway
Woodland Hills PO Box 24970 New York
CA 91365 New Orleans LA 70184 NY 10018
(818) 347-3820 (504) 488-7003 (212) 302-4700
(818) 347-2112 (fax) (504) 488-7083 (fax) (212) 221-3311
(fax)
www.replaymag.com PlayMe...@xxxxxxx
Readers from the United Kingdom, can subscribe to "Coin Slot"
(beginning July 15th it will be available by seperate
subscription only):
Worlds Fair
PO Box 54
Desborough
Northants
NN14 2UH
01536 763466
01536 760306 (fax)
There is a detailed FAQ available on buying machines from an
auction; you should probably read this before you start
hunting.
Check section 4 of this FAQ for details on where to find it.
c) ...from ads in your local paper,
Most papers have a "Miscellaneous Games" or equivalent section
in the classifieds. Prices are often artificially high, as the
sellers are hoping to find "gullible" first time buyers. This
does not, however, prevent you, as an informed buyer, from
haggling the price back down. Often the sellers will be the
same people as the dealers listed above who specialize in
"Home Sales".
d) ...or from the net!
Check out the newsgroup 'rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace'
and it's associated FAQ for more details..
Please do not post Forsale, Auction and Wanted postings to
rgva.collecting.
3.7) -- How much does a game cost?
How much money do you have?
Brand-new games can cost $2500 and up. A typical old game will go
for $100-$200 in decent condition, and old, broken games (which
*may* be trivial to fix!) can go all the way down to $25.
Experienced collectors often find it cheaper to buy a game circuit
board and adapt it into an existing cabinet, rather than buying
the complete game. It's cheaper, and it also saves a lot of
space.
Most boards generally sell for between $5-$25 "as-is" in a bulk
deal
with an operator and for $30-100 guaranteed from rgva.marketplace.
3.8) -- I have the game "earlygame" and someone just gave me the board
for the game "latergame". Can I use this board somehow?
-- I want all these games, but I don't have room for this many
cabinets! What can I do?
This is generally referred to as "conversion", the process of
taking a new game (usually just the circuit board) and
installing it into the cabinet from an older game.
This is perhaps the most complex subject for video game
collectors. Fortunately, there is a detailed FAQ dedicated
to the topic; you will likely want to read this before you
start brandishing your soldering iron. Check section 4 of
this FAQ for details on where to find it.
3.9) -- I just bought a game, but there is no documentation, can
someone send me some?
Don't expect rgva.collecting readers to answer your post until
you've checked the sources of information outlined below and in
section
5.
If the information you are looking for is not present in the
archives, information on how to locate the manufacturer should
be, and they are often willing to supply documentation for
around $10-15 per game.
If that doesn't work, your local operator will often have filing
cabinets full of documentation. Sometimes they will let you leave
a deposit and borrow some. Develop a relationship with your local
operator(s); it can really pay off when the game's manufacturer
has gone out of business or discontinued support.
If you locate some documentation which was not in the archives,
*PLEASE* take the time to type in some useful sections and make
it available to the rest of us! (see section 5.1 for details).
3.10) -- Where can I buy parts for my game?
Call the operators listed in the "Amusement Devices" section of
your Yellow Pages and find out who your local distributor is.
They'll be able to help you (for a price). You can also try
operators for spare parts -- if the game is old and they have
spares, the price can often be quite a bit cheaper.
Failing this, see section 5 for help in finding the addresses of
parts suppliers.
3.11) -- Can I hook an arcade game board up to a TV or computer
monitor?
To a first approximation the answer is yes. Most game boards
produce an analog RGB signals and a sync signal (or 2).
These signals can be fed directly into the SCART port on a
European TV. If the TV doesn't have a SCART port then the
RGB signals would
have to be fed into a box of tricks that converts from RGB to
NTSC/PAL and modulates the signal so it can be plugged into the
UHF input of a TV. These convertors are available commercially.
Most computer monitors with analog RGB inputs will happily display
game board signals. A few more modern monitors have difficulty
synchronizing down to the low-resolution scan rates used by all
but a handful of video boards. Monitors that are easy to use
include Commodore 1080, 1084 and 1084S monitors.
4) Other related FAQs:
The following additional FAQs are available. See section 5 for
information on where they can be found:
Addresses FAQ
Addresses and telephone numbers for game manufacturers and
parts suppliers.
Buying from an Auction FAQ
How to buy a game from an auction
Buying from an Operator FAQ
How to buy a game from an operator
Conversion FAQ
How to convert "game A" to "game B"
How to make "board A" play "game B/C/etc."
How to run "boards A/B/C" in the same cabinet
rgva.marketplace FAQ
How to buy, sell and auction items on the marketplace newsgroup.
5) Further sources of information:
It's a good idea to exhaust these sources of information before you
post a question. Readers are much more likely to answer a post when
it is clear that the poster has already put in some effort
themselves.
5.1) FTP archives:
The rgva.collecting anonymous FTP archive is kindly provided
by http://www.cityofberwyn.com/
Additions/corrections to the archive are welcome, especially
information about pinouts and switch settings.
The following information is available via FTP in the "arcade"
directory. In each directory, there is a README file containing
further instructions.
CPDist:
- an archive of postings to rgva.collecting from CP Distributing
(see addresses FAQ), includes 'usa2.zip' an auction price guide.
RFromm:
- an archive of postings to rgva.collecting from Randy Fromm
(longtime technical contributor to PlayMeter magazine).
An index is available as 'RFromm/index.txt'. See section
5.2 for a pointer to Randy's home page.
boardPinouts:
- a directory containing pinout info for various games
gameList:
- a directory containing the List of Video Games
incoming:
- a directory where you can leave additions. If you want to leave
something, please send email to "don@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
documenting what you want to leave - THANKS!
info:
- a directory containing informational files - mainly other FAQ's,
the following 5 files are a sample of the information available:
info/FAQ.addresses:
- the also Addresses FAQ (game manufacturers and parts
suppliers)
info/FAQ.game.buying:
- the Buying from an Operator FAQ
info/FAQ.game.auctions:
- the Buying from an Auction FAQ
info/VAPSlistMMMYY:
- the VAPS membership list for month "MMM", year "YY"
info/pinoutinfo.lst:
- a list of available pinout and dip switch information
conversion:
- a directory containing conversion information for various games
conversion/Conversion_FAQ_v?.?
- the Conversion FAQ, detailing how to convert games (see
section 4)
repairHints:
- a directory containing some common repair tips
switchSettings:
- a directory containing dip switch setting info for various games
5.2) World Wide Web (WWW) pages:
The following WWW pages cover arcade game collecting, or provide
information that may be useful for collectors (for a more complete
list, see the "Classic Video Games Nexus"). Several commercial
companies
(parts suppliers etc.) also have home pages. For these URLs, see
the ddresses FAQ (section 4).
To access a WWW server, you will need a WWW browser such as
Netscape or Internet Explorer and a full Internet connection.
If you have questions regarding the WWW (what it is, how to use
it etc.) PLEASE do not post to rgva.collecting. Instead try
asking your local site administrator, or subscribe to the
USENET newsgroup 'comp.infosystems.www'.
If you would like your page listed here or have
corrections/comments please send me mail.
The RGVAC homepage
URL http://www.rgvac.org
The spies.com archive (see section 5.1 for details):
URL http://www.cityofberwyn.com/
Although other Web sites may have HTMLized versions of the FAQs
The VAPS home page:
URL http://www.vaps.org/
The home page for the Video Arcade Preservation Society (VAPS).
Classic Video Games Nexus home page:
URL http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/cvg/nexus/
Killer List Of video games
URL http://www.klov.com/
The Great Game Database
URL http://www.ggdb.com/ggdb/default.asp
Probably the most complete set of arcade related WWW links.
The Virtual Coin-Op Museum:
URL http://www.coinop.org
On-line museum for Coin-Operated Arcade Games.
Currently also houses Steven Ryner's Classic Arcade Games page
and steven's writeup of his visit to the National Coin-Op
and Video Game Museum, located in St. Louis, Missouri,
"The Atari Arcade Game Page" by Jess Askey:
URL http://www.gamearchive.com/
Many products, services and manuals available at:
http://www.mikesarcade.com/
Intersesting point to start for artwork, the dead battery society,
screen shots and "how to" section:
http://arcadecollecting.com/
Jess Askey's Arcade Games Page:
URL http://arcadegames.miningco.com
As if keeping the "Atari Arcade Game Page" upto date wasn't
enough work, Jess also maintains this site which he describes
as a "good resource for beginners". Additions and suggestions
for the page are welcome.
Sean Riddle's Williams Arcade Games home page:
URL http://members.cox.net/seanriddle/
Lots of useful tips for anyone who owns or dreams of owning
a Williams Electronics video game.
E-glide's game description pages:
Defender, Joust and Robotron:
URL
http://www.sinistar.com/williams.html
Randy Fromm's home page:
URL http://randyfromm.com
Variety of tech tips from Randy's many years as a contributor
to Playmeter magazine. Also, many other arcade related links
also,
primarily industry related.
Online Yellow Pages:
URL http://www.telephonebook.com
URL http://yp.gte.net
Yellow pages for the entire US. Search by category, using
a keyword such as 'amusement'.
5.3) Network information services
Many network providers maintain online databases containing
addresses and telephone numbers of various organizations.
Querying these databases can be an easy way to find an address.
For the Internet, AT&T operates "internic.net", the Internet
Network Information Center. There is a telnet interface, allowing
interactive queries. Most entries also list an email address.
As is the case with all databases, the information you get
out is only as useful as the search criteria you provide.
EXAMPLE:
(In the following transcript, "..." indicates lines deleted.
You would see additional output if you were following the
example yourself.)
$ telnet internic.net
Trying 198.41.0.5...
Connected to internic.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
...
[<term_type>] InterNIC > wais sega
Search Response:
NumberOfRecordsReturned: 14
1: Score: 1000, lines: 17 'Sega of America (SEGAOA-DOM) ...
...
14: Score: 1000, lines: 13 'Sega of America Inc.
(NETBLK-SEGAOA) ...
View document number [type 0 or q to quit]: 1
...
6) Commonly used terms and acronyms:
"conversion"
- Usually used in the context of the type of game/cabinet.
Indicates that an existing cabinet was modified in the field
to play a new game. This is usually achieved by the operator
purchasing a "conversion kit". See also "dedicated".
"dedicated"
- Usually used in the context of the type of game/cabinet.
Indicates that the game is in it's original factory cabinet.
Some games were released in dedicated factory versions and also
as conversion kits. The dedicated version is usually more
valuable to collectors. See also "conversion".
"edge connector"
- The large connector(s) that link the wiring harness to the game's
circuit board(s).
"flyback"
- A step-up transformer used to provide the high-voltage (10-20kV)
supply required by a monitor.
"pinouts"
- A description of the purpose of each of the pins on a game's edge
connector. Can also be used to describe the purpose of all the
wires in a game's wiring harness.
"raster", "raster-scan"
- The most popular method of displaying an image on a monitor. An
an electron beam "scans" horizontal lines down the screen - just
like your TV set at home.
"reproduction".
- When used in regard to replacement control panel overlays a
reproduction is either 'Willis' style (which were produced
around the same time as the game) capturing the essence of
the NOS version while being graphically different to avoid
copyright infringement, or more recently, a reasonably
exact copy of the NOS. See also "NOS".
"sync", "composite sync", "separate sync"
- the synchronization signal(s) used by raster monitors to control
the movement of the electron beam. "Sync" comes in two main
flavors:
composite and separate. Separate sync has two separate signals
for horizontal and vertical synchronization, and composite sync is
a combination of horizontal and vertical sync onto one wire.
Some manufacturers also invert the signal; if a board produces
the wrong flavor of sync for your monitor, you'll need to hack
around before you can play it.
"wiring harness"
- An assembly of wires and connecting terminals that connects the
controls, power supply, the monitor, speakers, coin door, and
circuit board(s) together to form a complete video game.
"DIP switch", "switch"
- A small set of switches (usually 8) in an inline package.
Most often mounted onto the circuit board, used to alter
game parameters (# of lives, difficulty level, etc.)
"EAROM", "NOVRAM"
- "Electronically-Alterable ROM", and "Non-Volatile RAM". These
are forms of memory that are preserved when the power is shut
down, but can be modified on the fly. Often used to store things
like "all-time high scores" and game accounting information.
"KLOV"
- The "Killer List Of Videogames", a fairly complete list of
all the arcade games ever made.
"GGDB"
- The "Great Game DataBase", a fairly complete list of
all the arcade games ever made.
"LD"
- LaserDisc. Dragon's Lair is an example of an "LD game".
"NOS"
- New Old Stock. A term primarily used to describe replacement game
artwork (side decals and control panel overlays) which are unused
original manufacturer versions.
See also "reproduction".
"NTSC"
- NTSC is the video signal standard used by U.S (et. al.) TVs and
video recorders.
"PAL"
- PAL is the video signal standard used by British (et. al.) TVs
and video recorders.
"RGB"
- Red/Green/Blue, referring to a color monitor that has separate
inputs controlling each of the 3 color guns.
"RAM"
- Random Access Memory, used to store temporary things like your
score, the positions of the enemies on the screen, and so on.
Data stored in RAM vanishes when the power is removed.
"RGVA"
- rec.games.video.arcade, the parent newsgroup - the proper place
for gameplay questions.
"RGVAC", "rgva.collecting"
- rec.games.video.arcade.collecting, this group
"RGVAM", "rgva.marketplace"
- rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace, the newsgroup dedicated to
buying and selling arcade video games and parts.
"ROM"
- Read Only Memory, used to store the code for the game. When
power is removed, the data remains (unlike RAM)
"SCART"
- SCART is a European standard port fitted to almost all modern
(European) TVs, VCRs, satellite decoders, video cameras, etc etc.
amongst other inputs it has analog RGB inputs compatible to
those produced by game boards.
"VAPS"
- The "Video Arcade Preservation Society", a list of all the game
owners on the net, and their respective collections. Additions and
corrections are welcome by email to Kevin Ruddy (kee...@xxxxxxxx)
"X-Y", "Vector", "Vector-scan"
- A type of game monitor where the electron beam moves in straight
lines which can start and end anywhere on the screen. The last
vector games were made in 1984-1985. Examples of this type of
game include Battlezone, Tempest, and Star Wars.
Please send correction/updates to don@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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