Then where do they frequent to get their games?
Bouncer Arcade
- Thread starter ParrotHead
- Start date
Then where do they frequent to get their games?
Technopope
New member
Beside the obvious reason that it wouldn't be Bouncer, there are not enough facts known about the gameplay to re-create it. There are no videos of it playing and only a few photos of the screen. Anyone who claims to have played it only has a vague recollection of what it was like. Anything made would be based on imagination, and not be Bouncer.
It is a true rarity, a game known to have been made, displayed at shows, location tested and even put into a (truly awful) movie as a prop. At least six upright cabinets were made, plus a cocktail model. None are known to exist currently.
ballytablewiz
Well-known member
Ug, fine. Since you're all search-handicapped...
There was a thread some 10 years ago here that a member claimed to know where one lived (in the hands of a collector). That is the one noted on the site as being asked for a cabinet photo that was never received.
And on the topic of porting/re-creating it, there was a website (I can't locate now) I was reading last year or so that was about the game being ported to iOS or Flash or something. Animated banners and such, it was pretty pro and sounded legit, maybe even had old ES guys working on it IIRC. Someone can pick up where I'm leaving you and relocate it.
There was a thread some 10 years ago here that a member claimed to know where one lived (in the hands of a collector). That is the one noted on the site as being asked for a cabinet photo that was never received.
And on the topic of porting/re-creating it, there was a website (I can't locate now) I was reading last year or so that was about the game being ported to iOS or Flash or something. Animated banners and such, it was pretty pro and sounded legit, maybe even had old ES guys working on it IIRC. Someone can pick up where I'm leaving you and relocate it.
Technopope
New member
A guy says this, I remember that... Many claims but no proofs. Until someone *actually* come up with something, this game shall remain an enigma.
Robotron Jon
Well-known member
A number of them built up their collections before KLOV or even the internet existed.
I've met a couple of people in CA with huge collections of rare machines and they are never on KLOV.
turbosub2005
New member
Was reading through the thread and thought I would clarify a few points.
1) There we more than 20 cabinets made at one time, almost all of these were stripped of parts to make the initial run of Turbo Subs
2) I have video and audio of the game play from Entertainment Sciences internal videos, I will be sharing it in the near future
3) I am postive that at least (4) complete cabinets exist, what state they are in is unknown
4) Numberous attempts have been made to "collector" that claims to have it, I was told the game was not working, I offered to assist with parts, schematics,
and technical support from former employees of Entertainment Sciences. So to me this indicates they were just blowing smoke. I could be wrong.
5) If someone is making a 'mobile' version of the application, it is most likely not some one from Entertainment Sciences. I've mananged to talk with almost every
former employee at Entertainment Sciences, and it's not something they are working on.
6) Another collector claims to have "EEPROM"s for Bouncer on a disc, he's been too busy for the last 8 years to look. So again like #4.
7) The person posting on craigslist looking for 'Bouncer' is not me, but they are using images from my website
I will soon be updating my website to make the search a more collaborative effort. I will be releasing an archive of hundreds of emails, and other research which has been done to date. Every year that goes by, the better the change the images will be lost to bit-rot, if they haven't already .
-Chris
1) There we more than 20 cabinets made at one time, almost all of these were stripped of parts to make the initial run of Turbo Subs
2) I have video and audio of the game play from Entertainment Sciences internal videos, I will be sharing it in the near future
3) I am postive that at least (4) complete cabinets exist, what state they are in is unknown
4) Numberous attempts have been made to "collector" that claims to have it, I was told the game was not working, I offered to assist with parts, schematics,
and technical support from former employees of Entertainment Sciences. So to me this indicates they were just blowing smoke. I could be wrong.
5) If someone is making a 'mobile' version of the application, it is most likely not some one from Entertainment Sciences. I've mananged to talk with almost every
former employee at Entertainment Sciences, and it's not something they are working on.
6) Another collector claims to have "EEPROM"s for Bouncer on a disc, he's been too busy for the last 8 years to look. So again like #4.
7) The person posting on craigslist looking for 'Bouncer' is not me, but they are using images from my website
I will soon be updating my website to make the search a more collaborative effort. I will be releasing an archive of hundreds of emails, and other research which has been done to date. Every year that goes by, the better the change the images will be lost to bit-rot, if they haven't already
. -Chris
Tornadoboy
Well-known member
Was reading through the thread and thought I would clarify a few points.
1) There we more than 20 cabinets made at one time, almost all of these were stripped of parts to make the initial run of Turbo Subs
2) I have video and audio of the game play from Entertainment Sciences internal videos, I will be sharing it in the near future
3) I am postive that at least (4) complete cabinets exist, what state they are in is unknown
4) Numberous attempts have been made to "collector" that claims to have it, I was told the game was not working, I offered to assist with parts, schematics,
and technical support from former employees of Entertainment Sciences. So to me this indicates they were just blowing smoke. I could be wrong.
5) If someone is making a 'mobile' version of the application, it is most likely not some one from Entertainment Sciences. I've mananged to talk with almost every
former employee at Entertainment Sciences, and it's not something they are working on.
6) Another collector claims to have "EEPROM"s for Bouncer on a disc, he's been too busy for the last 8 years to look. So again like #4.
7) The person posting on craigslist looking for 'Bouncer' is not me, but they are using images from my website
I will soon be updating my website to make the search a more collaborative effort. I will be releasing an archive of hundreds of emails, and other research which has been done to date. Every year that goes by, the better the change the images will be lost to bit-rot, if they haven't already
-Chris
Awesome! I applaud your efforts!
That would be outstanding - and offer some consolation if the code itself ends up being lost forever.
Tornadoboy
Well-known member
This might be the mobile Bouncer game that people have been talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhpnllVB47A
Doesn't look like it has anything to do with the arcade game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhpnllVB47A
Doesn't look like it has anything to do with the arcade game.
ballytablewiz
Well-known member
Nope, not what I saw. The site I looked at featured the actual character cel animation from the arcade game. I wish I could find it again but it's too far back in time for my cache. Must have been over a year ago and now I wonder if the site/project even exists anymore, since I can't Goog-Fu it now.
turbosub2005
New member
That is interesting. More than likely they are not using the original animation cells. The cells were distributed to several people and most have been lost over the years. If this application is under development the characters are most likely modeled as it is more practical with modern development.
Would love to see this link if you come across it.
1500points
New member
After discovering that the Bouncer info is all over the place, I made a little compilation of the various talk on the net.
Being one of the only non-industry video game players who actually played it at the AMOA show, figured it was a proper thing to compile.
From the interview on the main site, looks like it is unlikely anything substantial will ever be found since most stuff hit the dump. And anything left in New Orleans storage would have been beat up by Katrina....
http://www.robotron2084guidebook.com/home/games/bouncer_arcade_machine_1983/
Being one of the only non-industry video game players who actually played it at the AMOA show, figured it was a proper thing to compile.
From the interview on the main site, looks like it is unlikely anything substantial will ever be found since most stuff hit the dump. And anything left in New Orleans storage would have been beat up by Katrina....
http://www.robotron2084guidebook.com/home/games/bouncer_arcade_machine_1983/
Great job pulling everything together. Like you and probably many others here, I've also scoured the internet for any information and run across much of what you've consolidated.
The work and research done by Chris is incredible; especially tracking down so many past ES employees and getting interviews. I've read through the site many times now; it is such an interesting, sad story. While I'm hopeful one might be found, I think I just don't believe it.
I do wonder became of the boards in the Tempest cabinet that Gene had. They could certainly be sitting in a box somewhere if the game was converted back, but there's a good chance they were thrown out. I wonder if it would even be identifiable if some SoCal collector ran across it someday.
Also, if it is out there, my money is on Kalan to find it. You'll just see a KLOV post titled: "Picked this up", and a picture of it in his truck…
The work and research done by Chris is incredible; especially tracking down so many past ES employees and getting interviews. I've read through the site many times now; it is such an interesting, sad story. While I'm hopeful one might be found, I think I just don't believe it.
I do wonder became of the boards in the Tempest cabinet that Gene had. They could certainly be sitting in a box somewhere if the game was converted back, but there's a good chance they were thrown out. I wonder if it would even be identifiable if some SoCal collector ran across it someday.
Also, if it is out there, my money is on Kalan to find it. You'll just see a KLOV post titled: "Picked this up", and a picture of it in his truck…
1500points
New member
I tried to find the kalan link but didn't find what you were referencing.
the address info and expo layout were new as I got them from my Replay mag.
So it is partially true in the info from the company that they had a less than perfect location, but it is NOT true that the laser factor was involved in their demise. The laser stuff was lackluster and not greatly received at the show. There were neat games, but everyone had a sense that it was a bit conflagrated or discombobulated technology. Firefox, etc. Star Riders was an exception that wowed everyone but had a lot to do with the presentation and outstanding sounds. It was immersive but no golden classic.
Dragon's Lair set the bar so high that nothing at the show could even come close.
Space Ace debuted to the industry at that next spring show in Chicago didn't even live up to DL.
There was a lot of crap at that show in general.
the address info and expo layout were new as I got them from my Replay mag.
So it is partially true in the info from the company that they had a less than perfect location, but it is NOT true that the laser factor was involved in their demise. The laser stuff was lackluster and not greatly received at the show. There were neat games, but everyone had a sense that it was a bit conflagrated or discombobulated technology. Firefox, etc. Star Riders was an exception that wowed everyone but had a lot to do with the presentation and outstanding sounds. It was immersive but no golden classic.
Dragon's Lair set the bar so high that nothing at the show could even come close.
Space Ace debuted to the industry at that next spring show in Chicago didn't even live up to DL.
There was a lot of crap at that show in general.
Robotron Jon
Well-known member
Per Gene, the guy he sold it to was not a collector and did not own any other games at the time - this person bought it for the Tempest cabinet and planned on converting it back to Tempest. The buyer did not have any experience doing that kind of thing, so he might have never deconverted the game, or tore it apart and never finished, or did convert the game and then did something with the Bouncer boards - tossed them out or they are still sitting somewhere. Gene never heard from the guy again so it's hard to say whatever became of the machine or boards.
Also, the person who bought it lived in the area near Gene's shop in Glendale - possibly in Burbank.
danreedphoto
Well-known member
Someone who REALLY wanted to find it could try rallying the local news, CL and such and put out a reward for the boards or information leading to the recovery. But, that's a shitload of work for a low % chance of results. But, who knows.
Why would Gene EVER sell something like that to THAT type of customer?
Seriously.
Robotron Jon
Well-known member
It was at a time when the empty cabinet was worth good money apparently.
As I recall, Gene also said that the buyer was on RGVAC at the time, looking for Tempest parts for the deconversion. I have looked through the archives of RGVAC and could not find anything that seemed to match. The person would probably be long gone from there anyway and probably could not be identified by their user name. There are still people posting on RGVAC to this day...
