Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on May 24, 2012.
These are the last eight individual orders, I just shipped them!
Thank you everyone for your support and your patience! This has been quite a project for the last five years!
Stay tuned for more Star Castle 2600 news in the coming days and weeks ;-)
Here are the 32 that went out a few weeks ago
Here are the 50 that went out yesterday
Here is a picture of what the shells look like before cleanup fresh out of the mold:
There are only 33 more Kickstarter orders to go! One of the molds is worn out and we are making a nice new fresh one for the final stretch which will lower our count this week but I hope to have all the Kickstarter cartridges shipped within two weeks! Thanks yet again for everyone's patience and kind words out on the internet!
D. Scott Williamson
We are happily continuing to work through this holiday season.
As of about an hour ago, 44 of the remaining 159 $50 pledge Star Castle 2600 cartridges have been shipped.
Put another way, 28% of the $50 orders have shipped which brings us to 71% of all Kickstarter orders overall.
It is also worth noting that at this time ALL international orders have been shipped.
Progress continues to be steady.
Here are some more production notes:
Sometimes the shells are not perfectly formed when cured because they have to be removed from the molds while still slightly soft and can take several hours to fully cure. I had been heating the few warped shells with a heat gun to straighten them out but found a much better way...
After trimming, grinding, drilling, and cleaning each shell half I clean them and then immerse them in extremely hot water. The water is well over 120 degrees, I discovered this when I destroyed my favorite alcohol based photography thermometer measuring the temperature. Here are around 40 cartridge halves.
This softens the shells and then when laid out together on a flat true surface they all end up perfectly flat and square. Here you can see a soft cartridge back and cool re-formed halves in the background to the right.
When heated this way they are a soft as undercooked pasta and can be manipulated but cool to their corrected rigid form quickly and easily.
I've decided that cutting the cartridge pins ("lollypops") from sheet acrylic is faster and produces a far better part than casting so that is how the remainder will be made. Here is a batch of 39 being set free from the bulk sheet material.
Lollypops with sprinkles!
Here is a $50 pledge Star Castle 2600 cartridge and CD ready to ship
These orders are going all over the world, that's pretty exciting!
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
D. Scott Williamson
Last night I shipped the last of the $100 orders, only $50 orders remain and production is going smoothly.
59% of all Kickstarter orders have been fulfilled including over 40% of the custom made cartridge orders.
I'd like to thank those of you who have received your cartridges for your kind words and thank those of you who have yet to receive yours for your patience. We are now averaging 20-30 cartridges a week and every week we make more cartridges than the previous week. Cartridges are being made as fast as the shells can be cast and we are casting in many molds simultaneously. Orders are being fulfilled in order of pledge amount and order chronology within each pledge level. Each cartridge is hand made and I have to say, I am proud of each and every one I'm sending out.
Here are some more production pictures:
Here is a piece of flashing that happens to bear the name of the cartridge from the mold side. Kris carved this text into the mold with a scalpel backwards.
Here are another hundred freshly folded shipping containers on the CNC machine in the shop
A batch of cartridge parts all cleaned up, drilled, and ready for assembly in the lab.
Carts assembled, tested, autographed and receiving their labels
(jamming out to chiptunes on www.mazemod.org too)
Funding period
Apr 24, 2012 -
May 24, 2012
(30 days)
43 backers
Download link for emulator compatible Star Castle game ROM file, manual, and Stella Atari 2600 emulator (Windows, Mac, Linux) to play it on.
60 backers
Star Castle 2600 CD containing: Star Castle 2600 game ROM compatible with emulator and conventional cartridges, Stella Atari 2600 emulator (Windows, Mac, Linux) to play it on, cartridge compatible game ROM, game manual(pdf), full source code, game artwork, photos and videos including the making of the game, cartridge, case, exhibition and more, my story, inspiration, and account of making the game, and links, lots of links. I've gathered a ton of information that I want to share but I can't include everything on the CD so I'll do the next best thing and share all of my links to sources about the game, fascinating interviews, video game history, 2600 programming, technical information, techniques, and links to free tools like compilers and debuggers. Plus links to other versions of Star Castle (some FREE), press and YouTube videos, photos and much much more. Plus YOUR NAME in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval)
5 backers
Video game history makes a great gift! Two Star Castle 2600 CD's containing: Star Castle 2600 game ROM compatible with emulator and conventional cartridges, Stella Atari 2600 emulator (Windows, Mac, Linux) to play it on, cartridge compatible game ROM, game manual(pdf), full source code, game artwork, photos and videos including the making of the game, cartridge, case, exhibition and more, my story, inspiration, and account of making the game, and links, lots of links. I've gathered a ton of information that I want to share but I can't include everything on the CD so I'll do the next best thing and share all of my links to sources about the game, fascinating interviews, video game history, 2600 programming, technical information, techniques, and links to free tools like compilers and debuggers. Plus links to other versions of Star Castle (some FREE), press and YouTube videos, photos and much much more. Plus YOUR NAME in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval)
159 backers
Clear cast acrylic Star Castle cartridge featuring lights that flash with the game action! Serial numbered. Compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only). Plus YOUR NAME in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval). Plus you get the Star Castle 2600 CD containing ROMs, emulator, source code, artwork, videos, pictures links, and much much more. Printed box and manual not included.
13 backers
Star Castle ROM on a Harmony FLASH cartridge that works in your Atari 2600 game system. The black cartridge may not have flashing lights but it is reprogrammable. You can hook it to your computer and change the game in it, or using an SD card (not provided) you can put ALL your Atari games onto one cartridge! Power up your Atari 2600, select the game you want to play from a menu, and play it on a TV with a real game controller the way it was meant to be played. Plus you get the Star Castle 2600 CD containing ROMs, emulator, source code, artwork, videos, pictures links, and much much more.
115 backers
Autographed clear Star Castle cartridge with lights that flash with the game action sealed in a reproduction box with a the printed manual. Compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only). Plus YOUR NAME in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval). Plus you get the Atari 2600 Star Castle CD that contains the ROM, emulator for Windows, Mac, and Linux, source code, artwork, and much much more.
6 backers
Customized clear Star Castle cartridge with YOUR 48x38 PIXEL GRAPHICS ON THE TITLE SCREEN and lights that flash with the game action! This unique one of a kind cartridge comes sealed in a reproduction box with a printed manual. Compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only). Plus YOUR NAME will appear in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval). Plus you get the Star Castle 2600 CD containing ROMs, emulator, source code, artwork, videos, pictures links, and much much more.
1 backer
Exciting phone conversation with D. Scott Williamson. You can talk up to an hour about his work at Atari, vintage games, contemporary games, working in the game industry, hair styles, whatever you want. You also get an autographed clear Star Castle cartridge with lights that flash with the game action sealed in a reproduction box with the printed manual. Compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only). Plus YOUR NAME in the "Contributors" section of the game manual (text subject to approval). Plus you get the Atari 2600 Star Castle CD that contains the ROM, emulator for Windows, Mac, and Linux, source code, artwork, and much much more.
0 backers
Executive Producer credit in the manual and a great big thank you for your support of this project. You also get a phone conversation with Scott, an autographed clear Star Castle cartridge with lights that flash with the game action sealed in a reproduction box with the printed manual. Compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only), and the Atari 2600 Star Castle CD that contains the ROM, emulator for Windows, Mac, and Linux, source code, artwork, and much much more.
0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)
MY ONE AND ONLY serial number 1 hand made first prototype Star Castle 2600 cartridge. The one that proved it could be done, the one seen in public only once before. The game features a CNC machined clear Lexan shell with internal lights that flash with the game action. Game comes autographed by me, serial numbered, and sealed in a box with the manual. Game is compatible with Atari 2600 Video Computer System (NTSC only). YOUR NAME and PHOTO appear in the game manual as the ONLY person in the "Benefactor" section (text and image subject to approval). You also get MY Atari 2600 and everything you need to play the game, including MY Atari joystick, power supply, RF modulator, MY 20" color TV (with remote), MY FLASH cartridge used to develop the game and USB cable. Plus you also get the Star Castle 2600 CD including game ROM, emulators for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and much much more! Not to sound too cheesy or cliche, but this is a limited time offer, previously the cartridge alone bore a price of $32,768 and that price for this one of a kind hand made collectors digital art piece will return if it's unclaimed at the end of this campaign. (If you want your name in the history books, pledge over $31,600 for this cartridge because that would make you the owner of THE MOST VALUABLE Atari 2600 GAME EVER!!!)
