Zombie Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Hi folks, just a small update on the status of my collection. Yeah, I realize I've been a little quiet on the forums for the past month or so, but I've been keeping busy looking for items I don't have yet. The first thing I do in the morning is look over the summary of new X-COM listings on eBay, and the last thing I do before I go to bed is a manual search of the "other" eBays for items which may have fell through the cracks. In mid December I was very, very fortunate to purchase most of Matthew's (from SkyRanger Games) collection which he acquired from Quentin Chaney and Dave Ellis (yes, that Dave Ellis) years ago. From T-shirts to posters to coffee mugs, pins, and rare Microprose memorabilia, I have it all. The cornerstone is a Euro TFTD manual signed by many of the team who worked on the game. Doesn't get much better than that IMHO. Because these items are too big or oddly sized, I'll need to take pictures of them instead of scanning. No digital camera means that I'll need to purchase one soon. I'd just like to point out that even with the incredible amount of memorabilia I have now, everything isn't covered. I need the X-COM UFO Defense tee and the em@il X-COM tee to round out the shirt collection, and there are certainly other odds and ends which exist that I don't know about either. If anyone has info on items I may be missing, please let me know either by PM, email or posting here. I just added some scans of the PC (urm, CD) Gamer disc to the Magazine Compilations page (link above). It's from Apr 1995 and contains a demo of TFTD, but the best part about it is that I have the magazine which came along with it too. When you open up the front cover, there is a 2-page advertisement for TFTD (as seen on our adverts page on the site). Pretty neat. The next page shows a picture of the 3.5" floppy version of the TFTD demo (which I have too). And starting on pg 35, there is a 5-page review of TFTD to boot. Lot's o' TFTD goodness in this. I still need to add the scans of the 3 CD Pack to the game compilations page. Hopefully I can get to it tomorrow. Knew I forgot something. Well, I uploaded the scans to the site, but I need to add them to the proper page yet. Will probably get to this tomorrow. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BladeFireLight Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Do you have the Boxed Spanish and Italian versions? I know there is a TFTD Italian patch, but there is a TFTD that was compiled for Italian. I just got copies of the Spanish and Italian compiled UFO's not the original media. But I would love to see if the box art was the same. -Blade FireLight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Do you have the Boxed Spanish and Italian versions? I know there is a TFTD Italian patch, but there is a TFTD that was compiled for Italian. I just got copies of the Spanish and Italian compiled UFO's not the original media. But I would love to see if the box art was the same.I have the boxed Italian 3.5" floppy version of TFTD and scans of it can be found on the TFTD Game Versions page. I'm guessing that a TFTD Italian CD version exists but I haven't found a copy to verify. The Spanish version of TFTD I haven't seen yet either. It's not up at Moby Games, though that isn't saying much now that my collection has grown way beyond what Moby has to offer. Ok, scans of the 3 CD Game Pack can be found at the bottom of the Game Compilations page. The reason why I don't have a front and back image of the box is because it's too big to fit in my scanner. Here again, a photo is necessary. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knan Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Hi Zombie. Anything new showing up these days? Esperanto versions? I can't help noticing that the email xcom cover on Wikipedia is different from the one scanned here on the site. European release, I'm guessing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 Hi Zombie. Anything new showing up these days? Esperanto versions? Unfortunately nothing really earth-shattering. Haven't seen any Spanish versions for sale on any of the eBays. In fact, for a while there, I didn't see much X-COM anything for sale. I guess it was due to the slump in the economy and possibly because most people unloaded their merchandise when they first experienced penny-pinching. Recently though there has been more X-COM games showing up, just nothing that I don't have. I can't help noticing that the email xcom cover on Wikipedia is different from the one scanned here on the site. European release, I'm guessing?Yup, the red box is the European release, the yellow box is the American release. I in fact have a red box Euro copy, but it is in the original shrink wrap so I'm unwilling to take it out of it's plastic to scan the contents. The box is kinda squashed as well (not my fault, honest!) so scanning it would prove to be difficult. Was waiting for a copy in better condition, but haven't seen one. I did find a couple juicy magazine compilations I didn't have. The first is the PC Gamer June 1995 - found a copy with the dust sleeve (the one on the site here is just the disc). The second is another compilation with an Interceptor demo on it. I will be adding scans of them to the site after Thanksgiving hopefully. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 Good to hear from you, Zombie. It's been awhile... I'm glad to see you're still in the hunt for cool X-Com collectibles. I'd expect some more to start turning up in the near future as economic troubles linger and loom over Europe, so stay alert. :: p.s.: and happy Tanksgiving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi folks, back from the dead so to speak. Just a short update on my collection: I nabbed a UFO Amiga 500 Powerplus version off of eBay a while back. It's in fairly good shape (box is a little bit squashed, but no big damage) and complete (I think, ahem). I'll be adding that to the appropriate site page soonish (hopefully I'll remember how... it's been a while). The other day I was searching the various eBays for anything X-COM and stumbled across an original advert for Enemy Unknown. Got that in the mail today, scanned it, resized it and added it to our Original Adverts page. It didn't quite fit in my scanner as it is fairly large (magazines sure have gotten smaller over the years, haven't they?) so a little bit may have got cut off. Looks like it's all there though. I tried taking pictures of some of the larger items in my collection a while ago with my fathers digital camera, but the batteries died on it pretty quick (one of Murphy's Laws of technology: new systems generate new problems - you would never have this issue on a manual camera from years back) and my lighting wasn't very good either. Hopefully I can get that project finished off... been bothering me for a long time. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 You sure know how to rise in style, that's for sure. Neat EU advert. It seems very fittingly minimalist and to the point; an increasingly rare thing nowadays. :: Good luck with the large print stuff. I'm looking forward to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knan Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I like the TFTD advert. Even including the ironic typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I think the TFTD advert was scanned by someone and sent to me ages ago and was such poor quality that I cleaned it up and re-did the text. Thus, the typo is my error Still, it was about 10 years ago, so I might fix that sometime in the next ten years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 I think the TFTD advert was scanned by someone and sent to me ages ago and was such poor quality that I cleaned it up and re-did the text. Thus, the typo is my error Still, it was about 10 years ago, so I might fix that sometime in the next ten years Ah, didn't realize that you needed to clean that much up on it. I'm going to look through my X-COM magazine collection sometime... could've sworn that I have that TFTD ad in one of them. If I do, a simple scan and we'll be good to go. Anyhow, a new revelation on my collection: I had my eye on a TFTD Demo Disc for a while which was on eBay for nearly $60 USD (buy it now). Was a little to rich for my blood at that price even if I didn't have it yet. So the other day I looked at the listing a little closer and noticed it had a "or best offer" tab too. Hmmm, tossed out a bid for $25 USD for the halibut. My rationale for the bid was four-fold:A CD with the TFTD demo should never be more than the game itself, no matter how the perceived rareness is.A CD Demo will never be more than the 3.5" floppy version (which I have, and that was a rare find indeed).A CD Demo which comes with other game demos on it probably isn't as rare as a disc with only one demo on it.As a seller, in this current soft market, you'll never find a buyer at that price point.Seller got back to me: bid accepted. So I'll be sure to scan it and add it to the site as soon as it arrives. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Good call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Hey zombie. Maybe you will be interested in the boxes I have. I don't need them anymore since I have X-Com complete on Steam. What I have. Boxed - EU + TFTD on CD. TFTD has polish language instead of spanish and ironically the movies are from floppy version. The CD itself might bit the dust since I couldn't run it on my DVD, few months back. Boxed Apocaylpse - polish language - movies are in english. I think it contains windows installer but I think in order to run on windows you would need that XP patch. Box is similar to the JPG on the wikipedia. I know that there is other picture because my 'pirated version' had blue screen with 2 soldiers running away from pooper (as seen on the advert here in SC). Boxed Interceptor - German Language (thanks Hasbro). All boxes are in polish language - so I guess you don't have those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share Posted July 1, 2011 Hey zombie. Maybe you will be interested in the boxes I have. I don't need them anymore since I have X-Com complete on Steam. ... All boxes are in polish language - so I guess you don't have those Nope, I don't have any Polish versions of the games so I'm interested. Send me a PM so we can discuss the particulars. And thanks for showing interest. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Just a short update on my collection: I nabbed a UFO Amiga 500 Powerplus version off of eBay a while back. It's in fairly good shape (box is a little bit squashed, but no big damage) and complete (I think, ahem). I'll be adding that to the appropriate site page soonish (hopefully I'll remember how... it's been a while). Just added scans of this version to the UFO Game Versions site page (it's under the title of "Amiga 500 (Powerplus)". Even took a scan of the side box too. (The side box of this version has the UPC code on it, and eventually I'd like to compile a table with all the game versions with their UPC's to make identifying a version easier, see)? I'll be adding a scan of something very special soon, so keep your eyes peeled. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 I'll be adding a scan of something very special soon, so keep your eyes peeled. No X-COM collection would ever be considered complete without autographs, right? Well, I have a signed manual with 10 members of the crew which worked on TFTD! A totally unique item indeed. You can find it on the Promotional Items site page. I included an Annotated pic of the signatures so you can see who is who. I still don't know who #2 and #6 are:#2 This signature appears to start with a B and has a last name starting with an S. The S I'm pretty sure on, but the B is confusing because nobody besides Bill Barna has a first name starting with a B. I thought that maybe it was an abbreviation for Robert, but there aren't any Roberts in the credits. No Williams either.#6 The squiggly A with something after it could be anyone as there a few people with first names starting with an A. My guess is that it isn't a female because females usually never abbreviate their names that much. So it's most likely a male with a first name starting with an A. Could be any number of guys though.I'm pretty sure #8 is Stephen Goss (never saw his signature before, but it fits the scope). If any of you have ideas on who either of the unknowns are, please speak up. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Can't really finger who those sigs belong to, but: - on #2 what you're interpreting as a starting B actually looks to me like a C coupled with another letter, which is probably a B or even an inverted E (people do all sorts of nutty stuff). - on #8 it looks like a join of the initials A S to me. :: Anyway - a very unique item you've got there, Zombie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomb Bloke Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 I'm thinking #2 may be Chris Soares. It's a bit of a stretch, as I can't see anything linking him to the game (nor can I work out what his middle name is), but he's the best I can come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Can't really finger who those sigs belong to, but: - on #2 what you're interpreting as a starting B actually looks to me like a C coupled with another letter, which is probably a B or even an inverted E (people do all sorts of nutty stuff).Quite possible it's a CB (the penstroke starts at the bottom of the C and ends up on the B). Chris Bowling maybe? He was one of the heads in the QA department. The S after the CB is what doesn't fit. - on #8 it looks like a join of the initials A S to me.You mean #6, not #8 right? Yup AS was my thought too. Nobody with those initials are in the credits. Though the sig could be As which to me could be Alkis Alkiviades who was the Managing Editor & Story writer (A...s A...s). A long shot, but it kinda fits. I'm thinking #2 may be Chris Soares. It's a bit of a stretch, as I can't see anything linking him to the game (nor can I work out what his middle name is), but he's the best I can come up with.For all I know it could be someone who worked on the game for a couple days, then quit or was fired (or transferred). The guy who I got this from said that "The signatures on the manual were collected during the first year of the release of TFTD" so it really could have been anyone. The other signatures on the page don't support a "Just grab anyone who walks out of MicroProse HQ and have him/her sign". Whoever collected them spent a whole year getting all the signatures so this person really put some time and effort into it. Seems strange why it wouldn't be a "big name" in the game's development (to me at least). - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 You mean #6, not #8 right?Right you are... :: Whoever it was that collected those signatures sure had some foresight though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Anyhow, a new revelation on my collection: I had my eye on a TFTD Demo Disc for a while which was on eBay for nearly $60 USD (buy it now). Was a little to rich for my blood at that price even if I didn't have it yet. So the other day I looked at the listing a little closer and noticed it had a "or best offer" tab too. Hmmm, tossed out a bid for $25 USD for the halibut. So I'll be sure to scan it and add it to the site as soon as it arrives. Got home from work and found a package. I tore it open and scanned the contents immediately. You can find them on the Magazine Compilations page. I'm really not sure what magazine this came with... it just says CGR GameDISC on the back. CGR? Doesn't ring a bell for me. Classic Game Room wasn't around when this disc was mastered so it's not them. Any help would be appreciated. The directories on the disc were created May 1, 1995 but here again, I'm not sure when it was sent out to the public. Late May, June, July or possibly August. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomb Bloke Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Game_Review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 DUH! Thanks BB, I updated the caption to reflect that. Now I just need to figure out which issue the demo was released. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Well, I added scans of an X-COM shirt pin and a MicroProse shirt pin to our Promotional Items page. Not the best scans in the world as the pins are 3-D and scans are 2-D, but it's good enough for now. Enjoy! Edit: Also added a scan of a MicroProse Stationary folder to the same page. Unfortunately my scanner has max dimensions of 8.5x11.69" and the stationary folder has dimensions of 9x12" so a little bit got cut off on each side. I think you'll still get the picture though (pun intended)! - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 No real new news to add here except that I have a few things in the pipe which may be interesting. I was browsing MobyGames this evening and was shocked to see that they were listing the Italian versions of TFTD, Apoc and Interceptor (none were up a few months ago). Then I took a closer look at the pictures. It's pretty obvious they were from this site. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it sucks when I put all the effort into scanning all the game versions only to find that some lazy S.O.B. just submitted my pics instead of getting his hands dirty tracking stuff down, purchasing and finally scanning the games himself. Suppose some of this underhanded leeching could be prevented with a StrategyCore watermark, but I really hate them... it distracts from the pic. - Zombie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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