Seen it lots and have wondered for a while now...
(Topic ID: 173457)
In the WMS/Bally days (in other words, I'm not sure in Stern definition..), hardware game production was three steps - Prototype, Sample, Production.
Prototypes were made by hand, and kept close to the dev team, used for developing art, sounds, and software, and finalizing rules. Prototypes came right after the Whitewoods.
Sample games were made once things leveled out. Sample games were set up to prepare the assembly production line for the game run, and to get some games out in the market. Sample games were usually sent to test sites (or locations, like mine, that had an agreement), and in return we had to inform them of any ball hangups, mechanical issues, and bookeeping records from the game for the first few months. (My location, we could then 'purchase' the game at a discount, or if we didn't want it, send it back.)
Changes were made to art, mechanical bits and big software changes as the game then went into production. Some games had big changes between sample and production (CV, TZ..) while others had very little (RS..)
Hope that helps.
Los Angeles, CA
Quoted from Rarehero:I had a sample BSD - it had more translucent buildings w/ slightly different paint job,
Check if they glow in the dark or under black light, grave yard too, maybe check the inside of the molding. That was the original plan and not paint them.
LTG : )
Quoted from Coyote:In the WMS/Bally days (in other words, I'm not sure in Stern definition..), hardware game production was three steps - Prototype, Sample, Production.
Prototypes were made by hand, and kept close to the dev team, used for developing art, sounds, and software, and finalizing rules. Prototypes came right after the Whitewoods.
Sample games were made once things leveled out. Sample games were set up to prepare the assembly production line for the game run, and to get some games out in the market. Sample games were usually sent to test sites (or locations, like mine, that had an agreement), and in return we had to inform them of any ball hangups, mechanical issues, and bookeeping records from the game for the first few months. (My location, we could then 'purchase' the game at a discount, or if we didn't want it, send it back.)
Changes were made to art, mechanical bits and big software changes as the game then went into production. Some games had big changes between sample and production (CV, TZ..) while others had very little (RS..)
Hope that helps.
It absolutely helps. Thanks for clearing that up. Interesting facts too.
Quoted from LTG:Check if they glow in the dark or under black light, grave yard too, maybe check the inside of the molding. That was the original plan and not paint them.
LTG : )
"Had"
I have a sample Dirty Harry of which around 80 were made. Difference being it has a drop target and the production units don't.
Can't figure out what kind of problems they had with it that made them remove it as it is the same single bank unit used in many other games of this era.
Quoted from Electrocute:Were sample games promotional or did they cost money?
Quoted from Coyote:Sample games were usually sent to test sites (or locations, like mine, that had an agreement), and in return we had to inform them of any ball hangups, mechanical issues, and bookeeping records from the game for the first few months. (My location, we could then 'purchase' the game at a discount, or if we didn't want it, send it back.)
Another way to ask it, were the samples games handed out for free to certain locations? A gift? You know, a promotional item. Did the manufactures of sample games sell them or give them away?
Quoted from Electrocute:Another way to ask it, were the samples games handed out for free to certain locations? A gift? You know, a promotional item.
No.
Quoted from Electrocute:Did the manufactures of sample games sell them or give them away?
Sell them, or get them back at the end of the test period.
LTG : )
Quoted from Electrocute:Another way to ask it, were the samples games handed out for free to certain locations? A gift? You know, a promotional item. Did the manufactures of sample games sell them or give them away?
Not that I ever heard of. Maybe? But if so, I've never heard of games being given out 'for free'.
Quoted from PanaPinResto:So what's the deal with proto roms? I've owned several system 11 machines that had a "proto" sticker on the rom. None of the machines were proto, sample or early serial numbers. Why keep putting a proto sticker on the rom when you 6,000 units into HS?
Could be a number of reasons - final software wasn't ready yet, or the proto software was good enough to send out (i.e. no major bugs or issues). WMS ordered a whole bunch of chips with the 'proto' software and they decided to use them..
Note, too, that "P-" software back then was not 'Proto' but 'Preliminary'. A lot of sample games went out with Prelim software. (RS, WCS, and TZ I know for a fact did.. maybe other games too?)
Also, keep in mind - I worked for an arcade that had an agreement to receive sample games. Other than a special agreement with our distributer (who we paid, which then paid WMS for the sample games), I didn't work for WMS. So, keep that in mind, there may be someone here that will say I'm wrong - and I look forward to learning more if I am. 
I have a prototype SS that has a lot of differences in playfield art, inserts, bottom arch, bones, red boards, plunger, wiring for kickback, etc. Those were right after whitewood and before sample games. Usually not many of those made.
Samples they usually made quite a few. I have a sample CV, with some differences but not much different from production other than ringmaster, playfield artwork and a few other minor things.
I had a sample Jackbot. That was one game not worth having. The eye locks were just shallow plastic saucers. 90% of shots were rejected. Production games had scoops with VUK mechanics and much better. Unfortunately to add that you needed to cut the playfield up to add them. I don't think I ever got MegaVisor mode with the sample I had.
Quoted from schudel5:I have a prototype SS that has a lot of differences in playfield art, inserts, etc.
Scared Stiff prototypes are legendary for all the cool differences which were eliminated from production games due to cost cutting. Most of them have been replicated as aftermarket parts (like the dancing boogeymen, lighted skull pile, and glow-in-the-dark boney beast) but proto cabinet art (with words not slashed out) isn't available.
Quoted from schudel5:I had a sample Jackbot that was not worth having. The eye locks were just shallow plastic saucers.
Prototypes and pilot runs were deliberately made in small quantities so they could identify and correct problems like this before going into full production.
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