|
Post by Aris on Apr 15, 2012 15:02:48 GMT 2
As a lot of you know, I've been trying to maintain a Serial Number Datebase for G&W games. With my direction heading south, in terms of collecting these handheld beauties, I've still tried to be on top of things involving G&W games. I haven't been as dedicated to the database as I once was, but, recently, I added some serials to the database for the Super Mario Brothers Special (YM-901-S) and based on the information compiled by my database predecessor - Patrick Weiss, as well as information compiled via my own searches, and, serial numbers provided from various collectors here, it would appear that MORE than 10,000 of these units were made! Current database serials start with a low of: 21792625 (2nd lowest is 21792687) And go to a high of: 21802789 (2nd highest is 21802382) The current low and high range accounts for 10165 SMBS games having been produced, that we have record of. The actual number of games produced, I'm sure, is higher than this. The highest serial we have record of for the SMBS game is 21802789. The second highest is more than 400 units LOWER than this number. So, in case anyone thinks there could be a discrepancy with the "high" serial number, check it out: www.ebay.ca/itm/350555230467?ssPageName=STRKAndy, I seem to recall reading something, years ago, on this issue, and at one point, it was believed more than 10,000 units of these were made. I remember you commenting on it, but I can't remember what you said. It has something to do with the number of games produced. Do you know what that number was? Or how it was arrived at? Nonetheless, I find this quite interesting, as, once again, what was once thought to be a given, appears to have now been proved to wrong. Maybe Ash will find us a PS Egg after all..... AC
|
|
|
Post by ash888 on Apr 15, 2012 22:22:24 GMT 2
It wouldn't surprise me if there were more than 10k made, if it was just several hundred above 10k, since most of the serial numbers do fall within that ballpark range. Do we only have one serial number that exceeds the range? If so, it's a little odd. One possibility is that a portion of the games were faulty or damaged, so they were scrapped, and there was a gap in the serial numbers because of it.
I also have a suspicion that more than 500 Pokka games were made, since they are always popping up.
Here are a few more SMBS serials. Not sure how many are already in the database:
SMBS 21795529 SMBS 21801133 SMBS 21798008 SMBS 21793105 SMBS 21799051 SMBS 21797352 SMBS 21799051
|
|
|
Post by gameandwatchshop on Apr 16, 2012 2:33:42 GMT 2
At the time of the smbs production wouldnt they be making all the models that were being ordered by distributors ? So although only 10000 smbs were made there could of been 20000 for eg serial stickers used perhaps. I have bought a jr55 from france and a jr55 from japan with very close serials so it would seem to me they were being produced in relativly small numbers and sent off the destinations required.
on pokka how many are in the serial database ?
just some of my thoughts on the matter
Ave
|
|
|
Post by andycole on Apr 19, 2012 14:34:14 GMT 2
d**n, proboards just crashed and this is the second time I've typed this post.....
I don't think the range of serial numbers proves much, if anything. It could be as simple as a batch of numbers going missing at the factory or a faulty batch of games that never went out. It could even be that another series or game shared the same range, but that one should be easy to rule out (ARIS!)
The number was believed to be 11,790 for a long time amongst non Japanese speaking Westerners, mainly because they misinterpreted a number on one of the license cards given out to the competition winners. we eventually had the card and rules translated by a member and I think it was something like this:
1 game was given out to each of the 2500 fastest times in each of 3 classes (total 7500) An additional 2500 were given out on a random basis, based on the serial number of the entrant (the number on the license card). I can't remember if all entrants got a license card or not, but the one we saw was numbered 11,790 and came with a game, and that's why we all believed incorrectly that the total number was 11790.
Other than manufacturing faults, I don't see much reason why they would make more than 10000. After all, the rules as I've just described don't require any variance, UNLESS there were many ties for 2500th place in one or more classes, but I would expect that in that case, they would have reduced the random giveaways.
Andy
|
|
|
Post by andycole on Apr 19, 2012 14:40:47 GMT 2
p.s. the discussion including the translation is somewhere here on the forum if someone's willing to find it. The translation was done by member redbuggy. I did a quick search and couldn't find a particular thread, so it could be in one of the big threads. I tried a search for the words license and 2500 but they didn't seem to work. Andy
|
|
|
Post by ash888 on Apr 20, 2012 19:48:10 GMT 2
p.s. the discussion including the translation is somewhere here on the forum if someone's willing to find it. The translation was done by member redbuggy. I did a quick search and couldn't find a particular thread, so it could be in one of the big threads. I tried a search for the words license and 2500 but they didn't seem to work. Andy This must be what you were referring to, Andy: mpanayiotakis.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=460&page=5Wow, it's funny to think you guys were talking about this way back when and we're still talking about it today. lol This was probably already explained, but I just want to clarify that "316/11790" on the license card refers to that particular guy's ranking (316th place) out of 11,790 total participants. The 11,790 figure does not refer to the number of YM-901s made. Ash
|
|
|
Post by andycole on Apr 23, 2012 14:15:57 GMT 2
Yes, crikey, that's nearly 8 years old, that thread! So, I got the gist of it wrong but as you can see, it was definitely 10,000, not 11,790. That was the intention anyway. Who's to say that someone at big N wasn't feeling generous and said "What the hell, give all 11,790 of them a game!!" LOL! Andy
|
|
|
Post by ash888 on Apr 23, 2012 21:42:49 GMT 2
Yes, crikey, that's nearly 8 years old, that thread! So, I got the gist of it wrong but as you can see, it was definitely 10,000, not 11,790. That was the intention anyway. Who's to say that someone at big N wasn't feeling generous and said "What the hell, give all 11,790 of them a game!!" LOL! Andy You and redbuggy did a good job explaining it on that thread. Those flyers and license card are pretty cool, they explain a lot about what happened in that competition. One thing I didn't know about was the "lucky" winners, which wasn't really made clear on the thread. Is seems there were 4 race competitions, with 2,500 SMBS games awarded per race for 10,000 in total. Per race: - Those in the top 100 got an SMBS along with a trophy. - Those ranking 101st to 1500th got an SMBS by itself. - And 1,000 other participants were given a "Lucky Prize" which was determined by pooling together all participants who happened to get the same final 2 digits of their time as the first place winner received. So for example, if the first place time was "5:37:76" all players with a time ending in "76" would be put together and 1,000 of them would be drawn from a lottery to get the SMBS as a "Lucky Prize". Has anyone ever seen one of the trophies awarded with this? So yeah, now I'm skeptical that any more than 10,000 were made unless, as Andy said, they made a few hundred more in case of draws in the competition, or some games were scrapped in the factory due to defects, etc. resulting in a gap in the serial numbers. Do we only have one serial number that goes over the 10,000 range? Ash
|
|
|
Post by matsor27 on Apr 25, 2012 12:48:40 GMT 2
Yes, crikey, that's nearly 8 years old, that thread! So, I got the gist of it wrong but as you can see, it was definitely 10,000, not 11,790. That was the intention anyway. Who's to say that someone at big N wasn't feeling generous and said "What the hell, give all 11,790 of them a game!!" LOL! Andy Remembered! that was loooooooonggg ago!
|
|