knudsen@ihnss.UUCP (02/28/84)
Prices of Vectrex cartridges (not just games), accessories, and the machine itself have just gone thru the floor. Carts now cost between $7 and $10 at Toys R Us near Chicago (were $30 to $40); lite pen is $15, 3D goggles $20, mainframe $50. At these prices, game freaks can't afford to miss it. Neither can micro hackers pass up a chance to tinker with a VECTOR graphics display so cheap. (Vector displays have always been lab or workshop rarities costing tens of kilobucks). Note that GCE no longer calls it the "Vectrex Home Arcade"; instead, it's the "V. Graphic Computer SYstem." The new AnimAction ROM cart for the lite pen is truly outstanding. You can construct scenes from pre-defined or self-created figures, which can be scaled, rotated, and reflected as desired. Then the whole construction can be smoothly animated over several frames...all this for a TOTAL outlay of $75. Toys R Us salespeople assured me that V. is not going belly up, but has simply chosen to compete in price with Atari, Coleco, etc. "We didn't sell much V. stuff before" they said, "but now we can't keep the stuff in stock..." Sure hope they make it up in volume...mike k