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Zombie's Ultimate X-COM Collection


Zombie

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Well, I have a little more news to report. Just purchased the German version of the UFO/MoO "Twin Pack" compilation from my go-to source for German versions of X-COM games. (Been doing business with these guys for years and all their stuff is top-notch). For some reason, this version doesn't use the phrase "Twin Pack" but instead "Limited Edition" (in English, not German). So that's a little interesting. It's complete too and in great condition. I just love how folks overseas take care of their games! smile.png

 

I know that celebrity deaths happen in three's, but my collection happens in two's...

 

I purchased the French "Sold Out" version of UFO: Enemy Unknown today. Again, it's complete and (as far as I can tell) in excellent condition.oh.gif

 

So not one, but two ultra-rare versions acquired in a couple days. I payed a small fortune for them, but when versions are this rare and in superb condition, I'm a buyer! yes.gif

 

- Zombie

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Wow, still finding versions after all these years...

 

Yup. I'm lucky that I got into collecting when I did though. A lot of the versions that I purchased, I haven't seen since. My belief is that it was due to the economy - people were cleaning house to make room and a little cash on the side. Now that the economy is improving (by a tiny bit) people aren't as worried. tongue.png

 

I'm still missing a bunch of versions though - either I saw them and let it slip through my fingers, or the language barrier got in the way, or a seller didn't offer PayPal, or it was way to high to bid on/buy... it's always something it seems. wink.png Part of the problem stems from the fact that eBay is country specific. If the creators would have made a single unified eBay, buying and selling would reach a greater share of the market. yes.gif

 

- Zombie

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Is there a complete list?

 

I don't know of a complete list compiled by anyone. But there haven't been any really serious collectors of X-COM before me though (some minor exceptions to this exist). So it's kinda being compiled as I go along? whistling.gif

 

MobyGames comes close, but even it isn't always complete (I have acquired versions that were not on MobyGames, but later were added by someone).

 

I mean, do you know what you're still missing?

 

Yes and no. There are versions I saw that I couldn't buy for whatever reason. I never thought it was necessary to write down those versions, but darnit, my memory isn't like it used to be. sad.png (I might have a few that I saved screenshots on my old computer - will have to search them out sometime). That said, there are a few versions that MobyGames have that I don't. (Obvious ones like Interceptor from the Netherlands, German Smile & Buy release for Interceptor, Euro version of em@il X-COM, Brazilian Best of re-release Enforcer, and a whole boatload of EU versions: French PSX, Brazilian CD, Sold Out Belg & Neth etc). I also know I'm missing an Italian V2 for either Interceptor or Apoc, and a Russian version of Apoc (though for the last one, a fellow forumite has it, just haven't dug it out to send to me yet). sarcastic.gif

 

What is worrysome are those Brazilian releases (impossible to acquire). Also the recent surfacing of a French PSX version of EU raises some other questions as well: is there a German PSX version? How about Italy? Actually, anytime a language version surfaces, I start to wonder whether the other languages are represented too. They aren't known by anyone, but that's not to say they don't exist somewhere. I just don't know.

 

A lot of this is just playing it by ear. Best I can do is be more diligent writing down and documenting the versions I don't have and continue to work hard at sleuthing down and acquiring versions as they hit the market. search.gifMost of the time I'm able to determine at a glance if I have a version or not. So that saves me some time at least. tongue.png

 

- Zombie

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Well, I have a little more news to report. Just purchased the German version of the UFO/MoO "Twin Pack" compilation from my go-to source for German versions of X-COM games. (Been doing business with these guys for years and all their stuff is top-notch). For some reason, this version doesn't use the phrase "Twin Pack" but instead "Limited Edition" (in English, not German). So that's a little interesting. It's complete too and in great condition. I just love how folks overseas take care of their games! smile.png

 

Just received this in the mail and wow, it's in incredible shape! Looks to be nearly brand new, the box isn't dented, no scratches, no rubbing, no wear and the cover sleeve retains all of it's glossiness. The contents inside look much the same - perfect!

 

https://www.animaatjes.nl/films-en-series/series/the-simpsons/tumblr_lqxe4xH2du1qlff32o1_500.gif

 

I'll need to start up my other computer and do some scans tomorrow so show off this beauty properly. ;)

 

- Zombie

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If I may ask - How much did you spend on the collection already,

 

It's hard to say - I never kept track of my purchases. Back of the matchbook calculation would be 71 versions (73 with the recent additions) at ~$20 per version average (probably a little bit more) = $1500-$2000. That's only for the game versions. I think I have at least that much stuck into the collectable area. Subtract a donation of a few hundred love.gif and I'd say for a total, under $5000 USD. read.gif

 

and did anyone of your close friends said you are nuts?

 

Nope, not yet. pilot.gif

 

- Zombie

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No matter what was spent, I think the elephant in the room is one can scarcely put a price to a collection like that. The collecting itself is obviously personally gratifying, and the truth of the matter is Zombie is quite the expert by now - in appraisal as well as bidding.

 

I should add we are extremely fortunate to have him regularly sharing his findings the way he does at SC. Go, Zombie!! cool.png

 

::

 

@Zombie:

 

I'm curious - chronologically, what was the first publicly available piece of UFO: Enemy Unknown / X-COM: UFO Defense software. A DOS demo?

 

Unrelated Trivia: in a visit to wikipedia I've noticed a mention to a Limited Edition for the Amiga CD32 that came with a MicroProse travel alarm clock. Did you ever come by that one? smile.png

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I think you got me wrong there Thor. I am not saying that the money is not well spent. I was just only curious.

 

 

And btw Zombie. When I saw this:

 

https://i1.kwejk.pl/site_media/obrazki/2013/06/7f6018c50992ae3f60bf0af7fb8cc0c8_original.gif

 

I thought that this must be you when your new collection arrives :P

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I should add we are extremely fortunate to have him regularly sharing his findings the way he does at SC. Go, Zombie!! cool.png

 

Hehe, thanks.gif . StrategyCore is my home, if I wouldn't share it here I don't know where else I'd turn.

 

I'm curious - chronologically, what was the first publicly available piece of UFO: Enemy Unknown / X-COM: UFO Defense software. A DOS demo?

 

Pretty sure it was the DOS Demo (I have this on 3.5" floppy by the way). But there was a pre-release demo which BB found somewhere and I think that was publicly available too (though in very limited supply). wink.png

 

Unrelated Trivia: in a visit to wikipedia I've noticed a mention to a Limited Edition for the Amiga CD32 that came with a MicroProse travel alarm clock. Did you ever come by that one? smile.png

 

Yup, I have that (see the Enemy Unknown game versions page). The travel alarm clock didn't actually come with the game by the way, there was a card that you had to send in and it would get mailed to you. I do not have the clock. Still looking for it on eBay though. wink.png

 

And btw Zombie. When I saw this:

 

https://i1.kwejk.pl/site_media/obrazki/2013/06/7f6018c50992ae3f60bf0af7fb8cc0c8_original.gif

 

I thought that this must be you when your new collection arrives tongue.png

 

Pretty close. grin.gif

 

- Zombie

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Just to note, I'm currently scanning the contents of the German MoO/UFO compilation. It's gonna take me a little while to get everything scanned/resized. Luckily I can reuse some previous scans I made as they are they are the same between versions. happy.png

 

Also another update to my collection... sorta. As some of you may know, I don't just collect game versions but also memorabilia pertaining to X-COM. I try to limit my collection to just X-COM related things, but every once and a while I'll spring for something MicroProse related. As long as it's from the X-COM time-period that is. Well I purchased a 1997 Annual Report for Spectrum Holobyte Corporation Inc./Microprose for cheap today. Fingers crossed there's a mention of Interceptor or Apocalypse in there - otherwise it's still a somewhat rare piece of literature. smile.png

 

I also sleuthed down a version I don't have yet: The Best of MicroProse Strategy compilation containing Apocalypse, Civ and Magic the Gathering.

 

$T2eC16RHJGYE9nooh8IoBQ4L7Mz5HQ~~60_12.JPG

 

Comes from a seller in Germany, but I think the version is in English. Will keep an eye out for this in the future. :P

 

- Zombie

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Hey Zombie, where do you keep all of your collection? do you have it on display somewhere in your house or just stacked?

 

Nope, not on display. It's due to a couple reasons. First, I don't have enough room to put it all on display properly. This would keep things from getting damaged. Secondly, I live in the midwest. The collection is stored on the 3rd floor of my house so flooding can't get at it (we don't get flooded here but I like to be safe), but tornadoes are the other weather feature around these parts. We haven't had a tornado here either, but that's not to say it'll never happen. I'd much rather have it boxed up to give it some level of protection from that (and humidity - the other real killer of paper products). wink.png So for now, viewing of my collection is by appointment only. happy.png

 

No chryssalids guarding my collection, but I kinda wish I did. smile.png

 

- Zombie

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Maybe some day we could get pictures of all your collection put together? I think it'd be a sight to behold to see it all at once :)

 

I'm thinking of starting a collection myself, but not of a specific game, rather than games that are special to me, or that I consider iconic or important enough; thinking of games like the Ultima series (awesome boxes, too, come with cloth maps, incredible), MOO, X-Com (of course), etc.

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Maybe some day we could get pictures of all your collection put together? I think it'd be a sight to behold to see it all at once smile.png

 

I'll see what I can do about that. Might have to be a few pictures though as my collection is quite large - don't think I could fit it all in without taking the pic from outer space. yes.gif

 

I'm thinking of starting a collection myself, but not of a specific game, rather than games that are special to me, or that I consider iconic or important enough; thinking of games like the Ultima series (awesome boxes, too, come with cloth maps, incredible), MOO, X-Com (of course), etc.

 

Hehe, funny how you mentioned the cloth maps from Ultima. A while back I purchased a version of EU because I thought a cloth map was part of the version. It wasn't of course, took a bit of sleuthing on my part to track down that it was from Ultima IX (see here). Quite unreal how some games went crazy on promo items back in the day. laugh.png

 

- Zombie

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Also another update to my collection... sorta. As some of you may know, I don't just collect game versions but also memorabilia pertaining to X-COM. I try to limit my collection to just X-COM related things, but every once and a while I'll spring for something MicroProse related. As long as it's from the X-COM time-period that is. Well I purchased a 1997 Annual Report for Spectrum Holobyte Corporation Inc./Microprose for cheap today. Fingers crossed there's a mention of Interceptor or Apocalypse in there - otherwise it's still a somewhat rare piece of literature. smile.png

 

Got this in the mail today and wow, it was better than I hoped. Inside the front cover is a picture of some of the games in development (which includes X-COM: Apoc), and inside the back cover is Apoc and Interceptor. smile.png Apoc is sprinkled throughout the booklet, and even TFTD gets a mention:

 

The increase in videogame revenue in fiscal 1997 was due to the release of three videogame console titles as compared to the one title in fiscal 1996. The three fiscal 1997 titles (all for the Sony PlayStation) were Top Gun™ : Fire at Will!™, Gunship 2000®, and X-COM: Terror From the Deep™.

 

Were Top Gun and Gunship 2000 really big PSX titles? My thought is that TFTD carried most of the revenue. :P

 

A great find and ties into my collection nicely. yes.gif

 

- Zombie

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I purchased the French "Sold Out" version of UFO: Enemy Unknown today. Again, it's complete and (as far as I can tell) in excellent condition.oh.gif

 

Got this in the mail the other day and it's basically brand new. That made scanning the contents so easy... grin.gif

 

Anyhow, you can see the scans on the EU Game Versions site page. smile.png

 

I gotta say that this is probably my favorite version of EU so far. Super condition and super rare are a tough combo to beat! thumbsup.gif

 

- Zombie

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