Is selling prototype games legal?

therealmindsett · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject: Is selling prototype games legal?

Hi, I have had some Nintendo EEPROM and flash carts for the gamboy and other nintendo systems. They are just like the ones in the "developer kits" section. I may at some point want to sell them, but does anyone know if it is legal to sell them/can you sell them on Ebay without getting in trouble with Nintendo? I mean, they don't make gameboy games anymore so it should be Ok right? Does anyone know the the law on this?

Smile

Rik · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject:

Legally, that's probably a gray area. Prototypes are supposed to be returned to the game company that made them usually... Although some of those companies may no longer exist.

In practice, I see Gameboy through N64 proto and EEPROM carts on eBay all the time... Like these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320444057289
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320444057535

Sometimes eBay will pull auctions that are listed as 'prototypes', but I haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble legally for selling them.

Protos for current systems might be a little different though. And Microsoft seems to be a little protective of development hardware, so be careful with that (Xbox devkits and such).

therealmindsett · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the response Rik... I also have some Virtual Boy prototype games and some actual NES prototype games made of heavy metal too (real metal, not the rock n roll kind) Smile

Do you have any Virtual boy prototype games?