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[AREYOUOKAY?]

Would you like to pre-order to guarantee a copy day one?

Maybe if there was a nice physical bonus but even those aren’t guaranteed now. Used to be able to walk right in a store and find something at launch. That’s what I was getting at.

 

[nush]

Seems about right. I went to some retro game shops in Akihabara last year and not only were 95% of the people there foreign tourists, but they were greasy looking and ugly too. But that only partly applies to me since I was still living in Japan on a student visa at the time, and so I wasn't strictly a tourist.

 

[gpn]

Suruga-ya's been running free shipping promos lately, so I guess they're part of the "problem".

 

[YeulEmeralda]

I played the Xenosaga games without ever owning the PS2 discs. Who the fuck even cares about owning some plastic.

 

[BlackTron]

Maybe they think that if the games remained in Japan, there is greater opportunity for them to recirculate the local market again. Whereas when foreigners buy them they are gone forever to the land of being traded on eBay instead.

Similar to how if you bought a game at Gamestop. There is a chance that game could end up there again some day. Either now or after you dump your old box of games and DVDs on your little brother. Taking too many out of circulation, over time, dries up the ability to backfill sales.

 

[Sojiro]

I can barely watch that without my skin crawling. Oh David, what the fuck are you doing?

 

[ReyBrujo]

OMG David, why? Why!? As an ex-idol wota, I feel offended LOL

He even taught them "Romance" which is the main movement in wotagei lol But it looks really lame, the real Romance looks like this:

 

[Boglin]

Yeah it was just like that! But you know... just the other gaijin. Not me

 

[justiceiro]

I mean, retro stuff will eventually run out, that why they are retro.

 

[RoboFu]

If you look up retro consoles on eBay most of the nicer and cheaper consoles ship from Japan. So I don't think it's all foreigners.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Still plenty of neo geo cds.

Please don't let the weebs know that.

 

[nush]

4 days ago... seems to be lots of games there.

 

[Crayon]

Please don't let the weebs know that.

They don't seem to be very popular. I hardly saw any AES but NG cd's are everywhere just waiting for a new home.

 

[Crayon]

I played the Xenosaga games without ever owning the PS2 discs. Who the fuck even cares about owning some plastic.

People with culture.

 

[StereoVsn]

Suruga-ya's been running free shipping promos lately, so I guess they're part of the "problem".

Wait, do they ship direct now? If so, time to get bunch more PS1, Saturn and Dreamcast stuff.

 

[iHaunter]

Weeaboo's are good people.

Weeaboo scalpers, though ...

Since when did video games/weeaboos become merged into one? A lot of my friends are gamers and don't watch anime.

 

[Red5]

And this is why emulation is important, a lot of very rare games that were never reprinted or rereleased could never have been playable again without the help of emulation.

 

[Small John McCarthy]

Just be careful. Apparently foreigners (mostly chinese tourists) have been making a bad name for all tourists lately. The times I've gone, it's been an extremely welcoming experience. But times may have changed.

Welcoming on the surface. A fairly significant portion of the population would prefer you’re not here at all. And I have to say, Covid was so nice with no tourists!

 

[Sleepwalker]

And this is why emulation is important, a lot of very rare games that were never reprinted or rereleased could never have been playable again without the help of emulation.

It is, there is a balance. Some people like to collect and that's perfectly fine. Emulation makes it sure that whoever wants to play these old, unavailable and out of production games has the chance to do so, regardless if they have a hard copy in their house or not.

 

[dezzy8]

Sooooo, people are mad that other people are buying games that’s sitting on the shelves? It’s a store not a fucking museum.

 

[Drell]

It is, there is a balance. Some people like to collect and that's perfectly fine. Emulation makes it sure that whoever wants to play these old, unavailable and out of production games has the chance to do so, regardless if they have a hard copy in their house or not.

And these days you can even buy one of these everdrive cartridges and play all the game natively on your system without needing to posess the original cartridge.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

people saying "i dont understand why its bad to buy something at a store" are the same type of people who watch videos with the sound on in public.

 

[AJUMP23]

people are allowed to buy stuff.

 

[West Texas CEO]

people are allowed to buy stuff.

I'm not allowed to buy Plutonium-239.

 

[Crayon]

I'm not allowed to buy Plutonium-239.

Well if you were planning to buy it all and scalp it on ebay, I'm glad you're banned.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

honour and shame are huge parts of it

it's not like america where you can become successful by being an asshole

if you screw someone over in japan the only person you bring shame to is yourself

 

[StereoVsn]

And these days you can even buy one of these everdrive cartridges and play all the game natively on your system without needing to posess the original cartridge.

Well, not natively, Everdrive is absolutely emulation. That said, they build up a pretty cool ecosystem and more power to them!

 

[Porcile]

These shops would go put of business without tourists or foreigners buying this stuff. I went to Kyoto during COVID and while it was nice with no crowds, it was basically a ghost town.

 

[Little Chicken]

"I saw a guy just taking everything off the already paltry DS shelf. There [are] tons of people like him and very little anyone can do because it’s obviously not illegal. So I don’t even bother anymore."

You know that guy is selling those games on eBay for inflated prices.

Yes, it's a scummy act.

Like people who inhale everything in charity shops and sell it online at 10x the price. Parasites.

 

[StereoVsn]

Well if you were planning to buy it all and scalp it on ebay, I'm glad you're banned.

Just don’t take it from the Libyans and use it to build a time traveling Delorian!

 

[West Texas CEO]

Just don’t take it from the Libyans and use it to build a time traveling Delorian!

I never caught that before lol.

 

[SALMORE]

Resellers are ruining the hobby

 

[StereoVsn]

Resellers are ruining the hobby

I mean on one hand yes, on the other hand I buy most of my games from Japanese sellers on eBay, Amazon.jp, and other sites that allow you to buy stuff on Auctions and stores over there and ship to US.

So in general it does suck, but at the same time there are plenty of folks in Western Countries who like collecting Japanese titles and can’t easily fly to Tokyo on yearly basis.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I never caught that before lol.

Me either, I don't think my VCR copy had the resolution to make out the lettering.

 

[StereoVsn]

Me either, I don't think my VCR copy had the resolution to make out the lettering.

4K versions are amazing!

 

[nush]

Resellers are ruining the hobby

I thought it was collectors ruining the hobby?

 

[StereoVsn]

I thought it was collectors ruining the hobby?

I thought it was DKOldies?

 

[West Texas CEO]

I thought it was collectors ruining the hobby?

 

[Crayon]

I got some beautiful complete copies of Front Mission and Guilty Gear Petite for Swan.

Nothing else good, I swear. I made sure to leave some for you.

 

[gpn]

Wait, do they ship direct now? If so, time to get bunch more PS1, Saturn and Dreamcast stuff.

Yep If you're not in a hurry, check the site every once in awhile for a free shipping promo, one just ended yesterday.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Nothing else good, I swear. I made sure to leave some for you.

I really appreciate your self-restraint on this, Crayon .

You a real one.

 

[StereoVsn]

Yep

Welp, I guess I am going to go and do some direct purchasing today! Already found some cool stuff.

Edit: Saturn Phantasy Star collection is like $70. I am now sad, but it will only get more expensive!

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Dollar yen exchange rate is very favourable. Sucks for the Japanese who have to deal with yahoo tourists from the states yucking it up in their country with no respect shown, but that is how the world works. Even worse for weebs who left for Japan years ago because they are massive weebs raised on Nintendo and hentai and now their income is all in Yen.

The exchange rate was awesome for me while I was there. 35% discount on everything. Plus with tax free you save 10% immediately so it’s even more.

They don't seem to be very popular. I hardly saw any AES but NG cd's are everywhere just waiting for a new home.

Probably cost. Aren’t they still expensive.

I saw a lot of PC Engine Duos when I was there as well.

 

[StereoVsn]

The exchange rate was awesome for me while I was there. 35% discount on everything. Plus with tax free you save 10% immediately so it’s even more.

Probably cost. Aren’t they still expensive.

I saw a lot of PC Engine Duos when I was there as well.

Damn, I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of Duos (one as a spare). They are quite expensive in NA.

 

[West Texas CEO]

I like how this thread has evolved into us devising our own collecting strategies, lol .

 

[AJUMP23]

I'm not allowed to buy Plutonium-239.

For your own protection you would eat it.

 

[GeorgioCostanzaX]

I’m pretty sure my Japanese fiancée at the time broke up with me partially because I was one of those Weebos hauling home a Sega Saturn and a bagful of games around with me while meeting her relatives in Tokyo for the first time and then getting a horrible flu…so not only was I a weebo I was a snot faced immature weebo Baka Gaijin who embarrassed her in front of her family. In retrospect I was too young to be proposing to a girl any girl straight out of Sophomore year in college but man talk about life regrets lol she was a damn regional department store catalog model.

 

[Crayon]

The exchange rate was awesome for me while I was there. 35% discount on everything. Plus with tax free you save 10% immediately so it’s even more.

Probably cost. Aren’t they still expensive.

I saw a lot of PC Engine Duos when I was there as well.

I found that neo cd was so common, I can't imagine they go for a lot. I didn't check, actually.

I found ONE Duo at a super potato. I almost got it but didn't want to deplete japan's supply.

 

[StereoVsn]

I found that neo cd was so common, I can't imagine they go for a lot. I didn't check, actually.

I found ONE Duo at a super potato. I almost got it but didn't want to deplete japan's supply.

I got to admit I bought Analogue Duo because I wasn’t going to deal with PC Engine Duo pricing, lol.

 

[Zones]

No no no.... I'm going to Japan in November and I want to buy strange Japanese games.

Hope you hook up with some hot Japanese women too

Yes, and hopefully with this particular person...