Though not a huge game collector, I do tend to invest in software for the more unique systems in my collection. I enter into this fully aware that the games (for the most part) will see limited action and will require me to pay a premium due to their limited availability andor production. This is something we all encounter to various degrees in our respective treasure hunts. That being said, there are some specific consoles that require heavy financial commitment to collect for, regardless of the title.
The systems listed below have software libraries that exceed, at a minimum, 20 titles. It is true that these could hardly be considered mainstream in regards to overall market penetration. With the exception of the Neo Geo AES, the remaining contenders were basically failures in the gaming industry.
One consistent characteristic shines through for each one of these consoles - the high price of their software. Regardless of the title, these systems have the highest average mean when it comes to collecting. This is mostly due to availability as well as how the system was initially marketed and the respective target audience.
Nintendo Virtual Boy System Released: 1995 Games Released: 22
Pioneer LaserActive System Released: 1993 Games Released: 44
In all honesty, I have no idea what the attraction is for this systemgames. Sure, it was innovative for the time, but all I get from an experience with the Virtual Boy is a severe migraine. The games overall are pretty crappy IMHO, but yet most CIB games will run you around $20-$25 at a minimum for the common titles. I am not exactly sure why games for this system fetch a high price tag. Want a Japanese version - tack on another 20% (for most titles) plus the extra shippinghandling .
The second most expensive game system ever released and the games will still hit your wallet pretty hard. It is true that most of the games for this system originally retailed at around $100 USD. In today's market, these Laser Disk games begin at around $40 USD and go on up. None are really anything to write home about, but I do admit that they do look impressive compared to a NES cart. Most of the games have to be imported from Japan, where the Pioneer LaserActive was a much bigger hit than in the USA.
Neo Geo AES System Released: 1990 Games Released: 154
Bandai Pippin System Released: 1995 Games Released: 93
Still regarded as the 2D powerhouse of the home console market, the Neo Geo produced games on cartridges that rival the size of a library book. Ginormous is the only way to describe them. Be prepared to shell out some cash to add some of these beasts into your library. The cheap games will fetch around $20 USD, but on an average you can expect to doll out between $50-$60 USD for most average titles.
Lack of availability completely drives the Bandai Pippin game market. The releases were pretty average for the day, but the system itself failed miserably trying to become the first true consolecomputer hybrid in the market. Most titles were released in Japan, but even there software is scarce. Expect your credit card to get beat on by an average of $50 USD (plus shippinghandling) when getting any title - much more for the true gaming software.
I used a 20 game minimum library to create this list. This takes out the truly obscure systems like the Capcom CPS Changer, Bandai SuperVision 8000 and the RDI Halcyon. Obviously, those systems with under 10 total games released command top buck.
As most of you know RFGen is run and supported by volunteers. We dedicate our time and efforts to the site solely because we enjoy it. We are a non-profit organization... well actually we make negative profit, -$85 a month to be exact for the server costs. The entire year up until this past month the site has survived solely on donations. Well those funds have run dry, so now we are asking our faithful community to step up again and help support the site.
As always, 100% of donations will go to covering the server costs. Any funding for contests and prizes that we offer will be provided by the staff. Your money will go directly into supporting the operation of the site. We will continue to strive to keep the site ad-free and community funded for as long as we can, and with the generous donations of our members in the past we have been able to continue to do so. Every little bit helps, so don't worry if you can't donate as much, especially in these hard times. If you're a new donor, be sure to PM myself or one of the other staff so we can give you "donor" status on the forums.
We'll keep you posted on the status of the donation drive. We really appreciate the support the entire community has given us in the past and want to thank all of you in advance for your generous support. Without all of you, this site would not exist and be what it is today.
As a Director of this fine site, I'd like to welcome the newest addition to the RFGen staff, Crabmaster2000! He will be joining the ranks of the RFG staff as a Blog Writer, which means he'll be gracing the front page of RFGeneration more often. He will be writing about the 'Unloved' games that most of us pass by as well as giving a description of the current month's "Off The Shelf" game, which was also a creation of his.
So, fellow members, take the time to congratulate Crabmaster2000, he certainly deserves it! And remember to keep it on Channel 4 to read his and all the wonderful blog posts on THE Classic and Modern Video Games Database!
I don't know about you, but I tend to be rather ritualistic when preparing for a serious gaming session. Just like setting the table for dinner, everything has to be set just so prior to my indulgence. Preparation is paramount in order to fully enjoy my upcoming virtual experience. Yes, I admit that my OCD tendencies might have some bearing on the extremely structured routine I follow. I would like to believe I am not an island and that all of us gamers share certain 'peccadilloes' in this regard.
Anyway, the following details some of my required groundwork prior to firing up the system and getting lost in the worlds of Oblivion. Items are listed in the order that they are executed.
Hunt & Gather
The right selection and quantities of munchies and beverages are critical for any gaming tour of duty. You can't expect to give it your all while working on an empty tank - you will need to visit the refueling station every now and again to replenish the reserves.
When it comes to munchies, I personally avoid anything that can either 'crumb' or that I can indent my fingerprint upon. The last thing I need is a controller pasted with chocolate residue and lighted 'flavored' with potato chip salt. Also, any food that requires delivery utensils of any kind (i.e. fork) is forbidden in my sick world. Slim Jims fit the bill for me: easy to eat, the correct portion size, no mess at all - the perfect combination (and taste pretty good too). Low maintenance is a key here in choosing my favorite rations.
Regarding fluids, I have been on a continued quest since 1995 to find a suitable replacement for my ultimate gaming beverage of choice - Gatorade Ice Tea. This drink had it all - excellent flavor, generous portion size (32 oz.) and provided immediate refreshment. I am a HUGE ice tea fan, but not so much of the aftereffects endured while deeply entrenched in my game. The continual runs to the john to pay back the piper gets old quick. I didn't have to consume great quantities of Gatorade Ice Tea to get the best of both worlds (ice tea flavor and personal rehydration). Gatorade Frost Glacial Freeze is now my weapon of choice, but I still dearly miss long lost gaming friend.
Eliminate Human Contact
Alone time is always optimal when getting involved with the latest release or a cherished classic by oneself. There is a time for sharing our passion with our family and loved ones, but during a focused gaming session is not one of them. The last thing I want to hear, in one simple word, is anything. I have a task at hand forthcoming and human interaction will distract me from my primary mission - mastering the awaiting challenge ahead.
At times this is a pothole that can not be easily avoided. Family and loved ones always take precedence, that is a given. But on the rare occasion when you have the crib to yourself, you must be prepared to act decisively. GAMING DEFCON 1 actions need to be immediately enacted. In other words, my cell phone ringer gets switched to 'Emergency' and 'I Won The Lotto' modes - all others get the dreaded voicemail. Yes, I agree that this may be a little extreme. Tell me I am wrong that you aren't peeved to no end when your buddy calls to shoot the breeze when you are smack in the middle of a mob of henchman and fighting for your virtual life.
Don the Garb
Just like the virtual warrior I am about to become, armor selection is paramount. Comfort is obviously the key with old baggy clothing usually fitting the bill. For me, I prefer layering to a degree to give me some flexibility. My 4 Star Suit of choice is a pair of those cheap woven sleep pants from Target, wool socks, a Haines T-Shirt (have to love the no-tags) and my Mr. Rodgers sweater. Propping my baseball cap on the melon and I am ready to go.
Adjust Atmospheric Conditions
Proper alignment of your gaming cockpit is a must. Any serious gamer already has this already in place in their Room of Doom, but still this is something that can never be overlooked and should be addressed.
Seating is critical and I, like most, have my own special gaming chair – a high-back swivel desk chair with an accompanying plush ottoman to rest the dogs. It provides ease of movement along with the proper support for both my arms and neck (especially needed in those marathon sessions). Personally, I can not stand gaming while having my keister planted on a couch. I grant you that the sofa is perfectly suited for co-op play and catching the game on a Sunday afternoon, but not so much for extended game play. As for a loveseat, forget it. To this very day I truly have no idea what its function is. I have vowed never to own one.
No set up is complete without the proper gaming side table. This should be large enough to shoulder your rations and remote, but cheap so you don't have to worry about using a coaster for your beverage. No need to spend a million dollars on these either - you can snag one from Wal-Mart for $4. My lady friend rather hates them since the molded plastic table does not fit in at all with the rest of my decor. Hmmm.... perfectly coordinated furnishings or a functional piece of equipment? Sorry honey, you'll have to live with them.
Last thing to do is to set the lighting low, close all vertical blinds and get into cave-mode.
Assemble the Mascots
This is basically all about our support group that accompanies us on our gaming adventure. Most of us have one, whether it be a favorite lid for our dome or a funky pair of slippers. For me it is all about my 'gaming blankie'.
I have to admit that I was rather relieved at the reaction when I shared this personal fact about myself in a previous article. To much of my surprise, I found that most could relate, sometimes first hand, and shared some form of this 'mascot' tendency. One person had a sock puppet that always stuck by his side, for another it was a 60 ounce glass stein for his beverages. Whatever the case, they need to be ready and available to join your efforts.
Game On!!! (?)
A fistful of Slim Jims and a cool Gatorade sit next to me on my $4 table. My 'pleather' desk chair creaks a bit but welcomes back my ever-widening bum as I plop down into position. My freshly laundered 'gaming blankie' is draped loosely across my legs. Nothing left to do except to get it on!!
I press the center button on my Xbox 360 controller and eagerly await the system screen to begin my assault on the lands of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Nothing. Hmmm.... I press it again, somehow expecting a different result. Still nothing.
If only I would have remembered to get batteries for my controller!!!
These are a few of my pecadilloes - what are yours?
Firing up a cherished classic or the latest next-gen release is always a pleasure, regardless of when we can set aside free time to indulge in our passion. That is a given. But what are truly are the best conditions that we enjoy for gaming?
The following lists a few of my favorites.
During a Storm
Who doesn't love firing up the console when the heavens open up and Mother Nature unleashes her fury? Whether it be a darkened sky caused by a May rain squall or a complete white-out during a December blizzard, there is just something that screams out "Let the Games Begin!" to even the least passionate of players. Hearing your windows being repeatedly pelted by the outside elements is like a mating call from your favorite system - you just can't deny 'her'.
Adverse weather conditions also offer the perfect gaming environment. The cave-like feeling that is created is optimum for hunkering down in front of the big screen and setting your warrior loose to wreck some havoc. The games, for whatever reason, seem to almost look better during a storm! Granted the darkened exterior has a great deal to do with this, but there is something more to this phenomenon that I can not fully place my finger upon.
The best part of gaming during a storm is the multitude of excuses that are Express Mailed directly to you. During these turbulent times gamers do not have to strictly rely upon their creativity in generating reasons to their loved ones for game time allotment - bad weather gives us the grounds we need and all are defensible. Exterior\yard responsibilities? Covered (for obvious reasons). Interior\house projects? Covered (would you really make me go out in this weather to get paint?). The only catch here is to ensure that you plan ahead and have your gaming food and beverage rations on hand prior to the storm hitting. They will be mad as hell if you are man enough to brave the elements to hunt and gather for some Slim Jims and Power Ade but balk at going shopping with them.
After the Speakeasy
My 'party like a rock star' days are definitely behind me, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a tall cold one every now and again with my buds. Friday night is usually our 'Boys are Back in Town' evening when this occurs since Saturday is designated as 'date night' with our respective honey. After catching up on real life activities (a.k.a. round table venting session), we move on to more interesting subject matter - video games! The usual course of reminiscing, chest-beating and other caveman talk ensues and we are finally ready to blow out of our local watering hole and get to some gaming. They know the routine well and love it - my icebox will be stockpiled with "personality juice", late night munchies aplenty and at least four classic systems hooked up and ready to go.
Once back at my 'crib' (yes - old guy here trying to be 'fly'), we bust out the crowd favorites and begin the controller assault. Previously consumed cocktails are not helping our technical prowess - this is mediocre at best to start with and this statistic decreases by at least 5% per the hour (remember - full ammo in the fridge). To be honest this just adds to the experience when we make some dumb move or have to eat some crow after a misfired bit of trash talk. The laughter just doesn't stop until we all just dead tired and have no other option to crash for the night.
Side Note: Our lady friends are cool with this monthly "Gamers Night" (sleepover) at my house. Heck, we even get breakfast made in the morning for all of us! All of this does come at a price though - primping sessions for all of them at the local salon (we are making out on this deal I think).
Waking Up at 2 AM
Ever try to sneak in a power nap after a long day and end up waking up in the middle of the night? Wide eyed and wired after your 6 hour hibernation, there is always the comfort of your system to work off some energy. You more than likely have the entire gaming room to yourself, no worries about friends calling and pretty much free of all responsibilities (no one can expect you to be truly productive at 2 AM, can they??).
Regardless if I have to work the next day or not, I feel pumped at the fact that I will have approximately 4 hours of uninterrupted gaming before the world begins to awaken. This is a conscious choice. I know at the end of the 'real' day that I will probably be pretty wiped out after having this ultra-early gaming session. Nonetheless, once I hear that whir of my console firing up and after my eyes adjust to the artificial light of my television, I know it will be well worth it.
Side note: Having your favorite gaming 'blankie' during this time is a must. Let's be honest - most of us have retained this dependency from infancy. For those who have not, you don't know what you are missing.
On 'Sick' Days
Isn't odd that when you feel under the weather and are not able to go to school or work, you can somehow muster the inner strength for a good, long gaming session? Nuff said.
These are a few of my favorite gaming times - what are yours?
A special thanks to Dave and his community at the Video Game Critic for the inspiration for this article.
Every video game enthusiast absolutely loves adding a new title or system to their collection. Whether it be a treasure that has been extremely elusive or simply an anticipated release for a current gen system. We love them all and experience a certain rush with any new addition to our respective "Hero's Chest". On the flipside, a boatload of irritants accompany your new conquests of war. Some of these are akin to mosquito bites while others can truly suck the life right out of your soul. The following lists a few of my 'favorites'.
Storing Boxes
I am definitely a CIB fanatic when it comes to video game hardware collecting. That being said, I absolutely hate going through the arduous task of storing system boxes once they are displayed in my collection.
First there is the simple fact that 90% of us do not have unlimited space to devote to our hobby. When I first began collecting, I thought that it would be cool to be able to present every original box with its respective system as a part of my presentation (hence basically relieving myself of this storage issue). This was great in theory but not so much when my collection began to quickly outgrow the physical constraints of my Room of Doom. A secondary space needed to be allocated, but not just any closet to toss the boxes in and forget about them. I need room to maneuver for my biggest annoyance - box rotation.
Even with the Star Trek Deflector Shield activated (aka monster bubble wrap), the pure combined weight of mounded system cartons will eventually crush even the sturdiest of these retail packagings. In lieu of using the 'box-in-a-box' method for preservation (thus requiring even MORE storage space), the only way to protect them is a solid rotational program - a time that I have come to dread every month without exception. What a pain!
Being "Out-Sniped"
You have the sought-after mint Atari Lynx system with 19 games in your crosshairs. The auction ends on a Wednesday evening at 4:00 AM (not exactly the Friday closing bell time of the NYSE - perfect!!). You set your alarm clock for 3:45 AM to ensure that the 'morning' duties (microwave a cup of yesterday's leftover coffee; hit the bathroom while your cup of Joe "brews") do not interfere with your upcoming focused bidding efforts. Now positioned in front of your PC (3:57 AM), you see that the opening 'feeler' bid of $9.99 is still all that has been placed. Yahtzee!! you say to yourself. You increase your maximum bid to $75 (better to be safe than sorry you say to yourself). Time ticks down and you can almost taste victory....
I don't have to finish this personal recollection - obviously I lost this auction to a sniper (which I was coincidentally trying to do) for $75.50. This defeated feeling we all know too well - missing out on a good deal. I also feel this way when I am 'asleep at the wheel' and view "Sold" items that I missed out on that went for a great price.
Cleaning the Wares
I'll keep this section short and sweet since this is pretty obvious - we all hate this. I find this so tedious that I actually farm out this chore (albeit to my lady friend). It costs me a gift certificate to Michael's Salon for her every month, but this is well worth it for me to get out of doing this necessary task (also ensures she looks good and maintains her eye candy appeal).
UPDATE : As with most of my articles, I chose to share this writing with the aforementioned "her" prior to publishing. What a mistake! She took one look at this section and began to blackmail me wanting an additional $20 gift cert to said salon for, of all things, a pedicure!!. I don't know about you, but feet don't do a whole lot for me. Well groomed or not, they should stay stay firmly planted in their 'sock house' and only be allowed out once a day max (for the morning shower). I ended up reluctantly agreeing to her new terms, but only after I had successfully negotiated moving another despised duty off of my list and onto hers - laundry.
Shuffling the Display
I feel safe in saying that most video game collectors have a fierce sense of organization and require their spoils of war to be displayed just so. It is pretty easy to incorporate one game into your presentation - quite another when dealing with bulk software purchases or adding a new system.
Besides the obvious space issues, many times items need to be rearranged to properly incorporate your new acquisition. For hardware, I have everything displayed by the year of its release (yes - I admit to having a bit of an OCD issue). Adding a console released in the 1970s requires me to move the rest of the systems 'up one' in my main shelving unit to accommodate this new hardware. I know I may go a bit overboard in this regard, but I am sure you can relate in your own way based on your own Room of Doom. You develop a style\feel within it and anything new has to be properly 'integrated'.
Selling
Need I say more?
No one likes to sell anything when they have invested substantial time and effort in acquiring. Trading dupes is one thing: the win-win ratio is nearly 100%. Selling a holy grail from one's collection is a completely different animal and many times this truly has nothing to do with price\rarity of the item.
For instance, I have a copy of King's Field for the Sony Playstation CIB in the original 'long box'. Nice - sure it is, but rare or pricey it is not. However, I love this game and it was\is one of my favorite titles to this day. Parting with it would be difficult.
How many posts have you read where people wish they would have kept their original NES system and ended up having to purchase another one many years later? Regret, like the weather, can never be accurately forecasted.
These are a few of my frustrations - What really "chaps your ass" about being a collector?
Those of you who are a little more observant, may have noticed that little box over there on the right side of the home page that keeps track of the database stats. See it over there? Pretty neat isn't it? Well, you might notice that the total number of scans is just over 50,000. That's right, in a little over 5 years, RFGeneration has accumulated FIFTY THOUSAND scans.
This is obviously a momentous occasion for THE Classic and Modern Video Game Database, but we couldn't have done it without the hundreds of dedicated members who put in hours of their own time to scan these games. I've done my share of scanning, and I know how much work it can be to scan several games at once, so to those of you who have done thousands of scans, my hat goes off to you.
Some of our top image submitters since October 2006 include:
Tan
ga5ket
Fuyukaze
Y2richie
Pop Culture Portal
Rajaat the Warbringer
Belgarath
Funk_Buddy
Madir
James
Mezmoron
VACRMH
sharp
Tynstar
Lios
These are not the only users that deserve applause, however. There are hundreds of you that have submitted anywhere from one to hundreds of scans, and each and every scan is truly appreciated.
As the newest Site Director, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you that have contributed to the 50,000+ scans the site now has.
Now, let's see how quickly we can get to 100,000 scans!
One thing I learned many years ago is to never throw away a necktie, unless I had soiled it beyond repair by dribbling Arby's barbecue sauce all over myself during a rushed luncheon. Neckties are to gentlemen like shoes are to women - they will always come back in style at some point down the road. I almost hate myself for saying this. I know I am just pouring gasoline on an already healthy fire known as my lady friend's 'Shoe Museum' that now occupies the space formerly known as my closet. The most popular medium of today's internet is somewhat similar - the Forum.
While perusing a Sacred 2: Fallen Angels board this morning an odd déjà vus moment hit me. The year was 1991 and my warrior was getting beat on like a rent-a-car in Conan the Cimmerian by Virgin Interactive on my Packard Bell 386 computer. Back then the rage was all about 'Hint Lines' - a telephone number you could call to get assistance and tips on a certain game. But there was another option that was available to frustrated gamers - the Bulletin Board System (BBS). This was basically the precursor to what we now know as Forums.
The BBS was developed in the late 1970's as a means to allow users to share information, data and to communicate with each other on their mutually shared passion. Most of these were purely text generated graphical affairs requiring a modem to dial into the host - for the most part they were not supported in the early days of the internet. A long distance call was often required from your LAN line to connect to these hubs (usually ran off a dedicated server in some guy's house). You had to be quick - get in, post/get your info and log off. Time dawdling would result in your telephone bill skyrocketing beyond your fiscal means (at least for me). The foundation for the Forum as we now know it was laid.
Besides the sharing of information, creating communities has always been a goal of the internet. I did not embrace this aspect of the BBS in its early days - I just wanted the info to defeat Saranj and his entourage of saber wielding bandits in the courtyard of Nanuck. I was frugal with my discretionary financial resources, which were extremely limited at the time, to fully partake in this aspect of the BBS. Thank goodness technology has evolved to allow resources like RF Generation, Digital Press, ASSEMblers and the like to provide this integral goal for free.
Unlike most of my 50+ neckties that sit in storage awaiting their rebirth, the groundwork established by the BBS has reemerged countless times during the development of the internet. From My Space to Twitter to our favorite bookmarked Forums, the legacy of the BBS still lives on and flourishes to this day. Only time will tell what new incarnation of the BBS will surface down the road.
As many of you know, RF Generation was founded on April 28, 2004, by a wonderful group of people. At its insight, we were a tight community of gamers, collectors, and average Joes that loved the community we had. We still love the community to this day.
Many of you probably don't know this, but I was not the original Site Director. In fact, I wasn't even an original staff member. Site Director... was a position developed by me in late 2006 as a way to ensure that we had a group of people that would work together to keep the site moving forward. Prior to that we had a webmaster, and the original webmaster was none other than Michael Collins. We miss him dearly, but since his passing a lot of us stepped up to keep the site growing, and grow it did.
We're not the little community we were in 2004. These days, we've got many, many members who use us as not only a game and hardware reference but also as one hell of a collection tool, coded by my good friend Eddie Herrmann. We've added a lot of things to the site since that fateful day in 2004, and in doing so we've grown dramatically.
We used to be on a shared host. We've since crushed that shared host and then in the course of 3 weeks crushed the VPS we were on. These days, we're on a dedicated server with an 85 dollar a month bill.
We used to not have a submission system for regular members. Back in the day there were the wonderful "Submit Missing Games Here" and "Submit Missing Images Here" threads. Oh, they were lovely things, and that's how you guys were able to submit content.
We used to not have a hardware database or variants. Since then, we do. The system to submit such things has seen more revisions than Michael Jackson's nose.
We used to have one programmer that programmed everything in Perl. After our proprietary file based database began being corrupted under heavy load, I stepped up to assist in transitioning the site to MySQL driven, learning PHP in the process. These days, We're entirely mySQL based with some file based caching for our more intensive scripts.
We used to have a different site design. Check it out on the web archive. These days we have the current template, and maybe someday in the future we'll change it again.
Oh memories. We've grown so much, but in the process those of us who run the site have grown older and busier. You may notice that two of the four directors, Tynstar and Tan, are no longer directors. Life has required them to move on. Similarly, countless staff members have moved on to the site to bigger and better things. We thank them for their grand service.
Now, it is with a tinge of sadness, and also happiness that I must announce that it's time for Eddie and myself to pass the torch onto someone else. It's been a fun 3 or so years, but our age and schedules are finally catching up with us.
It is my pleasure to announce that Mike Fox (NES_Rules) will be assuming the role of Site Director. He's been one hell of an asset to RF Generation, and I know that he'll be one hell of a Site Director. I for one am happy that he took this role, and I thank him for taking the torch and running with it.
What does that mean for the site? Well, that means that Mike runs everything now instead of me. It also means that Eddie and I will be taking a lesser role in the operation of the site. While we will be sticking around as the technical crew that keeps the site up and running and also quashing programming bugs, Mike will be the guy who ensures that the site continues to grow. I know he'll do a great job.
So, on behalf of Eddie and me, I welcome Mike to his new role. Thank you Mike, you're a great asset to RF Generation, and I know you'll be fantastic.
Ideas are interesting. For those who don't frequent the chat, I at one point made a YouTube video highlighting a portion of my collection that was kept in storage to show just how much was missing from my online collection. Fairly soon after that, logical123 posted a forum post of a video that he put on YouTube showcasing his collection and his setup. That's when I realized that I don't necessarily think that I can fully express myself with text like I can with my words.
Announcing the RF Generation podcast!
This will be for the members. While I was talking with logical123 one day, I was talking about how I got into collecting and other stories regarding finds, deals, or just interesting parts of collecting. I was able to elaborate much further on this than I feel that I could if I was typing it out. I also feel that the possibility of a co-host or an interview would allow the podcast to focus on the members of the site and their collections and experiences with the fluidity of conversation and truly allow their voice and excitement to be expressed to you.
As I mentioned in the forum, I will probably do a few episodes to see how it works for you and me. I also will be taking suggestions for show ideas so that this will become our show instead of just my experimental project. I hope to be hearing from you all soon.
It's been a while since I last thanked you guys for your submissions, and trust me, we are greatly thankful. Without your submissions, our site wouldn't grow, and that would just lead to a greater obscurity than we already have. We don't want that. Did you know that in May we had 7800 submissions? Damn. That's a lot. Even wilder is the fact that we had over 5300 images added in that month. Pretty wild, if you ask me. As a comparison, in April we had 3106 submissions, which, while respectable, is greatly trumped by May's submissions.
What does that mean? Well, it means that some of you play to win a contest. And one of you did. Who is that winner? Well, we've tabulated the scores, and even with a halved score, Ga5ket is the winner! He kicked ass and took names with submissions over the duration of the contest. In May alone he had 3212 submissions, of which almost all were image submissions. Truly, he played to win. Ga5ket, do yourself a favor and PM St0rmTK421 with your shirt size, what you want (not to exceed $60) and details about getting your spoils to you.
Of course, some of you also played hard, and I'd like to give kudos to those who gave a valiant effort. y2ritchie, VACRMH, and Lios (even with the murderous -74 karma), you all did well. Of course, the last person in that list would have done a lot better had his karma not been so low, but yeah, don't worry, maybe next year.
There were countless other individuals that made submissions, and we are greatly appreciative for the contest. From all of us at RF Generation, thanks!
Wow, it seems like only yesterday, really. Interestingly enough, it's not. In fact, it's been 5 years since we launched. How time flies. Sure, a lot has changed since June 8, 2004, but we're still the same site at heart, and we'll continue to be the site that exists for you, our community.
Of course, some contest ended today. It seems as though in recent history contests start on April 28 and end on June 8. Some sort of symbolism, I guess. I hope you were taking part in that. The winner will be announced soon, basically as soon as I finish recoding the contest tallying script for submissions. Do you think I simply keep manual tabs on such things? Nah.
Hooray! Five years! What's not five more! To the future!
As technology has developed through the years, the art of collecting in the video game arena has become a global experience. Our quest for that last game to complete a system library is no longer limited to local garage sales, flea markets and the rare 'Funcoland-type' retail stores. eBay, internet eCommerce sites and enthusiast forums have been the primary channels for these new purchasing gateways. This contemporary international marketplace provides great opportunities for us collectors, but also is accompanied by a bevy of questions, misnomers and technical challenges.
This article will focus on many of these fronts, but not from the typical collector's viewpoint as many posts do. We will be interviewing Eric Krust, a successful video game proprietor based in Japan.
Eric is the owner and operator of Japan-Games.com and specializes in the selling of rare and obscure Japanese games and consoles. Many of the systems that you see featured in my collection are a direct result of transactions I have had with him over the past 4 years. He is a trusted ally and has agreed to take part in this interview to share some of his expertise and experience.
Before the actual interview, a couple of possible assumptions might need to be dispelled. First, I am not affiliated with Japan-Games.com nor is this article intended to be an advertisement. No - I don't get any deals or commission or anything like as a result of this writing. In fact, it will possibly only increase competition for items that he sells that I want. I asked Eric to do this for the simple fact that I thought his input would be beneficial and a 'good read' for everyone.
OK, enough of my bantering, on to the Q and A...
< MG > Thanks Eric for taking the time with me this afternoon to partake in this interview. Let's first tackle how you got into the video game business, as well as came to be based out of Japan.
< EK > I think it all started with a copy of Samurai Showdown 2 for Neo Geo. I was in Japan and tooling around eBay and I noticed the game in auction. I remember seeing it for sale in a local game shop and realized that people were selling games from Japan. At that time I was an English teacher in Japan. My background was in real estate but I took a year off to do something interesting and now it's turned into 9 years....
< MG > Are you a collector yourself as well as a seller? Would you consider yourself a gamer?
< EK > I'm a gamer but not a collector. I used to collect but when you have a warehouse full of games it seems kind of pointless. In a way everything I've sold is my collection. It might be temporary, but there is a sense of satisfaction to have owned so many rare consoles even if I don't have them anymore. I do have one collection that's nearly done with is a piece of software for every console ever released in Japan. I'm about 90% done.... still waiting to get my hands on a CreatiVision title. As a gamer I play Xbox 360, usually Team Fortress 2 with my Japanese friends.
< MG > What are some of your favorite games as well as consoles, both retro as well as today's current generation?
< EK > There are a lot of different ways to rank consoles. In terms of beauty I'd have to go with the Toshiba TVG-610 or the Hitachi VG-104. For sheer coolness it would have to be the Palcom Laserdisc system. For collecting I like anything obscure like the EPOCH Atari consoles or the Bandai Gundam PC. I also have a soft spot for all of the Sega Dreamcast special editions and Xbox special editions from Japan. I usually play Xbox or SNES/N64. I have a small amount of games that I usually play over and over again.
In reality I like collecting information more than anything else. I'd bet that my photo database for Japanese video games is the largest in the world. What you see on my website now is probably less than half of what I have. One day my collection will be to have the most comprehensive Japanese video game database on the plant.... if I can ever figure out the right way to do that...
Palcom Laserdisc system Eric's right - this is a cool looking system!
< MG > Thanks for sharing some of your background with us Eric. Let's move on to some of the burning questions from the community - international shipping - how costs are calculated and what are are the various shipping/tracking methods available, along with the pros and cons of each?
< EK > From Japan you can use EMS (3-5 days), SAL (3 weeks), or SEA (3 months). All have tracking. SAL and SEA don't offer insurance to all areas, notably the UK, Canada and Germany. It would be impossible to give all of the information in just one answer but this page will help: http://www.japan-games.co...hp?n=Information.Shipping. Cost can vary between Sellers. The fast-changing dollar-yen rate causes havoc with that sometimes.
< MG > Another hot topic is how to run a system released in Japan at my home - from electrical to television requirements. Can you break down what is needed for both North America and European nations?
< EK > The US and Japan have no special requirements. You can plug in a Japanese console into a US outlet and vice versa without problems. One thing you should never do is mix and match power cables, though. Don't use an American plug in an American outlet on a Japanese console. Just use the Japanese plug and you'll be fine. Both countries are NTSC. The only issue you'll have to worry about is region protection. You can play older RF switch box games by using a regular composite cable and adapter and tuning your TV to channel 96.
European requirements are more tricky. You will have to use a step-down transformer because the power is different and that can vary by region. You also have the PAL/NTSC issues with software.
< MG > We know about eBay, Chase the Chuckwagon, Craig's List and the like, but what exactly is Yahoo Auctions? Why is bidding/participation limited to people with shipping addresses in Japan?
< EK >Yahoo is the dominant internet force in Japan. Because of that their Auction system is the dominant force in online auctions in Japan. eBay tried to break into the market about 10 years ago but never gained traction.
Japan has natural barriers with language and geography. They have little to no practice using English beyond school textbooks and doing business over the internet is something they'll naturally shy away from because they won't ever fully understand the logistics of everything and their society has enough wealth where they can just sell to a Japanese Buyer and not worry about it. That's to say they don't need international Buyers. To them, selling to overseas Buyers is confusing, time consuming, risky, and of little financial benefit to them overall. They just don't see the benefit of opening up that can of worms for what amounts to a few extra dollars when they can just sell it to a Japanese person and not worry about anything.
Proxy bidding services act as the middle man where there is something between the Buyer and Seller to facilitate the transaction for a small fee. That's really the only way that someone will be able to bid on Yahoo from overseas and actually have it be worth their time.
< MG > I have heard of proxy bidding services? What exactly is this and how does it work?
< EK > The function of a proxy service is to complete the transaction in a way that's familiar to a Japanese Seller. The overseas Buyer places a bid and the proxy handles the transaction for them. The proxy will contact the Seller, make payment, receive the item in Japan, then ship it to the Buyer overseas. From the perspective of the Seller he's just sold it to a Japanese person living in Japan.
< MG > What three items do you pinpoint as being the largest contributors to your success as an international dealer?
< EK > I'm assuming you're talking about business practices and not actual game related items? It's not really rocket science. Just know what you're selling, present it accurately and treat people fairly. Being professional in an inefficient marketplace goes a long way. There's still a lot of room for that. About half my sales are through repeat customers.
< MG > Say I am considering getting into the business of being a reseller of video games and related items. What would be three critical tips you would have for me?
< EK > Know your product, test and present the product to eliminate all Buyer fears, then handle the business end of things professionally. Oh, yeah, and find a cheap source to buy from.... but good luck with that.
< MG > What about tips for being a successful buyer? And no, I am not asking you to give away any of your trade secrets, but feel free to do share some if you would like
< EK > In reality all Sellers are really Buyers. Without good product then you'll never really be a Seller. You need to know what a good deal is and what isn't. You need to know a lot about your product because knowing one little change or special model is worth a lot more than others. You need to know rarity and be able to price things properly when there's sometimes no other sale to compare it to. The market goes up and down sometimes, so you need to know what will sell now and what won't sell now. Right now the financial crisis is hitting everyone, and the only good things selling are the rare consoles. A lot of the "standardized" items aren't selling at all. That means I'm not buying a lot of those items right now.
< MG > One final question. Where do you see the video game marketplace in the next 5 years? Will eBay alternatives like Chase the Chuckwagon continue to spring up on the internet? What about locally in our respective backyards - will we see more local retailers in this area?
< EK >eBay will always be the dominant force. I've had a couple of websites for sales in the past but it takes a very, very long time to get it noticed and it takes a lot of money to advertise and keep the site running. In the end I knew I could just throw everything up on eBay and have it all sold in 10 days. So, that's what I did.
There's always room for niche sites like Chase the Chuckwagon. I think they'll continue to grow. But in the end no matter how angry people are at eBay, no one can match their exposure. The other sites might be better, cheaper, more Seller friendly, but in the end it comes down to exposure and if you depend on a steady stream of sales to keep yourself in business it's hard to break away from eBay.
I don't know enough about the video game marketplace overall to really comment on the industry as a whole, but one positive thing seems to be the small developers for the newer consoles, games you sometimes see in places like Xbox Live. The larger software developers have too much overhead that they tend to release the same titles over and over again as a safety net. The smaller titles with lower overhead can experiment more with being creative.
When I bought my Xbox I never thought I'd spend so much time playing downloaded titles for under $10 that are just fun to play, games like Heavy Weapon, 3D golf, UNO, etc. I think those games are the heart and soul of gaming and it's getting a second chance. When people talk about their favorite games they almost never mention graphics but that's what the selling point is for newer games. People don't play Bomberman 20 years later because of the graphics, they play because it's entertaining. There will always be a need for the large companies to make games like GTA IV, but I think it's equally important to have the smaller shops making more entertaining titles to keep people interested in video games overall.
< MG > Thanks again for taking the time with us Eric and sharing some of your insights and knowledge with me and the community. It is definitely appreciated and I can confidently say that we all found it to be very beneficial.
< EK > No problem. Glad to help out. Let me know if you have any follow up questions I can help you out with. Thanks!
As always, questions and comments are always welcomed. Inquiries that I am not able to answer I will forward to Eric for his assistance. This interview was not intended to be all inclusive based on time restraints on both of our ends. I do hope you found it as interesting as I did though.
You know what? Five years on April 28 we came into being. Five years ago seems like such a long time ago, but it's true. We're really five years old. Are we getting up in age? You tell me.
A lot has changed in those five years, lots for the good, and some for the not so good. Whatever the ups and downs though, the truth is that we're still here and we're still going strong, thanks to people like you. Without you guys we'd be nothing, and for that we're truly grateful.
You know, with our birthday we like to do contests. This year is no different. As for what the contest is... why, it's the PAIN YOURSELF WITH SUBMISSIONS AGAIN CONTEST. We're evil, we really are, and we like to see you work for your spoils. Want to play? Here are the rules:
Submissions, they make the site go round. We just don’t grow if we do not have anyone submit stuff. Funny how that works, and well, we do have one heck of a community that loves to do submissions. Perhaps, with this contest, you’ll be interested in doing submissions as well. Submissions will garner you points, and these how are they are ranked:
Title Addition: 4 Points Variation Addition: 4 Points Page Edit*: 2 Points Review*: 30 Points Overview*: 10 Points Image Upload: 15 Points Submission Review**: 1 Point Blog Post*: 30 Points Blog Comment: 1 Point Forum Post: 1 Point Forum Karma: See Explanation
*Regarding the asterisk: For page edits, it is noticed that you are consistently only adding one field per edit multiple times for a single ID just to up your points, you will be disqualified. Any review or overview completed will count as a page edit as well the points for an overview or review. To get the points for an overview or review you MUST contact me via Personal Message so that I can keep a tally. In addition, the review or overview must be on the actual game / hardware page. A review or overview of poor quality could result in less points than stated being granted. The same statement holds true for blog posts.
Because we want the forum to be a lively place of fun and interesting posts, we're enabling Karma during this contest. Karma rewards members that make good posts and smites those who do not. Your Karma will play a wildcard role in posts. Positive Karma at the end of the contest will increase your point total by a factor, while negative karma will decrease it. The equation used to decide how karma affects your points will be announced at a later date before the end of the contest.
As with any contest, there is fine print. Any submission that you make must adhere to the RF Generation guidelines / policies. We wrote these policies and guidelines for a reason, and well, we’d like everyone to adhere to them. Failure to adhere to the guidelines could result in a disqualification.
Any point reduction or disqualification can be contested. In the event that you wish to contest, you must explain why the reduction or disqualification is unfair. If you win the contest, we’ll restore your greatness, but if you lose, you shall be pelted with figurative rocks and garbage.
**KICKER! Everyone, except for the directors of this site, is in this contest. There is a catch though for staff members… their final score will be halved. So, that should lead to a lively competition. I think halving their scores is fair, and I hope you do as well. Oh yeah, there is that 1 point for a submission review, that unfortunately only applies to staff members because they are the poor souls who must review your submissions.
What do you win? Well, we’re a poor bunch here at RF Generation, especially since we're on a dedicated box, but we've got a lovely prize for the top winner:
Gaming swag not to exceed $60 and an RF Generation Ringer T.
Also, anyone in the top 5% of points gainers shall get some sort of recognition, to be determined later.
So, won't you get started? The contest starts as of 20 hours ago (midnight last night). When does it end? It ends at MIDNIGHT, JUNE 8th, 2009. (Sunday 12:00AM) So, what are you waiting for? Have your cake and eat it too! Good luck!
You know what? We have a chat. It's absurd, and it's fun. Want to see a sample of our absurdity? Sure you do:
Quote
[23:32] *** TraderFake is now known as Alfaxxor. [23:33] Alfabor: doesn't rhyme. [23:33] Alfacor: ONLY ONE LETTER CHANGE [23:33] Alfabor: nice try. [23:33] Alfaxxor: I DO NOT CARE [23:33] Alfabor: better luck next time. [23:33] Alfaxxor: [23:33] Alfacor: You don`t add more, you`re messing it up! [23:33] Alfacor: Now he`s not gonna give you +o [23:33] Alfaxxor: YES! [23:33] Alfacor: YOU`RE MISSING OUT [23:33] *** Alfaxxor has been kicked from #rfgeneration by Alfabor: you damn well better make your name right [23:33] Alfabor: oops. [23:33] Alfabor: he doesn't know how we roll, does he. [23:34] Alfacor: Nope. [23:34] Alfabor: whoops. [23:34] Alfabor: oh well. [23:34] Alfabor: well, he was a nice guy. [23:34] Alfabor: way to lose that member. [23:34] Alfabor: he apparently does not have autorejoin [23:34] Alfacor: Yep, he`s gotta do it right. [23:34] Alfabor: so... will he ever come back.
And that is the $64,000 question. Did Lios come back? The only way you will know is if you join #rfgeneration. So yeah, won't you join us? JOIN US, WON'T YOU?
You know what? Five years on April 28 we came into being. Five years ago seems like such a long time ago, but it's true. We're really five years old. Are we getting up in age? You tell me. 
