IS THERE STILL HOPE?!?!?!?!?

Well, Brezza has FINALLY written me back....

The part to pay attention to is "SO FAR" at the end of the first sentence.


Dear Sir,

Thank you for your Email.

Unfortunately, there is no plan to release the home system
for Crystal System so far.
We just start releasing Crystal System for arcade in American
market. So, we guess you will find this at your nearest Arcade
soon.

Regards,
BrezzaSoft Corporation.

On Thu, 3 Jan 2002 15:48:28 EST
MachadoJJ@aol.com wrote:

> Hello from America!
>
> Is there going to be a home rom crystal system released like the Neo-Geo?
> When will the crystal system be released?
>
> Thank you!
> Mike Rubin

--
info@brezzasoft <info@brezzasoft.com>

mmmmm sounds interesting ....lets hope they make some tight games first <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

What's this Crystal system? This is the first I've heard of it. I wrote Brezza not too long ago and got a resonse the next day; it was just a generic "thanks and look for KOF 2001", so I thought it was just a form letter. I wrote it in Japanese; could it be that someone there doesn't speak it?

Mike, you can't really be serious in expecting Brezza to release the Crystal system as a "home system"? The days when that could fly are LONG gone, especially with new systems like the XBox and Gamecube out. No way will they commit suicide by releasing a system with super expensive cartridges as the game medium . . . thats crazy. <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by chimpmeister:
<STRONG>Mike, you can't really be serious in expecting Brezza to release the Crystal system as a "home system"? The days when that could fly are LONG gone, especially with new systems like the XBox and Gamecube out. No way will they commit suicide by releasing a system with super expensive cartridges as the game medium . . . thats crazy. <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Click to expand...

No that isn't crazy it would be a smart move on Breeza's part. X-box and Gamecube new and great system yes but it is too early for both system to have a great selection of games. Point is that if they develope that, they could make a profit but that is risky. If you deny it I can give you an example of old system that lasted for two years against a better advanced system. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">

No, that would be financial suicide. You can't really release an expensive niche system and expect it to make you any noticeable profit. Systems today are mainstream, you can't really dip your toe in the market and be succesfull, you have to dive in.

Xbox, GC and PS2 release dozens of games every month at reasonable prices. An expensive arcade home system with expensive carts released about once every 3-6 months just wouldn't cut it. It would end up like the Neo is now, a collectors dream, but nothing more...

What someone needs to do is release a full blown, inexpensive system with little to no 3D capabilities. It could cash in on the often ignored 2D genre and hopefully stir up enough interest to get good 3rd party support. That would be sweet and you would think since it doesn't utilize any of today's fancy 3D engines it would be VERY inexpensive to develope and distribute. Maybe even retail for uner $100, which looks very nice to the average gamer (and retro gamers would eat it up).

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: FeelGood ]

Originally posted by FeelGood:
<STRONG>No, that would be financial suicide. You can't really release an expensive niche system and expect it to make you any noticeable profit. Systems today are mainstream, you can't really dip your toe in the market and be succesfull, you have to dive in.

Xbox, GC and PS2 release dozens of games every month at reasonable prices. An expensive arcade home system with expensive carts released about once every 3-6 months just wouldn't cut it. It would end up like the Neo is now, a collectors dream, but nothing more...</STRONG>

Click to expand...

N64 did this when PS2 was just beginning and DC has hit it's point, and they put t a lot of game out during those months.

Zelda
Sin and Punishment
Conker's bad fur day

Games that could of afforded to await the coming of GC. In that time they could of worked bugs out of these games. And this is just a small list of games hat poured out in those last months, not counting Jap releases and European.

Originally posted by chimpmeister:
<STRONG>Mike, you can't really be serious in expecting Brezza to release the Crystal system as a "home system"? The days when that could fly are LONG gone, especially with new systems like the XBox and Gamecube out. No way will they commit suicide by releasing a system with super expensive cartridges as the game medium . . . thats crazy. <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Click to expand...

i would have to agree with chimp on this one, i don't think they are going to take a huge risk right away and make a system that will most likely cause their downfall. Think about how much this thing will cost guys, it will be like the neo home system when it came out probably. I'm sure they would be digging their own grave to release that as a home system.

but we'll see, i may not be right
<IMG SRC="smilies/spock.gif" border="0">

I would have to disagree in that it would be finacial suicide. Look at the Neo, only just over 330k were made in japan, and they all sold. And it's not that expensie, the Crystal System board WITH The Crystal of Kings cart can be found for $500, this is brand new, and amazingly cheap for a new arcade board. Look at the Naomi, it was $2k when it was first released, now they can be found for $500 new, and it's only 3 years old. As long as they port their games to at least the PS2, they will be fine, and if they can get the Neo community to jump on teh bandwagon, it will sell. All they have to do is annouce their key franchises and the arcade operators will eat it up, at least in south america and korea, and in a year or 2 when it's cheaper to make, make a home system in limited supply like the Neo and it will sell to thoes with the cash to spend (me NOT included, I'm just now trying get into teh neo). They wouldn't have to spend a thing on advertising, just come here and annouce it, and the fan base will let everyone who would ever give a thought to buying it that it's coming. At about $400 with 2 controllers and a game it will sell, look at teh Saturn, considered a failure by many (fuck u to thoes ppl), if SNK had sold that many Neo's, they would be sitting pretty right now. Well that's my opinion, and they don't mean shit.

Chimpmeister, you have to look at it this way: The way that SNK has made it possible and VERY profitable to continue to support the AES for so long.

It is painfully obvious that the only reason SNK continues to support the home system is because of the success of the MVS system and that alone. If SNK were to try and survive off of home sales alone, the AES would have been dead within the first few years of it's life span.

Read on.

The cost of a current AES release for SNK to produce when compared to the already made MVS release is literally pennies on the dollar.

How much do you guys really think that your AES carts are worth in parts?

How much do you guys think that your AES system is worth in parts?

Think about it.

The MVS chips are the same as the AES chips. The only difference is the board it's print on, the plastic shell, the plastic case, and the paper insert with manual.

You'd have to assume that the ROMS become cheaper when purchased in bulk. But the rest is simple economics.

(NOTE: 10,000 is a number made up by me to estimate the average amount of a single MVS title upon release---this number represents the calculated maximum absorption of a single title into the mainstream arcade market)

Let's say SNK takes 2,000 of the guestimated maximum absorption into the mainstream arcade market of 10,000 ROMS for a game and dedicates them to home versions.

Now, the bulk of their earnings obviously come from the 10,000 copies of the MVS games that are sold to arcade operators at $1000 a pop.

Let's say low-end 20% of each sale is gross profit. (Add it up and SNK makes $2,000,000 off of a complete sell out of the MVS title)

Now, SNK plans to release the "home version" of an already completed game with the remaining 2,000 run of chips.

2,000 hard plastic cart cases after the mold has been paid off = $Cheap as hell

2,000 stickers (paper with ink on it)= $hmmm

2,000 inserts(more paper with ink on it)= $uhhhh

So in the end SNK sells a game worth about $50 for $268.00 plus tax........

Or roughly $440,000 in Extra profits, off of a game that can no longer be absorbed into the arcade market.

Pretty cool, no?

Edit: $ sign

[ January 07, 2002: Message edited by: Mike ]

Financial suicide. Count my vote as "Yea."

The N64 is an ineffectual example because it's got an already established fan-base that dwarfs the Neo-fan base by about, oh, 1000 times (give or take a few million).

beleive it or not, hope does spring eternal.

Releasing the crystal system as A home console would be the biggest mistake EVER!
I pray to god it never happens. if it did the people responsible at brezza and the fans wanting that system should be dragged out onto the streets and beaten unmercifuly.
so. just in case you are still wondering.....I dont think A home crystal system would happen.

Let's see the games... FIRST! <IMG SRC="smilies/cool.gif" border="0">

The neo geo was never meant to compete with the Super Nintendo and Sega Gen. SNK knew that.

The Crystal System wouldn't be made for direct competition with the PS2,Gamecube, or Xbox either.

When (if) Metal Slug comes out on the system, most of you would probably buy it if it came out in a home version.

I know I would.

Originally posted by FeelGood:
<STRONG>No, that would be financial suicide. You can't really release an expensive niche system and expect it to make you any noticeable profit. Systems today are mainstream, you can't really dip your toe in the market and be succesfull, you have to dive in.

Xbox, GC and PS2 release dozens of games every month at reasonable prices. An expensive arcade home system with expensive carts released about once every 3-6 months just wouldn't cut it. It would end up like the Neo is now, a collectors dream, but nothing more...

What someone needs to do is release a full blown, inexpensive system with little to no 3D capabilities. It could cash in on the often ignored 2D genre and hopefully stir up enough interest to get good 3rd party support. That would be sweet and you would think since it doesn't utilize any of today's fancy 3D engines it would be VERY inexpensive to develope and distribute. Maybe even retail for uner $100, which looks very nice to the average gamer (and retro gamers would eat it up).

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: FeelGood ]</STRONG>

Click to expand...

*cough*GameBoyAdvance*cough*

<IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Peace

JHendrix

<IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> Ha HA he was describing the Gameboy Advance ,Oh well Nintendo's too smart

-I've said this repeatedly, but a home version of the Crystal system would be a waste of time & money. Very, very few people would buy it, especially if the boards/cartridges were running at arcade rates. Like I've said, it'd just be the Hyper64 all over again. Charging $500-1000 for the hardware and another couple hundred per game isn't viable. For the price of an arcade board and one game, you'd be able to buy any one of the new consoles, plus several games (or a Dreamcast and about 90-hundred games).

-The N64 was a complete and utter failure in Japan, and didn't do too well in the US either, at least not compared to the PlayStation (which is the most successful video game system in history).

-If you must compare the Crystal to other systems, look at the Hyper64 and the Dreamcast. The Hyper64 was a 3D hardware system that SNK put out when it didn't know a damn thing about making 3D games (which is why most of the Hyper's games look like garbage). The Dreamcast was a great console with a lot of fantastic games (much brighter outlook than the Crystal system, which only has 2 games, both of which look like crap), but wasn't marketed or priced properly. Both systems are also dead, dead, dead.