There are more people to blame than just Shawn here.

Yes, Shawn doubling the price of the new systems was fucked up.

No, I don't think he should have done it. It is borderline disturbing, actually.

However, the people I REALLY blame for this are the deep-pocketed collector assholes. It's these guys who fuck it up for the rest of us. These guys are LOSERS. (And no, having a good job or money does not make you a winner.)

People like DrNeoGeo, NSX-T, Dion and the like. Guys who are so materialistic they make Donald Trump look like Mohandas fucking Ghandi. These guys are the assholes. They are not gamers per se, either. Who in their right mind would spend so much on a home cart system?

They want this stuff because they don't have the good sense to look in the mirror and take a good, hard look at what they see.

Look at what people spend on baseball cards, or autographed pictures of athletes, or beany babies. The people who spend thousands of dollars on this crap are just as bad as those virginal losers who camped out at the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood for a month, just to be the first to see 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'.

Shawn just gave into the greed and gave these stupid fucks what they wanted. A mistake, yes. But it's the assholes who bought 'em I hate.

This world has got it's share of loser assholes, no doubt about it...

...And ten of them just bought brand new homecart systems.

Good points.

I think we've all been beaten by the collectors in one hobby or another (I've taken it to the pills 3 times, Baseball Cards, Comics and Action Figures. Comics have always been collectable but I was old enough/young enough to still be buying Action Figures and Baseball cards because I loved them). I think that's part of the reason I want Anime to stay a subversive thing.

Good job. I think I could have some deep seeded aggression towards collectors... <IMG SRC="smilies/spock.gif" border="0">.

I disagree...

Shawn set a price. If he wasn't sure about the price then he shoudl have kept his mouth shut on the price. Once he established a price he shouldn't change it. How can Shawn be considered a good seller when at the hint of being able to charge more for something he takes advantage of it? You are either a man of your word or your word is SHIT. You can't have it both ways. So if Nintendo said the Game Cube is selling for $100 and everyone rushed out to buy it, and then they changed their price because they saw the demand for it and said it is now $1000 because they didn't want to sell out it's okay and it's the people with the $1000 are the assholes? Wouldn't you blame Nintendo for falling for Greed? If that's what they really are then why did Shawn sell it to them? Basically you are saying if the price is right you can be an asshole and justify it? Bottom line is Shawn made the mistake of stating a price for the homecart systems. He then saw how much more he could've made and instead of accepting the consequences of his actions he let Money corrupt his bussiness sense. So greed and Money are what really run this board huh? Whatever.......

*edited for a typo which didn't make sense.

[ November 09, 2001: Message edited by: djbomberman ]

Originally posted by djbomberman:
<STRONG>I disagree...</STRONG>

Click to expand...

I definately agree with both of you and Neo Buyer. He says that the price hike was fucked up.

I also think he's right that collectors hurt the gamers.

I think your arguments are both based off the same merits with the same base function, just different ways of looking at it.

Loren thinks what Shawn did was greedy and wrong.

NeoBuyer thinks what Shawn did was greedy and wrong.

Neo just goes on a bit to spread the wealth, so to say.

[ November 09, 2001: Message edited by: Blaine ]

I DO think the price hike was wrong. 100% wrong.

I DO think Shawn made a Rosanne-Barr-sized mistake, bordering on pointing to some sort of character flaw.

But the pricks who actually shelled out the big bucks are even more damaging than the one who sells 'em the stuff.

Hows about how these materialistic fucks bought all that reasonably priced stuff from Nikke and depleted his stock, only to go and sell them for a profit?

I am for Capitalism, but it must be tempered with some sort of 'coolness' so as to not fuck people over.

The guys who bought those systems are NOT cool. Shawn is officially NOT cool now either....

Originally posted by neobuyer:
<STRONG>I DO think the price hike was wrong. 100% wrong.

I DO think Shawn made a Rosanne-Barr-sized mistake, bordering on pointing to some sort of character flaw.

But the pricks who actually shelled out the big bucks are even more damaging than the one who sells 'em the stuff.

Hows about how these materialistic fucks bought all that reasonably priced stuff from Nikke and depleted his stock, only to go and sell them for a profit?

I am for Capitalism, but it must be tempered with some sort of 'coolness' so as to not fuck people over.

The guys who bought those systems are NOT cool. Shawn is officially NOT cool now either....</STRONG>

Click to expand...

Rosanne-Barr-sized mistake

Click to expand...

Dang man, thats cold LOL

i think there are very different kinds of collectors the bad ones are the ones that take it to the extreme as if there's just black and white
i've seen some good collectors here that won't spend that much money for x game and they don't rush to buy it no matter what

almost everyone collects something after all
either games or other things

just anything to the extreme is bad either in collecting or in anything in life

Why are the collectors always the bad guys?
I truly think that without them the Neo Geo would have died long time ago. They buy multiple brand new carts when a new title is released, thus supporting SNK more than anyone else. What happens in the aftermarket doesn't really matter, everybody had their chance of buying the games when they first came out. So stop bitching about collectors and prices. Is this what the neo geo scene has become? Constantly bitching against eachother?

LastResort

I wonder where is my son NSX-T now?

He probably jerk off everyday to wait his New AES <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

Definitely that 'price rising' wasn't a nice spectacle... <IMG SRC="smilies/spock.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by LastResort:
<STRONG>Why are the collectors always the bad guys?</STRONG>

Click to expand...

They're not.

I am a gamer and collector,
most collectors here are gamers as well.

The people I'm talking about are the extreme collectors, the people that feel money is no object. The people who get an erection when they look at all the Neo carts they have in super-mint condition that they never play.

The people who think that having all the Neo carts gives them some sort of prestige. The same type of guy who thinks having all the original Star Wars trading cards makes them a big time stud worthy of the adulation of other repressed Star Wars nerds...

The funny thing is that only another asshole would be impressed by the souless material objects these guys have turned their Neo carts into.

People like DrNeoGeo and NSX-T.

They aree not normal, OK?

They are FREAKS.

If he wanted an auction, he should have put them on Ebay...

I'm also a gamer and collector, but my games dont have to be super minty fresh. I like to play the games that i buy instead of putting them in plastic baggies on a shelf. But i dont get mad at them, i feel sorry for such people because they dont know what they're missing. I started playing/collecting neo geo games from 1991, and after nearly 10 years I almost reached my goal. There's nothing wrong with having all neo geo games.
As long as you play them, i think it's pretty cool. But if you look at the general console/gaming market there are collectors for about every gaming system, not only neo geo. Just remember that the systems when they first came out costed almost the same as Shawn's price. And like with everything else there will be people who can spend the cash for it. It's just a fact.

LastResort

Originally posted by LastResort:
<STRONG>.... I like to play the games that i buy instead of putting them in plastic baggies ...</STRONG>

Click to expand...

Wan-Fu puts all his AES in baggies :P

Originally posted by Liquid Snake:
<STRONG>Wan-Fu puts all his AES in baggies :P</STRONG>

Click to expand...

That's because he works in a field that protects computers... Naturally he lent over his fear of a static shock to his neo software.

I've met him in person and he isn't a "freak" collector.

I am both a collector and a gamer. Everything I buy, regardless of how valuable it is, I also play. I enjoy the best of both worlds, while taking care of what I have so that it retains its value. I do not feel everything I have should be kept on a shelf and never used, especially if it is a game or a system. However, some people seem to do one or the other, I guess it just depends on their personality.

I can understand the frustration some people feel towards collectors, and yes, as people are willing to pay more money for things the value of what they are paying for increases as demand increases. Many of the best games on the neo are also very rare and expensive (take Pulstar and Blazing Star for instance), and this can make it very hard for someone who can't afford the cart to play these games, save emulation or some crap like that. But, without the collectors, I doubt the neo scene would be a lively and interesting as it continues to be, even with the demise of SNK. The collectors are in many ways, although not all ways, the most hardcore of the hardcore, the key target audience that continues to invest in the neo market and keep it a profitable enterprise. This in turn helps to encourage companies to still develop for the neo because there is still a customer base who is willing to buy the new games for the system, even though the system is over a decade old. I hope that, unlike other aging systems, the neo continues to have top-notch games released for it instead of some of the garbage I have seen in development for other legacy systems.

If you want to hate the collectors, call them names, whatever, so be it. But those people, regardless of how deep or shallow their pockets are (mine are more shallow than deep), are a lot of the reason the neo is still as strong as it is today.

This whole scenario is being way overblown. There's nobody to blame here because nobody has done anything wrong or illegal. All that happened is some people bought some merchandise. So what if Shawn sold the systems at a huge markup, thats not really anyones business but Shawn's. Do you expect him to go to the trouble of gaining this merchandise and then not make a profit from it? At least he had 10 systems to sell. I gaurantee the people who bought those machines don't have a problem with the price, so I don't see the reasoning behind all this squabling. Nobody was price gouged because nobody was forced to buy these systems at that price.

Saying the people who bought these systems are assholes is ridiculous, you people have alot of nerve to say such complete shite. Sounds like petty jealousy to me. Let it go, so what if you didn't get a new AES, life goes on.

If you don't like the way Shawn does business, then you have the ultimate power yourself to choose to NOT BUY from him, thats the ultimate consumer power, use it!

I wouldn't buy something if the price was to high, but then again I can't say I wouldn't buy it if I had lots of money.
When people like something and have money to buy it they should do so not being afraid of being labeled freaks.

As a gamer, I'm glad I only have 2-3 more games to get before my collection is complete. I couldn't afford it otherwise. I do like to see my collection take more space on my shelf. The kicker is that I won't collect games that suck, and you all gotta face it, about 80-90% of them suck. I also must say that the price gouging going on in this scene is insane, Thank God for Nikke.

BTW, nice seeing you around here again, Jason.

[ November 09, 2001: Message edited by: Sifl ]

Originally posted by Liquid Snake:
<STRONG>I wonder where is my son NSX-T now?

He probably jerk off everyday to wait his New AES <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Click to expand...

I sent him to his room, he will be back tomarrow.

Lets beal real clear here. I have no problem with Shawn making a profit! I am certain he has profitted from my purchases with him. I guess it was my mistake though I thought Shawn was in this more for the Neo commnunity (in essence to make a profit but not a killing). Shawns prices now are starting to look more like Buy-rite's and Neo Geo Feaks pricing scheme. SNK is a business and they didnt rape Shawn when they sold him the wares but he in turn is raping anyone who is willing to pay such rediculous prices. This is all based on the rumors though of what he had paid for the items. If they are true which unfortunately I am inclined to believe then it most certainly was my mistake. Neo-Geo.com is a BUSINESS and will sell items at rediculously high profit margins if someone is craziest enough to pay. Let me say this I bought a BRAND NEW AES system directly from NEO GEO Super Sellers in Japan about 2.5 years ago for $300. Doesnt that make anyone who paid $1000 feel warm and fuzzy? I hope so.

Originally posted by GunstarHero:
<STRONG>Saying the people who bought these systems are assholes is ridiculous, you people have alot of nerve to say such complete shite. Sounds like petty jealousy to me. </STRONG>

Click to expand...

Does this mean you're one of them?

Probably not... but even so, it has nothing to do with jealousy.

It has to do with the character of the people who go nuts and take collecting to the extreme.

These guys are 'in the closet' so to speak, and would never come here and admit they bought one of those systems.

If I'm wrong I'll wholeheartedly admit it. So c'mon buyers....

Who bought one?

Originally posted by BRANDI:
<STRONG>If he wanted an auction, he should have put them on Ebay...</STRONG>

Click to expand...

Exactly! that way when the price went up it wasn't because he changed his mind it was the bidders that set the price.

I understand that Shawn doesn't want people to buy it from him then turn around and sell it for double what he sold it to them for (I don't think anyone does)...but you can't justify raising the price by that as well.
I just don't really see the collector here as the asshole. I see they are being stupid, but if all the stupid collectors pay that much and get it, it's their money not mine. They can buy it howvere they want. I may not like it, but I can NOT change that fact. For me the issue really is that Shawn is trying to justify raising the price when he shouldn't have. Bottom line. He can say I put a "+" next to 500+. Whatever then the range for that is $500-$599 if it goes higher it is $600+. If he didn't know the demand he shouldn't have said ANYTHING about a price regardless of pressure. Now he knows, and really he threw away his integrity for an extra what? $1000? That to me is why I have an issue, but each to their own..........I like this site, but this soap opera is getting a little tiresome.........just my $2.50....

neobuyer wrote:

Does this mean you're one of them?

Click to expand...

Not that it would be any of your business, but I'm not one of the buyers. See, and herein lies the basis for this whole argument, you are sticking your nose where it don't belong. You are purposely and maliciously involving yourself in other peoples transactions that don't involve you at all. Get a life.

It has to do with the character of the people who go nuts and take collecting to the extreme.

Click to expand...

Ha! Now we're talking character flaws? What about people who go nuts because other people are buying video game consoles? Hmm. I just purchased Metal Slug 3 from the NeoStore this week, does that make me an asshole collector too? I mean, I felt the price was a wee bit steep, but I wanted a brand new copy since it's only about $25 more to get one from the Neostore compared to a used one in the selling forum. Kind of collectorish of me eh? I must be an asshole since I didn't get one from a fellow NEO gamer here on the forum.
Thats how it works in this world kid, if you want something brand new, you will be willing to pay more. And that's all that happened with those AES consoles. Live and learn. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by GunstarHero:
<STRONG>Ha! Now we're talking character flaws? What about people who go nuts because other people are buying video game consoles? Hmm. I just purchased Metal Slug 3 from the NeoStore this week, does that make me an asshole collector too? I mean, I felt the price was a wee bit steep, but I wanted a brand new copy since it's only about $25 more to get one from the Neostore compared to a used one in the selling forum. Kind of collectorish of me eh? I must be an asshole since I didn't get one from a fellow NEO gamer here on the forum.
Thats how it works in this world kid, if you want something brand new, you will be willing to pay more. And that's all that happened with those AES consoles. Live and learn. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Click to expand...

Ugh...

I would love to argue this with you, but I'd just be repeating myself. I hate to use the tried and true "You really should have read my posts more thoroughly" line, but you should have.

I am a collector, my point was about poeple who take it too far.

If you want to continue with the nastiness, I'll be more than happy to tear you a new ass on my previous point, GunstarHero.