Is NEO GEO the Art of Gaming?

[Yagyu Jubei]

Since Day 1, Neo Geo was and always will be a luxury item. Just like collecting rare books, comics, fine art, Banksy prints, historical relics, cars. You name it. Not for the feint of heart.

Just like famous art heists, there have been frauds, controversies, forgeries and reproductions in the Neo community. There is a demand for accuracy and authenticity unlike any other gaming community. People buy a fake MD Alien Storm for $40 it's no biggie. But buy a fake $30,000 AES Cart and everyone goes apeshit.

Is Neo collecting like fine art? SNK made timeless games, many in small runs, that still hold up today. Pound for pound, I've played more game hours on my Neo that any other game system. The pixel aesthetic of the Irem/Nazca Corp. The imagination of the original Kawasaki Team. The most powerful hardware of its time. I would even say the "New Japanese Experience" gives Neo players a deep sense of what Japanese culture feels like (the stereotypes, the titties, the comic racism, anime, Sengoku Era, samurai, pachinko music). Is NEO GEO the Art of Gaming itself?

 

[madman]

Just like famous art heists, there have been frauds, controversies, forgeries and reproductions in the Neo community. There is a demand for accuracy and authenticity unlike any other gaming community. People buy a fake MD Alien Storm for $40 it's no biggie. But buy a fake $30,000 AES Cart and everyone goes apeshit.

I don't think people went ape shit over a fake $30,000 cart because the Neo Geo is like fine art. I think it's because people got bilked out of tens of thousands of dollars. It's a little different than a $40 repro/fake.

 

[pmoniez]

I think much like fine art or classic cars collecting for the neo geo can be seen by many as a solid investment that can also be enjoyed. Of course like all other collecting/investing scenes there is also an underbelly of bootlegging.

 

[Neo Ash]

I'm waiting for the day when all these inflated prices crash.







Better sell off all my AES stuff quick.

 

[Yagyu Jubei]

I'm waiting for the day when all these inflated prices crash. Better sell off all my AES stuff quick.

I was going to start thread on that. What would cause a crash, seriously? IMO when the day comes when there is a perfect multicart of every NEO release with no scaling or playability issues, that will be the start of the crash. The other side of the coin would be OG prices will go up because of those who want to play the real thing and not a warez cart.
Maybe if Krikzz will ever get around to making a Neo Everdrive...

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

At this rate, I can't help but feel that the only way to crash the AES market would be to get Germany to invade France again.

 

[Neo Ash]

I was going to start thread on that. What would cause a crash, seriously? IMO when the day comes when there is a perfect multicart of every NEO release with no scaling or playability issues, that will be the start of the crash. The other side of the coin would be OG prices will go up because of those who want to play the real thing and not a warez cart.
Maybe if Krikzz will ever get around to making a Neo Everdrive...

This hobby has been totally fucked by greed and bootlegs.

You basically can't trust that a game is legit, unless *maybe* when it is coming out of a long held collection (before title xyz became popular to bootleg).

 

[hyper]

neo geo hardware is the Cadillac of video games

And no, a Lincoln ain't better than a Cadillac

 

[ballzdeepx]

95% of AES carts are fake. Don't believe me? Go ahead and open up your carts with two steak knives and see for yourself.

 

[FinalbossNYC]

I'm waiting for the day when all these inflated prices crash.
Better sell off all my AES stuff quick.

I was going to start thread on that. What would cause a crash, seriously? IMO when the day comes when there is a perfect multicart of every NEO release with no scaling or playability issues, that will be the start of the crash. The other side of the coin would be OG prices will go up because of those who want to play the real thing and not a warez cart.
Maybe if Krikzz will ever get around to making a Neo Everdrive...

95% of AES carts are fake. Don't believe me? Go ahead and open up your carts with two steak knives and see for yourself.

Reading all this Im really Glad I was collecting AES in the 90s and early 2000s it sounds like its too stressful to buy games now and also I thought the prices then were steep then paying 280 for Last Blade at launch and ordering it from Japan or from Game Dude. I called it my crack habit back when.

On the Crash of Neo market -
I used to "collect" (comics games toys) stuff and then got rid of a ton of belongings over the last decade and I only keep now what I use (its still a lot) but I always think of Golden or Silver age Comics that market will crash one day soon, not fade away but get significantly smaller in price because kids/people a few generations from now won't care about things that happened 5 Gens before they were born sure a few will but not the scene we see in current classics gaming or Comics.... look at baseball cards and model Trains. First things get over priced and then they stay in hands so long they are forgotten.... a theory.
*EDIT* And yes Neo is ART

 

[aha2940]

95% of AES carts are fake.

The other 5% are NAMs and Magician Lords?

 

[joecommando]

Ive always thought a lot of the neo games are works of art. I mean look at games like the last blade, fatal fury and samurai shodown those sprites are gorgeous.

 

[LoneSage]

Is NEO GEO the Art of Gaming itself?

No, it isn't. It captures a spirit of early 90s arcade games, though.

 

[Electric Grave]

I have to agree with LS.

 

[Yagyu Jubei]

No, it isn't. It captures a spirit of early 90s arcade games, though.

That's a good point LS

 

[LegoSlug]

At this rate, I can't help but feel that the only way to crash the AES market would be to get Germany to invade France again.

That would probably spike prices even more. Where would you get conversion/bootlegs from? Could Spain and Italy keep up with demand?

 

[Gamefan]

No, it isn't. It captures a spirit of early 90s arcade games, though.

This is basically it really.

 

[Kef9]

I see the Neo as art because games are simply not drawn like this anymore. In addition you have to factor in the physical art itself that manifests itself on the AES inserts.

Regarding prices I think they will go up and up. I can only see them going down when the people like me in their mid 30's and older begin to start dying releasing supply but by that time how many games will be still be left?

Things like comics and cards are physical tangible items. With the neo this is also true but there is the added benefit that you can plug them into a machine and play them.

 

[FilthyRear]

The Neo is not art. They're video games.

This "Video games are art" subject is bullshit and retarded. Art is made by ARTISTS. Vidya gamez are made by PROGRAMMERS.

 

[hyper]

 

[FinalbossNYC]

The Neo is not art. They're video games.

This "Video games are art" subject is bullshit and retarded. Art is made by ARTISTS. Vidya gamez are made by PROGRAMMERS.

I know plenty of artists that work on video games, drawing sprites is art no? designing characters and backgrounds is art? Music is an art form making music for levels is making "art"? right

Right? No?

 

[Electric Grave]

Yes art is part of video games but there's much more than just art involved, common sense, let's turn it on.

 

[cr8zykuban0]

The Neo is not art. They're video games.

This "Video games are art" subject is bullshit and retarded. Art is made by ARTISTS. Vidya gamez are made by PROGRAMMERS.

i dont exactly dont agree with this. the graphics, game art and sometimes manuals are all art in a way or another.

 

[andsuchisdeath]

i dont exactly dont agree with this. the graphics, game art and sometimes manuals are all art in a way or another.

Game art and manuals aren't actual games.

Of course you wouldn't know the difference though.

 

[Electric Grave]

Ha ha, most people don't know what it takes to make a video game and how much understanding of things that have absolutely nothing to do with art it's needed. Hey, let them have it, so yeah video games are art, let's look at all that gorgeous code! lol! Yay! NG.com!