CAGcast #334: Even Batman Cries

I don't think anything will help WiiU gain sales momentum. Nintendo targets young kids and they are all playing tablet games. N needs to become a 3rd party Dev.
 
I felt bad that cheapy was having a hard day but I could relate when he was choked up about his son getting older.  Anybody who doesn't have kids probably won't understand that but I felt like wombat could have been less of a dbag about it.  Where's the compassion?  Anyway good show.

 
I was a bit put-off at the Xenoblade discussion with Cheapy and Shipwreck as I read the story with Gamestop ordering a reprint and have been selling marked up new copies advertised as USED at $90.  The original thread on GAF even went through and showed the differences between the cases of the original release and a copy picked up recently at GS.

I'm not the gamer that looks as GameStop as the ultimate evil in the world, but the story did read kinda scummy to me.  I've seen used copies of Marvel vs Capcom 2 back in the day marked up with a similar price, but it was most likely one copy they had that was hard to come by.  Ordering a whole new shipment in to disguise as used copies for the purpose of marking up the price is just gross, especially since they were the only retailer in the U.S. who could sell the game originally.

Then again, I could be wrong on all this -- looking to stop by a GameStop today to see if there actually are brand new copies of Xenoblade and see what the price is.

 
Wombat and Shipwreck if you did a show next week I would listen. I think it would be an interesting dynamic.

 
Hey Cheapy, like everyone else who has enjoyed the various fruits of your labor, I wish you the very best during whatever stresses you have going.

GameStop has carried used games with super-inflated prices before such as DragonBall GT Final Bout (PS1), Gitaroo Man, Rez, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and practically every Shin Megami Tensei game (PS2). The ordering of reprints specifically to be sold as used happened previously with Gitaroo Man and Rez to my knowledge. Back then the games were selling for a lower (but still inflated versus other contemporary PS2 used games) price point so it didn't annoy anyone except the collectors. This time I think it's freaking everyone out because they haven't done a price hike like this in a while. As time passes people will, hopefully, move on. And as the guys stated: don't collect games as some sort of investment, collect them to play them or for sentimentality.
 
Cheapy I think the reason they're opening Xenoblades is because they can't sell them higher than retail price if they're still "new"

They are also the only supplier of the game in the United States so they're taking a product they have a monopoly on, opening them and marking them used, just to increase the price.

 
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Great show, it was nice hearing about shipwrecks experience with Nvidia shield. The problems with humble bundle origin were fixed fast enough that it didnt effect me. Thanks for the show.

In for the DMC steam code also

 
Maybe there is no duck bill movement because they communicate telepathically?

Brain control > mind control

In for an entry for DMC on steam :)
 
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Cheapy, hope your day gets better. Also, kind sirs, I too would like a Steam code for DMC. Come on guys, this new Radeon 6570 card is not going to play itself! :)

 
Wombat said:
That is the nature of capitalism. They have a product you want, they will charge the most they can. If you do not like that, don't buy it. Eventually the price will go down if no one buys it at the inflated price.
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Just saying 'It's capitalism' does not mean one has the carte blanche to treat their consumers so horribly. If you want people to buy your product, you need to ask yourself, in GS's position, "what would be a good price to sell this at that seems reasonable"? It's supposed to be a two-way street. I was rather disappointed in the CAG crew this week, because they were easily saying the right things about MS and the Kinect, but completely forgetting that the same principles applied to the Xenoblade debacle and defending GS's consumer unfriendly practices.

What it seems to me, GS just look at the rare prices on Ebay, amazon, et al, said, "Let's do that! Damn the consequences!" and since they were the only ones that were selling it, could manipulate the price to such a hideous extent that it makes them look greedy.

Really, calling a game that was released last year 'Vintage' is disingenuous enough as it is.

Edit: And I too would like a DmC steam code, please.

 
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I was also bugged by the non-moving duck bills Wombat.  Felt weird that they obviously spent time and money getting the voice actors, but didn't take the time to animate that.  I also don't really understand why they went with ugly polygonal backgrounds either.

The Xenoblade thing doesn't bother me as it would've never been released in the US without Gamestop in the first place.  Of course I pre-ordered it last year because I wanted to play it, so it doesn't effect me either way.

 
milkham said:
Cheapy I think the reason they're opening Xenoblades is because they can't sell them higher than retail price if they're still "new"

They are also the only supplier of the game in the United States so they're taking a product they have a monopoly on, opening them and marking them used, just to increase the price.
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Hoarr said:
I was a bit put-off at the Xenoblade discussion with Cheapy and Shipwreck as I read the story with Gamestop ordering a reprint and have been selling marked up new copies advertised as USED at $90. The original thread on GAF even went through and showed the differences between the cases of the original release and a copy picked up recently at GS.

I'm not the gamer that looks as GameStop as the ultimate evil in the world, but the story did read kinda scummy to me. I've seen used copies of Marvel vs Capcom 2 back in the day marked up with a similar price, but it was most likely one copy they had that was hard to come by. Ordering a whole new shipment in to disguise as used copies for the purpose of marking up the price is just gross, especially since they were the only retailer in the U.S. who could sell the game originally.

Then again, I could be wrong on all this -- looking to stop by a GameStop today to see if there actually are brand new copies of Xenoblade and see what the price is.
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the S in MSRP = "Suggested". I don't know what the problem is. It's not a crime to sell above MSRP. If it was, eBay would be in big trouble. GameStop (and GQD before them) offers products, that without them, would remain in limited quantities. This is sure to bring the price down overall, which is great for anyone who wants to buy and play the game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggested_retail_price

 
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CheapyD said:
the S in MSRP = "Suggested". I don't know what the problem is. It's not a crime to sell above MSRP. If it was, eBay would be in big trouble. GameStop (and GQD before them) offers products, that without them, would remain in limited quantities. This is sure to bring the price down overall, which is great for anyone who wants to buy and play the game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggested_retail_price
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The problem is, GS got these games new, then, they opened them up and sold them as 'used', knowing full well that they were 'new'. Also, there's a big difference between some random individual selling them on Ebay, and a large, mutlinational corporation like Gamestop doing it.

If they really wanted to get rid of this supposed extra stock, they wouldn't be selling it for that much.

And again, calling something 'vintage' from last year reeks of corporate doublespeak.

I wanted to get this game when it came out, but couldn't, due to real life taking priorities. Now, when I finally have some disposable income, it is sold at a price I cannot abide. So, unless the scalpers actually start lowering their price, I fear that this will become the next Earthbound and I don't want GS to get any of my money.

 
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It broke my heart to hear CheapyD's distraught voice. I, personally, wouldn't think any less of you all if you did the kickstarter thing. I'd throw in $10 for all the laughs and insight I've found in the CAGcast over the years. I'm sure there are many CAGs who would loyally support their favorite hub for cheapness; use us as a safety net.

In for DmC on Steam if you haven't given the two up already.

 
That was a really raw episode.  Cheapy, keep being real.  This kind of shit is what separates the Cagcast from other shows.  And by that I mean... male menopause.  I really feel for you that this forum shit is fucking up your livelihood.  That stress is tough to deal with.  You've been in Japan for a loooong-ass time.  That has to get to you as well.

I haven't been in a Gamestop in years, so don't care if they abuse their customers' good will by raking them over the coals on reprints of a game.  It is silly though to think that only a first printing of a game has value.  

I forget--are you guys coming to PAX?  When's the live show at the Twitch booth this year?  

Hempfest is in Seattle this weekend, so Cheapy you might come a little early next time.  Think about the same number of people as PAX, but instead they are pot enthusiasts.  Hope to see you guys at PAX again this year.

 
[quote name="TWH" post="10992995" timestamp="1376803243"]
The problem is, GS got these games new, then, they opened them up and sold them as 'used', knowing full well that they were 'new'. Also, there's a big difference between some random individual selling them on Ebay, and a large, mutlinational corporation like Gamestop doing it.

If they really wanted to get rid of this supposed extra stock, they wouldn't be selling it for that much.

And again, calling something 'vintage' from last year reeks of corporate doublespeak.

I wanted to get this game when it came out, but couldn't, due to real life taking priorities. Now, when I finally have some disposable income, it is sold at a price I cannot abide. So, unless the scalpers actually start lowering their price, I fear that this will become the next Earthbound and I don't want GS to get any of my money.[/quote]There is no extra-stock; GameStop ordered these reprints direct from the publisher. Without GS, they wouldn't exist. By introducing more supply, GS's actions will (eventually) have made the game cheaper for you, not the other way around.


Cursor said:
I forget--are you guys coming to PAX? When's the live show at the Twitch booth this year?
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nope, sorry. Maybe next year.

 
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The same thing happened with the Fatal Frame games several years ago, but nobody was upset because Gamestop were only selling them for $30 because that's what the market would bear.  If $90 is too much to pay for Xenoblade then don't buy it; no one's worse off because Gamestop are giving people the option to buy a rare game.  And there will be a lot of people who pay the $90 and then happily play the game for 100+ hours.

 
Sorry for the rough patch CheapyD.  If you need the ads then just put them up.  People need to make a living and really what site doesn't have ads these days?

Regarding the Nvidia SHIELD, my problem with it is that for $300 it doesn't really open up more games for me to play.  For $100 more I can pick up a PS4 and open up a lot more video game possibilities.  I'm of Wombat's opinion that if all the Nvidia SHIELD does for me is let me game in bed, I'll walk the 20 feet and game on my PC.

Regarding GameStop selling Xenoblade at $90, I understand they are in the business to make money.  The thing that bothers me is that they are not entirely being "honest" to their customers.  The short term gain of making a few bucks on Xenoblade will create long term resentment from gamers.  GameStop needs to think of a long term solution in order to survive.  They may be safe regarding used games this up coming generation but the storm is coming.  Everything will eventually got digital and they need to find a way to survive.  The pricing of Xenoblade is another reason why I don't "trust" GameStop and would rather pre-order from other outlets (e.g. Amazon and Newegg).

I would like an entry for the DMC code.

 
Gamestop issued the following response when they were contacted about Xenoblade Chronicles suddenly appearing at their retail store...

"Gamestop regularly receives feedback from our PowerUp members regarding old titles they would like us to bring back, such as vintage games like Xenoblade Chronicles. We were recently able to source a limited number of copies of this title to carry in our stores and online.

"In fact, we have sourced several more vintage titles that will be hitting stores in the coming months, including Metroid Prime Trilogy.

"As always, our pricing for these games is competitive and is based on current market value driven by supply and demand. PowerUp Pro members always receive a 10 percent discount and earn PUR points on pre-owned purchases." (Via Joystiq.com)

The source for Xenoblade Chronicles is GameQuestDirect which Gamestop purchased reprint new copies of the game. However, Gamestop has chosen not to sell the game new or inform the customer that the game is actually a reprint. Instead, Gamestop has elected to open the games and sell the games used for $89.99 with the guise that these copies are of the original print run. They have the audacity to further dupe their own members and say they will save 10% on the game by buying the game used.


Wombat said:
That is the nature of capitalism. They have a product you want, they will charge the most they can. If you do not like that, don't buy it. Eventually the price will go down if no one buys it at the inflated price.
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To justify this under the "nature of capitalism" or the "Don't buy it" pretense is so naive and still not an acceptable excuse because even though, you may not be scammed other unknowing customers are being deceived.
CheapyD said:
the S in MSRP = "Suggested". I don't know what the problem is. It's not a crime to sell above MSRP. If it was, eBay would be in big trouble. GameStop (and GQD before them) offers products, that without them, would remain in limited quantities. This is sure to bring the price down overall, which is great for anyone who wants to buy and play the game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggested_retail_price
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The problem is...that the game is not being sold as purchased from the distributor. The reprint copy of Xenoblade Chronicles is being sold without disclosure to the customer that Gamestop secured new copies of the game and has opened them and is selling them as a used original print run copy. It may not be a crime to sell above MSRP but fraud is.

The majority of customers prefer to buy items new and sealed so why isn't Gamestop selling the games new and sealed at the ebay going rate of $150-$200 for an original sealed copy of Xenoblades? Why...because these copies are reprints and reprint copies of games are sold at a discount price or match the original MSRP. The "used game" guise is the loophole Gamestop has used to price the game at whatever price they want while still being competitive "current market value."

Moreover, take this example: why won't GTA V be opened and sold used by Gamestop for $89.99 because the MSRP is $59.99, unlike Xenoblade Chronicles GTA V is not an exclusive title to Gamestop in North America and there are other competing retailers selling the same game at $59.99.

Because of Xenoblade Chronicles exclusivity to Gamestop, Gamestop has devised this pilot program to sell reprints as used originals under the moniker "Vintage Video Games".

To flat out lie to your customers is a bad business practice and is inexcusable, regardless if its the nature of a retailer to increase profit margins as stated by Shipwreck during the Cagcast.

In the corner for all three of you!
 
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This GameStop/Xenoblade situation is like buying 10k gold sold to you as 14k gold. Yeah it is gold but not the gold your actually paying for.
 
Small correction for Shipwreck's discussion about Elysium. He said one difference between Halo and Elysium rings is that Halo had the plants, water and stuff on the outside of the ring and Elysium had it on the inside. Nope, Halo has the nature elements on the inside of the ring too. Besides the many scenes of the outside of the rings in the game being grey and showing machine stuff (play Halo 1 for the first 15 minutes), in the games if you look up you can see parts of the ring in the sky. If they were one the outside, they would have just seen space.

The reason they do this is the spinning of the rings creates centrifugal force that mimics gravity. 

The first time a space ring was used in fiction was Ringworld by Larry Niven, so both properties copied him.

Felt compelled to post this because I'm a huge geek for Halo fiction.

 
pooOBKp said:
I have never felt the need/urge to reply but was laughing at work while listening to this podcast while Wombat spoke of Super Smash Brothers for the WiiU. I literally just had a conversation with my wife about picking up a WiiU the day Super Smash is released. I totally feel like that is the game to be a system seller. Maybe it's me buying it for nostalgia.
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Yeah, Wombat, I always love hearing your opinions, but I kind of think you are all the way out of your mind when you say Smash Bros. is dead and won't sell consoles. I would absolutely buy a WiiU for $350 if Smash Bros is available versus a WiiU for $300 or even $250 with Super Mario U, Luigi U, Pikmin 3, and Wonderful 101. And I'm pretty sure I'm not totally alone on that.

Also, hang in there, Cheapy, I'm sure things will pick up.

 
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Just listened to the podcast, had to give my opinion on one specific thing.

The WiiU price is the ONLY thing that's stopping me from buying atm. The software will show up eventually. I would love to have one just to pick up retro stuff on the e-shop, I already missed a number of the 30 cent deals. I know when the PS4 and Xbox1 launch there will be a price drop and no reason to buy until that happens. A bundle with a 3DS XL wouldn't hurt either.

 
Microsoft seems to be shooting themselves in the foot every week when it comes to the Xbox-one, It's one thing to cave to popular opinion, but doing so repeatedly starts to send a message that they don't believe in the product and why should the players. 

There is alot of stuff that can't be used without a gold subscription that is just questionable. i played around at a friends house and it won't let you watch ad promoted video apps like Crackle. 

I haven't pulled the trigger on the Origin humble bundle but the key entry made me chuckle. EA keeps coming up with good ideas to gain favor from the gaming world and they can't follow through. Preordering Simcity they should of known how many people would be wanting to play that game at launch but they couldn't keep the servers up, Offering a very cool package through Humble Bundle that all goes to charity is a cool idea but having your servers strain under the load sends the message Origin isn't ready for Prime time. 

Put my name in for a DMC code, been waiting for it to go on sale to finally play though it. 

 
I've been listening to the CAGcast for maybe 6 years now, and don't think I've ever posted more than once in a show thread for a contest. For the last week I've been living in my 4-person apartment alone before the semester starts, and it's been more than a little lonely. I was glad to see a new CAGcast come out, and listened immediately. I've listened to dozens of podcasts, but your's is the only one I've stuck with (and will probably continue to for a long time to come). The mix of gaming news and just general dicking around on air make the CAGcast one of the most personal podcasts I listen to. It's great to hear when you guys are doing well, and sad to hear when things aren't - I hope all is well soon. I just wanted to thank you guys for providing me entertainment for countless hours.

That being said, I can't rightly leave a comment on a show thread without calling out Wombat on something. Wombat, if you don't think the new Smash Brothers game will sell WiiU's you've gotta be high. No, it will not have as much as an impact as Mario Kart because that's the follow-up to the best-selling game of the last generation but Smash Brothers is in no way dead. Much love. 

 
Nice to hear the XbOne is going to actually be a decent console, but I'm baffled that Nintendo still thinks the WiiU stands a chance without a price drop. Great show from you guys, and I hope things look up for you Cheapy!

Count me in for the DMC Steam code as well

 
banodyne said:
Small correction for Shipwreck's discussion about Elysium. He said one difference between Halo and Elysium rings is that Halo had the plants, water and stuff on the outside of the ring and Elysium had it on the inside. Nope, Halo has the nature elements on the inside of the ring too. Besides the many scenes of the outside of the rings in the game being grey and showing machine stuff (play Halo 1 for the first 15 minutes), in the games if you look up you can see parts of the ring in the sky. If they were one the outside, they would have just seen space.

The reason they do this is the spinning of the rings creates centrifugal force that mimics gravity.

The first time a space ring was used in fiction was Ringworld by Larry Niven, so both properties copied him.

Felt compelled to post this because I'm a huge geek for Halo fiction.
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Yup, you're absolutely right. Not sure what I was thinking when I said you were on the outside of the Halo rings.

 
Cheapy, it takes a lot to admit that you've been a dick to your wife and just saying it so honestly on the CAGcast earned you a lot of respect in my eyes. I felt so bad after listening to this episode that I went out and bought Flashpoint Paradox and watched it last night. It was just as good as you and Wombat said it was, so thank you all for that recommendation. 

 
Hello Gentlemen, another tolerable show as usual keep it up. As far as the Gamestop/ Xenoblade thing goes, the fact that they are marketing it as a "Vintage edition" just feels super shitty, and is clearly a cash grab for a rare title that had a limited first run. As a business they are well within their rights to do something like this but I hope gamers will see through the crap cloud and let the title drop to a better price. 

Also Nintendo seems to have no grasp on the current state of the industry that they are supposedly a major player in, price is just as much of a problem as the software, they can have what is essentially a current gen console priced 50$ less then a next gen console that is multitudes more powerful than it and is getting the full attention of 3rd party devs.

"Turd with a touchscreen" great line Wombat

Keep up the good work guys

 
Cheapy you had me all choked up man.  Spoil your wife for a day Cheapy.  Great show guys. 

I've been listening since the beginning and I just wanted to say I have got so much joy/fun/entertainment/etc. out of this show over the years.  I get excited every week for a show like many others, that just goes to show you how much you guys are liked and I hope you realize that.  Please keep it up.  Usually the people who are happy with things don't say much, it's the ones who are negative that have the loudest voice.  But there are a lot of us quiet ones who appreciate what you do weekly and really enjoy the show.

Cheapy bring back the ads, whatever it takes man.  Hell, do full pages adds like Polygon has sometimes for all I care.

 
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Question for the next CAGCast:

Cheapy, didn't you mention on a previous episode that you were offered $6 million to sell the site? Or was that your asking price? Knowing what you know now, would you have taken the deal?
 
The gamestop xenoblade issue is the opposite end of the spectrum to the current PS4 And XBone one-upmanship and the reason why healthy competition is almost always in the best interest of the consumer. The XBone was the runaway favorite going into this gen which is the whole reason they made all these silly anti-consumer mistakes. Do you think Microsoft would be compromising on DRM, kinect, headset, etc if the PS4 wasn't such strong competition? Hell no, that's the reason they tried that crap in the first place because they thought they could get away with it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have Xenoblade Chronicles. When it was originally released gamestop had a monopoly in the united states to sell the product, so they could sell it for full MSRP without having to worry about a competitor undercutting them. Now they still have a monopoly to sell the product, but rather than be restricted to MSRP, they have torn them open so that they can sell them at whatever price they desire since no one else is allowed to sell the new reprints at all (at MSRP or lower).

The Ducktales no mouth moving thing bothered me for about 10 secs, it is rather picky and irrational. I am more impressed that they took the time to line up all the living original voice actors. It was $12 for PS+ with preorder and it was $15 MSRP due to Disney premium pricing, it's the same way with their movies and now their infinity figures. The Disney brand (like Apple) is a venerated brand so they feel they can charge a more excessive margin on their product then other comparable products.

I would like a DmC steam code.

 
After listening to you all talk about Flashpoint over the last couple episodes, I decided to go and look at the graphic novels.  That's some weird shit.  I don't know if I'm ready for that crazy alternate universe batman/superman/etc.  Maybe I'll just watch the movie and it'll help change my mind.

Would love the DMC code.

 
Not a big fan of the CAGcast now.  My main problem is that I can hear your voices, but I can't see your mouths move.  Hope you can get Wombat to correct that.  

 
Although I can't argue with Gamestop's right to charge whatever they want for Xenoblade, I would've liked to get it for 50.00.

 
Wombat is right (applies to the entire podcast). 

Separately..Cheapy, I am sorry about the rough times. What can we do to help?

 
I'd be fine with the ads! I've had adblock disabled on this site since....forever because the ads are good and non-obtrusive. Wanna bring them back, fine by me!

Unrelated but I stopped shopping at Gamestop about two years ago. I bought a "new" copy of Persona 3 FES that had a very damaged box. The art was ripped and it was kinda sticky like someone spilled soda on it. When I buy a game new I really want it to be new. Gamestop does not give that to me, so I don't give them my business.

Also Ducktales Remastered should be $10. For $15 throw in the original. Totally agree on that point.

I'd like a DMC steam code too plz  ;)

 
Hope it gets better Cheapy!

I thought it was a little funny how Shipwreck said he doesn't use the Android portion of the NVIDIA Shield and then Cheapy goes on to say that the Vita's firmware is old school iphone. I think if it had more bells and whistles you wouldn't really use them just like Shipwreck isn't using Android. I think the Vita's layout is pretty good. It's responsive, you can get to your games quick, and the few apps I do use like Twitter and the Web Browser actually work. I'm not sure what else you really need or want.

Please enter me in for the DMC steam code. Thank you.

 
Imagine, if you will, that Gamestop was the only retailer that sold / or will sell games like Fallout 4, Fallout 3, Oblivion, Skyrim, Saints Row the 3rd, Saints Row IV, Forza 5, Borderlands 2, NBA Baller Beats, and Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball. Meaning no other retailer sold them, eBay is not a retailer. eBay is made up of millions of resellers/people that want to unload junk and a handful of them are selling said games...that they originally bought from Gamestop, shocker.

Now imagine Gamestop opened those games and sold them at $105-$110. Relevant price since Wii games are $50. Do you care now? Does the "Don't buy it, just wait" work now? Yes and no, imo. No it doesn't work because you guys didn't wait on certain games, you wanted to play them. And yes it works because $110 is fucking ridiculous to pay on a video game. So you would wait, but you'd be pissed about it.

Seriously, $90 Wii game when you can get a Wii console for $100-$150. I know the WiiU is the newer console, but Xenoblade came out April 6, 2012 for NA. (June 10, 2010 in JP and August 19, 2011 in EU which are region locked) Vintage my ass.

I'm not against reprints, in fact I love them. It gives more people a chance to play a good game that was under supported. I don't have a VG collection to watch it raise in value, I don't care about future resell value. I want to play the games.

XSEED published both The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. Two games that fell short of Xenoblade in terms of success in Japan, but they were willing to take a chance for NA. The Last Story was actually XSEED's most selling title to date when it was released, not sure now. So XSEED would have 100% picked up Xenoblade had Gamestop not stepped in and paid Nintendo for the exclusive distribution.

Great show guys. I've tried other podcasts and only lasted 5 or so episodes. CAGcast I've been listening to since just before Shipwreck joined, think it was around #180, love it. Thanks to anyone that took the time to read my wall of text this late/deep into the thread discussion, heh.

Looking forward to when you return and hoping to hear good/happy news. Thought Cheapy was going to Kazoo himself for a bit there at the start.

 
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please cheapy, shipwreck, or wombat. If you can consider having guests on your own show that are involved in the industry that would be amazing. Not everytime but every now and then would be amazing.

I was watching adam sessler on youtube and it just clicked how amazing the chemistry would be with all of you guys talking amongst each other. He has some amazing insight and always explains things very detailed and intricate. i can only hope, right?

 
I forgot to mention something earlier. Why would it be so hard to believe next Xbox1 would look so good? If next gen consoles don't look as good as current gen PC then it's not next gen. One reason I chose to buy a x360 at luanch was because buying the same architecture for my PC would have cost twice as much. Of course my current PC 4.5Ghz quad core Crossfire 6870 blows the 360 away now. Next gen consoles should look as good as a gaming rig now and console graphics should improve over time. 

Breakdown:Want to play games=Directx Want to produce CGI=OpenGL

Do I have a crystal ball to predict the future, no. Do I understand computer hardware, software and architecture better than game bloggers and reviewers, yes. Sony will outsell MS simply because of the Asian market. Yes in the US also because similar to Mac users, PS users aren't (let's say) power-users. Sony used Bluray as a gimmick to sell PS3s at launch even though it was a POS player. What's their superior hardware they are using to market the PS4??? Do you even know what GDDR5 is? Here is a hint, it's not some next gen system RAM. As far as system memory goes its a step down from DDR. I have no doubt the engineers behind the PS are brilliant. It surprised me the PS3 was able to produce visuals as well as it did. Unfortunately PS will end up like Nintendo unless they develop some next gen proprietary gfx software and adopt architecture closer to a PC..Sony users are like lemmings and similar to Mac users. Mac adopted the PC (IBM) platform in the late 90's early 2000's because Apple architecture was being left in the dust. At this point Macs are crappy PCs yet people still pay the 2X markup. 

Sidebar quick fact about your idol Steve Jobs:

Woz is the engineer that built Apple. Jobs didn't invent shit not the Apple not the Mac not the Ipud. Jobs is more like the Apple mascot. 

 

 I am not just some kid ranting BS. I was programming algorithms in Fdisk on an AppleII when I was 13y/o. I was also programming in DOS6.11, building and repairing PCs on a professional level at the same age. I was exploiting Novell networks with government level security a year later. And no, I have nothing better to do right now. So what?

 
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painkillah said:
I forgot to mention something earlier. Why would it be so hard to believe next Xbox1 would look so good? If next gen consoles don't look as good as current gen PC then it's not next gen. One reason I chose to buy a x360 at luanch was because buying the same architecture for my PC would have cost twice as much. Of course my current PC 4.5Ghz quad core Crossfire 6870 blows the 360 away now. Next gen consoles should look as good as a gaming rig now and console graphics should improve over time.

Breakdown:Want to play games=Directx Want to produce CGI=OpenGL

Do I have a crystal ball to predict the future, no. Do I understand computer hardware, software and architecture better than game bloggers and reviewers, yes. Sony will outsell MS simply because of the Asian market. Yes in the US also because similar to Mac users, PS users aren't (let's say) power-users. Sony used Bluray as a gimmick to sell PS3s at launch even though it was a POS player. What's their superior hardware they are using to market the PS4??? Do you even know what GDDR5 is? Here is a hint, it's not some next gen system RAM. As far as system memory goes its a step down from DDR. I have no doubt the engineers behind the PS are brilliant. It surprised me the PS3 was able to produce visuals as well as it did. Unfortunately PS will end up like Nintendo unless they develop some next gen proprietary gfx software and adopt architecture closer to a PC..Sony users are like lemmings and similar to Mac users. Mac adopted the PC (IBM) platform in the late 90's early 2000's because Apple architecture was being left in the dust. At this point Macs are crappy PCs yet people still pay the 2X markup.

Sidebar quick fact about your idol Steve Jobs:

Woz is the engineer that built Apple. Jobs didn't invent shit not the Apple not the Mac not the Ipud. Jobs is more like the Apple mascot.



I am not just some kid ranting BS. I was programming algorithms in Fdisk on an AppleII when I was 13y/o. I was also programming in DOS6.11, building and repairing PCs on a professional level at the same age. I was exploiting Novell networks with government level security a year later. And no, I have nothing better to do right now. So what?
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2 things.

1. If you are talking about the GTA graphics, Rockstar is saying those are on current gen consoles. Not next gen. Current gen. As of right now, they haven't even announced a next gen version of GTA.

2. Woz would have done nothing if not for Jobs and vice-versa. If you think Jobs is merely a mascot, you have no idea how the business world works and have spent far too much time thinking about how RAM works. (Which I admit to only understand on a very basic level).

 
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shipwreck said:
2 things.

1. If you are talking about the GTA graphics, Rockstar is saying those are on current gen consoles. Not next gen. Current gen. As of right now, they haven't even announced a next gen version of GTA.

2. Woz would have done nothing if not for Jobs and vice-versa. If you think Jobs is merely a mascot, you have no idea how the business world works and have spent far too much time thinking about how RAM works. (Which I admit to only understand on a very basic level).
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shipwreck said:
2. Woz would have done nothing if not for Jobs and vice-versa. If you think Jobs is merely a mascot, you have no idea how the business world works and have spent far too much time thinking about how RAM works. (Which I admit to only understand on a very basic level).
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You make a good point. I admit my rant was fueled by energy drink overload. Gates didn't engineer DOS or the IBM platform but he had the vision to put them together. Engineers build the ideas Then a person with great insight can come along and completely re-purpose it. I was upset because I am tired of hearing people talk about Jobs like he is the one guy who pioneered all these technologies. It also disgusts me how Apple takes advantage of consumer's ignorance. Yes capitalism is great blah blah blah. This song and dance sounds like communist Russia. I am sure they thought communism was great. It's what made them great, but without change it can destroy us in a similar fashion i.e. distribution of wealth, healthcare system, banking system, etc.

As far as videogame architecture; MS has the advantage because engineers/developers are driven to produce the best product based on Microsoft's software architecture. Hardware is a key component but grows exponentially over time. Software is always playing catch up to hardware. This cycle is the main reason people are turned off by PC gaming. They want "the best" and it's impossible to own the best PC for more than six months.

PC and Xbox share of the market is much more than half of all gaming around the world. Xbox has been leading the way in console innovation since the Original.

 
I don't see a problem with reprinting the games, but I do think there needs to be another mark on the disc itself saying that it's a reprint. It's a lot like a book in that regard. Books typically have more than one edition, with the first edition always being the most valuable. I don't see why it would be so difficult to do that with games. Then the retailer can still put whatever price on it that they want, people that actually want to play the games get to because it's not as rare, and collectors don't get to bitch and moan because they still have their super-rare, ultra-limited, first edition copy. If anything, a second edition label on a reprint would probably drive up the cost of the first edition.

Also, if it hasn't been drawn already, I'll take a shot at DMC.

 
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Little late listening to the podcast - great show as always!

1. Had any of you watched the movie "Downloaded"?  It could be a good doc that won't get Cheapy crying!

2. I think the Super Smash Bros (SSB) vs Mario Kart Wii (MKW) goes to MKW not only due to sales, but due to the motion controls.  I don't think the new MKWu will sell as well since the novelty of the new control scheme is over.  SSB will sell WiiU systems and they should just bundle em WITH a price drop if they don't drop that price earlier.

3. Keep talking about the WiiU and VIta pricing!  Get them into the hands of the consumers!  I would cancel my PS4 order if they offered a $500 PS4 bundle that came with the Vita. (I think Cheapy said this earlier)

4. Wombat was SPOT ON about the 500/400 price points.  Microsoft is terrible at message control and they need to get in front of this "Kinect" bonus that the fan-boys perpetuate.  Why the extra $100.  Give away 2 years of Xbox Live for heaven's sake ($120 value) and then say "YOUR MOVE, SONY!"

 
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I know I'm late but just wanted to say hang in there Cheapy. 

I agree with others, put the damn ads back up. They didn't bother me and were even amusing at times. People who don't want to see them use Adblock already anyway.

Still my favorite podcast after 6 years of listening. Thanks for the entertainment week after week, guys.

(oh yeah, in for a DMC code if that's still going on.)

 
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The reason Gamestop lists the Xenoblade as preowned, if they did pay for reprints, is probably because they paid for it. Preowned games they sell are ones they own, and earn 100% of the sale. New games, gamestop earns little off their sale.
So listing a game that GS paid for a reprinting as preowned, they can list it at whatever price they want, and make back 100% of that sale.
tl;dr: Don't like the price at GameStop? Don't buy from GameStop.
 
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