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WOW Still 5+ days to go --

That's Cali for you! The police department noted: Why the covered faces? On January 1st, a new law went into effect that restricts the how and when law enforcement agencies in California share suspect photos & mugshots. The new law, Assembly Bill 994 & Penal Code 13665, now prohibits law enforcement from sharing suspect photos for nonviolent crimes, unless specified circumstances exist. Additionally, the new law requires agencies to remove suspect mugshots from social media after 14 days, unless special circumstances exist. The Murrieta Police Department prides itself in its transparency with the community, but also honors everyone's rights & protections as afforded by law; even suspects. In order to share what is happening in Murrieta, we chose to cover the faces of suspects to protect their identity while still aligning with the new law. Kudos to the MPD for doing what they can while adhering to California's protect the criminals laws.

Nah, that's nothing. Remember this --

I'm honestly not familiar with Mercari. Did a quick look -- looks like they definitely have some good stuff, but just a tiny fraction of what ebay has.

Color me surprised, but somehow I figured a member with the screen name of "G-type" who has an image of R-type as their picture would list R-type as a favorite

More fakes If you take a look, it looks like the P-station is absolutely spelled out "Playstation" much in the same ways as the original. The bootleggers clearly just photoshopped a few characters in the first pic. I would imagine that these fakes are probably clearly fakes in the hands of someone who knows what they are looking for, but again this is going to dilute the market and make it hard for everyone

Have you read The Night Circus? I just started it, so far so good. We'll see what I think the farther in I get https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Circus

Fair, I know our changes and sensibilities definitely change. Still, feel free to list what in your mind are your favorites, even if you haven't read them in a good while

Gradius III was my favorite back in the day! But, I was also a big fan of R-type. Wow, those games were also super hard! My favorite of the more recent games is Ikaruga. I will say, I am FAR from "good" at these games. I enjoy them, but I'm not someone that can make it to the end of a bullet hell unless I seriously tone down the challenge or cheat I know some folks on here are experts, so I wanted people's opinion! What are your favorite games in the genre, and on what systems? Also, any truly great compilations that are worth tracking down? I will say, as a fan of the Everade, I have to give kudos to Irem Arcade 1 which includes the original arcade version of R-type. I know R-type was ported to numerous consoles, but as far as I know the Evercade is the only official arcade release which is cool -- EDIT: I think R-Type Dimensions EX also includes the original arcades which can be played in both updated or retro graphics -- can someone confirm this? Now I also know that Irem is releasing a 5-disc Collection and so far of the three announced game lists NONE of them include R-type, yeah seems strange to me. https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/collections/irem-collection-vol-1/products/irem-collection-vol-1-5-bundle-playstation-5 That, and why exactly do we only get only three games per PS5 disc -- yeah, to maximize profitability, I get it. Still kinda sucks. But anyway, talk games to me... Edit: Also, if anyone can help me figure out what games are included in the gazzilion and 1 Darius Collections that have been released, that would be great! SLG has released I have no idea how many compilations, and they never seem to include an actual list of the games...

One of my favorites too! Okay, what are your top 25?

It's interesting just how influential the book is, but like you, I could not get into it. Admittedly when the book came out there really wasn't anything like it, and so today we're more likely to think "power suits? mechs? that's not new!" but of course Heinlein basically is the father of mechs. and back then it was new. Still, the book with it's plusses and minuses just bored me. Probably does not help that I strongly disagree with much of Heinlein's militaristic philosophy. Well, I slowly did get through it, but I would never read it again. Stranger in a Strange Land is so much better. Also, I HIGHLY recommend reading The Forever War -- it's basically Joe Haldeman's response to Heinlein. Interestingly enough both Haldeman and Heinlein were in the military, and both have very different viewpoints. I tend to agree with Haldeman, and arguably even more importantly, The Forever War is just a wonderful read -- it's in my opinion what Starship Troopers should have been

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Mods Undercut Capcom’s Controversial Microtransactions, Dish Out Infinite Save Slots https://www.ign.com/articles/dragons-dogma-2-mods-undercut-capcoms-controversial-microtransactions-dish-out-infinite-save-slots Just days after Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched amid a controversy over its microtransactions, modders have worked their magic, making much of what publisher Capcom is selling day-one available for free. As IGN has reported, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is currently embroiled in a vociferous debate about its day-one microtransactions, which let players pay real-world money for useful items in the $70 single-player action role-playing game. Items that can be obtained in-game or as paid DLC items include a character editor called Art of Metamorphosis, warp location markers (Portcrystals), Wakestones, which restore the dead to life, and gaol keys, which, as you’d expect, let players escape from gaol. Players can also buy a lightweight Explorer’s Camping Kit for $2.99. These microtransactions have sparked a controversy not just for the sheer number available day-one, but because they make parts of the game deliberately designed to challenge players in certain ways either easier, less frustrating, or quicker. Players have already pointed out that these microtransactions help with fast-travel, which in Dragon's Dogma 2 is restricted. At the end of the day, players are upset and I can't blame anyone. For most it feels like a slap in the face. These are not just cosmetic items, if that was the case I would be "okay, sure, who cares" but these are truly useful and arguably "important" items in the game, at least most people would certainly argue fast travel is important.

But clearly lots of people are purchasing video games as an investment. I remember back in 2010 was the first time a comic book sold for over $1million -- it was Action Comics #1. Of course lots of people were saying different things including "well, if I had it I would just read it since comic books are mean to be read!" and so on. Hey, people are entitled to spend their money however they please. That said, all the recent Action Comics #1 auctions have broken $3million. Point is, video games are following the trajectories of all highly collectible "pop culture" items such as Magic Cards, D&D, Star Wars figures, LEGO, GI Joe, etc. Whether people collect graded/sealed games or not, those are the ones that will continue to gain the most attention and continue to appreciate in value the most.

Those are not original. The one listed at $14.99 is probably a fake -- people sell fakes ALL THE TIME. Here is what a true black lotus goes for -- sold just a few days ago -- Yeah, I know, it's graded. Well, no one with a real Black Lotus is going to just put it in a sleeve!! All alpha/beta cards (and most unlimited) will all be graded. Now, the above was graded a 9, but I've also seen an 8 sell for that price! I'm not going to get into the whole alpha/beta/unlimited thing -- you're welcome to look into that. BUT, those sets published back in 1993, are the only actual Black Lotus cards most people are interested in -- AND those are the only Black Lotus cards that are tournament legal. In 2022 (30th anniversary) Wizards reprinted the Black Lotus as a proxy card, and again, that is not tournament legal. That said, even those cards have been selling for a few thousand dollars -- which in my mind is crazy! Anyway, so there you go, hope that helped

I LOVED the original Dragon's Dogma! It was just beautiful. It combined both Western and JRPG motifs and ideas in the best way. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel for ages, and Capcom has delivered! BUT, what did they deliver -- First, many "professional" reviewers LOVE the game -- it has "universal acclaim" -- an 86 on metacritic, okay great! Oh, and it has a 50% on STEAM -- why? How can so many players be hating the game. MICROTRANSACTIONS When you pay $70 for a SINGLE-PLAYER game, you're absolutely not interested in paying another $3 so you can effin' fast travel!! Sure, to be fair, you can find these items in the game. But the mere fact that Capcom has microtransactions is more than enough for many players, and I can't blame anybody. By the way, if you read discussions, the game had far more negative STEAM etc. reviews than it currently has, which has had some people speculating that STEAM etc are either playing with numbers (hey more negative reviews means less people are going to purchase the game) or something else is going on -- but again, that's speculation right now. Regardless, I don't purchase games with shitty microtransactions. So disappointing, and I hope Capcom is hit in the only place which matters for such corporations, right in the revenue. Apparently I need to wait for Baldur's Gate III before playing the next truly wonderful AAA RPG.

I honestly don't feel video games are a speculative bubble what will burst. I'm old enough to remember when people were saying the same thing about a Black Lotus from Magic -- "$400! that's crazy, just wait, it's bound to come down" It never did of course, with today's median price for a used copy being $20k You could say "that's crazy! that's only for the rich" -- and by analogy, clearly only someone rich is going to spend $90k+ on a video game -- as @Hammerfestus noted that's orders of magnitude more than pretty much any of us can spend on a game. However, my point is that these games are iconic. They will only appreciate in value. If I had won the lottery I'd also be purchasing these games, getting them graded, and keeping them in a vault as investment. As for discussion on NES games, well there's certainly some, but considering the NES officially ended in 1995 and considering the price of games is skyrocketing it's only natural there's going to be lots of talk about value. I don't see anything wrong with that. All that said, as much as I love retro gaming (I think by far the best system for that is the Evercade), I also enjoy new games and there are plenty of discussions regarding say how great that new PS5 game is, or why that indie game could have been better... I think it's the nature of things

Castlevania is of course one of the grandfathers of modern gaming, so I'm not surprised that a minty ungraded copy sold for that amount. I'm sure whomever purchased it will immediately send it for grading and then put it in some collection or bank vault. It's only going to appreciate in value.

Totally see where you're coming from. The days of conversations regarding hidden gems is still here, just not when it comes to classic systems like NES, SNES, etc. Classic video games are now the hottest collectible, and they are following the same trajectory as baseball cards and comic books from decades ago. As much as we might be "shocked" at prices now, a few more decades and people will fondly look back at a time when you could purchase a minty graded NES game for "only a few hundred dollars".

Alright, who here at VGS purchased this??

https://www.euronews.com/2024/03/21/russia-preparing-for-wider-conflict-with-nato-sooner-than-expected-says-report Russia is preparing for a large-scale conventional conflict with NATO, according to the Institute for the Study of War, based on an analysis of several Russian financial, economic, and military indicators. The think tank explains that while any such conflict won’t happen imminently, Russia is likely planning on a shorter timeline than some Western analysts have previously posited. The Russian military is undertaking structural reforms to simultaneously support the war in Ukraine while expanding its conventional capabilities in preparation for a potential future conflict with NATO. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has outlined several ongoing efforts to bolster Russia’s conventional military capabilities, claiming that the Russian military plans to form two combined arms armies and 14 divisions, and 16 brigades by the end of 2024. However, ISW's assessment is that Russia currently lacks the manpower, military infrastructure, and training capacity to properly staff the divisions and formations it will need in the short to medium term. Most analysts believe Russia is indeed looking to widen the conflict. While an average Joe or Jane may say "that's silly, why would they do that?" you can't apply logic to Putler or other fanatical egomaniacs! Studies show people like Putler truly believe they are invincible and that they have a divine purpose in life. They also don't care if what they causes the deaths of millions, to them, it's all part of the game.

Beautiful -- Question, the people who make the 8-bit Xmas series are here on VGS is that right? I have a question I'd like to ask them, so if someone could put me in touch I would appreciate it, thanks

You're such an enabler As a huge fan of the FE series, I can honesty say that Engage is a decent game and you get your money's worth for sure, it's a long campaign. BUT, it doesn't have the magic of say the original FE for the GBA, nor is it as exciting as Awakening, and certainly not the same beautiful story as my favorite FE -- Echoes.

FROM games start to all blend together

Wow! 300 discs in one CD player -- I honestly did not know such a thing exits