spacepup

I've never liked the "dunking on newbies" situation or the fact that collectors would sometimes be blunt or outright rude to new folks getting into the hobby. This is something that was very important to me and the whole team when we launched VGS. We know some of the complaints about NA and other groups revolved around it feeling like a "clique" in some ways, or people being rude to new members. Rather then deny this, I can share that I did observe this on numerous occasions. Some of it is sort of natural with a longstanding group of people with similar interests, especially when they get tired of seeing the same questions. However, that doesn't really make it 'ok' to treat young or new people negatively. I think it's exciting when young people are interested in retro gaming and collecting. Or when new members join with enthusiasm. We all started somewhere. Additionally, as existing members of a community change interests, go elsewhere, etc., a community can sort of "die off." Getting new interest in something, and expanding the diversity of members and perspectives, is healthy and positive for any community / hobby. New members have much to learn from us, who have been around the scene for years. But we shouldn't be closed off to the fact we can learn things from them too, or embrace new perspectives. It is extremely important to me that VGS remain a place that welcomes new people into the hobby, and I feel like we've done pretty well in that regard for the most part, and the community feels mostly welcoming to new people who join. I think that is vital to keeping this place strong and encourage people to always bring a little bit of extra patience if someone new joins the fray.

Criticizing is one thing. But pirating / stealing the next game is ridiculous, imo. This scenario feels like the equivalent of buying a bag of candy from the store, and the nutrition label on the back says there are 40 servings in the bag, but someone counted and there are only 39, so they called the company to complain and when the company didn't do anything they went to the store and stole a whole new bag. That person could justify the theft all they want but it's still a gross overreaction to a very minor 'issue' and should not be commended or condoned in any way, imo.

Whether someone says PS1 or PSX I know what they are talking about so it doesn't matter. I personally prefer PS1 and call the systems PS1, PS2, PS3, etc. and I don't care if anyone disagrees because it's not a big deal and it's just how I refer to the console, not an official declaration of nomenclature. Anyway, back on topic, I'm just glad that at least these are pretty obvious fakes, which will be helpful for people distinguishing them from legitimate releases (for now).

They seem to work fine for me. Maybe it's something with your own setup / browser?

Hybrid's collection is great! It's a really good example of a more niche interest. I think a lot of the different interests and niche / less common paths, make everything much more interesting. If all of us just collected a set of NES games and nothing else, it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun and interesting to talk about collecting, gaming, etc. So when different people have different goals and different collections to talk about, it makes everything better, more interesting, and varied.

I don't really like classifying myself or others as pioneers or followers. What I can say that is somewhat related I suppose, is that I have a variety of niche interests which have led me to collecting and preserving content that maybe isn't as popular or mainstream. I have a lot of different interests and I enjoy preserving items that are likely to be lost to time or less documented. There are benefits in some cases, as often these items aren't ridiculously expensive, compared to super popular NES carts, for example. There is absolutely nothing wrong at all with collecting popular stuff or even hopping on bandwagons - really it's whatever makes you happy. I suppose I do a little of both, but lately a lot of my purchases have been quirky Japanese or international items that most people don't know much about. However, the thought of calling myself a 'pioneer' feels weird and a bit self-indulgent for me personally, so I can't think of myself that way. But I would definitely classify myself as having some pretty niche / ecclectic interests at this point.

I'm just trying to reinforce people behaving like adults and not calling each other names. I don't agree with him either, but I don't see the value in calling him stupid over it. He didn't receive a warning point or anything, just trying to foster good constructive debate. That's all.

Feel free to disagree with him and even to debate the issue passionately, but calling him or anyone else here 'stupid' is not the right way to discuss things here.

A Japanese PS1 game that is normally worth a few hundred dollars. Went for a crazy price there!

Ah ok, thanks! In that case, I'd really just like the Myst soundtrack. And yea, absolutely give precedence to someone participating here - no worries either way. If it's available at some point, just let me know and I'm happy to pay you shipping + extra for it. Thanks!

Even better, tbh. I'm more interested in the soundtrack, so that works great heh!

I wouldn't mind Myst and the RE item at the top left if it is a DVD or something interesting. But I'm not sure if you meant only people who are participating in the train, which would be completely fine of course. Happy to pay for shipping or whatever, just let me know!

Heyooo! Happy birthday to @KokiriChild and @jonebone! Hope you both have a fantastic day!

Happy birthday @captmorgandrinker !!!!! Hope ye had a great one!

This is a tough one cause for me it really depends on the game and the aesthetic. I find myself keeping the original look in most cases, but then sometimes I will swap if there is an aesthetic that I just really like or I feel fits the person or the theme well. I don't think I do the same thing in all instances - it is very game specific and even character specific. Like, it sounds silly, but if there is an option that I don't feel fits that character's personality, sometimes I won't use it hahah.

Probably easier for me to just link our wiki here: http://wiki.redump.org/index.php?title=Nintendo_GameCube_-_Asia_Undumped_Discs There is a section for Gekkan along with sections for other GameCube discs we need. If you have any of these or see them, please feel free to let me know or PM me and we can discuss. Thanks!

I have the 2002 FIFA and Naruto disc, and a few other NFS or Taikenban/Sample Japan discs, but definitely not all of them. Some of them are pretty expensive! A few of us are looking for the remaining unpreserved Gekkan discs, but they are very hard to obtain and very expensive when then show up.

Just a heads up - he replied a few posts up saying yes.

I don't want to engage in dredging up drama again, but because I think there is room for some actual learning here - he originally shared a tidbit about a game he was working on called "Jim Crow" featuring a black Crow as the character. It was very quickly pointed out that this was incredibly insensitive and offensive, and thus he has now changed it. While that is good (that it was changed), I think part of Scrobins' frustration (and I understand and agree) is that this post explains why he almost left, but doesn't really acknowledge or apologize for the action, or show any real understanding of why it was really insensitive. @Gamegearguy - I'm going to try to mention this in good faith with constructive intentions -- You can't really claim complete ignorance about the title, because you even commented about how maybe you should call it "Tim" instead. I'm honestly a bit baffled why you would choose to make this particular 'pun' for a video game. It's not really a 'funny' subject and there is a lot of history regarding Jim Crow that is painful for a lot of people. So yeah, it was wrong. Instead of defending yourself as "I'm not racist," think about why you would make a game with that title in the first place, and think about why you got the reaction you did, and think about acknowledging that at best it was racially insensitive. People focus too much on whether they are (viewed as) a "racist" or not, when really, people should be reflecting more about why they say the things they do or think the things they think, or perceive things in a certain way. And then there is room for improvement there. Racism is not a binary thing because all of us allow bias and stereotypes to frame how we view the world. It is about challenging ourselves and recognizing that when it happens. This isn't a public argument about whether you "are racist." But what you did - the action - was hurtful and offensive. So think about that and how you can use this experience to not do so in the future, and to consider these things when you interact with others - online, IRL, everywhere. As for other onlookers, refrain with jumping in here and trolling or arguing - I take this situation and some of the concerns expressed to me very seriously, so I wanted to take a moment to really type this out, explain, and leave it there for gamegear (and maybe others) to reflect on.

Harmony of Despair was so much fun. I'm so glad I was able to play that while it was still alive and well. Sad that it is basically lost to time. Back when it was popular, it was REALLY fun!!

I gave this one a 9 - I REALLY enjoyed this game. First played it on PS2 shortly after it came out. I really loved the characters, humor, and story in this game, and the gameplay was pretty fun as well. On paper, there may not be a lot that truly distinguishes the title as anything amazing, if you look at the gameplay compared to some other good titles back then, but I don't know, I found this game really fun and the style/story was great. I've always had a fondness for this game!

That's great! Sent ya a PM with some info on how we can maybe coordinate here. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing about these! I was not previously familiar. But I work with some preservation groups for obscure content, and we've been working on preserving mobile game content as well as items like discs for PalmOS and PocketPC, etc. If you come across any of these or find any for sale, I would very much be interested in them. I'll keep an eye out but they definitely seem obscure and niche.

I think for me, rather than looking for reasons why gaming isn't part of my identity, I've embraced the fact that video gaming has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't say that my collection of material items is part of my identity - but video gaming in general, is and has always been a decent part of my life. Not the ONLY part, or the most important part, but definitely part of who I am. I think the key difference, or the piece I'd want to expand on, is that it isn't just the physical games. But the shared experience of gaming, the relationships I've built through a shared interest, the friends I've made, the impact I've made - I mean, all of these I can attribute to my interest and participation in video gaming in some form. I think about Gloves' Extra Life events and the fact that we've made a difference. I think about other charity events like the recent AGDQ I contributed to, where a love of gaming brought people together to raise 2.5 MILLION dollars to help fight cancer. Or the NES Spectrum Marathon, which has raised over $20,000 for autism awareness. These are just a fraction of the different events and ways that gaming has made a positive impact on the world, in addition to just the direct entertainment value. I don't really think my collection or gaming "defines" me, but at the same time, video gaming in some form, has been an interest of mine, and something I've spent a decent amount of time enjoying, for over 30 years, so I'd be lying to myself if I said it wasn't some 'part' of me at least. I think the key, like anything else, is remembering that there are always things that are more important than playing or collecting video games, and of course I haven't forgotten that. Making a positive impact on the world and those around you, being good to others, supporting and fighting for what you care about, strengthening relationships, and so many many many other things. As long as people don't forget what is TRULY important, that it's perfectly fine for video games to be a huge part of their lives.

This was awfully difficult. I LOVE the Ghibli / Miyazaki films - have seen every one on the list, many of them multiple times. I picked Nausicaa as my favorite, because there is something about that movie that just really resonates with me. But for me, it is incredibly difficult for me to even pick a favorite between Nausicaa, Mononoke, and Laputa. I love all 3 SO much and have seen each of them many times. I enjoy most of the other movies - especially Spirited Away. I've always loved the Miyazaki and Ghibli films. There is a special kind of magic in the stories and storytelling, that many have tried to replicate but just can't quite get. There are also some great themes that persist throughout many of them. All in all, they are just great and I love them very much. Every year I go to multiple of the movies in theater thanks to "Ghibli Fest"