A Brave New World

As technology has developed through the years, the art of collecting in the video game arena has become a global experience. Our quest for that last game to complete a system library is no longer limited to local garage sales, flea markets and the rare 'Funcoland-type' retail stores. eBay, internet eCommerce sites and enthusiast forums have been the primary channels for these new purchasing gateways. This contemporary international marketplace provides great opportunities for us collectors, but also is accompanied by a bevy of questions, misnomers and technical challenges.
 

This article will focus on many of these fronts, but not from the typical collector's viewpoint as many posts do.  We will be interviewing Eric Krust, a successful video game proprietor based in Japan.

Eric is the owner and operator of Japan-Games.com and specializes in the selling of rare and obscure Japanese games and consoles.  Many of the systems that you see featured in my collection are a direct result of transactions I have had with him over the past 4 years.  He is a trusted ally and has agreed to take part in this interview to share some of his expertise and experience.

Before the actual interview, a couple of possible assumptions might need to be dispelled.  First, I am not affiliated with Japan-Games.com nor is this article intended to be an advertisement.  No - I don't get any deals or commission or anything like as a result of this writing.  In fact, it will possibly only increase competition for items that he sells that I want.  I asked Eric to do this for the simple fact that I thought his input would be beneficial and a 'good read' for everyone.

OK, enough of my bantering, on to the Q and A...
 

< MG > Thanks Eric for taking the time with me this afternoon to partake in this interview.  Let's first tackle how you got into the video game business, as well as came to be based out of Japan.

< EK >  I think it all started with a copy of Samurai Showdown 2 for Neo Geo.  I was in Japan and tooling around eBay and I noticed the game in auction.  I remember seeing it for sale in a local game shop and realized that people were selling games from Japan.  At that time I was an English teacher in Japan.  My background was in real estate but I took a year off to do something interesting and now it's turned into 9 years....
 

< MG > Are you a collector yourself as well as a seller?  Would you consider yourself a gamer?

< EK > I'm a gamer but not a collector.  I used to collect but when you have a warehouse full of games it seems kind of pointless.  In a way everything I've sold is my collection.  It might be temporary, but there is a sense of satisfaction to have owned so many rare consoles even if I don't have them anymore.  I do have one collection that's nearly done with is a piece of software for every console ever released in Japan.  I'm about 90% done.... still waiting to get my hands on a CreatiVision title.  As a gamer I play Xbox 360, usually Team Fortress 2 with my Japanese friends.
 

< MG > What are some of your favorite games as well as consoles, both retro as well as today's current generation?

< EK > There are a lot of different ways to rank consoles.  In terms of beauty I'd have to go with the Toshiba TVG-610 or the Hitachi VG-104.  For sheer coolness it would have to be the Palcom Laserdisc system.  For collecting I like anything obscure like the EPOCH Atari consoles or the Bandai Gundam PC.  I also have a soft spot for all of the Sega Dreamcast special editions and Xbox special editions from Japan.  I usually play Xbox or SNES/N64.  I have a small amount of games that I usually play over and over again.

In reality I like collecting information more than anything else.  I'd bet that my photo database for Japanese video games is the largest in the world.  What you see on my website now is probably less than half of what I have.  One day my collection will be to have the most comprehensive Japanese video game database on the plant.... if I can ever figure out the right way to do that...
 

< MG > Thanks for sharing some of your background with us Eric.  Let's move on to some of the burning questions from the community - international shipping - how costs are calculated and what are are the various shipping/tracking methods available, along with the pros and cons of each?   

< EK > From Japan you can use EMS (3-5 days), SAL (3 weeks), or SEA (3 months).  All have tracking.  SAL and SEA don't offer insurance to all areas, notably the UK, Canada and Germany.  It would be impossible to give all of the information in just one answer but this page will help:  http://www.japan-games.co...hp?n=Information.Shipping.  Cost can vary between Sellers.  The fast-changing dollar-yen rate causes havoc with that sometimes.
 

< MG > Another hot topic is how to run a system released in Japan at my home - from electrical to television requirements.  Can you break down what is needed for both North America and European nations?

< EK > The US and Japan have no special requirements.  You can plug in a Japanese console into a US outlet and vice versa without problems.  One thing you should never do is mix and match power cables, though.  Don't use an American plug in an American outlet on a Japanese console.  Just use the Japanese plug and you'll be fine.  Both countries are NTSC.  The only issue you'll have to worry about is region protection.  You can play older RF switch box games by using a regular composite cable and adapter and tuning your TV to channel 96.

European requirements are more tricky.  You will have to use a step-down transformer because the power is different and that can vary by region.  You also have the PAL/NTSC issues with software.
 

< MG > We know about eBay, Chase the Chuckwagon, Craig's List and the like, but what exactly is Yahoo Auctions?  Why is bidding/participation limited to people with shipping addresses in Japan?

< EK > Yahoo is the dominant internet force in Japan.  Because of that their Auction system is the dominant force in online auctions in Japan.  eBay tried to break into the market about 10 years ago but never gained traction. 

Japan has natural barriers with language and geography.  They have little to no practice using English beyond school textbooks and doing business over the internet is something they'll naturally shy away from because they won't ever fully understand the logistics of everything and their society has enough wealth where they can just sell to a Japanese Buyer and not worry about it.  That's to say they don't need international Buyers.  To them, selling to overseas Buyers is confusing, time consuming, risky, and of little financial benefit to them overall.  They just don't see the benefit of opening up that can of worms for what amounts to a few extra dollars when they can just sell it to a Japanese person and not worry about anything.

Proxy bidding services act as the middle man where there is something between the Buyer and Seller to facilitate the transaction for a small fee.  That's really the only way that someone will be able to bid on Yahoo from overseas and actually have it be worth their time.
 

< MG > I have heard of proxy bidding services?  What exactly is this and how does it work?

< EK > The function of a proxy service is to complete the transaction in a way that's familiar to a Japanese Seller.  The overseas Buyer places a bid and the proxy handles the transaction for them.  The proxy will contact the Seller, make payment, receive the item in Japan, then ship it to the Buyer overseas.  From the perspective of the Seller he's just sold it to a Japanese person living in Japan.

Here's my proxy service:  http://www.japan-games.co...rmation.YahooProxyBidding.  This will also give more information and details regarding this service.
 

< MG > What three items do you pinpoint as being the largest contributors to your success as an international dealer?

< EK > I'm assuming you're talking about business practices and not actual game related items?  It's not really rocket science.  Just know what you're selling, present it accurately and treat people fairly.  Being professional in an inefficient marketplace goes a long way.  There's still a lot of room for that.  About half my sales are through repeat customers.
 

< MG > Say I am considering getting into the business of being a reseller of video games and related items.  What would be three critical tips you would have for me?

< EK > Know your product, test and present the product to eliminate all Buyer fears, then handle the business end of things professionally. Oh, yeah, and find a cheap source to buy from.... but good luck with that.
 

< MG > What about tips for being a successful buyer?  And no, I am not asking you to give away any of your trade secrets, but feel free to do share some if you would like

< EK > In reality all Sellers are really Buyers.  Without good product then you'll never really be a Seller.  You need to know what a good deal is and what isn't.  You need to know a lot about your product because knowing one little change or special model is worth a lot more than others.  You need to know rarity and be able to price things properly when there's sometimes no other sale to compare it to.  The market goes up and down sometimes, so you need to know what will sell now and what won't sell now.  Right now the financial crisis is hitting everyone, and the only good things selling are the rare consoles.  A lot of the "standardized" items aren't selling at all.  That means I'm not buying a lot of those items right now.
 

< MG > One final question.  Where do you see the video game marketplace in the next 5 years? Will eBay alternatives like Chase the Chuckwagon continue to spring up on the internet?  What about locally in our respective backyards - will we see more local retailers in this area?

< EK >  eBay will always be the dominant force.  I've had a couple of websites for sales in the past but it takes a very, very long time to get it noticed and it takes a lot of money to advertise and keep the site running.  In the end I knew I could just throw everything up on eBay and have it all sold in 10 days.  So, that's what I did.

There's always room for niche sites like Chase the Chuckwagon.  I think they'll continue to grow.  But in the end no matter how angry people are at eBay, no one can match their exposure.  The other sites might be better, cheaper, more Seller friendly, but in the end it comes down to exposure and if you depend on a steady stream of sales to keep yourself in business it's hard to break away from eBay.

I don't know enough about the video game marketplace overall to really comment on the industry as a whole, but one positive thing seems to be the small developers for the newer consoles, games you sometimes see in places like Xbox Live.  The larger software developers have too much overhead that they tend to release the same titles over and over again as a safety net.  The smaller titles with lower overhead can experiment more with being creative. 

When I bought my Xbox I never thought I'd spend so much time playing downloaded titles for under $10 that are just fun to play, games like Heavy Weapon, 3D golf, UNO, etc.  I think those games are the heart and soul of gaming and it's getting a second chance.  When people talk about their favorite games they almost never mention graphics but that's what the selling point is for newer games.  People don't play Bomberman 20 years later because of the graphics, they play because it's entertaining.  There will always be a need for the large companies to make games like GTA IV, but I think it's equally important to have the smaller shops making more entertaining titles to keep people interested in video games overall.
 

< MG > Thanks again for taking the time with us Eric and sharing some of your insights and knowledge with me and the community.  It is definitely appreciated and I can confidently say that we all found it to be very beneficial.

< EK > No problem.  Glad to help out.  Let me know if you have any follow up questions I can help you out with.  Thanks!
 

As always, questions and comments are always welcomed.  Inquiries that I am not able to answer I will forward to Eric for his assistance.  This interview was not intended to be all inclusive based on time restraints on both of our ends.  I do hope you found it as interesting as I did though.

Thanks and happy gaming!
 

   
Sierra Entertainment officially closed its door this year and thus comes an end to a true pioneer within the gaming industry. 

The companies founders, Ken and Roberta Williams, were avid gamers and produced the first graphical adventure game for the PC entitled Mystery House, which became an instant hit and is a cult classic to this day.  Sierra has endured a rollercoaster of successes, failures, acquisitions and the like.  But this article is not about the history of this company, but more to celebrate and remember some of its landmark game series.

My ascension into adulthood ran a parallel course with the maturation of the the home PC.  I remember being wowed when first firing up King's Quest on my Packard Bell computer after years of text-based adventure games.  From then I was hooked - Sierra continued to deliver innovation and new technology into my PC gaming world.  Let's take a step back through time and take a look at a few of the treasured game series from this noted software developer.
   

The King's Quest series is recognized as the true star that really put Sierra On-Line on the map.  This adventure game centered on the plight of the Royal Family of Daventry and many within the series introduced innovative features at its time.  Beginning in 1984, a total of eight ( 8 ) games were released, each subsequent plot building on the events portrayed in its predecessor.   A number of these games had excruciating hard puzzles to solve without any discernable logic used in the development of these challenges.  Still, game play was still a treat with an engrossing story and a satisfying experience.
 

This six (6) game series follows the space adventures of Roger Wilco, an every-day-Joe if there ever was one, and his antics as he unknowingly gets thrust into saving the universe from some foe.  Unlike the rather somber tones  of the King's Quest line, Space Quest is all about fun, silliness and taking a parodical approach to almost everything.  Roger Wilco debuted in 1986 with the last game being released in 1995.  This light-hearted affair is somewhat of a cult classic amongst old-school gamers.  Technically, the series primarily used previously existed graphic engines that were released in King's Quest and Quest for Glory.
 

Writing this text is rather difficult for me, since it parodies my life.  The Leisure Suit Larry series is another adventure series, this time featuring Larry Laffer - a balding, 40-something man still trying his best to score with the ladies and 'be fly' (or is it 'fresh').  This is the only series of games that Sierra developed with a strong 'mature audience' theme.  Even before the days of ESRB Rating system, early games in this series required you to answer a set of questions to weed out the younger gamers. You can still enjoy the adventures of this 'playboy' to this day, though Sierra is not involved in these newer entries.
 

Probably my second favorite of the Sierra classics, in Police Quest you get to play as a rookie police officer working his way through crime and eventually up the ranks of his local division.  These games were more of action-adventure than previous Sierra entries mentioned thus far and also featured some disturbing crimes/graphics for the time.  Game play was somewhat open-ended and the best part of this series is that you really had to think about your actions and analyze data.  Later games in this series also featured full-res digital crime photos which you had to scour through for clues.  A true classic all the way.
 

Now this is one of the all-time best Action/Adventure/RPG game series of all time (IMHO).  Often credited as being the first of its kind to incorporate meaningful statistical character building as a necessary component to move the story along (i.e. get past a tough bad guys in an area).  Your Hero could be customized as a Fighter, Thief of a Mage - another first in this new genre.  Quest for Glory was truly a landmark during its time and set the bar/base standards that many of today's games now follow.
 

The shortest series being featured in this article, this point-and-click adventure follows Gabriel Knight, a downtrodden horror novelist, as he unravels various mysteries of the occult.  A total of three (3) games were released, all of which featured very different technologies.  As depicted above, the first game started out as a pretty standard animated affair.  Subsequent games in the series featured FMV cut scenes and live digitized actors.  All of the games were rather dark in nature and the high tension was successfully translated to the gamer.