VF5 price estimates.

Tom was talking to our local arcade operate today to find out the prices on our HOTD 4 cabs.


our standard cab, costs about $9k with a 29" HD Standard screen


The deluxe cab with a 52" or a 62" HD screen costs about $21k im hoping the $21k = the 62" screen price

Given that estimate, it seems that SOA will not reduce prices on VF 5 here. The current estimate for VF5 versus cabinets were around $15k. Also things to consider was that SOA was pretty notorious for not having updates to their "english" versions of the game. Im sure multiple revisions of VF5 will roll around as well. So the tradeoff will be importing a cabinet and get free updates, but pay jacked up shipping fees. Or SOA copy with no updates. Even namco seemed slow getting tekken 5.1 out there.

For anyone thats saving up for VF5, hopefully these numerics will help you plan out a goal. And theres always option 3, waiting it out a couple months and getting japanese leftovers.

 

I think this game'll be available in Kit form as well, letting people just buy the board. I dunno if that means letterbox presentation on a normal screen, or it might have a 4:3 function built in.

There are shitloads of Mom & Pop game centers in Japan who've been recycling cabs for decades, I don't think Sega'd shut itself out of that bussiness by forcing everyone to buy an expensive HDTV setup. W/ HOTD, of course you've gotta buy everything.

As far as AI goes, they should definately only buy a Japanese version for the reasons you've stated (I think they've figured that out by now, since no one played Evo Version A and the old VF4 Version B once the PS2 versions hit). I think AI should either go for a Kit setup they can put into the current VS cabs or a Megalo, or buy one HDTV setup that 2 people can sit side-by-side at.

The other thing is, I hate to say it, but even if AI keeps the versions current, we'll all be playing the PS3 version once that hits, because of things like the 4 costumes (which I think have to be accessed through VF.net to activate). The only way around this is IF, a big IF, AM2 decides to include some kind of card support for foreign markets T5 style. In that case AI should wait for the US release, but we probably won't know that until a few months after the Japanese version hits. Wouldn't it suck if AI had a version w/ no cards or just the "no item" version of the card system we have now, then the US version hit w/ an in-game character editing system? /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif But, probably not happening.

Remember too, it's Sega Enterprises, not SOA, who handles all the arcade stuff. Same division of Sega Worldwide decides who gets what as far as versions etc go.

Bryan

 

Hey Bryan, I feel once this game hits consoles say bye bye to the arcade revenue unless it's for tourneys or people new to the scene who just happen to play one game or two. It's hard to maintain the arcade scene unless there's some type of acrade produced incentive. (like daily tourneys, etc.)

 

well for me, id rather still play at the arcade

the experience is different, and its just a convinience thing for most people. I could really care less about showing people what items I have. Plus i found the arcade as the best way to find new players. Theres a lot of people who dont know about vfdc.

 

If AI actually forks the money for a japanese version of VF5(even more so if its the HD version)

We have to remain loyal to them even when the PS3 version hits. I dont see why we couldn't still have Thursday get togethers at AI and then house meets on the weekends. Alex is right when he said that we can find new players through AI. When I visit for a bit on the weekends I see people playing....and they have no idea what VFDC is

When I go to AI on thursddays I mostly go for Vf and the chance to play the other games...especially since the wait for VF might take a while.

If the majority of the SOCAL group thinks we will drop them once VF5 hits the home then we better not be greedy and tell them that they shouldn't get it.

Imagine paying 20k for a VF setup that no one plays...that would really suck for them and we shouldn't treat them that way since they have been nothing but good to us.

just my thoughts...p.s. VF5 parties can be at my place...my HDTV will look real nice when the home version comes /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

I'm not trying to discourage people from going to AI, I just think it's the truth that we'll go to playing the console version once it hits. I know I will, and there's more than one reason. We all were part of migrating away from AI when home versions hit before, so I don't know why suddenly things would be different. If FT was out on console, we'd be playing that.

I've heard several times that people didn't come because they "didn't have money". Console meets eliminate this issue, even if you don't buy the game yourself, others will have it.

Waiting isn't an issue on console, or MUCH less of one. In a 4 hour meet at AI, I usually spend maybe 30 to 45 minutes actually playing. I like the meets (when I can make it), and I like seeing everyone, but that's a lot of wasted time. And AI isn't exactly the best place to talk either, since it's hard to hear, so we usually spend teh down time just watching the screen, or playing other games. By contrast, console meets usually happen with multiple set-ups, you can hear each other, you can smoke/drink whatever you'd like etc. AND you get to play more, which leads me to my next point:

Andy and I have both said that when Evo console meets were the norm, we were MUCH better players. This is because you get to play SO much more. Last time we were at plagues, I remember I played a 20-ish game set just with Ticky, same characters over and over. You get so much more time in, you can spend a 3 or 4 hour sitting playing 80% of the time. Everybody gets better this way. There have been nights at AI where I know I got less than 15 matches in, and I've seen others get in less than that. If you have a bad night, you might play less than 10 matches. On console, even if you loose every game, you could still get in the SAME ammount of play time (provided you were just taking turns, not playing winner stays).

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Imagine paying 20k for a VF setup that no one plays...that would really suck for them and we shouldn't treat them that way since they have been nothing but good to us.



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Brian, AI'd be STUPID to spend $20,000 on a VF5 set up, given the audience the game has here. We should DISCOURAGE them from doing so, in my opinion. That's why I say let them get the kit (if it's available) and play on the cabs they have, or one machine that 2 people can use. I don't wanna pay 3 or 4 tokens/game while they're making up the price of the kit. And to be perfectly honest, I know it's nice of AI to get the game, but AI is a business, it's not like they're doing us some huge favor out of love. If they got VF5, it'd be because they knew they'd make money. IMO AI doesn't take the best care of the machine either, we usually have to ask them to fix buttons etc at LEAST once a night. The sticks work, but are kinda old now, and it's hard at times (for me) to do modified stuff. In Japan, where people are constantly playing the machines, I've had WAY less problems with buttons/sticks; to me that means AI's stretching the life of some old stuff. That's not to mention nights where I've driven 2 HOURS from LA (which Andy and I do every time) only to get to AI and find that a button doesn't work, so we have to wait until 9 when the manager shows up, since they don't trust the lesser employees to have keys to the machines. That REALLY sucks when it happens, and it's happened more than once.

and AI is nice & close, for people who live in Pamona. For myself, Andy, Dre, Ticky etc, it's actually far, and we usually have to fight traffic leaving LA to get there at about the right time, making a 40 mile trip take 2 hours. so we spend a total of about 3 hours in the car, 2 to 3 hours sitting waiting to play, and maybe one hour of real play time. Conversely, if I spend that time driving to Talis's house, I know I'll get to play for hours on end. That's another thing, console meets have no closing times, which also means much more playing.

Look, I like AI, and I think everyone should go there. But I don't think we should feel like we owe them something, in FACT: they NEED people like us. Who do you think pays the rent at AI, the tooth fairy? YOU'RE the customers, without you they can't exist. But I DO think it's silly to ask them to shell out the cash for the most expensive set up. If we played Initial D or Wan Gan, I'd say they should. They should get the set-up that fits the ammount of money we spend there. That's another thing too, in all the years I've been going to AI (since 2001?), I've never gotten a simple "Hey, how are you" or "Nice to see you" from the people who work there. The main guy that's there usually makes me feel like I'm bothering him, actually. Even when I'm buying water or candy, asking for change etc, they aren't what I'd call friendly.

people can play on PS3 and still go to AI, but for people like me who have family, career etc to worry about, I'd rather spend that one night of the week staying up to the wee hours in a comfortable setting with a few homies, actually PLAYING BETTER; as opposed to in the car, waiting to play, and going home at 12.

Bryan

 

well as long as the AI version is still up to date, i would still go there with some people.

The major problem with evo was that it was permanently stuck at version A, and the version B changes were pretty drastic- well atleast for leifei.

 

I don't think I'm going to get a PS3 so I'll be heading to the arcade unless someone else is hosting a gathering. I want to see the aracde scene live, not fill Sony's pockets more. I would could pay $400+ plus for a console now or I could put $200 into the arcade and $200 to Sony.

 

62" cab price confirmed at around 19k (preshipped)

https://secure9.nexternal.com/shared/Sto...52&All=True