Bloomington has DDR Supernova!!!!!

[sam]

the stacked 3x3 controls are standard for xmen..it's a SF clone...

and you mean KoF...you got the $1500 for a KoF 2k1 cart?

[Arka]

...
Arkanoid is fun. I'll probably play that when I'm not playing PIU.

You'll have to fight me for it.

...
My main gripe with the venue is the price of the games. Pac-man doesn't need to be 50 cents. Time Crisis 3 doesn't need to be $1. PIU doesn't need to be $1 (anymore). I'm not sure about the racing games, but I'm sure it costs and arm and a leg to play those too.

Hmm. I don't know... this seems fairly standard to me in a college town, but I guess my perspective could be skewed. Or skewered. Or both.

[lgolem]

...
My main gripe with the venue is the price of the games. Pac-man doesn't need to be 50 cents. Time Crisis 3 doesn't need to be $1. PIU doesn't need to be $1 (anymore). I'm not sure about the racing games, but I'm sure it costs and arm and a leg to play those too.

Hmm. I don't know... this seems fairly standard to me in a college town, but I guess my perspective could be skewed. Or skewered. Or both.

Well he is trying to make it is what he is doing, he is barely making enough to pay his employees and he hasn't even taken a pay check home for himself yet, he keeps breaking even, if he were to get above breaking even he would probably drop the prices.

I'm not sure why he chose World Heroes and that other dumb fighter that isn't Samurai Showdown.

He didn't chose World Heroes it came with the cabinet, he has order Metal Slug 5 and he is replacing world heroes with it, he mostly bought the cabinet for the system so he can swap the games he doesn't want. AND he bought the neo geo, the x-men, arkanoid and lethal enforcers 2 all at once, that is a mighty haul for the price he paid. I know you would like to sit there and complain about the prices on some things, but the guy has to pay his employees his bills and all, and if no one plays the games the arcade goes under.

[sam]

*ahem*

don't bash other businesses.

lazerlite had a horrible deal with shafers that left them without much profit from the games. they ended up purchasing them but it was after they were popular. they upgraded what they could but people lost intrest. the same thing will happen to this arcade, it's just how long it lasts.

[Ho]

I would second lgolem that, as a recent ASI attendee, if you have seen the price of games lately--especially the new and popular ones--that it's quite astounding what Great X Scape has already done as an independent arcade in a relatively small market purchasing games outright and not revenue sharing. Very few would have been able to even open in that model, much less survive this long already.

The prices seem pretty reasonable to me...certainly not above market averages. I can't remember the last time I saw ANY game at ANY arcade that was still only one quarter to play. And Indiana pricing on the whole tends to be lower than most other places I've been.

Though I would also agree with sam that, while I don't know the details...from what I've heard LazerLite got a raw deal from Shaffer. And while it's fine to highlight positive aspects and even make comparisons, I consider it unprofessional to declare that a competing business--or some element of it--"sucks."

[Ho]

NOTE: I realize it's a bit late to make a moderator judgement like this, but I'm moving this topic to Locations. The games themselves fit the category of Other Games Entirely, but I think the topic is more about the fact that they're at GXS, a location.

[Arka]

That's okay: if we can resurrect threads after 1+ years of inactivity...

I don't think lgolem is claiming to speak for xscape (or any other business) here; he did state that this was his *personal* opinion, and individuals on this board frequently offer opinions about individual locations, polite or not. (Just ask me, I have a ton...)

That said, since you ARE an XScape employee and what you say may get associated with them, you would probably be well-advised not to comment on your competitors.

One more point, while I'm being longwinded: XScape actually has the second-lowest PIU pricing scheme I've seen in the tri-state area, though I think it's tied with Ft. Wayne.(*)(**) I have no idea how its pricing for the other modern games compares, but its pricing on the classic games is standard to low.

(*)Lowest goes to the machine in the student union of UIUC, which is $0.75 for three songs. I encourage those of you who are displeased with XScape's pricing scheme to drive over there - it's only, what, a 4 or 5 hour drive from Bloomington? Bewarned, though, some of the attendants are brutally vicious towards anyone who plays it, and the sound is frequently off (!) due to special events being held in the game room. Apparently, a pool tournament and a PIU machine cannot coexist.

(**)Please note that my road trip habits are eccentric and I have certainly not found every arcade in the vicinity. Don't come crying to me, etc., etc.

[Ho]

I realize that he was not representing GXS in an official capacity with his comments. And even as an employee I would not in any way discourage making comments about themselves or a competitor...I would simply prefer and suggest that those comments be more constructive and professional than flatly saying that something sucks.

[Arka]

Fair enough - making rude remarks about DDR/PIU/ITG venues in general makes for a sad Smiley.

My suggestion was inspired by but separate from yours, and wasn't really based on the reactions of board members but rather on my own experiences with having comments interpreted as "representing my employer." In those situations, even professional comments can come back to haunt you later when someone gets confused and/or disregards your statement that they represent personal opinion, speculation, or wishful thinking. For this reason, IMO, lgolem is probably better off declining to comment on competitors at all.

Good taste is your domain; I'm dealing with good CY[self/employer's]A.

Of course, I note with chagrin that I didn't really make that clear in my original post. I also shifted my audience with no grammatical transition, but that's another story...

[Ho]

I had kind of gathered the positioning of your statement, but thank you for clarifying. Your remark is certainly prudent from that framework. As you have already noted, my comment was geared specifically toward my expectations for this forum--other life choices aside.

[lgolem]

I was about to state my personal opinion there but, I am going to hold it......I didn't even reallized I had put that in my last post. I guess I just went off the handle cause it bothers me that people complain alot about pricing, and on some sercumstances I agree with them, and I try to talk Daniel to lower prices on some, but that guy is just to stubern sometimes. I have mentioned ALOT of times to lower the price of that classic arcade with Galaga and Pac Man to 1 token but he just won't budge. Now I have personally seen Time Crisis 3 like a couple weeks ago somewhere for 1.50$ and people swarming it, and I have seen House of the Dead 3 (not 4 mind you, 3) at 1.50$. I personally think his prices are reasonable on his new machines.

The fact of the matter is, the only way I think he would lower like say the price of pump is if a new version came out, and he didn't upgrade it, he would have to lower the price or else people will want to play the new one.

But sense that is the newest one, he lost money when the tournament happened, he bought the Zero upgrade just for the tourney, I don't blame him for keeping it at 1$.

[lgolem]

I would second lgolem that, as a recent ASI attendee, if you have seen the price of games lately--especially the new and popular ones--that it's quite astounding what Great X Scape has already done as an independent arcade in a relatively small market purchasing games outright and not revenue sharing. Very few would have been able to even open in that model, much less survive this long already.

I was astonished when I walked in there in December, the only really neat games they had were Pump and Time Crisis and Hunting, that was it really. In about a half of a year there games have expanded alot. Especially it is astonishing that he has managed to keep up with the new machines coming out.

Even though I don't like it as much as Pump, I still can't wait till he gets DDR SuperNova (which isn't out yet but he will get as soon as he can get it) cause even though I perfer Pump, I am still going to play DDR when I get the chance too. ^_^

[Ho]

I was about to state my personal opinion there but, I am going to hold it......I didn't even reallized I had put that in my last post. I guess I just went off the handle cause it bothers me that people complain alot about pricing

Just in case it wasn't clear, please don't feel like you can't state your opinion because of me. I am not suggesting that you need to or should keep your opinions to yourself. Nor was I suggesting that your arguments were wrong (in fact, I think I supported at least some of them).

I just was suggesting, as did Arka, that--especially from a business perspective--it's probably a good idea to keep your statements constructive and not emotionally-charged put downs.

(And one more thing: I'm not upset about it or anything. I'm just making a suggestion.)

[great x scape]

Being an official spokeswoman for Great X Scape I thought I'd clarify what has been discussed. The prices at the arcade will remain at the same level until newer games or newer versions of the games come out. To be completely blunt Great X Scape is a business and like any other business we have competitors. Local competitors are charging the same prices as us. As far as what lgolem said that is totally his opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion. For official news, I am the one you should judge the business on or the owner my father Daniel. Lazerlite is a competitor and it is nice to have some competition. Competition makes arcade prices a level playing field. I would ask that you please continue to support Great X Scape and as you do more machines will come in and prices can be dropped. Thank you for your patronage.

[Fluffyumpkins]

Well I'm certainly not a rich man by any stretch of the word, but I'll still come out and support it when I can. I've always appreciated Daniel's enthusiasm when it comes to arcade knowledge. I am curious though, has he ever thought about a membership 'frequent player' system? I know other arcades have similar programs set up to keep prices low for XXXcore players but still get the full value from the casual passer-by.