Calling All Singapore Players!!!

Hey! Maybe its about time you guys reduce the initial $1
to 50cents? Already so few people are playing it, some more you guys provided such pathetic cardreaders(one of it totally cannot read at all!!), how is it possible to get more people to play? If the top management dont want to change the cardreaders nor reduce the price, please tell them to get rid of the Evo machines as they are wasting people's time and money. Can you imagine how Jeffrey felt when he lost his Kage card's data? Do you know how pissed we are each time we try to continue but end up paying $1 instead because of the faulty coin slots?

The conclusion is, with the current state of the evo machines, nobody is gonna touch it and my suggestion to you guys is to sell it away as they are sitting down there wasting electricity and space. Get rid of it before rust does.

 

Sorry Danny. I said I was going to post about it but it slipped through my mind.

Anyway, Zyeith, we appreciate your effort in bringing the card system to Singapore. However, like what Danny had said, having to pay $1 to start a game had turn some vfers to play on the $0.50 machine instead. This is not very encouraging. I believe the prices of the cards are quite steep as well. It is not worth spending money on the cards and credits to find that the data on the cards may be corrupted. Some vfers are thinking if they should transfer their data.

I do hope you consider these problems and make the necessary changes if possible.

 

Also, one thing to consider is that with the $1 to start, 50 cents to continue requirement it's difficult for new players to get into the game. Why? Because strangers are shy to ask for the next game and usually just stand around waiting for the person playing to get off...of course, the person playing doesn't get off because he/she's afraid the count is going to down to zero.

If you get rid of the $1 to start rule, you won't be eliminating revenue. People will continue playing, but instead of one person playing all the time you'll have a better mix. In the long-term, this can only be healthy.

Also, I've seen many people put in one credit, not realizing the machine needs two, and walk away frustrated and/or pissed. This is not good business practice.

P.S. My Kage card is not an isolated incident. Danny also lost all his Akira data when he tried to transfer his data to a new card. And he tried transferring on a different machine.

 

guys...i actually spoke to zyieth through a series of pvt mails a few weeks back...

I just FORGOT to mention it to u guys.

8 bucks per card.....the arcade don't make a single cent coz they bought the card for 8 bucks! (That is my understanding.)

I have mentioned the 1 buck to start n he's already talking to 'them' abt it...of coz, we have to wait for those guys in suits to understand that price n cost = two different issues.

Regarding the card readers malfunctioning...
Is it just me, but nowadays when it breaks down...I am most hesitant to ask the technicians for help.

A) it's those VFers again
B) it's that card reader again....
C)) wait, .....(he never comes back)

I own 4 cards myself n am very hesitant in using it..coz I already hate seeing it fail all the time when Andrew or danny are playing....to have it happen to me...no thanks.

I think the biggest problem with newbies being pissed off by the high cost is...not really the matter of the game being a buck.

It's them buying the cards to TRY it out..only to have it fall flat on their face becos of the faulty readers.

Of coz, insteading of saying ' promotion, 50 cents to continue'..a simple '$1 per credit' would have done wonders.

 

In case, zyeith is wondering. I stopped playing in the arcade because of what the guys mentioned. Competition is not only limited by price, but faulty card readers.

I really dun see the pt of having 1 buck to start. 2 days ago when I went down during lunch, there was only one person playing. No need to guess. He was playing ver A. what a joke.

To Zyeith:

Danny is right about the ver B. either liquidate your company's investments soon or risk the rapid depreciation on electronic Fixed assets. Has your company even done Net present value for the investments?

How much cash inflow has your company derived from the ver B evo purchase? Calculate your pay back period on your company's investment. Given this kind of response from the gamers here, what is the realistic pay back period?Honestly, your management ought to do their costing first. I'm not even a FC. But, to have me teaching about costing here is a bit way out.

Pardon me. I mean no offense. But seeing posts like this do make me feel a bit upset about the way things are going.

Arcades were meant to appeal to gamers and generate "good" profits for the shareholders. If such a position cannot be reached, the arcade is bound to have "going concern" problems. Isn't that right?

 

Hmm... kinda a now and then VF player at Bugis...
thought some comments might be useful
yeah.. the $1 credit to start is a little well... not very enticing... esp if you are a noob looking to improve.
in the end - end up playing ver A.
Would definitely buy the card if the startup is reduced back to 50cents.

 

OK guys, we're not being very helpful to Zyeith here. And seriously, I don't think the arcade would have many problems recouping their initial investment. How much does Evo cost with card readers? $10,000 for the whole thing? $20,000? Let's say it's $20,000...I seriously doubt it would be more, even with shipping costs.

It should be something like S$5,000 for the game, and maybe $10,000 for the cabinet. Someone out there who knows better please correct me, as I'm just guessing here (these prices seem in-line with my memory of published prices in magazines). It should be even less if those machines were second-hand. *Ahem*.

Let's also assume 300 working days or 43 weeks a year. That means that they'd have to generate about $460 each week to break even. I don't think operating costs would be high on a unitized basis...but just to be nice, let's say costs are another 10% and so they'd need $500 total.

$500 per week?? That doesn't seem impossible. Let's say there are 20 people who play VF (and I'm sure there are more). Each person would just need to spend $25 per working week for the arcade to recoup their investment per machine in ONE year. Given these assumptions, break-even seems reasonable in two years, and if you factor in the junk value of the cabinet, you'd probably be paying-back much earlier than two years.

Either way, Zyeith, I recommend you think about the following:

- Making it 50 cents to start. I'm betting the increase in people playing would offset the few times a day someone has to start a game with $1.

- Speaking to someone in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, or Japan to exchange tips on how they keep their card readers from malfunctioning. There's got to be something wrong with the readers here in Singapore given how great they work in Tokyo. Think about what you'll be saving in terms of lower maintenance costs, fewer disruptions during peak hours, increased consumer confidence, heightened and sustained interest, etc. etc.

- Leaving the card cost as is. I actually don't think $8 is unreasonable, given how it's 500 yen per card in Tokyo. I would actually charge $10 for a 20% profit...why not? The typical player only need two or three and it's a small cost relative to what people spend playing. However, I did hear that cards are about $5 in Hong Kong...in that case I don't understand how your cost is $8 per card. Finally, expect a jump in card sales if it's 50 cents to start; you might want to stock up as you're running out.

- Allowing me to record movies!! Just look at Daioh, an arcade in the middle of nowhere. Yet, everyone knows about it (non-Japanese included) and goes there every now and then...why? Because people like to see themselves in movies, especially those that are distributed publicly for free.

 

Jeffrey, I seriously dun think that there are that much vfers spending $500 dollars a week on it. Trust me, I go there alot more often then you do. Evo version A has higher possibility of breaking even.

On the other hand, of cos, reducing the price would seriously be helpful. I have lost count the number of times someone puts in a 50cents and then walked off feeling pissed. Free credits for me. lol.

In many of the arcades in Japan, they actually put up movelist and combos strings on poster stands or stick them up on the walls. It really helps the newbies.
+(Mc)-> + isn't that hard to do. They jus need to know it.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Free credits for me. lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

Incidentally, it reminded me the amt of times I handed out 50 cents to ppl who have non left but was very willing to hand out my 50 cents to beat the timer lol!

on the other hand..depending on the crowd..I think the collective lot of us ...let's see..+ this..+him+him+him etc
I think if we throw in say, 150 bucks weekly as a collective bunch..it's already kinda a supreme effort....considering how I at max, use 2.50 each time I am there ^0^

Jeff said
[ QUOTE ]
Speaking to someone in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, or Japan to exchange tips on how they keep their card readers from malfunctioning. There's got to be something wrong with the readers here in Singapore given how great they work in Tokyo

[/ QUOTE ]

Just so that u know...Zyeith didn't just forget abt it n have indeed spoken to ppl in other countries.
However, they have never encountered such a problem in other countries.

So, my guess is as good as ur guess old chum ^^

Oh well..if the arcade gets F-zero x with the card system...say bye bye to evo n helllllloooo racers!
(After all, speed is in my dna....not VF)

 

On top of what I have said, many of us (I'm pretty sure) wouldn't mind coming up with the combo strings and perhaps to be put up in the form of a poster for everyone to learn. It'll make life for all the newbies alot easier. I'm sure this will increase players.

Vf4evo is really a deep game compared to many.

 

look

Since I be free
I might as well put my hand up n say 'count me in'.

Who else wants to volunteer for a non paid, outta love for the game 'gig'?

 

Hi guys /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif

it's Kurt, the SoCal playa, i'm commited to moving over to Evo (after thinkin somewhat, + the soundtrack ROCKS!).

Been seeing all of you around *goes back to mugging moves*


p.s. i tried the stance shift LeiFei style we saw last night, lol i can stance shift thru the whole setup but not with the fluidity that was shown, dammit he's good ! /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Hey so where do u guys play now? The evo at bugis looks really sorry these days.

 

Hey i am back from reservist...finally after two long weeks seems so eternal...hahaa...saw u K_C at bugis...went off to buy coffee Bean and come back u are gone liaoz...hehee...yar where's everyone??nvr see anyone there today...kekee...me so long nvr play Evo liaoz...kekeke... /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

Look sorry these days? U hardly ever come and play anyway. /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

Heh, limited by finance, so cant go down too often.
Do u guys organise home matches too? Seems like the VF, SC2, para para scene have fizzled out liao /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

JT> alamak, seeing u so totally in love with your gf, i tot u two went off liao, so i left after getting bored.

 

hahaa no lah...she wants to drink coffee bean so go n buy lor...hahaa...no choice...when u reach my age u know u have to be gd to her or else noone to marry in future...hahaa...just joking...kekeke...me had a couple of games after that...i be free this week...see when u going down msg me on my hp lor... /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

On the contrary, it's stronger than ever...Kiat's Lei Fei improved a lot, Danny and Alucard are stronger, Zeng Zi is back in Singapore and playing. There's also a two or three new guys who I don't know but also played quite a bit on Saturday.

 

Hmm.... 2 of them were wearing glasses right ? If I'm not wrong, one's a Pai user, the other's a Vanessa....

I tell you, Alucard's getting awfully tough to touch.... I think I got set up by him so many times that its just plain sad for me... /versus/images/graemlins/confused.gif Having some major problems in that I just can't seem to clinch the game in the final rounds anymore... /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Think I have to switch to a new character, but Wolf is so darn hard to pick up.... Sigh.... /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

Complaining? /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I tot all the time you say u play for fun only? /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Doesn't mean must change char to improve. If Jacky is your main, do less + pls unless it is in a combo. If you seriously want to improve, quit complaining or say u play for fun. /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif