LA People... Any Clues?

LA VF people,

Most of you probably read my angry posts about VF4 in LA last week. I'm wondering if anyone has any new information, or has been talking to any arcade employees/operators or distributors about the status of VF4.

I checked college and family early today, still nothing. The guy who runs College isn't around much, and I don't know who runs Family. I think College will get it, but who knows when. I also spoke to UCLA's X cape today, and someone who sounded like a low-level employee there told me he hadn't heard anything about it.

I guess westwood is still supposedly getting it in a couple weeks, but I haven't called in about a week, and last time the picture there changed from very good to somewhat bleak.

As of the weekend, little tokyo doesn't have it, either.

The arcade that was on 8th and Normandie appears to be out of bussiness.

Cyber Zone on Wilshire still doesn't even have T4, and TTT is a very popular game for them, so I'm sure VF4 is probably not coming anytime soon.

SHGL doesn't have it, and says they "don't think they're getting it, no".

Now that VF4 is popping up in Florida, Oregon, Nebraska, Minnesota, Texas, etc., I'm beginning to wonder about the accuracy of the guy at CA Robinson who said it would be a month or two.

Guys, if we're going to get VF4 at all, it's starting to look like we're going to have to get involved. I don't see any reason why distributors in other parts of the country would be getting it before LA, or anywhere else. Just seems like LA arcades aren't on the ball. Also looks like several have decided NOT to get it, purposefully.

So the way I see it, we have 3 choices:

1. Wait (what we're doing already). This might not go anywhere, it has to be noted. There's no guarantee anyone is getting it.

2. Start bugging the hell out of an arcade to get it. I suggest focusing on ONE place, then all of us calling every day, speaking to the person in charge, and telling them they really need to get it. One good point for an arcade is that if they were to get it now, they'd have a monopoly in LA. That could be good for them if all people excited about the game went to one place. I think with a littleconsistant pushing from a small group, one place would probably get it without too much trouble. If you guys wanna do this, I suggest UCLA.

3. Get our own machine. This is something I've been looking into, and think that if LA arcades refuse to get VF4 anytime soon, we should get serious about it (or I might myself, there's a shift in my finances in the coming week). If we got a machine, it could be kept in one place where everyone could have keys and access. We wouldn't have to pay to play, and we could get a Japanese Vs.City cabinet with a screen for each player, perfect buttons/sticks, and if we were willing to pay a little extra, we could have the card function. Even gettting the full blown set-up, according to the prices I've seen, we'd still save several hundred dollars over getting a US complete cabinet. While it's a big chunk of money, it'd pay for itself over time, and we'd end up saving money.

Let me know what you guys (Zerom, Kiuju brothers, Gribbly etc.) think.

Spotlite

 

Hum.. I think wait till this week, and then do something. together..

How much is it(vf4) cabinet and hardware...?

 

Well, according to Adam, we can get a new US VF4 board for about $2500.00. I've seen prices on Japanese sites for the Jap Ver. for around $3100.00 (I'm assuming it's the Jap. Ver, it's not noted as US). I've seen it noted as Jap. Ver. on another site for approx. $4000.00.

The main difference is that the Jap. ver has VF.net support. I'm not sure if these prices include the card readers. A few weeks ago, Almaci said his friend in Japan was pricing kits with controll panels, card readers, 100 cards ($5.00 each retail) the header, board etc. for about $6000.00, but I can't imagine the card readers (made of plastic and small) and panels alone would add $2000.00 to the price. If this price included the card vendor (which I saw priced at $1000.00) I'd understand. Maybe I'm missing something.

The guy at CA Robinson told me that the whloe US N2 cabinet with VF2 was $4800.00. Since the board is priced at $2500.00, that's $2300.00 extra for the cabinet.

There's a guy I've contacted here in LA who sells reconditioned Astro City (both players on one side) cabinets for $370.00, and Vs. City cabinets for $800.00. At the moment, I have about enough to get the Vs.City cabinet. That leaves the price of the board. If I'm going to invest in the arcade board, I want Jap. version with cards, period. It adds so much to the game, and I think it's totally worth the extra money. There's a Shen Mue 2 FAQ on Gamefaqs.com that tells how to access VF.net from the US with the DC, and I could up-load everyone's card data on one of my trips to japan. Actually, a smart computer/internet person could probably figure out how to have the machine access vf.net from over here.

Anyway, that's where I'm at. If we shelled out the money to get a machine with cards, maybe other groups of players in the US would do the same thing, and we could start a US card group.

Spotlite

 

vfnet

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

Actually, a smart computer/internet person could probably figure out how to have the machine access vf.net from over here.

<hr></blockquote>



I don't think it's possible to be honest. Unless Sega of Japan does something special just for you guys in california. Korea doesn't have cards, Hong Kong doesn't have cards, Singapore doesn't have cards...

I would find it hard to believe that the reason they don't have cards is because the operators don't want to fork out the extra cash for a card reader and a net connection. AFAIK, it's a Japan only thing and it's only in Sega owned arcades - not every arcade in Japan.

Good luck, but I think that's the deal. Maybe I'm wrong...

cheers,

 

Re: vfnet

Yeah, it sounded like from previous descriptions that VFnet was specific to a certain cellular phone network available only in Japan. From the previous descriptions it didn't sound like the software for ranking players was in the VF4 machine itself... only the ability to display the new costumes and accessories.

 

Spoke to X-Cape this morning

Thanks for looking around spotlite... I've been really busy with work, although I did check XCape and westwood last weekend (nothing doing).

I agree with everything you say. I think option B -- choose and arcade and pester them -- is our best bet. So let's co-ordinate this effort. A agree that X-Cape is our best bet... seems to be convenient for everyone, and it's a good arcade.

First of all, here's the phone number for X-Cape at UCLA:

310-206-0829

I'm on the phone to them right now... a girl ("let me ask my supervisor"), then a guy ("let me ask my boss")... waiting... waiting... can hear DDR in the background... come on...

Oh OK I just spoke to the supervisor dude, and he said "we're gonna get it sometime in the next two weeks". I asked if he had an exact date, and he just said "no, but in the next two weeks".

So let's keep up the pressure (and hope that no-one from X-Cape reads this board =] ). If all the LA peeps just call every now and then so they know there's demand, we should be in business.

One other idea -- is anyone an actual UCLA student? If so, how about setting up a simple paper and pen petition in the ackerman union building (right outside the arcade would be best)? Just a clipboard with a pen on a string. Then we could show them signatures too.

Fingers crossed!

grib.

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

Gribbly:

awesome. nice work. did you happen to get the name of the supervisor? Well, it least they're getting it. I'll start bugging them, too.

Lan and Yupa:

Don't get me wrong, I have no delusions that I could have a fully functioning VF.net machine here in the US. Just seemed like since they're basically loading the data to a server through a phone line, so I was thinking that while I'm sure you couldn't have a constant connection like the machines in Japan (the service shuts down at 11 PM anyway), you might be able to connect every now and then. I'm not sure how it works though. The lines that come from the machines look like rugular phone lines, and they go to a hub, which goes somewhere... I don't know if that then goes to a small server or PC for each arcade, or just a modem, or maybe the modem is in the cabinet?

I'm sure you guys are probably right, but if by some turn of events I do ever get a board, I want to try to connect to upload data, at least once. Rich told me some of you guys tried the DC vf.net thing, and it didn't work. I'd still love to have a machine with the cards working, though, even if we couldn't load data (just enjoy rank/costumes/vf1 models etc). Anyway, just my wishful thinking...

Spotlite

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

forgot to mention something. many different arcades, including Namco arcades, have vf.net.

and regarding ranking, machines that are supporting cards, but not the phone line for whatever reason (they seem to go out with some frequency) still support the ranking system. While you do have to load data to a server to place yourself in the regional/national rankings, you can still gain wins/losses, go up in rank, change color (auto with rank up), do title match etc. without the phone line on.

Spotlite

ps: sorry, rich

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

spotlite,

I just wanted to drop you a message that we ended up getting a VF4 kit from Betson which is located in California so the US kits are out there. I even saw a US kit on a Japanese PCB shop's price list.

 

Wow!!! You must spent a lot of time to find all these prices of cabinets. I was planning to buy a VF3tb board and also a Vs.City cabinet. $800 for a Vs.City cabinet is very attractive for me, but I don't have enough space in my apartment to keep this huge cabinet. It's a pitty.

 

You'll also be stuck with a machine that can only play VF4 on low res. If you buy a Japanese cab and want to run VF4 at optimum, MAKE SURE it's a "New" (or "Neo) Versus City or Astro City. Find out what kind of monitor it runs before you splurge on one. On Japanese pages you'll see marks - if it's marked 15/25/31khz, you're set - it's multires, can run any game. If it's marked 15/25khz, it's an older cab, only dual res. Can only run low res (15khz) or mid res (25khz), will not run hi res (31khz).

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

Just talked to X-cape. Still no VF4, but I got the name and # of the guy who's in charge.

His name is either Jerome or Guillam (french "william")? I couldn't tell. Didn't speak to him, but he's the guy in charge. Girl told me he's out of town for the weekend, but the # is:

310 206 0837

You can leave a voice mail. I'm gonna call on monday again.

Now that they're loosely commiting to getting it, we should start making sure we get good button layout. Since they'll probably be putting it in one of their cabinets, it'll probably have holes cut for SF or Tekken. I think we should tell them to use the first two on the left and the middle top row (or short, jab and strong for SF, 1, 2, and 3 for tekken). That way we can use thumb on guard, and it's not too uncomfortable having kick a little lower than ideal. As long as we don't get the 3 horizontal, it'll be okay.

Spotlite

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

Good work! I had my friend Mark call yesterday also (he was with me at CA Robinson), and he got the same number and left a voice mail. This "William" dude is in for a surprise when he gets back from his vacation!

Kiuju, Zerom, any other LA VF4 humanoids -- it's time to man the phones! You have the #s to call:

X-Cape: 310 206 0837
Manager's Direct Line: 310 206 0829

No excuses!

I agree on the button layout -- I'll raise it too when it feels appropriate

grib.

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

Wow..! You guys so great....

U know my english level is not enough to request something..

but I will try to leave a short message to his voice mail..

Hee~~ finally I can play the vf4 recent future...

Ah.. button layout is a good idea....

P K
G <--------- like this..?

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

I talked with manager. He said 2weeks later they should get a

machine... hum... hum... I have been waiting 4 years...

I can wait two weeks.. hum.. noway... I wanna play in this

weekend.. Anyway finally we can play current future..

hoo hoo I'm waiting play again with spotlite more seriously..!

grib is also not easyguy.. heavybrocker...

 

Re: Spoke to X-Cape this morning

good work zerom! you're definitely on when the machine finally turns up

grib.