If one doesn't want to pay the higher price on a rare, collectable game, then simply don't buy it.  It's not that complicated of  a concept.




 




hapter Thirty Three


lame Sega

"I'm looking for a game I can't find anywhere."

"You're in luck.  I do a lot of special orders of hard to find games."

"It's a rare game, I don't know if you can find it." 

"It's not a question of whether or not I can get it; it's a question of whether you can afford it if it's truly rare and desirable."

"Panzer Dragoon Saga."

"$135."

"What!"

"I have an extra copy I brought in for a customer that he never picked up, despite paying a deposit for it."

"You're kidding!  You're a rip-off!"

"No, he's had eight weeks to pick it up.  I'll leave the deposit as a credit on his account."

"I mean the price!  I'm not paying that much for a game."

"Very well then, you won't be buying the game."

"I'll give you $40."

"By $40, you mean $140?"

"No, $40."

"That's quite alright.  It's not wise to run a business where everything is sold at a loss."

"You'll never sell it at that price!"

<customer leaves>

<customer returns that evening>

"I was thinking about that Panzer Dragoon Saga.  I'll give you $50 for it, tax included?"

"So $44 plus tax is your offer?  How kind of you, raising your offer an entire $4 towards a game you are trying to get at less than a third of the asked price."

"Fine, $50 plus tax."

"Alas, I do not have the authority to negotiate in this matter."

"What do you mean?  Don't you own this place?"

"Yes, but I do not own the game anymore.  See that person over there; he bought the game a few minutes ago for $135.  You may want to offer your pittance of $57 to him, he may accept."

"Can you order me another copy?"

"For the low, low price of $140.  How many do you want?"

Footnote:  This entire conversation could not have happened and many more souls could have been given the opportunity to play this great game had Sega of America bothered to produce more than 5000 copies, especially after Sega had completely sold out on the first day.  THANKS GUYS!

Sadly, Sega felt it was more important that people think happy thoughts of the last Sega Saturn games released from them were all magical and full of love, especially if they never play them as rumours would spread of the furthest and create the largest image of greatness, so that when they launched the Dreamcast gamers everywhere will remember fondly how great Sega's games are and buy the system like no tomorrow.

WOW!  THAT PLAN SURE WORKED  THANKS GUYS!

The rant continues:

Copy protection on a Sony PlayStation game is on the inner most track of the CD, using two entire sectors of data which takes up only a fraction of the space of the copy protection of a Sega Saturn game.

Sega, on the other hand, hates second hand game sales, game rentals, and consumer rights in general.  So they produced their copy protection on the outside track of a Sega Saturn game that encompasses the entire ring.  To what purpose?  Mathematically and statistically, this is the most damaged part of a CD.  It increases the surface area that may be damaged (the outer rim is most likely to be bent or broken) and it's the best place to put copy protection that will fail the fastest.

Dear Saturn Bomberman, the greatest Bomberman to ever grace this world, I love you.  Yet I can't play you because the copy protection was damaged while the rest of the game remains untouched.  Oh Sega, why do you taunt us so by refusing to make more copies available of games people want?

Yet Sega of America wonders why they have never posted a profit since 1994.