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The VideoGamePriceGuides Are Changing Servers Update 2
I’m currently in the process of moving the Video Game Price Guides www.videogamepriceguides.com to a new host. I expect the migration to be completed before the Classic Gaming Expo (August 10th). That’s less than a month away!
In addition to the price guides moving all of my other sites and blogs including this one www.salzmafia.com, and all of the other ones I maintain including www.mikesalzman.com retrogameprices.com and several others will eventually be migrated as well.
The reason for these moves are as follows:
1. Faster Server
2. The host actually has the newer version of PHP which means WordPress can finally be upgraded
3. Unlimited domains and bandwidth
4. Fraction of the current price I’m paying now!
Any updates I have on the status of the Video Game Price Guides will be posted here! No new posts will be added to the price guide, nor will any new content be added until the move is complete.
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UPDATE #2 07/19/2012
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Initial testing of the database used to update the prices has been successful. Two minor test events will occur this weekend, then the final migration of the Video Game Price Guides will begin! It’s been a worrisome week, but everything went extremely well. Thank you everyone for your patience!
Las Vegas As Represented In A Video Game Part 1
One of the closest representations of Las Vegas in a video game has to be Street Fighter II. Take a look at how close Capcom got it right.
Let’s start by pointing out some of the real landmarks including the Golden Nugget, the Golden Goose, Sassy Sally’s, and a wedding chapel.
The Golden Nugget once looked very close to this. But shortly after 1992, it underwent a big update to become a “resort” and the original facade was taken down. It was an excellent interpretation:
The Golden Goose was a real property too. But it was actually located across the street and further west on Fremont Street (that would be going right in the picture above and on Balrog’s stage). As of now, the place no longer exists.
Next check out Sassy Sally’s. The logo is dead on, except it almost looks as if it was mirrored, or some of the detail was purposefully removed. Additionally you can see the faint image of the cow girl that rested above “Glitter Gulch”. Glitter Gulch was changed to the Mermaids casino. Who knows if its still around. Sassy Sally’s is long gone, but the original sign can still be seen at the Neon Museum.
Centered in the picture above is the (Union) Plaza. It dropped the “Union” years ago and recently went under renovations. The Classic Gaming Expo 2012 is being held there this year. Capcom got its appearance spot on but the location was wrong. Sorta. On Balrog’s stage there are two Plazas mirrored on both sides of the screen. The one on the right is in the correct location, although the perception of the image makes it look like its located behind the Golden Nugget when in fact its centered on Fremont Street.
There are several Wedding Chapel’s in Las Vegas, and its difficult to pinpoint which one was the inspiration for the Wedding Chapel in the game, but this one appears pretty close. This one wasn’t located near the Golden Nugget at all, but a few miles south on the strip near the Riviera Casino.
One more cool thing I wanted to point out is this guy. In the arcade version he writhes his hands back and forth as the two fighters try and kill themselves. Regardless of who wins, he always drops “tickets” and starts to sob rubbing his arm into his eyes. Looks like he always bet’s on the loser.
I hope you enjoyed Part 1. Part 2 will feature more Vegas-Video-Game goodness!
2012 Video Game Collecting Goals
My 2012 Video Game Collecting Goals will be different than previous years for a variety of reasons:
1. For most of 2011 I simply did not have the cash like I had previous years to splurge on games, it’s just been a bad year. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it has forced me to become more frugal and creative in my collecting endeavors. It has also given me the opportunity to play, appreciate, and learn more about the games I love.
2. The Classic Gaming Expo didn’t happen this year. It’s supposed to happen in 2012 though, and I’m going to be ready for it. I have a plan that I hope will make 2012 better than 2010. 2010 was exhausting, but it’s going to be Downtown which is less than 12 minutes away from where I live.
3. Before my thrifting/swapmeet ventures were mostly arbitrary. “Maybe I should go to the swapmeet this weekend” or “I’m bored, I think I’ll thrift.” Was usually the only planning I would do. This was great, except I’d go so frequently that I’d either find nothing, or I’d feel rushed and wouldn’t take my time searching or pondering the treasures I’d might acquire.
4. Less common game prices have gone up significantly. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is Stadium Events. Ever since Yahoo ran an article about it a few years back sellers have dug into their back closet thinking that there are riches to be found there. Also, at least two different “storage” shows had the gall to say an original NES was worth a few thousand dollars and likewise for an original Atari 2600 (which in the video wasn’t the original). Of course those clowns on TV were way wrong, but fans of the shows, like the people who think Anticipation and Super Mario Bros. 3 are “rare” because they saw an article on the internet have artificially inflated the prices. Further complicating this is Goodwill (at least here in Las Vegas) have suddenly started pricing game consoles and games in the double digits. What the heck is going on?
So this is what I figured out: I’ll plan my game collecting in 2012 like I plan stuff at my job. First I’ll simply plan out my thifting/swapmeet adventures months in advance. Second I’ll update the code at videogamepriceguides.com to twitter/email me the best deals AS they occur. Third I’ll determine a budget for all game collecting, and forth I’ll find an alternative to revenue generation which will be the gatekeeper for all shopping.
Similiar to what every great adventurer discovers – it’s the quest and not the treasure that matters!
Rough Couple Of Months
Last summer was the game collecting summer to end all game collecting summers! I had a great time at the Classic Gaming Expo but it was cancelled this year. I was disappointed at first but now I am glad.
It’s been a rough couple of months with a seemingly endless drain on finances. Sure, I got a couple great games recently, several of which on Atari 7800 and ColecoVision. And the best one of all being Double Dragon on Atari 2600 but it’s been what seems like an eternity since I got an awesome find.
Thrift stores have either been over priced or simply had nothing by way of games or the games were junky sports titles. I did find a decent copy of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! from a yardsale along with a good copy of CastleVania but that has been mostly it. There was a huge collection of complete Intellivision games at a Savers and I saw a home made Ecto 3 Ghostbusters car that someone turned a compact into but man – game collecting has dried up in this town!
There is a new retro game store near the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum I still need to check out and I am still working on my Tetris Suicide, so between that and the endless repairs on my car I’ve been busy… and broke… with nothing to buy anyways… except maybe a copy of MASH or Choplifter II.
Classic Gaming Expo 2010 Six Months Later
Has it really been six months since the Classic Gaming Expo 2010 breezed through Las Vegas? Why yes it has and the excitement hasn’t yet worn off, at least not for me. Details are scant for a CGEXPO 2K11 and I frequent the forums at digitpress.com for a hint of any information pertaining to this year’s event. After all the expo has been cancelled in years past and it would break my heart to learn that it would be taking a deferrment again.
After last years’ event I thought I had it all figured out. I was certain I knew all the changes that would be needed to make 2K11 events better than 2K10. But looking back the ideas I had were practical but if implemented it would diminish the excitement of what could be expected.
Previous to the expo I had gone into the Tropicana Hotel only twice. Once in the late 1980′s as a kid and again in 1998. The visit thirteen years ago resulted in a royal flush on one nickle which pissed me off and I hated the Trop ever since. When I went to the Expo it was under new management and currently under renovations. I don’t like casinos but the Trop had a new carpet smell… a smell I now associate with the expo.
I also ate across the street at the Excalibur. Another dump I started to dislike when I worked for SEGA at the Luxor (which was right next door). But the food on the morning of the expo was delicious!
So what does all this mean? I honestly don’t know but I miss the expo and August seems like a lifetime away.
D5 Creation