Capcom Hyping Ducktales Remake w/ Gold NES Carts!

[The Adventurer]

Also, it's important to keep in mind exactly so made these carts. My suspicious that its not so much 'Capcom', as in the entire company. So much as it was Capcom USA's promotional department. The production of these industry promotional items would have come out of their budget, with the goal of getting more press to make the new game more visible. Corporate Capcom probably had approvals at some point, but the money put into them would have come out of Promotional's yearly budget.

At least that's my guess.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I really don't get Capcom's rationale here. By having such a limited number of these things, you're just going to anger people.

This is Capcom. It's what they do. See: Cancelled Mega Man games, countless rereleases, etc.

[InsaneDavid]

With gaming magazines, and the buying of review scores with advertising revenue, pretty much done I think we're going to see more and more of this type of thing to buy media outlets off.

[Ed Oscuro]

On the contrary. I know plenty of repro makers and do so myself. Although I really don't see how that adds much of anything to the discussion :/ Repros and their target market aren't the same as this silly batch of gold carts.

Well, it seems to me that the capacity for limited runs - we're not talking about a market where components are so high in demand that NES releases are taking up a large amount of the semiconductor output of Japan - for one game could well be much better than what's known here, and the "there will be scalping and other bad stuff" argument depends on there being low supply for a high demand (although I don't see why asking for even a handful more cartridges is going to do anything but help the situation from the supply and demand standpoint), unless StoneAgeGamer is using some kind of economics that existed before supply and demand theory.

[Bojay1997]

With gaming magazines, and the buying of review scores with advertising revenue, pretty much done I think we're going to see more and more of this type of thing to buy media outlets off.

Are you joking? Reviewers have been receiving promotional items/gifts since the dawn of the video game industry. In fact, reviewers and journalists in all forms of entertainment media have been receiving similar gifts since the beginning of mass media.

[InsaneDavid]

Are you joking? Reviewers have been receiving promotional items/gifts since the dawn of the video game industry. In fact, reviewers and journalists in all forms of entertainment media have been receiving similar gifts since the beginning of mass media.

I said nothing about promo and specialty goods being a new phenomenon, simply that there is bound to be an increase in these type of publicly showcased "look at what I got" items. Talk about shooting from the hip, dude.

[Ed Oscuro]

I think this does represent a new thing, though, since it's an area that anybody should be able to tell is sensitive to classic gamers - the kind of people they want to target with this release. But obviously Capcom's marketing people are kind of autistic when it comes to their fanbase (or former fanbase, anyway), so we can't really blame them, can we?

[Bojay1997]

I said nothing about promo and specialty goods being a new phenomenon, simply that there is bound to be an increase in these type of publicly showcased "look at what I got" items. Talk about shooting from the hip, dude.

The "look at what I got" thing has been going on in the video game media on the Internet for at least a decade or more and while Youtube and other video sites have perhaps increased awareness, it's not something that just started happening recently, nor has there been an increase in the volume. In fact, Capcom has been doing press kits like this for digital releases for at least five years now and this is the first one they have done in at least a couple of years.

I have my share of concerns with how Capcom operates as a gamer, but people getting upset about Capcom not releasing a run of these to the general public are totally deluded about their market. Frankly, that Mega Man press kit being released caused them quite a bit of ill will from people who couldn't get one even after they covered there own mistake in overselling by doing a third run of them. This would only do the same as there are probably thousands of people who would want one and very little chance that they could meet that demand.

[Greg2600]

I would concur that Capcom marketing division probably doesn't realize that these giveaways are going to cause a backlash, mainly with their target audience. Guarantee none of those people are gamers.

As much as Gamestop and others get hated on, I think they should have considered a similar type of giveaway with pre-orders or something like that. Or at the least, give away 150 using an online prize contest. Let the collectors have a chance.

I would liken this to the Transformers collectors who clamor for special convention only toys, but again, at least the public attendees have a chance to get them.

[Daria]

A real collector wouldn't be bitching that they didn't get a fair crack at truely limited item. Instead they'd be writing 150 letters seeking out a seller.

I think the cart is cool, and if Capcom truely wanted to open the release to the public, crowd sourcing would be the way to go here. But bitching that Capcom's not catering to the collector crowd by creating yet another mass produced "collectible" is... Stupid.

[bb_hood]

But bitching that Capcom's not catering to the collector crowd by creating yet another mass produced "collectible" is... Stupid.

Yeah, I agree. I just think its awesome that Capcom still makes such cool stuff, even if there is only 150 of the sets made. I can deal with the fact that I will probably never own one. I got my pre-order in and am very much looking forward to playing the game!

[Immutable]

Should I expect to see a cartridge like this in a "video gaming museum" soon? Heh.

[CelticJobber]

I wonder if one of those carts will end up on an episode of Pawn Stars? I'm sure Chum-Lee and their "toy expert" would be knowledgeable about it...

[wiggyx]

Well, it seems to me that the capacity for limited runs - we're not talking about a market where components are so high in demand that NES releases are taking up a large amount of the semiconductor output of Japan - for one game could well be much better than what's known here, and the "there will be scalping and other bad stuff" argument depends on there being low supply for a high demand (although I don't see why asking for even a handful more cartridges is going to do anything but help the situation from the supply and demand standpoint), unless StoneAgeGamer is using some kind of economics that existed before supply and demand theory.

I was simply saying that the target market for repros and Capcom issued gold carts are different, that's all.

As to your point, and with regards to what SAG has already pointed out, the demand is moot if the resources for production are limited, not to mention the likelihood of such a venture being profitable is nearly impossible. It makes sense to use them as a marketing tool, not so much as a quasi mass-produced novelty.

A real collector wouldn't be bitching that they didn't get a fair crack at truely limited item. Instead they'd be writing 150 letters seeking out a seller.

I think the cart is cool, and if Capcom truely wanted to open the release to the public, crowd sourcing would be the way to go here. But bitching that Capcom's not catering to the collector crowd by creating yet another mass produced "collectible" is... Stupid.

This.

[xelement5x]

On a thread on NA they were talking about this. Apparently iam8bit came forward as being responsible for the productions of these.

Video:


I guess someone who purchased one from a person in the press has already taken them apart and the PCBs have all the markings of a repro from Timewalk Games as well.

Here's the thread (a bit long) for anyone that wants more info:
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/mes...hreadid=109087

[Greg2600]

So I guess that finally answers the question of whether a current, big time publisher wants to dissuade game reproduction websites!

[StoneAgeGamer]

I was simply saying that the target market for repros and Capcom issued gold carts are different, that's all.

As to your point, and with regards to what SAG has already pointed out, the demand is moot if the resources for production are limited, not to mention the likelihood of such a venture being profitable is nearly impossible. It makes sense to use them as a marketing tool, not so much as a quasi mass-produced novelty.

Bingo. Its not that there isn't profit to be had by mom and pop operations, but no profit to be had by Capcom. Even if they could make profit, it would be a pittance to them. Really, the biggest companies that actually target the retro gaming community are probably the clone companies like Hyperkin, Innex and Yobo. Capcom probably brings more in a few weeks than all 3 combined do in a year. Capcom is much better off investing money in making hit games for current gen than releasing games for 20 year old systems.

[wiggyx]

On a thread on NA they were talking about this. Apparently iam8bit came forward as being responsible for the productions of these.

Video:


I guess someone who purchased one from a person in the press has already taken them apart and the PCBs have all the markings of a repro from Timewalk Games as well.

Here's the thread (a bit long) for anyone that wants more info:
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/mes...hreadid=109087

I'm shocked!

Oh wait, the other thing...

Capcom may very well have used *GASP* a repro game company...

Bingo. Its not that there isn't profit to be had by mom and pop operations, but no profit to be had by Capcom. Even if they could make profit, it would be a pittance to them. Really, the biggest companies that actually target the retro gaming community are probably the clone companies like Hyperkin, Innex and Yobo. Capcom probably brings more in a few weeks than all 3 combined do in a year. Capcom is much better off investing money in making hit games for current gen than releasing games for 20 year old systems.

I'll 2nd this. You and I could make a killing selling these, but a killing for us is chump change for them, if they could even find a way to make it profitable.


Also, it's worth mentioning again that a large game company is actually employing a reproduction game maker, and one of the largest at that. Capcom is cool with the repro scene? Seems like it, at least in the US...

[MetalFRO]

Not to get too off-topic here, but I'm wondering about the production on something like this as compared to homebrew and repro carts. I know repro makers use donor carts to make their games, but obviously something like Battle Kid is a bit different. The cases for that game are a custom job, but what about the PCB? Do they use donor PCB's to accomplish that, or have they come up with their own? I know that for US releases, Nintendo made everyone buy components from them, but now that we're nearly 30 years out from that, has anyone manufactured NES PCB's for stuff like this? I'm also wondering about 3-D printing, i.e. what would be the cost of 3-D printing a cartridge shell versus re-using carts? Not everyone is Ben Heck and has a large-scale 3-D printer in their workshop, so I'm curious to know what the kind of cost vs return ratio might be on something like that.

[Azarkhel]

Not to get too off-topic here, but I'm wondering about the production on something like this as compared to homebrew and repro carts. I know repro makers use donor carts to make their games, but obviously something like Battle Kid is a bit different. The cases for that game are a custom job, but what about the PCB? Do they use donor PCB's to accomplish that, or have they come up with their own? I know that for US releases, Nintendo made everyone buy components from them, but now that we're nearly 30 years out from that, has anyone manufactured NES PCB's for stuff like this? I'm also wondering about 3-D printing, i.e. what would be the cost of 3-D printing a cartridge shell versus re-using carts? Not everyone is Ben Heck and has a large-scale 3-D printer in their workshop, so I'm curious to know what the kind of cost vs return ratio might be on something like that.

Timewalk use new PCBs for everything now, RetroZone have done so as well for ages.