Do your friends and family think you're crazy for......

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:14 am

...importing consoles and shmups? Espeically when you fork over $200 for that rare copy of Radient Silvergun? My roommate thinks I'm a little nuts for importing a Saturn, but I told him my reason, (I'm collecting shmups) and he thinks I'm crazy. He even thought putting my TV into tate mode was looney. But once we started playing Strikers 1945, I think he got the idea of where I was coming from. He's a bit of a mainstreamer, but he does enjoy a good shmup every now and then...and my family? They don't even know I own a Saturn yet. I don't know what my parents would think if they knew that I would spend $100 on a game whose language I can't read, just so I can enjoy some shmup goodness.

What do people think of our strange shmup ways?

Post by **Dave_K.** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:24 am

Ehhh, thats nothing...just wait till you go hard core and start filling up your garage with imported cabs and pcbs. Then they will know you are crazy.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:27 am

Hey Dave, your avatar reminds me of Bender from Futurama.

I guess owning an entire ARCADE would be kind of nuts however. People do strange things though.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:36 am

FatCobra wrote:Hey Dave, your avatar reminds me of Bender from Futurama.

Close, its a "helper bot" from Futurama (I forget which episode). I couldn't make it that easy to guess.

FatCobra wrote:I guess owning an entire ARCADE would be kind of nuts however. People do strange things though.

There are a lot of real arcade collectors out there that are far worse than me. Trust me. I think it was bloodflowers that was saying it consumed his entire house and garage.

gundamalpha · Post by **gundamalpha** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:44 am

that's the dilemma i'm facing. everyone around my livehood thought that i'm a freak buying so many games (16 consoles and a mere 100+ games) but when i look at someone else's collection i feel so inferior.. should i buy more or should i stop here? i really can't answer (but i'm still buying

)

janrodricks · Post by **janrodricks** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:45 am

OT: Whats TATE? I keep hearing this mentioned...

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:51 am

I only have a small handful of import games so far (2 on PS2, 1 on PS1, 5 on Saturn, and 10 for PC-Engine), the majority of which were very recent purchases, and I only have two import systems (3 if you count the GBA SP) so I'm very new to importing.

It's more of the old-school-ness that weirds people out.
"I play shooters."
"Oh yeah? Doom 3 is pretty cool huh?"
"..."

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:55 am

We're -ALL- crazy for buying tons of games and spending hundreds on rarer games. But we're all happy and crazy, and that's what really matters.

Kiel · Post by **Kiel** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:14 am

janrodricks wrote:OT: Whats TATE? I keep hearing this mentioned...

Turning your TV vertical.

If people found out how much I spend I games I think the would kill me. Like when I showed up to my house with my 4 slot MVS cab, that was a hard one to talk my way out of.

raiden · Post by **raiden** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:14 am

to my surprise, my parents don´t consider me crazy at all, not even when I changed from consoles to PCBs. They just asked "so, are you planning to get a cab as well?". Maybe it´s because they got a pinball machine... they could actually relate to my fascination. My fellow workers, however, do consider me nuts, at least most of them.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:40 am

I think if we all saw a good psychiatrist for awhile, we'd quit shmups. There must be something wrong with us to like them, imo.

But like that one guy's sig...I'm not suffering from insanity, i'm enjoying every minute of it.

Nemo · Post by **Nemo** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:49 am

Crack or shmups. Cocaine or shmups. Weed or shmups. Cigarettes or shmups. Alcoholism or shmups. There are things far worse to waste your money on that would make your loved ones worry more.

dementia · Post by **dementia** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:09 am

iatneH wrote:It's more of the old-school-ness that weirds people out.
"I play shooters."
"Oh yeah? Doom 3 is pretty cool huh?"
"..."

That happens to me all the time. It's totally frustrating. From now, I'm just saying "shmups." It would so be worth having to explain it.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:11 am

Try moving halfway across the world to avoid importing altogether.

Haha... no, that's not why I moved there, but it did help.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:56 am

Kiel wrote: If people found out how much I spend I games I think the would kill me. Like when I showed up to my house with my 4 slot MVS cab, that was a hard one to talk my way out of.

No kidding... Right now I'm still swimming through consoles (next one will be PC-FX baby!), but I think I'll be getting into PCBs very soon.

I damn nearly bought a cabinet a while ago (I mean, it's cheaper than a PSP and comes with a game, which I suspect is in a 1-slot MVS) but the sheer bulk of the thing would have caused quite an interrogation (yet there was not much when I did buy the PSP)

Nemo wrote: Crack or shmups. Cocaine or shmups. Weed or shmups. Cigarettes or shmups. Alcoholism or shmups. There are things far worse to waste your money on that would make your loved ones worry more.

Gambling, drugs, women, and alcohol.
Gambling, you can lose EVERYTHING in just a minute.
Drugs, they will cost you a lot over the long term, if you actually make it that far. In the other case you just OD and die.
Women, not really sure what to say here. Most of them might not kill you (right away), but probably almost as easy to lose your money to them as to gambling.
Alcohol will consume your money too although it's still longer term.

Post by **Ghegs** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:02 am

I don't think my parents have a clue about the extent of my gaming hobby.

I didn't really get into importing consoles until after I moved out. Those who do have an idea think it's either cool or are indifferent, depending how gamer-like they are themselves.

jp · Post by jp » Wed May 18, 2005 6:03 am

My parents just get pissed because I'm spending so much money. And my Dad is always worried that one day there will be no more working Saturns on the planet and I'll be SOL. But other than that, they just deal with it.

My friends, basically, just recognize.

Platypus[gEc] · Post by **Platypus[gEc]** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:54 am

And this is especially so for us, playing shmups and all.

I can still hear my wife say "but honey, all those games look the same... why spend money on yet another one of them space-ship dealies..."

I was playing Ikaruga first, then SNS2... and she saw them as the same game... yeah well... woman i guess.

I'm not in the CAB stage yet, btw... (yet, i have been checking up on prices ... never a good sign)

llaoyllakcuf · Post by **llaoyllakcuf** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:22 am

my parents just don't like that I spend most of my free time gaming or trading games.

I do have an older brother that tolerates my hobbies. (isn't into them, tho)

as for friends..
haven't had any since I finished high school in `01, so whatever.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Wed May 18, 2005 8:05 am

My mother thinks I'm crazy/abnormal. Period. Regardless of my hobbies. Ces't la vie.

(and no, my involvement with the furry fandom has nothing to do with it. I don't suit, nor wear make up, faux tails, nor ears.)

@iatneH: I too cringe whenever I mention a shooter and they talk about stupid Quake/Doom/H4L0/Unreal/This week's overhyped FPS. There is only one guy I know, who works at a Gamecrazy, who knows the difference since he plays and enjoys both FPS and Shmups. He's one of those souls who'll escape the Apocalypse due to his mad dodging skills.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed May 18, 2005 8:29 am

I've easily spent $100k on games in my life.

Could of bought a Ferrari by now. I do smoke as well, don't drink or do drugs though.

I am into games because home is where your safest (usually), nobody bothers you, you can usually afford the very BEST games (unlike cars for example). And each game can be enjoyed forever, its not like a movie where 3 viewings and your done with it.

Its unusual for newcomers to like shmups, because they are brought into gaming on a fashion conscious vibe. Its a bit like somebody liking cars because they watched Fast n the furious then buying an old Jaguar. As gaming progresses, those people that play Madden and such will come and go, but the people that play the definitive games that have no world outside of gaming will still be around.

The way I see it shmups have collective fanbase from yesteryear to current day, where as mainstreamers come and go like the wind.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:17 am

The only difference economically between drugs and shmups is that if you play your cards right, the shmups have resale value. The drugs never do. Women... pretty much the same thing.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:41 am

My mom's always worried about the amount of money I spent on my hobby.
There have been weeks with 10 or so packages arriving and she started wondering how I could pay for them... I couldn't at the time and actually got myself into serious debt for some time... Then my grandmother decided to "share"some money and it got me back out of debt...
Since then I've been a little more careful not to cross the red line and buy everything I want. I gues I am a little more responsible now. I do however buy some stuff as an investment... I mean I couldn't care less about Ikaruga, but if I find a minty DC copy for $25 I will take it right away.

My mom is actually happy for me when I have found something I really look forward to and supports me (glad at least I HAVE a hobby). My dad and I don't get along too well (read: NOT) and whenever he catches a glimpse of packages or my gameroom he starts moaning about how I could better spent it on something more worthy and actually do something with my life...
My best friend spents most of his money trying to gain a HUGE collection of all sorts of Dance music...so he kinda understands.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Wed May 18, 2005 11:51 am

well my shmuping fascination is a totally new one that has developed while i've been at university. however, when i go home and my mother-dear realises i have a dc, megadrive, ps1, ps2, and half ownership of a gc and xbox, i'm sure she'll have something to say. i have slowely introduced shmups to the house thoguh as i took home my copy of strikers 1945 part 2 and let my little bro borrow it in a quest to get him into good 2d gaming, and it seems to have worked.

i'm sure mom will hit the roof when she realisesi plan to attach a tated moniter to the wall of my tiny room when i get back to save having to keep flipping mine..

D · Post by D » Wed May 18, 2005 11:56 am

People think that I am indeed MAD with my tv rotated.
That really shocks people. ARE YOU INSANE MAN?

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Wed May 18, 2005 12:03 pm

I don't get blank stares and odd looks for collecting/importing shmups, but for actually playing them.

Whenever my friends watch me navigate through barrages of bullets that seem absolutely impossible to them they ask me stuff like: "And you play this? FOR FUN??"

Also they often tend to not take gaming as a hobby seriously or just underestimate how seriously I take it.

One day I was in quite a bad mood and when they asked me what was wrong I answered "I missed getting into the top 20 of the Trizeal internet ranking, although I know that it would have been possible for me." I got everything from "So what?" to laughter as an answer.

But if I was a sprinter and I had just missed a personal best in running the 100m I guess everyone would have understood....

Guardians Knight · Post by **Guardians Knight** » Wed May 18, 2005 2:42 pm

^^ not quite as obsessive as some of the above, dying often does cause me to throw joypads around the room or break me knuckles on the telly - i quite often get uncomprehending looks off people who come into my room to enquire as to what all the noise is about.

I do get very strange looks off everyone who see my 32" telly on its side, altho my parents are kinda used to it now, my mates all think im daft

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:33 pm

My dad's a collector himself (african art, though) so he's very understanding. My friends, I don't know. Many of them spend a lot of money on games themself, others don't care or think it's a pretty fun and respectable hobby I guess.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:48 pm

My folks aren't nuts about my having spent a decent amount o' cash (though I've gotten good deals on a lot of stuff) on shmup-related things, and will throw out a zinger or two when the opportunity strikes, but they do acknowledge that it's my money and I can do what I please with it, as long as I have enough left over to pay for gas, etc. so that I don't have to borrow anything from them.

Soldato J · Post by **Soldato J** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:38 pm

Nemo wrote:Crack or shmups. Cocaine or shmups. Weed or shmups. Cigarettes or shmups. Alcoholism or shmups. There are things far worse to waste your money on that would make your loved ones worry more.

(Cough)

You mean weed and shmups right?

Just kidding

I have trouble explaining the packages that keep showing up at my door. I have had three huge ones in the last three weeks (Guitar Freaks controller, Drummania controller, Pop'n Music ASC)...my grandma just laughs now when a new one arrives. It's been like this for the last 10-15 years or so....