Ketsui in Michigan, maybe?

[kccttzj]

Not sure if this is the proper place for this post but I wanted to make sure as many people as possible would get to see it. Please move if necessary.

I work for an arcade vendor based in the southeastern Michigan area and I've been in talks with the higher-ups about buying a Ketsui board. Before I really push for them to invest in it, however, I'd like to know if it's going to get played. I know there's this huge hype around Ketsui, but I'm trying to gauge how many of you would really come out to Oakland mall in Troy/Madison Heights and play the thing and maybe how often? Any feedback at all would be appreciated. Thanks. =)

[Dylan1CC]

Wish I lived there. I'd be at that mall every day playing the game, fueling myself with just the right mixture of pizza and Mountain Dew ala George Costanza.

[kengou]

My grandparents and uncle's family live in Troy Michigan. I would seriously go play Ketsui every time I go down there to visit although maybe that's not saying much. If you do get it though I know I'll be visiting them a little more often though

[stanski]

I'd probably be out there at least once a week to play, probably willing to play $1 a credit and probably 10 credits (until i get good and can play a while on one credit).

[ubersaurus]

I'm out that way once a week to visit a friend in Clawson, so I'd certainly not mind stopping in to play if it isn't crazily priced.

[boagman]

I can get over there, and I'm curious to play it, even though I'm not familiar with it at all. They'd *better* put it in a decent cabinet, though...no BS crap joysticks with mismatched buttons in weirdo positions. I'm in for $.50/game/continue, I suppose, in a standard cabinet.

[drboom]

Unlike a lot of pcbs that a vendow will pirchase, this one will hold its value. And a decent cab is key. New sticks, new buttons or every one who play it will hate it. Quality japanese sticks and buttons should cost less than $100 from Lizard Lick.

[kccttzj]

The game won't cost any more than $.50.

As for the cabinet... I can guarantee that it will be in a decent cabinet. I'm at the shop all week, so if the board comes in I"ll be there to throw in my 2 cents, and if the controls are not that great I can always replace them myself. I don't want to play on a bad machine either. =P

[Plasmo]

You wont get any money at all as an acrade owner if you put shmups in your cabs.

[markedkiller78]

You wont get any money at all as an acrade owner if you put shmups in your cabs.

Sad but true

[moozooh]

I believe it won't hurt to try for a month or two and sell it back for about the same price in case it won't be profitable.

[P_HAT]

I believe it won't hurt to try for a month or two and sell it back for about the same price in case it won't be profitable.

Go and try it

[GaijinPunch]

Just pitch it to your bosses that you can sell it back for pretty much the same value as long as you don't pay through the nose. Bare boards can still be sold for $1200.

[DEL]

Plasmo wrote;

You wont get any money at all as an acrade owner if you put shmups in your cabs.

Not quite true. We've had Ketsui in our local arcade for a total period of a year and one guy (Landlord) actually put $600 in it.
On the whole, the local fighter players were curious about it, tried it and got scared off . The few local shooter players (and I MEAN few) always played it.
It never received the kind of ca$h input that half decent fighting titles do. However, if its only gonna cost $50, then what are you waiting for?!
Its obvious, put it in.

[drboom]

...or you may actually get some people excited about shooters. It may do to get a complimentary title like Mushihimesama if people start plugging in coins into Ketsui, which is excellent and on Original, easier than Ketsui, but on Ultra, way harder. Options are always good.

[djvinc]

The key also is to properly introduce the game to newcomers.
Copies of the artwork, and detailed explaination should help !
(doesn't need to be original art to attract people)

[jpj]

i would buy something a bit easier that wont put people off (people who aren't used to that style of game).

i honestly think you would be better off spending $200-300 on an espgaluda pcb

[PROMETHEUS]

Espgaluda or Mushihimesama seem a better idea indeed.

[markedkiller78]

i would buy something a bit easier that wont put people off (people who aren't used to that style of game).

i honestly think you would be better off spending $200-300 on an espgaluda pcb

Espgaluda or Mushihimesama seem a better idea indeed.

Agreed & agreed. Let's face it Ketsui is not noob friendly. Christ it's just not friendly at all.

If you already have some shmup players in there, then Ketsui will take some cash. If you have some good shmup players in there so people can see it's not impossible you will make more.

I suppose you need to know your market & you should know it better than any of us.

[DEL]

PROMETHEUS wrote;

Espgaluda or Mushihimesama seem a better idea indeed.

We've had both Mush and EspGaluda (1) in the arcade as well as Ketsui.
Ketsui still took more ca$h.

[moozooh]

That might be because Ketsui is the only one of the three without a console port.

[iatneH]

I see a very personal motivation for installing Ketsui, and I don't think it's a good idea unless you yourself are the owner of the arcade and can afford to have a Ketsui cab sitting around not earning any money.

Are you going to shoulder the responsibility when it fails (and it probably will?)

I once offered to loan my Ketsui board to a local arcade, and they said no they did not want it. In short, I was told that the space would be better used for something that would take in more money (i.e. fighters, dance games etc).
Then they got rid of a whole bunch of candies, replaced them with crane games and went out of business shortly afterwards. Hah.

[zero.otaku]

From what I've observed, trying to appeal to "noobs" with shmups is an altogether lost cause; I say go big or go home. Why get something that's already out on a console? If people are into shooters, they'll probably have Espgaluda, etc. The draw with Ketsui is that not only is there no home version, there's not even an emulated version. I don't think anyone is expecting to make a fortune on the game, just enough to maybe recoup some of the cash and generate some buzz. It seems like there are a lot of people dying to get their hands on this game just out of sheer curiousity (me one of them) and from what most people who've played it say, it's pretty good. If it does well or if people are interested, arcade-goers generally aren't shy about voicing their opinions so if it's too hard or whatever, *then* they can swap the game out for something easier or think about putting in companion pieces.

[EOJ]

Ketsui boards sell for $1100 on average these days. If each credit is .50, then you have to have people play it about 2200 times before you see a dime of profit. That could take more than a year in a US arcade if there aren't many shooter fans around.

Get something cheaper like an Espgaluda board. Those are only a couple hundred bucks, and the arcade op has a much better chance of turning a profit.

[kccttzj]

Okay. Maybe a few people didn't understand my question. I'm asking if you're in the area, would you actually play the game. I'm not as worried about the amount of money it would bring in as I am if people in the area are actually interested in it or not.

I've worked for the company (including their arcades) long enough to know that the average customer is not going to play Ketsui. I guess that means that arcades should only consist of the newest Fast and the Furious or redemption game that's out? I've seen them spend $20,000 on (not only one but 2) games that make *nothing*, and they cannot be returned. The arcade is a decent size, and there's plenty of empty spaces where a cab could fit, and not take away from the games that bring in the most revenue. I know people that like shooters but enjoy other arcade games as well, and maybe having Ketsui would bring them there instead of going somewhere else. I picked Ketsui because obviously, it's not ported. Anyone I know is not going to go to play ESPGaluda as often as they would Ketsui because they can play it at home. Is my motivation personal? Yes, it is. As a customer and also an employee, I find appealing to the not so large masses can be very rewarding, and I've told the owners all of this. If the game doesn't make *any* money, they'll laugh and say they won't listen to me again, but that's about it. I just wanted to know who would be interested in playing it, and maybe do a service to the community. If there are more players in the area that would prefer something else, then by all means I would consider getting that instead.

[lgb]

Wish I lived there. I'd be at that mall every day playing the game, fueling myself with just the right mixture of pizza and Mountain Dew ala George Costanza.

Probably so too, considering I've never played Ketsui and I want to leave this blasted state really badly.

I would definitely go if I lived anywhere near the area, with every quarter I could dig up. I hear how you don't care about the money... does this mean you're turning free play on just for the sake of people coming to play it? Or am I totally wrong?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Ketsui boards sell for $1100 on average these days. If each credit is .50, then you have to have people play it about 2200 times before you see a dime of profit. That could take more than a year in a US arcade if there aren't many shooter fans around.

Get something cheaper like an Espgaluda board. Those are only a couple hundred bucks, and the arcade op has a much better chance of turning a profit.

Put Ketsui in a local movie theather's arcade joint and watch the profits rake in if you charge 50 cents per credit -- sure, it'll take awhile to earn back your intial investment of purchasing a Ketsui PCB and any $$$ earned after the investment's paid in full is pure gravy (of course, with this particular senario, you'd be splitting profits 50/50 with movie management anyways)... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Dale]

I would play it any chance I got. Casino arcade in London was pretty famous for having it, maybe American Funcenter will get some online buzz.

[EOJ]

I picked Ketsui because obviously, it's not ported.

Well if you're looking specifically unported games, get Mushi futari. Tons of fun, and has 3 diverse play modes. About $300~$400 cheaper than Ketsui as well.

[PsikyoPshumpPshooterP]

futari is heavily overrated