GD-R's for sale!

[adam-james]

Hi All,
I am trying to raise some money for a deposit on a new flat, so desided to sell off the gd-r's i bought from LeGIt...

I've sold a few for £25, so im gonna keep that as the asking price...
Anyone intrested?

mail me: adam-james@station6.org

[Tachikoma]

LeGIt was offering 2 for that price...

[Kron]

I'd be interested in a couple at £5 each, Anything over that seems a little over the top.

[Paulo]

Well he can ask whatever he wants.... at the end of the day he paid for them and its not like they arent rare...

[Tachikoma]

True, he can ask what he wants, doesn't mean that the price is worth it.

Anyone want to buy my old, duff SNES for £170, unboxed, one pad and all leads?

[Paulo]

True, he can ask what he wants, doesn't mean that the price is worth it.

Anyone want to buy my old, duff SNES for £170, unboxed, one pad and all leads?

This is an old argument but where else can you get blank GD-Rs? I can go out and get many a SNES in the next hour if i wanted to...

[Tachikoma]

Honestly? not many places, but I know 100% I can get written GDR's for a lot less. Hell I bought packaged Saturn CDR's for less than these loose GDR's.

[adam-james]

written gd-r's for less than 25 quid!... ill have some please!

Last few I saw on here were going for around 50 to 70 each, if i remember correctly.

[Tachikoma]

I said I can, I doubt the seller would let you have them for that price. And no, I wont buy them and sell them to anyone.

[Fatalist]

I'm the one that has bought a few from adam-james. I know that LeGIt asking price was lower but adam bought the whole spindle. He can ask whatever he wants for the discs, blank GD-Rs are not usual to find...

[adam-james]

Didn't know you were on the boards dude!
:o)

[Fatalist]

Hi,

Yes, I'm registered here and at DCHistory boards too and I try to make a look when possible :)

[wyte]

I sold one for $40. . .so there ya go. . .

[VitAmen]

why does everyone here sympathise board members when they try to rip you off...

yeah,gdrs are unusual,but for god's sake,wtf are you gonna do with them?get a grip please...there are people out there who die from hunger and you colect useless gds...

i know we are colectors,but some sanity never was bad...

my 2 cents

[SilverBolt]

why does everyone here sympathise board members when they try to rip you off...

yeah,gdrs are unusual,but for god's sake,wtf are you gonna do with them?get a grip please...there are people out there who die from hunger and you colect useless gds...

i know we are colectors,but some sanity never was bad...

my 2 cents

It's a question of supply and demand in this case (or any case when it comes down to collecting rare items).

If people are willing to pay the price then let them.

If your sooo concerned about people dying from hunger then sell your entire collection and give the money to some african aid fund, were all free to do with our money as we please.

[Paulo]

why does everyone here sympathise board members when they try to rip you off...


Why do you think hes trying to rip you off? Can you please tell me who sets the price for a sale on an item that was never for sale and is very rare?



yeah,gdrs are unusual,but for god's sake,wtf are you gonna do with them?get a grip please...there are people out there who die from hunger and you colect useless gds...

i know we are colectors,but some sanity never was bad...


Oh £25 ouch... Picasso $104.2 million dolars at auction a month ago... Maybe your on the wrong board to talk about grip...

[adam-james]

lol.. some people :o)

[retro]

Personaly i hate the thought of a beautiful bit of rare hardware being drilled into and having nasty cheep switches attached to it...


Hmm, well what about a VERY rare GD-R spindle, sealed, being opened and sold individually? You'll never see another sealed spindle, whereas the discs sometimes turn up individually. So you tell me which is rarer... and how that is any different to putting in a switch.

Putting in a switch is the owner's choice, and they do it so they can play import games easily (no need for a 2nd/3rd unit). Splitting a rare pack of GD-Rs... sure the owner's choice again, but the purpose is only to make a profit.

And Legit told me the buyer bought the spindle because he couldn't bear to see it get split up :smt011

[retro]

Oh, and if you want my opinion, I think its really cheeky and not very sporting to come onto a forum and say - well I'll have ALL those GD-Rs that you're selling at £15 each (oh really? huge discount? ta very much)... there's yer money. oh btw, I'm selling them at £25 each now.

Fair enough to buy something somewhere, then go and sell it for a profit elsewhere... sure we've all done that. However, to do it in the VERY place that you bought it, IMHO that's not on. :smt009

Am I alone in this opinion?

[GaijinPunch]

Oh, and if you want my opinion, I think its really cheeky and not very sporting to come onto a forum and say - well I'll have ALL those GD-Rs that you're selling at £15 each (oh really? huge discount? ta very much)... there's yer money. oh btw, I'm selling them at £25 each now.


Cheers, mate.
:smt023

[AntiPasta]

I'm torn, I agree retr0 and Vitamen got good points - but then, adam-james is free to do what he wants with his GD-Rs, although he'd have better luck putting em on ebay and not here as it only leads to bitching :Hangman:

[adam-james]

I don’t mind the bitching... everyone is allowed to share their view...
I knew selling them on here would piss a few people off, and I’m sorry for that, but bitching aside, I’ve sold 10 here already...

I’m not even planning to sell them all... some I’m using for my Dreamcast game and some I just want to keep untouched for the coolness factor.

I’m not a money grabbing bastard, i just saw a great opportunity and took it, as I’m sure many of you would have done.

:o)

[retro]

They were worth more sealed

[sininc]

Maybe the people moaning about the mark up should argue the same case with every store they go into.

Adam has the right to do whatever he wants with the GDR`s

I`m sure almost every user here has at some time bought something for cheap and popped it up on ebay to make a profit.

[retro]

sininc that's not the arguement.

Legit offered these discs individually. I believe adam contacted him and said he doesn't want to see them split, how much for the lot? Please reserve them for me.

This meant no board member could buy at £15 each (or cheaper for more). This was good cuz it was staying as a rare spindle.

However, as soon as he gets them, he splits them and sells them ON THE SAME BOARD for £25 each... now that's a markup of £10 per disc, or £500 total. HOWEVER, he only paid £500, which means a markup of £750.

He told legit a fib to get the lot cheap before anyone else, so he could sell to everyone else for more than Legit was. In other words, he thought Legit was selling too cheap and would rip off the very people Legit was advertising to.

Sure, buy something in Japan and sell on ebay for more (but ppl still moan about those sellers!)... buy something in cash converters and sell on ebay, or here, for a profit. What I'm saying... DON'T buy something on here, then IMMEDIATELY try to sell it on HERE with a grotesque mark-up!

[adam-james]

dude, with respect, save your ranting for the Off Topic board.. this is a trade thread.

[GaijinPunch]

Sure, buy something in Japan and sell on ebay for more (but ppl still moan about those sellers!)

I never took too much shit for that. Then again, most people I was selling too weren't paying $700 USD to live in a 30 year old shoebox either.

:D

[retro]

I don't see anything wrong with it... however people have grumbled on here before about those lucky enough to be able to order on Yahoo Japan, only to put the item straight onto eBay UK/US for a great deal more! (i.e. people who make enough to live off that)

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, I hear you. Those certain people should probably keep a few thins in mind.

I definitely didn't make a living off of it, but it was a very high paying 2 hour a day hobby 4-5 years ago, before everyone else got wind of the idea. (early bird gets the worm).

Not to sound like a cock, but those people "lucky enough" most likely also got to put up with:
-rent triple that they'd be paying in their respective country
-$1 apples
-everything else costing double
-international long distance to talk to their family
-ridiculously long work hours
-crappy pay unless you're an Engrish prostitute (which I wasn't)
-crap TV
-6 months to see movies
-local phone bills out the ying-yang (I was selling before DSL, and my local phone bill was like $175+/mo due to online gaming)
-Most ebay sellers don't ship internationally either!!!!!

Also keep in mind that there's no consideration of all the translation that goes on when you surrogate bid... something that traditionally costs a premium. I'm also ignoring the time factor.

I always saw the YJ->Ebay one of the perks of living here, and that making a buck was no big deal (I undercut everyone else anyways, so the buyers never complained).

They say "nothing is free in Japan", and for once, they may be right.

[adam-james]

So, now all the ranting is (hopefuly) out of the way... is anyone else intrested in buying some GD-R's?

I have just over 30 left now...

Let me know here, or mail me: adam-james@station6.org

[retro]

Gaijin, I find that a lot of those Japanese sellers are indeed Japanese, not foreigners who live there. Unfortunately, the one thing they should remember is that it looks bad when you have very bad English on your eBay items ;)

Does sound like living in Japan is harsh, sure. Is there anyone who makes a living out of exporting games from Japan at premium prices?

[Omar]

One must be pretty desesperate to buy a single GD-R for 25 pounds!

I have 13 of them. Each company who developped DC games probably had hundred of them, and it is CERTAIN that they did not burn everything.

Guys, learn to wait for good occasion. It's not like your collecting life is gonna fall part if you miss that chance of getting ripped off. Just wait, maybe 1 months, maybe 5 years, and you can get many things for cheap. We're talking about a mass-produced developper media here, not about some obscure DC prototype.

And now I wonder why people are so excited about a sealed lot. Sure you can appreciate and cherish your video games items, but don't stare forever at stuff you cannot use. LeGit was bragging about his sealed lot for months and then sold the thing. That's just a proof of how useless is a sealed lot of GD-R. Better buy games or more interesting stuff for that insane amount.

That was a rant, but a hope to open a healthy debate and avoid everyone getting ruined. Enjoy games (more than unusable GD-R!).

[Greatsaintlouis]

I have been watching this thread for a while with no little indignation, and I feel it's time for my 2 cents to be added to the communal pot, as it were.

Adam-james, you are in no way violating any terms of this board or anything remotely close. Your sale of the GD-Rs is entirely, for lack of a better word, Legit (pardon the pun) and as such, there's no reason for this thread to be locked or deleted.

If it were up to me, however, it would be.

I take severe offense at this entire thread, mainly because you're treating us like we are all flat-out stupid, and you are selling in a VERY dishonest manner that sure as hell isn't going to win you any friends with this board. One of your main concerns for buying the spindle from Legit was to keep the spindle from being split up, which I suppose a lot of people on this board would have done for the sake of collectability. However, to turn around and sell said spindle of GDRs individually for greatly increased price is not only a flat out cheat, but a lie as well. And then you further have the nerve to post comments like "dude, with respect, save your ranting for the Off Topic board.. this is a trade thread" or "So, now all the ranting is (hopefuly) out of the way... is anyone else intrested in buying some GD-R's?" when someone voices their righteous indignation over this flat-out chicanery.

Again, nobody can prevent you from selling these GD-Rs here, as it violates no rules, but I would think you'd have the tact, decency, and respect for everyone here to at least peddle your marked-up wares outside of this board, on eBay or something similar.

That being said, I agree with Omar - GD-Rs are going to pop up, and I urge people to wait for those occasions instead of supporting this effort. What you do with your money is ultimately up to you, and I am not going to further impede the attempted sale of these GD-R by adding to this thread. However, to reiterate, I am less than pleased with this blatant disrespect being shown to us, and I know that a few others (who may identify themselves if they wish) that I have talked with share similar opinions.

[GaijinPunch]

Gaijin, I find that a lot of those Japanese sellers are indeed Japanese, not foreigners who live there.

These days, they are. I've not auctioned anything for months, and most likely won't again. Neogeoman still posts stuff from time to time.


Unfortunately, the one thing they should remember is that it looks bad when you have very bad English on your eBay items ;)
:smt023


Does sound like living in Japan is harsh, sure. Is there anyone who makes a living out of exporting games from Japan at premium prices?

These days? No way... not unless they run a shop. Even back in the day when I was one of the only (or perhaps the only) I made about $1k a month after taxes. I was probably selling 200-300 pieces a month. Yawara was the only other guy that I know had a connection IN Japan. I'm pretty sure he runs a shop based on his Ebay feedback, but he must've had other sources of income.

That was then -- fast forward to now, an there's just way too much competition. For what it's worth, the spread in prices between Ebay and YJ is not that big. Between Ebay and Akihabara is even smaller. As someone stated in the main board - it's a buyer's market for imports. Yamatoku has the best of both worlds. It's a used game shop in Ichikawa, so can buys (almost everything) off of Yahoo japan, and sells on Ebay and out of their shelves.

EDIT:
Miscalculation

[AntiPasta]

However, to reiterate, I am less than pleased with this blatant disrespect being shown to us, and I know that a few others (who may identify themselves if they wish) that I have talked with share similar opinions.

Reporting in! I think I couldnt have expressed my opinion any better than you did :smt023

[Nintendomad]

This is totally disrespectful to he collectors of this board and if I had my way you would recieve no favours whatsoever of a board member again.You have burnt a lot of bridges here and all for the sake of a dollar.

Go to ebay with shit like this in future and leave this trading thread for what it was designed for,to allow collectors to trade at fair prices without the markup of evilbay.

[s0urce]

Does sound like living in Japan is harsh, sure. Is there anyone who makes a living out of exporting games from Japan at premium prices?

The guys from HK already get the best deals,you couldn't compete with them.Opening a business in japan is also a pain in the ass.Margins on games for smaller retail shops got very low within the last few years, many dealers closed because of that.

And again: living in japan is really shitty if you don't life way outside the big cities.You pay lots of rent for a shoebox of appartement and have to work all day and may get fired when your boss thinks you are too old.If you're an english teacher it could even get worse because some of the companies really try to rip you off and fuck with you because they know they have the full control over you.

So you better make up your mind before thinking about going to life in the country of your dreams with all the nice video games and hot japanese bitches who don't care how ugly you are as long as you are a white/black gaijin because your living situation could get a lot worse there.

Sorry for the off topic stuff here.His prices are the rule of the market,if there's no interest they may drop and it's his good right to sell them for whatever price he likes.

[GaijinPunch]

The guys from HK already get the best deals,you couldn't compete with them.

HK isn't really part of the equation. The Japanese shops let them sell all over the world, while the Japanese shops just don't bother for some stupid reason. If a Japanse shop would actually have the balls to ship abroad,
they'd give Lik Sang a run. Hiring English staff would be the first speedbump. There's no way an HK buyer gets stuff cheaper than the big Japanese buyers. Hell... if I had enough preorders, I could go down to my Bic Camera, buy 10 copies of a game, sell them at Lik Sangs prices, make money and also get points on my card... (and I'm not buying in bulk).


Opening a business in japan is also a pain in the ass.
No more than any other country. I know foreigners tha've opened up small businesses. You just have to be familiar w/ the laws.


Margins on games for smaller retail shops got very low within the last few years, many dealers closed because of that.

I don't quite understand this... I know of like 2 small used game shops that have closed within the last 5 years. I'm sure there's more, but I'd say it's more coincidence then anything. If anything, shops are hurting b/c of moving less product due to the boost of online sales and auction sites in Japan (late bloomers) -- the margins have more or less stayed the same (or even gotten larger in some cases it seems).


living in japan is really shitty if you don't life way outside the big cities.

I know you didn't mean anything personally, but you basically just shat on where I've lived for the last 7 years -- and to be honest, I wouldn't live anywhere outside the city.


have to work all day and may get fired when your boss thinks you are too old.
Getting fired in Japan is a dream! I was! You get a shitload of cash!


If you're an english teacher it could even get worse because some of the companies really try to rip you off and fuck with you because they know they have the full control over you.

If you let someone take advantage of you like that, then you deserve to... basically b/c it's a big bluff. There's no shortage of English classes, and definitely no shortage of schools. That shit happened back in the day -- it doesn't happen now. Teaching jobs grow on trees here... if your boss tries to rule your life, tell them to fuck off and walk out the door. They can't do shit... they can't even revoke your visa b/c THEY get in trouble, not you.


because your living situation could get a lot worse there.

Honestly, Japan has a better situation than just about any other country (especially the US, UK, and from what little I know - Germany) in terms of employment. You guys have to give what? 18 months notice to quit? (yeah, I know that's an exagerration, but it is ridiculous.) In Japan, you just walk out the door. If you're a fulltime employee, your employer has to pay you off bigtime to get rid of you. I don't know of any other country that has that... definitely not America.

I know where you're coming from, but I think you've basically low-balled every possible problem that could arise when living here. I moved here a dirt-poor college grad with an expensive hobby (more expensive than games - wasn't into games when I came here), and did just fine. I met my wife who wouldn't be caught dead in places that serve to "hot bitches who don't care how ugly you are", went from some bullshit paper-pushing job to making... well... a lot more. Learned a hell of a lot of stuff on the way, not to mention made life-long friends.

Japan is just like anywhere else -- it is what you make of it. If you predict a bunch of negative shit will happen -- guess what. You're going to be knee-deep in it. Stick your nose up and rise to the challenge, and your career can sky-rocket.

Sorry if that got out of hand.... wasn't this thread dead anyway?

[HI_Ricky]

oh. may be i'm special one?
1. low than offical price(yen change to HK) buy game stuff or japan product.
2. i have few friend working in japan and 2 is my Girl friend.
3. no people will go Lik Sang to buy, coz they mark up 10-20% stree price~
4. even no buyer in japan, no friend in japan, only pay US$450(HK$3200)can go to japan shopping, in here, alot of people also is that to go japan buy stuff ans sell it in they shop.

5. please come to Hong Kong see what it they work here berfore you ask .

[s0urce]

HK isn't really part of the equation. The Japanese shops let them sell all over the world, while the Japanese shops just don't bother for some stupid reason. If a Japanse shop would actually have the balls to ship abroad,
they'd give Lik Sang a run. Hiring English staff would be the first speedbump. There's no way an HK buyer gets stuff cheaper than the big Japanese buyers. Hell... if I had enough preorders, I could go down to my Bic Camera, buy 10 copies of a game, sell them at Lik Sangs prices, make money and also get points on my card... (and I'm not buying in bulk).

HK Companies get really good deals and of course they don't sell for the lowest possible price.You could make some money but their margins are a lot bigger.Japanese can't get any accessories cheaper and Lik Sang gets their games for the same price japanese chains get it for.


Opening a business in japan is also a pain in the ass.

No more than any other country. I know foreigners tha've opened up small businesses. You just have to be familiar w/ the laws.

There are countries where that is a lot easier.


I don't quite understand this... I know of like 2 small used game shops that have closed within the last 5 years. I'm sure there's more, but I'd say it's more coincidence then anything. If anything, shops are hurting b/c of moving less product due to the boost of online sales and auction sites in Japan (late bloomers) -- the margins have more or less stayed the same (or even gotten larger in some cases it seems).

Ask NFG about it.The market is controlled by big chains,in the middle of tokyo you'll have more luck keeping your business but especially in europe the closings were extreme in the last years.The prices just got too low.


I know you didn't mean anything personally, but you basically just shat on where I've lived for the last 7 years -- and to be honest, I wouldn't live anywhere outside the city.

Living conditions compared to europe or america regarding to appartment sizes etc. .But it's just my opinion tho.


Getting fired in Japan is a dream! I was! You get a shitload of cash!

You don't neccecary get a settlement and even if you get one and don't find a job you are fucked because the country won't help you make a living until you find a job again.


If you let someone take advantage of you like that, then you deserve to... basically b/c it's a big bluff. There's no shortage of English classes, and definitely no shortage of schools. That shit happened back in the day -- it doesn't happen now. Teaching jobs grow on trees here... if your boss tries to rule your life, tell them to fuck off and walk out the door. They can't do shit... they can't even revoke your visa b/c THEY get in trouble, not you.

That's just what I've heard a lot lately.I never was and never will be any kind of teacher.


Honestly, Japan has a better situation than just about any other country (especially the US, UK, and from what little I know - Germany) in terms of employment. You guys have to give what? 18 months notice to quit? (yeah, I know that's an exagerration, but it is ridiculous.) In Japan, you just walk out the door. If you're a fulltime employee, your employer has to pay you off bigtime to get rid of you. I don't know of any other country that has that... definitely not America.

In europe you have the biggest protections as an employee,especially in germany.In amercia there is basicly no protection.Even if you get fired in germany,you get up to 80% of your income as welfare from the country until the end of your life.It's getting a bit harder now but you won't have to life on the street or kill yourself like many people in japan.

In general japan is a racist country ,with a racist government and with even more retarded people than I've seen anywhere else.But that's just my opinion of course and the exeptions confirm the rule.

Just my opinion, I don't mean to piss anybody off :smt023

[CJPC]

Isnt every country racist?

Im being honest I hate it (im up in the USA , boston actually) when i get on a bus/train and theres some people speaking a totally different language, it makes me mad! You know, there in MY country doing this

I can understand ME going to another country and expecting this, but not in my own country

And the most retarded people, i would say live in the Good ole USA, look at our commander in-chief :D

[Calpis]

Haha, I'm sure you'd love California, every other person doesn't speak english.

[s0urce]

The USA are an immigrant country, your forefathers took the land of the natives.The official language is english,but with so many immigrants and ghettos for every ethnic group I wouldn't wonder if somebody only speaks another language.The only thing that pisses me off are the turkish who life in germany,won't learn german or integrate in any way and say fuck germany and are so damn proud of their "fatherland" turkey where they aren't wanted and mostly have never been there either.

But if a government puts up a website where you can report suspicious foreigners for no reason at all (that gaijin scared me so I'm gonna report him) it's another thing.Btw. gaijin means "the one from the outside" and not foreigner.The borg collective doesn't want you ;-)

[CJPC]

Heh, not my forefathers! My family came from italy about 100 years ago!

They didnt take the land from the natives, the white man did :P

(wow this is really going OT)

Yeah, i DO admit this country lost alot of liberties, but i do feel safer here than i would be in another country!S

[s0urce]

The website thing was regarding the japanese government not the US government.


Yeah, i DO admit this country lost alot of liberties, but i do feel safer here than i would be in another country!

Even in the black projects or suburbs with white middle class kids who try to do the same shit cause they watched too much mtv? ;-)

Ban the religions and the world would be a better place ;-)

[CJPC]

Maybe, but there are those that find peace w/ religion, like those crazy people that have urges to kill but god tells them no

The US Goverment has one of those too now, now i gotsa dig it up!

Well, im White, middle class and live in the heart of the city (boston)
and dont watch mtv!

But ill watch the news, and kids IN the suburbs will go to the hospital for copying MTV or a videogame!

Back to the topic , i really need to get a DC, i sold mine a while back :/

[Calpis]

The only thing that pisses me off are the turkish who life in germany,won't learn german or integrate in any way and say fuck germany and are so damn proud of their "fatherland" turkey where they aren't wanted and mostly have never been there either.
Thats how it is here too, except generally every immigrant population has people like that. I'd say thats how 50% of our "minorities" (over here, white people are already the minority) act. I had a teacher (who's black) who imported her husband from Nigeria to connect with her African roots! She used to come to class in her nubian queen getup but she can't speak Swahili or anything, she even named all her kids African names (changed her name to an African one), its fucking hilarious when she can't even pronounce them.

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

Damn, that it's insane! :smt017



Thats how it is here too, except generally every immigrant population has people like that. I'd say thats how 50% of our "minorities" (over here, white people are already the minority) act. I had a teacher (who's black) who imported her husband from Nigeria to connect with her African roots! She used to come to class in her nubian queen getup but she can't speak Swahili or anything, she even named all her kids African names (changed her name to an African one), its fucking hilarious when she can't even pronounce them.

[kanemochi]

[quote]japanese bitches who don't care how ugly you are as long as you are a white/black gaijin.

sorry

[kanemochi]

Isnt every country racist?

there is this saying that goes like "Everybody hates Everybody they Aren't"

Seems harsh but has a LOT of truthful content in it :smt033

Every soul, nation, entitites have degrees of racism, Japan as said above has a one race nation policy, american Gov hates the moslems, UK hatred towards immigrants from eastern europe etc etc

but I think we can still be in peace and harmony, if we put everything into perspective :smt023

[Greatsaintlouis]

Steering things semi/sorta ontopic...

HI_ricky, you live in Hong Kong? Is there any chance you have ever seen/ taken pictures of Lik Sang's retail store? I'm just a bit curious as to what it looks like, is all.

[GaijinPunch]

A couple of things I need cleared up before we go further.

The games sold in HK... aren't these the Asian editions, not the Japanese editions? If so, I could totally buy the fact that they're cheaper. Shit, you can buy $60 computer text books in India for the retail price of like $4.80. They're obviously sold cheaper in other countries with lower cost of living (or lower cost of everything in this case)

Source:
How much time have you spent in Japan? While some of the stuff you say happens, it's mostly stereotypic stuff you read in a book, and only hear from people that:
1: Came to Japan for a short time and hated it for some reason
2: Came to Japan, but can't speak enough of the language to submerge themselves
3: Have never been to Japan.
4: Are the US military

Employment conditions:
I think you're missing the point. Japan has the best of both worlds... depending on who you are. (I know it hasn't worked out for everyone...including people on this board, but...) If you're 45+ and don't speak English, it's hard. If you're young, it's better than Europe. In Germany, you can't just quit a job and go somewhere else, no? These are rules that pertain to my colleagues of our Frankfurt branch. We had to wait 6 months for one person to quit another job and come work with us. In Japan, you don't have this. Only 2 weeks notice is required to leave a job on good terms. On the flip side, if your boss threatens to fire you, you can either say "Give me money" or "no, I refuse to be fired." Technically, they can't fire you, and if you sue them, it will cost them WAY more than your severance package, and they'll have red flags all over the place. In the case that they DO fire you, they can't hire anyone (even a janitor) for like 18 months or something stupid.


From Price Waterhouse Coopers
source (http://www.pwc.com/extweb/newcolth.nsf/0/D28F9622AFCBCED485256CBD00550D7A?OpenDocument)
However, given the risks to an employer's reputation, and the possible costs of a labor dispute in Japan, your attorneys will probably encourage you to put together an attractive severance package designed to procure voluntary resignations—always preferable to outright terminations.

Of course, this only works if you're a "seisha-in". If you're working on a contract, then you're not protected. If you're full-time you are GUARANTEED a good severance. The only way you won't get it is if your company goes bankrupt, AND whoever has the assets leaves town. If you're on a contract, uou've got other benefits, like making A LOT of money per hour, and actually getting paid for your overtime. But to be honest, you shouldn't get yourself into this position unless the money you make in a week is about 20% or more higher than if you were a full-time employee.

I was making XX per hour on a contract (my first job). I got paid ALL hours... even on 70 hour weeks, unlike my salaried friends. It was great when there was overtime. I then went to Bank of America. Since my pay had just been increased 50% before leaving my previous job, BoA only agreed to a contract where I was paid the same as my last job, but got 2x the vacation days. I then worked MORE hours at Bank of America for the same money. My per hour wage was way lower, but I got a bonus at the end of every year, and a severance package when I was laid off. They laid off my whole group, and I walked away with 8 months salary in one shot. If I couldn't find a job, I would get 70% of my salary for three months... there's an extension beyond that, but I'm not sure exactly how it works. I did find a job though, and out of everyone I know that got laid offf, they all got jobs eventually, and only one had a really hard time. I'd say maybe 15% don't find jobs within the three month grace period... but probably half of those don't really want jobs right away.

I know it's not roses for everyone, and it won't be for me every time either. I was in a very nice situation. But, the point stands that Japan is Pro-employee, anti-employer, whereas Germany is pro-both. In Japan, you get to fuck the system a bit... it's a huge misconception that your company is out to destroy your life. While it might rule it for a bit, you have to remember that in the end, they've got WAY more at risk than you.

One more fact we're both ignoring here, that IS part of the equation. Japanese on average have stupidly high savings... maybe the highest in the world. They stastically, don't need to be paid unemployment forever. I looked for a statistic, but couldn't find one. People here are savings machines. I'd say average American is in debt... average Japanese has about $5k sitting in a bank account, and will never be used.

I agree with you whole-heartedly about the states though. It's totally fucked. Very little employee protection, and the most effed up welfare system I've seen. :snipe:

[HI_Ricky]

well, ASIA Edition and japan Edition., just like softmap and sakuraya is different some "special game" gift~

there is HK Offical from SONY game special pack, look! see what different with japan ver~~
http://www.super-news.com/offical-1.jpg
http://www.super-news.com/offical-2.jpg
http://www.super-news.com/offical-3.jpg

[Calpis]

HI_ricky, you live in Hong Kong? Is there any chance you have ever seen/ taken pictures of Lik Sang's retail store? I'm just a bit curious as to what it looks like, is all.
There are store pics on the net (I think even on their site)

[A. Snow]

Sorry but in my opinion if the Japanese system is really as you say GaijinPunch then that is way too harsh on the employer. You can refuse to be fired? Now I'm all for a fair parting of ways but I also believe as long as it's not for reasons of race, religion, ect an employer should be able to fire whoever they want. I've seen it on both sides since I work and my Dad also owns a company. I have seen some lazy assed people constantly call in sick, always show up late, do a piss poor job when they do show up, and every other type crap that turns a good day into a bad one. One time I a person called in sick on payday but still came in perfectly fine to get his check. He was also fired right then and there. Under the Japanese system like you said he could basically blackmail the companies reputation. That is just not right.

[HI_Ricky]

today i also need go the location to buy some think.
le me try take a pic of out look shop~~ :smt023

[GaijinPunch]

Sorry but in my opinion if the Japanese system is really as you say GaijinPunch then that is way too harsh on the employer.

Yeah, but white people aren't really known for working 12-16 hours a day for their whole lives for pretty crappy wages. The Japanese are. In exchange for going absolutely nowhere even if you'r a fantastic worker, you're assured a job for life. If not, they pay you off bigtime. It's kind of a bullshit system, but I think 2 weeks notice with dickheads like Bush cutting spending for poor people is what has fucked America up so bad. If you don't have a nice savings, which most Americans don't, you're bent over w/ your pants around your ankles.

There needs to be a median between the two, but I don't think there ever will be. Speaking Japanese and English, and living in Japan will almost always assure me a job. Call it taking advantage of the system or whatever, but hey -- I like it here. :)


Ricky:
That sticker is the Asian version, right? Never seen one of those before. The electro-orange makes it a bit hard to read.

EDIT:
One last thing I forgot to throw in here. How can you say that the big companies own the game resell market? Japan has more mom and pop stores than you can shake a stick at. They're freakin' everywhere. If you want to say that Liberty, Medialand, and Trader control the used market in Akihabara, and Akihabara alone, I could buy that. Otherwise, there's really no big player in the used game market -- it's all the little people. Auction sites and Yahoo Market Place are also giving the really small people (consumers) a way to sell.

[Muffinman943]

what happened? :smt009

The poor guy is just offering a few GD-rs

[gamedev00]

Anyone have GD-Rs for sale? Blank ones..

[Paulo]

Adam James has them for sale.

[gamedev00]

Can you give me Adam James info(where I can reach him, etc.). Thanks!

[VitAmen]

adam james ripped me off...never sent the gd-r he was supposed to...

do not deal with him...he 's a loser