New Yorker article on the Neo Geo

[jlued686]

http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-unexpectedly-high-stakes-world-of-neo-geo-collecting

Seven years ago, Shawn McCleskey, a dealer of rare video games, trading cards, and vintage machine guns in Memphis, Tennessee, made one of the biggest sales of his career. It unfolded like a Robert Ludlum novel. A man calling himself Wolf wired McCleskey fifty-five thousand dollars, then showed up a few days later at Memphis International Airport carrying a metallic briefcase. The two men met in the crowded arrivals hall and, after a brief stop at a local Chinese restaurant, proceeded to McCleskey's house, where Wolf inspected the merchandise—a pair of video games released in 1996 for the Neo Geo, a Japanese-made console. Satisfied with each game's condition and authenticity, Wolf opened his briefcase, which had been specially designed to house the foot-long cartridges, and locked them inside. "It was as if the deal was for a bag of diamonds," McCleskey told me recently.

[SignOfZeta]

He also deals in "vintage machine guns" so the Neo's asshole rep is fully intact.

Btw, I have a metal suitcase designed to hold my Saturn. It's not that big of a deal really...like $20 maybe.

[Gredler]

"It's plastic clutter lowlife and we're all casualties of nostalgia."

[esteban]

Silly question: why are the bootleggers mostly French and German?

Is this true, or is it more accurate to say that the most "prominent" (for lack of a better word) are based in France/Germany.

[xcrement5x]

Trump as president and The New Yorker linking to Neo-Geo.com forum posts. 

Pretty sure we are headed for the Apocalypse.   

[SignOfZeta]

Silly question: why are the bootleggers mostly French and German?

Is this true, or is it more accurate to say that the most "prominent" (for lack of a better word) are based in France/Germany.

Because that's where the real collectors are all at.

[TR0N]

Silly question: why are the bootleggers mostly French and German?

Is this true, or is it more accurate to say that the most "prominent" (for lack of a better word) are based in France/Germany.

Why they know they can take full advantage of collectards  Though it doesn't matter now with the likes of multicarts and even flashcarts being available for the neo-geo.

[blueraven]

Wow.

[ccovell]

It's not a bad article.  It brings the average reader up to speed with the issues surrounding the Neo-Geo and collecting, doesn't resort to "dangerous & underground, secret society"-type hyperbole, and doesn't condescend to the reader either.

I'm shocked.

[TheClash603]

"Passion collecting" has become commonplace among big shot investors and the Wall Street crowd.  If you collect classic cars, you know all about this, because their values have skyrocketed as investors snatch them up.  In a low interest rate environment, people have searched outside of traditional investments to make money.  As alternative investments become more mainstrean, these types of articles are likely to become more prevalent.  I just wish video games weren't part of the passion investing scene, cause I love cheap shit.

[NecroPhile]

Fun article and not at all what I'd expect to come from the New Yorker, but what two titles were worth $55k in 2009?

[NoSexGex]

Oh god Neo Geo collectors

[esteban]

Fun article and not at all what I'd expect to come from the New Yorker, but what two titles were worth $55k in 2009?

Magician Lord.

[Psycho Punch]

...Aero Fighters 3 AES?

[esteban]

...Aero Fighters 3 AES?

The pack-in games are pretty common.

[seieienbu]

Neo Geo is what happens when collectards win.  That being said, not a bad article.

[Medic_wheat]

Simon Parkin is a contributing writer for newyorker.com and the author of "Death by Video Game: Danger, Pleasure, and Obsession on the Virtual Frontline.


Way to plug in your video game book. Actually I might look it up to see if it could be a fun read.

[esteban]

Simon Parkin is a contributing writer for newyorker.com and the author of "Death by Video Game: Danger, Pleasure, and Obsession on the Virtual Frontline.


Way to plug in your video game book. Actually I might look it up to see if it could be a fun read.

I was curious about the book, too.

I don't mind little blurbs (mentioning an author's experience/books) at the end of articles... I think it is a perfectly appropriate way to handle things.

Now, if the article didn't stand on its own and was simply a tease to entice you to buy the book...well, that would be pretty rude

[ChuChu Flamingo]

It all makes sense now why Shawn sits on his ass all day and plays World of Warcraft.

[in99flames]

I like how the idiot blew his 100k inheritance on games and the stock market. Great parenting mom. His dads legacy now lies in some stocks from Starbucks and Magician Lord.