Japan import games store

[importaku]

Well go on then, don't hold back now. Other than myself and importaku, tell me who else doesn't own a single domestic game.

Hey how did i get pulled into this conversation. LOL im afraid i went to the dark side as i own a uk 360 so thats nothing but pal, and on the wii & ds i own a few usa games & one uk ds game. Looks like im not in the elite club anymore. I'd say for nintendo stuff i import 99.9% of the time but for everything else im happy to mix it up

Aaaaaaaaanyway, back on topic

You can never have too many places to get import stuff from so i'd be glad that theres another to choose from. I'd say a gather service might be better than buying loads of stock & hoping that it sells. With getting stuff that people specifically want you can get a deposit up front & unless the buyer is a git you will pretty much gurantee that at least the item would be sold.

[averybluemonkey]

I'd be surprised if selling imported anime would buoy your sales much, I've never known any anime fans, myself included to import titles, most viewers don't speak the language. If an anime gets a Region 2 release people prefer to buy that as it supports the market and helps prevent the UK scene from dieing out and if it doesn't then people just watch fansubs which are free anyway.

[layzee]

Well go on then, don't hold back now. Other than myself and importaku, tell me who else doesn't own a single domestic game.

layzee makes three.

100% of my video games are the NTSC-J versions, and that includes video game related CDs, DVDs, and books. And not just video game related. And not a single thing is domestic (domestic in this case defined as something that is localised and sold for English-speaking consumers). So in this regard, I would classify myself as pretty hardcore.

Having said that, one day I plan on buying Secret of Evermore because I like that game but I'm not sure whether to get the PAL (UK or Australian) or NTSC-USA version. This will bring my collection down to 99.90% NTSC-Japanese but rounded up to the nearest whole number, it's still 100%. Am I still hardcore though?

In my "defence" however, SoE was never released in Japan (otherwise I'd buy that version) and not only that, it was styled after/inspired from/influenced by a Japanese game (Seiken Densetsu 2) anyway.

As far as game consoles though, for practical reasons, for my own sanity and safety (i.e. voltage differences), I own a combination of Japanese and domestic game consoles.

As proof of my commitment to a completely Japanese region game collection, I started buying Japanese-region games not long after I sold my good condition complete with box and manual Terranigma for Super Nintendo (among my other PAL games).

[Nu-Eclipse]

I'm thinking of starting a Japan import games store on a web site and Ebay, selling normal console games and maybe arcade stuff. I have contacts in Japan and Hong Kong, so all I need now is some pointers from you guys, who imports regularly.

I guess mostly general advise or opinions would be good, like:
1. What do you look for on these type of sites, is it price, some rare unheard of game etc
2. Do you think places like Playasia already satisfies your needs, or you feel there is something that no one has been able to do properly yet etc.

Thanks for your help guys!

Echoing the sentiments of others on here, you might find it hard going to start up such a venture successfully, given the reputations of the other aforementioned major importers, but personally speaking, I'd definitely check you out and probably purchase from you if you were able to source and sell various video game soundtracks on a regular basis (although I doubt that you'd make much money from that area, to be fair).

[Nakano]

I'd be surprised if selling imported anime would buoy your sales much, I've never known any anime fans, myself included to import titles, most viewers don't speak the language. If an anime gets a Region 2 release people prefer to buy that as it supports the market and helps prevent the UK scene from dieing out and if it doesn't then people just watch fansubs which are free anyway.

Yes this is true, I should know as thats what I'm like too , I never bought a Japan region Anime/movie dvd, simply because I can't understand the language. But we're thinking more anime/manga art books, models and other merchandise that are not available here or are very rare. Which imo the language barrier won't affect the sales of these type of products and I don't think it affects the scene either.

Echoing the sentiments of others on here, you might find it hard going to start up such a venture successfully, given the reputations of the other aforementioned major importers, but personally speaking, I'd definitely check you out and probably purchase from you if you were able to source and sell various video game soundtracks on a regular basis (although I doubt that you'd make much money from that area, to be fair).

Doesn't matter how small the order is, as long as we can make 'some' money out of it, we will do it. Obviously it won't be pennies, but we will do our best to keep the prices down if we can.

[^Katsu]

I do not, you're just an importer IMO. Mid-range if you will.

No offence J0e but you are hardly hardcore heh? What with having had numerous Asian titles slip into your Japanese collection, surely a HARDCORE IMPORTER knows there stuff well enough in advance not to make such a n00b mistake in the first place

I am extremely certain you have had if not still do or recently attained non japanese products too

All that aside I do agree with you that as a business this idea needs more scope to become a profitable enterprise.

[sj33]

The fact that so-called 'hardcore importers' are dying is more of a reflection of how the industry has changed, and Japanese imports are becoming less relevant. The differences in the release dates bearly exist anymore (in fact, most games from Capcom come out in the west first), and there is an increasing trend where the Japanese version is actually inferior (HotD Overkill, Resident Evil 5, No More Heroes, Fallout 3 etc.), and video standards are now universal.

It used to make sense to import when games took ages to be released in the west and ended up being butched, but now the situation is inverse, and people who religiously purchase Japanese versions are waiting longer for an inferior product. Seems to be counter to the original idea, those of us who can actually read Japanese don't bother anymore.

Still, hope you do find an audience with your business.

[Kubrick]

there is an increasing trend where the Japanese version is actually inferior (HotD Overkill, Resident Evil 5, No More Heroes, Fallout 3 etc.)

By inferior I guess you mean censored, but I replaced my copy of RE5 with Biohazard 5 and can't say I noticed any difference. In fact, it shows up on my gamercard as RESIDENT EVIL 5 when I play it. This is on the 360.