[Gamengai] GP's real life curve ball.

[layzee]

If you received the email a few hours ago, then you know the current situation. There is little I can do to help so the only thing I can offer is my sympathies and wish GP luck in his life.

Those of us who have been using GP's services will now need to find an alternative. Since Gamengai has served me perfectly well the entire time, I was and still am ignorant of the competitors available in the market. Can anyone offer suggestions as to the next best one after Gamengai?

What there isn't a competitor of is Gamengai's Alerts function. I would be absolutely devastated if that was gone. I rarely even use YJA's search field anymore because of Alerts. It's so useful that, among the lavish praise I heap upon it, I once (half-)jokingly said to GP that I would be happy to pay, say, a monthly subscription for it. Looks like that might become a reality (or financed by donations as per email).

Just to further clarify and drive the point, I really do not want to see Alerts gone and I will do everything in my power (e.g. probably mostly financial) to see it continue to run.

[mackdangerously]

The forum going away?

[Gaijin Punch]

Cheers, Layzee.

Alerts will stay here*. Forum will stay here**. Site will stay here**.

* Actually runs on my Linux box at home, but I intend to move them to the server. When it started a million years ago, bandwidth was a huge issue. Not now.

** I will likely move from GoDaddy to something much cheaper. If I mean to have the alerts running on the server I still need Virtual Dedicated though. GoDaddy is like $35 a month. I need to get that down as low as possible, and have the alerts pay for it. A little profit wouldn't hurt, but that's not the goal.

When it's all said and done, hopefully the alerts will be even better than before. Not sure if I will change the main site. It could probably use a nip & tuck, but I've just not got the energy to add tons and tons of content like I used to. Maybe one day.

Anywho, that's all for now. Please don't feel urged to scrape & backup the site. Bar something awful happening to me, I would at least hand the torch to someone else.

[lordnikon]

It has been a pleasure using the service over the years. I remember when Gaijin Punch first reached out to me after I bought a few items off him on Digital Press forums with an offer to use his service. Funny thing is, it took me about a year to circle back and start using the service properly due to other stuff I had going on. But once I did, I was full on bidding, and have been ever since.

The service helped me acquire many items that I could never in a million years find on western auction services. They were simply far too obscure. Nearly every item was a "money is no object" situation because of this. Some items took years for them to even show up on YJA, such as Playstation 2 web browser "Ergo Browser BB", the broadband version of Ergo/Ergo Light.

It was always a multi-faceted experience here, the proxy, and also a place to chat about games and the items we acquired. We still have the latter, so that is a plus. (I know I will still be on the forums, chatting here or there, and seeing how the Alert Service evolves.)

Thanks for everything GP

[Greatsaintlouis]

[emphatic]

What's happened?

[layzee]

Alerts will stay

...

the alerts will be even better than before.

Excellent. If you need someone to do some beta-testing and make sure everything's working correctly, I'm your man. Feel free to send me an email anytime.

It has been a pleasure using the service over the years. I remember when Gaijin Punch first reached out to me after I bought a few items off him on Digital Press forums with an offer to use his service. Funny thing is, it took me about a year to circle back and start using the service properly due to other stuff I had going on.

It was the opposite in my case: I reached out to him. GP briefly mentioned his service in a random post (may or may not have been on Digital Press forums) so I gave him a PM (on DP) in 2008. Funnily enough, like you, it took me one year after registering to actually give it a shot. Not sure why I took so long. Prior to GP, I had only used an intermediary of this type once. The rest of it was GP and proudly so.

The service helped me

I'll probably sound like a broken record/corrupted MP3, but a special mention must go out to the Alerts. I'm not necessarily a rare-item hunter like some other members here, but I am a bargain hunter. Bargain hunters must take advantage of every possible opportunity that might exist. In order to do this, I have close to 10 pages of alerts, each page with 50 searches for a total of 1000 searches (a partial reason is that some items are known by katakana as well as in English {even though the katakana is a representation of the English}* so I have to do two searches for the same item in order to capture all the results). Looking up each and every search would take me ages, not to mention boring. With the Alerts, it is literally saving me time and money by only giving me relevant and most importantly, new results. And it is fun, rather than tedious, looking through the results.

If I must cite an example, then my favourite bargain was probably back in 2012: 40 RPG soundtracks (all big quality names, not a single filler, mostly excellent to mint condition) for 11,600 yen (excluding shipping etc). If I was a resident of Japan, then it would have been about 300 yen per soundtrack. That's way too damn cheap. I haven't seen a similar auction as good as this one since. Thanks to the Alerts for alerting me to it (because I wouldn't have manually searched for it), and thanks to Gamengai itself for the arguably too reasonable fees.

*Yes, searching for "Final Fantasy" brings up ファイナルファンタジー results, but that is an exception to the rule.

What's happened?

The time must come to say goodbye to the Gamengai intermediary.
Because nothing can live forever.

[cools]

No email received here

[sven666]

Situation sucks no doubt but i have every confidence GP will come out on top.

as for proxy service i will just take it as a sign to stop using yahoo.

thank you for many years of flawless service and the countless bargains i have aquired here, too many great memories to mention.

[SuperDeadite]

I have no idea what happened, but it sounds health related. Either way thanks for everything GP.

[Gaijin Punch]

There's a turd somewhere in sending group emails. In indeterminate amount didn't get it. :-/

Anyway, it's not that dramatic. My son has lived in the states for close to a year now. He has Aspbergers (rather light, but it's there) and this is one way (to add to many other ways) that Japan is still in the 1950's. He's doing great in America -- in a regular school with a great teacher. As such, I always knew I'd relocate there be closer to him, even though his mother and I are estranged. My company is in the states as well, and they've begged me to move there for... oh... about 5 years.

However, the curveball comes in last month, when I lost my job. I didn't get caught fucking a disco ball or anything like that. The company just folded, in a rather anti-climatic fashion, which is kind of unheard of in my business. So, I've been without work for a few weeks now. I'm enjoying the break... haven't done this in a while.

Anywho, I'm trying to find something that will keep me here through the summer, as that was my plan all along. I braved the winter, I should enjoy Japan's awesome summer. Yes, it's hot as balls but I like it. While it seems like I'd welcome the extra money the proxy brings in, it's a lot of work. And, there's the possibility I have to pick up and leave on a moment's notice -- I can't do that with the proxy running.

So, unfortunately, it's time to move on. There were definitely some great memories, especially when it first started and the PCB pissing wars were in full effect. That was back when rgb_bubblebath's identity was the same as that as who assassinated Kennedy.

Anyways, onwards and upwards...

[mackdangerously]

Dang man, hope everything pans out. If your'e going back to the States and you have contacts that can help you get a job, get in touch with them as soon as you can. I was back briefly and the economy and jobs situation are still proper fucked.

On a side note, who was rgb_bubblebath?

[Gaijin Punch]

Actually where I will move (SF Bay Area) jobs are booming. Best in the country apparently. No telling how long that will last though.

rgb_bubblebath is/was the Yahoo Account name of the proxy I used. When it first started, PCB enthusiasts (some still here in this thread even) had no problem putting in serious bids. Even the paper wars should be documented for future generations.

[cools]

Aha. Well best of luck, and thanks for all the assistance over the years

[emphatic]

Being in the US sounds like the best thing for you and your son right now. Best of luck with everything, man.

[Gaijin Punch]

Let's not forget all of the awesome TV... not like that's hard to get from anywhere though now.

Technology +1.

Hoping I won't deprive anyone of my antics on forums such as this and shmups though. After all, you all deserve it!

[slayer2k8]

Sorry to hear of your situation. I hope everything works out for you i never got the email.

[loempiavreter]

Sorry to hear about your job. Wish you the best of luck, good to see that the prospect off finding one sounds positive

Thanks for offering the service while it lasted

[ryu]

I'm super late, but still thanks for everything and good luck for the future!

[EOJ]

Hey GP, maybe I'll catch you in San Fran some day. I pass through there every year or so. Good luck on the move!

[Macaw]

Good luck with everything GP!

[Gaijin Punch]

Cheers guys.
No home finalized, so SF isn't 100%. It's what I'm aiming for, but my industry is far more represented in NY. At some point I will have to get real and realize I don't want to interview for 6 months to find a job in some start up. But, something might come my way. I've actually just started looking.

-Paul

[sven666]

was gonna message you on FB but i think lots of people around here are curious aswell so.. how are things going?

[Gaijin Punch]

was gonna message you on FB but i think lots of people around here are curious aswell so.. how are things going?

Going okay. Nothing to write home about. The US interview style for programmers is kind of fucking me. Only a handful of potential employers have asked me a true design question. Seems very few people in the tech industry can make heads or tails out of my resume. And, recruiters suck. Haha. That being said, I have gained some traction, so am in good spirits. No clue where I'll end up though! You hiring? I could be your American Manny (male nanny).

[layzee]

Nice to hear you're doing okay at least, as opposed to say, not good. Hope to hear more good news from you in the near and distant future.