I was planning on providing a rundown of my favorite picks from TGS this week, but my attention was diverted by Mega Man 9. Not necessarily by the game, mind you, but by the proclamation that Capcom was making the much-lauded MM9 press kits available to the public.
I was one of the many Mega Man fans who clamored to get even half a pinkie on one of them — was fully willing to prostrate myself before Capcom, holding out wads of cash, just for the chance to purchase this completely ridiculous and unnecessary item. So how did it go? Well…
[[image:forgetit.jpg:Hidden beneath more than just lavafields.:center:0]]
Capcom didn’t mince words; from the start, they told us these were going to be in extremely limited supply at 200 or so. Over at Capcom-Unity, their community blog site, they ran a promotion that allowed a select few of its members a random chance to get a kit — a good publicity tool, by all means. It got me to register, for one! But I wasn’t one of the lucky.
As for the remainder, it was announced they would be available on the Capcom Store at six p.m. EST this past Thursday, October 9th. I laughed maniacally to myself and prepared to camp out at my computer, not unlike how you would at a brick-and-mortar for a new console. I would hold the separate societies of Monsteropolis in my grasp, much like Dr. Wily himself!
As six o’clock came, I refreshed and refreshed, but to no avail; that intentionally ugly box was nowhere to be seen on the store’s front page. Suspecting something was up, I checked one of the subcategories; sure enough, there it was, neatly hidden away on the last page of the Mega Man section. Capcom, you jokers! I don’t think I’ve ever completed an order so fast; my confirmation email verified that my order was placed at 6:05. Phew. I could rest easy.
A few hours later, I checked my email again — to find my precious item was backordered. Oh, God, no! I jumped back on Capcom-Unity to find this. A complete sell-out in four minutes?! I had just missed the gravy train to Monsteropolis. Some hope showed itself when they revealed that none of the kits were in their warehouse, so technically, all of them were backordered. But no other information has been divulged since, and as I type this, I’ve given up on the chance that I’ll be one of the chosen.
Clearly, people love Mega Man 9. Clearly, people want a chance to own one of these kits — “clearly” defined as $200 or more on average. All I ask of you, Capcom, is that you save your kits from the evil realm of eBay scalpers and print another run! For, you know, everlasting peace.
I’d love to make some sort of comment about paying $10 for the game and then $200 for the box, but that box is so worth $200. I assume the actual physical NES cart is just some sort of fever dream, which is a real tragedy.
That NES “cart” is just a case for the CD.
Some people on the community have also been outraged by some sellers claiming to have fifteen or so of the things, or varying absurd amounts (which is basically any amount over one or two).
fifteen? I kind of wish this story evolves so we can get the real scoop.
I just hope at least a majority of them are going to loving fans.
I’d be willing to bet that the vast majority of these things will be sold on EBay.
Over at the blog the Capcom guy said these press kits were made of actual gutted NES cartridges.
Capcom should set up a 1 month timeframe where Mega Man fans can mail in any NES cartridge for the “conversion.”
Capcom will then strip the label and the guts, insert the CD, put it in the MM9 box and mail it out. The customer pays $25 plus shipping both ways. That would make the fans happy, and it would be almost 100% profit for Capcom.
It’s likely this idea would never happen though. Oh well.
Jet Pilot – your vision of the future is horrifying. It doesn’t matter which game it is, send in an NES cart for that purpose is perhaps the bleakest idea of the future I’ve ever seen.
I’m willing to bet that when the eventual “Mega Man 2 / Mega Man 9” hack comes around (and it will), we’ll see the repro guys using that label for the repro carts.
I know how it feels, man. That one peice of history swiped right off your palms. It happens to me eerytime on e-bay.
Actually, Capcom’s holding a contest for three remaining sets. You just gotta well, prostrate yourself and seem a bigger MM fan than the other bloggers.
Ugh, the exact same thing happened to me. I was so pleased when I got my confirmation notice, then it just slipped right through my fingers.