That Tobias f--k went after Xak III and SO II as pressed CD-ROM releases!

[xelement5x]

I think only way he will stop making them is if it's profitable anymore, so maybe community run cheap bootlegs are the best way to destroy his business model.  If you can buy pressed copies for like $5 instead of $50 he will just be left sitting on stock that doesn't move and start taking losses.

[GreatBlueSwirlof99]

Wow, this guy sounds like a dirt bag!

[_joshuaTurbo]

I think only way he will stop making them is if it's profitable anymore, so maybe community run cheap bootlegs are the best way to destroy his business model.  If you can buy pressed copies for like $5 instead of $50 he will just be left sitting on stock that doesn't move and start taking losses.

Even cheap booties are expensive to press, it would be around $15+ a disc (or less depending on the amount you get pressed).  It would almost make more sense to purchase a couple of Tobias' spools from him and then sell them/give them out to compete with him... Which makes no sense at all.

[Necromancer]

It's not that expensive to get pressed discs made.  It starts at about $1 each for bulk discs to $3 each in jewel cases with eight page booklets, and the price per unit goes down from there if you can peddle more than 300.

[geise]

...if people stop buying the shit...

[ultrageranium]

(1) Public education/enlightenment about the issue (getting the word out there, using various tactics: PSAs, outreach to "opinion-shapers" (I hate this term, but, whatever...folks with clout on YouTube)

(2) Building relationships with repromakers (I can't help but feel that this is the weak link...how do I even trust these folks? What would it take, outside of personally befriending them on a local level and having access to financial records?)

(3) Generating our own data/projections (determining actual costs for repros—including economies of scale—versus profit margins).

(4) Some folks would not want certain projects to EVER be handled by a bootlegger/repromaker...so, we would have to help educate folks on good, old-fashioned D.I.Y. (Guides on how to easily create your own reproductions).

[uldecimal][li]A decent domain name (as in search friendly) serving a max 500 words explanation on repros should do the trick as a starter and handy URL to spread to have a crisp and simple explanation about the practice.[/li][li]That's the most difficult part, to find existing or repros makers to willing to work on or accept some code of conduct. As for the trust, it's something that has to be assumed without doubt, otherwise all the energy will be spent on tracking, controlling, certifying, enforcing, punishing, etc. In no time it will become yet another disciplinary society in a box.[/li][li]You can do that for your own repros making, but it's not something we can expect others to do and it would be a bit totalitarian to impose such a level of transparency.[/li][li]Great point, such code of conduct should respect the wishes of the groups that made the hack/translation. Quite similar to what batoto tries to be for scanlations. As for the guide it would be great to have a wiki and populate it with several howtos, but a bunch of links to existing guides could be a good start too.[/li][/ul]

[Black Tiger]

I think only way he will stop making them is if it's profitable anymore, so maybe community run cheap bootlegs are the best way to destroy his business model.  If you can buy pressed copies for like $5 instead of $50 he will just be left sitting on stock that doesn't move and start taking losses.

I've thought about doing this, but I now realize that if we keep it within the pcefx community, it will make no difference. If we sell them to anyone, most will flip them on eBay and they will instantly become another limited edition collectible, independant of Tobias' rare collectibles.

The problem now is collectards who don't play games, retain very little knowledge and learn what little they do retain exclusively from watching youtube videos full of misinformation, which also cater to collectardation.

Maybe if we bootleg every Turbo game ever made, they will become more valuable than the originals and we'll at least have that.

[Lost Monkey]

I think only way he will stop making them is if it's profitable anymore, so maybe community run cheap bootlegs are the best way to destroy his business model.  If you can buy pressed copies for like $5 instead of $50 he will just be left sitting on stock that doesn't move and start taking losses.

I've thought about doing this, but I now realize that if we keep it within the pcefx community, it will make no difference. If we sell them to anyone, most will flip them on eBay and they will instantly become another limited edition collectible, independant of Tobias' rare collectibles.

Just keep a $5 supply at the ready and you are good to go. 

I've been looking at the cost of getting CDs pressed and it appears to be under $2/pc with full booklets for about 500 and under $1.50/pc for 1000...

Copyright issues are a whole other ballgame though.. where is Tobias getting them pressed?  I would be surprised if they are being done in Europe...

[crazydean]

What if we just made a couple thousand and sold them on ebay for $10 each. That should cover all costs and flood the market, making them all effectively worthless.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I thought they were being done in Europe?  Or am I just thinking of his physical location?  Normally I would guess they're made in China.

[Black Tiger]

Care4data in Switzerland made his bootleg Sapphires.

[xelement5x]

It shouldn't matter if they're being made in China, if he's selling them in Europe he's still bound by EU copyright laws. 

Yeah, cheap booties would probably bring it down fast but the problem would be like BT said possible creating another collectard collectible that winds up as a "neat variant" or some shit down the line. 

[Necromancer]

It shouldn't matter if they're being made in China, if he's selling them in Europe he's still bound by EU copyright laws. 

It matters in whether or not the pressing house will check copyright ownership.  Do Chinese companies even ask?

[Black Tiger]

It shouldn't matter if they're being made in China, if he's selling them in Europe he's still bound by EU copyright laws. 

Yeah, cheap booties would probably bring it down fast but the problem would be like BT said possible creating another collectard collectible that winds up as a "neat variant" or some shit down the line. 

Just look at all the repro manuals, maps and boxes being paired up with games on eBay. This place is already a gold mine for resellers and Tobias has already established the market for collectible bootleg PCE games.

[Punch]

It shouldn't matter if they're being made in China, if he's selling them in Europe he's still bound by EU copyright laws. 

It matters in whether or not the pressing house will check copyright ownership.  Do Chinese companies even ask?

In Brazil CD pressing factories usually ask for separate documentation for every single audio/data track on a CD-ROM, so I was surprised to learn that Tobias' "Sapphire 2nd Print" manufacturer was in Switzerland. I wonder if they didn't ask for proof of ownership or if Tobias just forged his documents.

If he could print the bootlegs in Switzerland he could print them in China too IMO.