Just stumbled onto the My Life In Gaming video

[MegaManFan]

I immediately came here to see what the community reaction to PCE Works was/is and the first thread I found had some COLORFUL language. Needless to say I'm now well informed that he's a pirate bootlegger who is by no means selling licensed versions of games, none of which is mentioned on the PCE Works site. That's a shame too because with the success of companies like Limited Run, you'd think somebody could OFFICIALLY license some of the rare, OOP, hard to find PC Engine/TG-16/Turbo Duo games. There are about 10 that go for more than $200 each I'll probably never own. Sure you can emulate, but that's just not as satisfying as playing it on your own console with a controller in your hand.

PS: MLIG should +REALLY+ do an update to that video. They obviously had no idea of the controversy of PCE Works - nor did I before I watched it and came here to investigate.

[tbone3969]

But they come with energy drinks.

[MegaManFan]

But they come with energy drinks.

I could reprint a Mega Man and throw in an energy drink from Boston America and call it a limited edition too BUT I'm not a scumbag like Tobias (is that the guy's name?) is.

[tbone3969]

Dude, you don't know what your talking about.  He has official pressed discs, not CDRs.  And the quality on his manuals, boxes, and energy drinks is top notch.  I mean have you even tasted the Dracula X one?  So good dude.  Kinda taste like that red Mountain Dew flavor but better.

[lukester]

Needless to say I'm now well informed that he's a pirate bootlegger who is by no means selling licensed versions of games, none of which is mentioned on the PCE Works site.

Bro...it's a wordpress site. What do ya expect? Of course, people have reported them to developers such as Konami, with no success.

That's a shame too because with the success of companies like Limited Run, you'd think somebody could OFFICIALLY license some of the rare, OOP, hard to find PC Engine/TG-16/Turbo Duo games.

Limited Run makes physical versions of indie games on ps4 and switch, for those who love shelf candy. I never got it, but it has a decent following. Pretty sure the only retro game they've done is a red cart of Street Fighter II World Warrior, which was immediately scalped to hell.

Sure you can emulate, but that's just not as satisfying as playing it on your own console with a controller in your hand.

That's why so many people here use a flashcart. A hungry market gaining exposure to alternate versions/sequels of classic games (Castlevania, Gradius, Bomberman 94, Outrun, River City Ransom, Bubble Bobble 3, R-Type, even Strider) is going to have its prices go sky high

As probably the youngest guy on the forums (19, been playing the Turbo for about a decade), I don't have a big disposable income. I've been more than happy with emulation and flashcarts. The only system I have any kind of collection for is the n64, and it's not gonna get much bigger.

People here secretly buy pceworks, I still remember when dozens of pceworks discs were sold on the Facebook groups. Nobody could get enough of them.

It's not that people hate repros, but people don't like counterfeit copies that look so similar. PCEWorks did this in the past with Sapphire. The NeoGeo market is also going to shit because of it, and even the n64 market is now sketchy thanks to AliXpress.

[Keith Courage]

I'm not cool with him selling any of the translated games since the translations were done by people for free for others of the Tg16/pce community to enjoy for free. Not to mention the megaman conversion that he basically stole. If he didn't do either of these I'd have nothing against him.

That being said, I can definitely see the appeal for the some of the repro collections(especially the US DUO one mentioned in the Life in Gaming video) being sold due to the extreme high price the original games normally command. The manuals included with the games are very well made as well.

Not really that good of a price now since the US dollar exchange rate has taken a big dump. lol

[seieienbu]

I feel like I just wrote a post like this recently.  I have no problem with piracy or bootlegs.  I wish that somebody that wasn't PCE Works was making them.  What I have a problem is outright counterfeiting like Tobias did with the first batch of Sapphire games he was selling for what, like $450 apiece?  I also have a problem with him stealing work from people who are currently active in the Turbo/PCE community that don't want their works profited from.  It's one thing for Bonknuts, Nightwolve, or Tru to make some fun fan projects for people to download and enjoy.  I'm pretty sure that what they're doing is quite illegal but I don't think anyone cares.  However, once somebody starts charging money for English translations?  That puts a huge spotlight on people that don't necessarily want to be in that light. 

Perhaps there's a problem with the consistency of my beliefs but I see it as pretty clear.  Steal from a corporation's 20 year old work?  No problem.  Trick people with stolen goods?  Problem.  Steal from a hobby-programmer?  Also a problem.  Perhaps I would care a bit less if it wasn't for the fact that in the last 2 decades we've only had, what, 3 RPGs fan translated into English?  Keep in mind this is a system with more than 50 RPGs that are still only in Japanese.  If the very few people capable and willing to translate games want to stop because their works get stolen that's bad for everyone.  And if they do it so one guy can sell a couple hundred games at a ridiculous markup and make a few thousand dollars?  That's not doing anyone but the one jerk a favor.

[ClodBuster]

I wouldn't be surprised if the bigger YouTube gaming channels have been bribed into doing positive reviews by receiving free copies of PCEworks bootlegs.

EDIT: Looks like Mlig even admitted it in the YouTube comments:

My life in gaming
We were only sent the package to review

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLTTN9wFsgs&lc=UgirUr2ouOn6D3gCoAEC.8P97FGPLmn68PA4W_vLlOq

Also, this:

My life in gaming
THIS SET WAS RECEIVED AS A PROMOTIONAL ITEM

Source:

(Video description)

Prrrffffrrrrrdfgggrrff.




If you dig up other YouTube channels, you'll often find similar descriptions of how they got these items sent to them for review.

f*cking shill reviewers. They help exactly NONE of their audience by doing such things. The only one that profits from these promotional reviews are the companies and people behind the advertised products. These YouTubers and bloggers call themselves "influencers" when agreeing to such business procedures. When in fact they are nothing but tools for somebody else to make money.


Do it like AvE... use the money you get via Patreon to buy things to review on your own, and tell your audience your honest thoughts. Stay independent from advertising and promotion.
(starts at 7:00)

[MegaManFan]

I feel like I just wrote a post like this recently.  I have no problem with piracy or bootlegs.  I wish that somebody that wasn't PCE Works was making them.  What I have a problem is outright counterfeiting like Tobias did with the first batch of Sapphire games he was selling for what, like $450 apiece?  I also have a problem with him stealing work from people who are currently active in the Turbo/PCE community that don't want their works profited from.

I think that's the part that bothered me the most. As a Mega Man fan I was excited when I saw there was a Rockman game on PCE Works (which I knew had to be homebrew because none came out in the console's original era) but once I started checking around I saw that he had taken the programmer's work without his permission, slapped it on a disc, and printed up packaging to make it look like an official, legit, finalized game. That's unfair to the programmer, unlicensed by Capcom, and f---ing shady as all hell. I'd happily sample his work on a Flashcart but I'm not shelling out $100+ when I know that the programmer and the rights owners don't get a penny and furthermore don't even want it being sold in the first place. What garbage.

[Black Tiger]

He may not have given them a penny, but after being asked to stop by fan project authors, he was generous enough to offer $1 per unit actually sold (not the freebees)... but only if they signed a contract giving him full rights to do what he wanted with them.

As he explained, he only does this for the love of it and doesn't make any money. So the $1 per unit would be coming out of his own pockect.

At least one of them had a paypal donate button and I never heard anything about him having used it.

[MegaManFan]

He may not have given them a penny, but after being asked to stop by fan project authors, he was generous enough to offer $1 per unit actually sold (not the freebees)... but only if they signed a contract giving him full rights to do what he wanted with them.

Wow, just wow. He demanded a contract for unlimited rights AFTER using other people's work without permission. So thoughtful! 

As he explained, he only does this for the love of it and doesn't make any money. So the $1 per unit would be coming out of his own pockect.

Have you seen the prices on PCE Works? If he's not making money that's only because he's throwing in three packets of hard drugs with each unit sold.

[tbone3969]

Not making money my ass.

[seieienbu]

I wouldn't be surprised if the bigger YouTube gaming channels have been bribed into doing positive reviews by receiving free copies of PCEworks bootlegs.

EDIT: Looks like Mlig even admitted it in the YouTube comments:

My life in gaming
We were only sent the package to review

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLTTN9wFsgs&lc=UgirUr2ouOn6D3gCoAEC.8P97FGPLmn68PA4W_vLlOq

Also, this:

My life in gaming
THIS SET WAS RECEIVED AS A PROMOTIONAL ITEM

Source:

(Video description)

Prrrffffrrrrrdfgggrrff.

The My Life in Gaming guys seem to be highly indicative of the current state of liking old video games.  I do feel that they have reasonably well researched technical videos.  Everything else on their channel blows though.  Watching them play games is really hard; they seem to struggle at most everything.  If you're going to tell me about a game I feel that your video footage should look like you know how to play it and aren't trying it out for the first time just to get that footage.

The video about Xak 3 and Startling Odyssey 2 really helps illustrate my point.  He describes the packaging, complains about his spine labels, shows footage of the first 15~20 minutes of a game, then gives Fake News Fail-Facts (unless I really have no idea what I'm talking about and Startling Odyssey).  The "review" came down to "The packaging isn't as good as I would like.  I think I like the games but didn't play long enough to have an opinion."

[Black Tiger]

I wouldn't be surprised if the bigger YouTube gaming channels have been bribed into doing positive reviews by receiving free copies of PCEworks bootlegs.

EDIT: Looks like Mlig even admitted it in the YouTube comments:

My life in gaming
We were only sent the package to review

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLTTN9wFsgs&lc=UgirUr2ouOn6D3gCoAEC.8P97FGPLmn68PA4W_vLlOq

Also, this:

My life in gaming
THIS SET WAS RECEIVED AS A PROMOTIONAL ITEM

Source:

(Video description)

Prrrffffrrrrrdfgggrrff.

The My Life in Gaming guys seem to be highly indicative of the current state of liking old video games.  I do feel that they have reasonably well researched technical videos.  Everything else on their channel blows though.  Watching them play games is really hard; they seem to struggle at most everything.  If you're going to tell me about a game I feel that your video footage should look like you know how to play it and aren't trying it out for the first time just to get that footage.

The video about Xak 3 and Startling Odyssey 2 really helps illustrate my point.  He describes the packaging, complains about his spine labels, shows footage of the first 15~20 minutes of a game, then gives Fake News Fail-Facts (unless I really have no idea what I'm talking about and Startling Odyssey).  The "review" came down to "The packaging isn't as good as I would like.  I think I like the games but didn't play long enough to have an opinion."

Outside of the technical stuff, their main video game related interest seems to be pumping out youtube videos. Then possesing crap. Playing games takes too much time and is lowest priority.

Their videos feel like they'd much rather have other people play games for them, while they stick to video production and internet fame. I wouldn't be surprised if youtube stars begin farming out gameplay footage, content info and reviews, the way that people buy test papers/essays/etc. Once they receive the trivial "game" content, they can begin on the "real" work of producing together the video.

[seieienbu]

That's a much better expression of the point that I was trying to get across.  I pretty much don't enjoy the way that they talk about games.  It seems like they wouldn't be a couple of guys that I'd like to hang out with to actually play video games.  Instead it would be "Come look at the games on my wall!" and endless intros or maybe first stages of games rather than actually, say, sitting down and playing a game.

But hey, when you watch those intros?  The video will be in nice quality.