C-G's Virtual-Mate?

hmmm… reads the virtual-mate site

I see that this system is run by a separate company, Interlix. That may actually not be a bad thing. If we’re only required to connect to VM server (run by Interlix) to startup LMM, then as long as Interlix is in biz we would be able to use VM linked G-C products. And since they have a branch w/in the U.S., they’re subject to state and federal privacy laws.

Now why would G-C remove their link to virtual-mate’s site? This site is actually more informative (in terms of how VM works) than the vague description G-C put on its website.

quote:
Originally posted by Vaga42Bond:
That's a policewoman-dog.

And no Yaoi. (Unless they slipped something in after I was done that I don't know about. Or rather, don't want to know about.)


I actually don'y mind a little Yaoi here and there.

Dickgirls are also a welcome addition [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

It’s InterlEx. Damn, I didn’t even notice the link to the site at the bottom of the page. They hid it well. Way to be observant, Ecchifan.

But who says Interlex runs the server? I don’t remember seeing that. The Interlex U.S. page doesn’t have any useful information. For the Japanese speakers on the board…do you think you could check out their Japanese page and see if you can find anything? That “Buddy” thing might be the Japanese name for Virtual-Mate.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 10-19-2004).]

We got the GC BBS is back up. Virtual Mate link got moved, and someone forgot to put it back. And I think I have a cold. Bleah.

I’m beginning to see a pattern here…

@Peter Gilis: Thanks for the link.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 10-19-2004).]

Watches the demo

D’oh! The cels do seem similar to the character portraits. I guess the cels are a little better though. I think what bothers me is the scratchy-red rash thing that breaks out on their face whenever they show any emotion. They must be allergic to humans…

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 10-19-2004).]

I had one other question regarding the V-Mate system that perhaps Vaga42Bond can answer.

Is it possible to load and play a save file game without connecting to V-Mate? If so, that might offer a workaround for offline play. Is it possible to install and register a game online, create a save file at the first opportunity, then resume play at a later time without reconnecting to V-Mate? I suspect the answer is no because it bipasses the anti-piracy check, but if such a loophole exists it could resolve my biggest reservation about the system.

Regarding the game’s dependence on GC’s continued operation - If I remember correctly, divx provided a “bail-out” solution for its customers when it went out of business. Existing divx discs could be converted to “gold”, meaning they would play on any divx player without having to phone home. Perhaps such a solution could be provided for legacy GC customers and answer one of their chief concerns.

Rest up from your cold, Vaga. I’m just getting over one I brought back from Australia and commiserate.

[This message has been edited by perigee (edited 10-19-2004).]

quote:
Originally posted by perigee:
Regarding the game's dependence on GC's continued operation - If I remember correctly, divx provided a "bail-out" solution for its customers when it went out of business. Existing divx discs could be converted to "gold", meaning they would play on any divx player without having to phone home. Perhaps such a solution could be provided for legacy GC customers and answer one of their chief concerns.

Not true. I don't remember exactly what happened, but the "perpetual activation" discs still had to phone home every time they were used. They deactivated that home, ergo the discs are useless. They said people with perpetual activations were going to have some kind of offer made to them, but it probably wasn't anything near enough to make it worthwhile.

I never had a DivX machine. The salesperson gave me the speech, but the machine cost several hundred dollars more than a machine that couldn't play DivX, and it was pay-per-view, and the guy told me there wasn't anything that was DivX only. I said '... heck no'. So did a lot of other people.

OK, everybody. I asked GC if they were going to release Minna de Nyan Nyan without Virtual-Mate. Here is the email exchange:

=====

Give virtual-mate a try? No, I think not. I had hoped to avoid having to write this email, but I see your mind is made up.

Your company is out of line. You misunderstand the nature of our relationship. I buy games intending to own them forever, to play them when and where I see fit. You dare to presume to tell me that if I have to upgrade my computer, you MIGHT graciously ALLOW me to reactivate a game I already paid for? Tbat your products will require a working Internet connection, and your servers being in working order? I don’t think so. This is an insult; you have insulted me, you have insulted every one of my friends interested in this game, and you have insulted all of your customers.

Since you have seen fit to insult me and my friends in this manner, I see no reason to buy Let’s Meow Meow. I waited for months to play this game, and you have chosen to deny me the pleasure. Consider it a token of my appreciation that I’m not buying Come See Me Tonight 2 or Do You Like a Horny Bunny 2 either (I was going to order them with Let’s Meow Meow).

Should you change your mind, and offer Let’s Meow Meow without Virtual Mate and at full price, I will gladly buy it (and CSMT 2 / DYLAHB 2). Otherwise … Good day.

Ryan Cheung wrote:

> Hi,
>
> We will not be releasing a version of “Let’s Meow Meow” without the
> Virtual-Mate system.
>
> Please give Virtual-Mate a try and you will see how convenient and simple it
> is.
>
> G-Collections.com
> support@g-collections.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: “Nandemonai” Nandemonai@comcast.net
> To: orders@g-collections.com
> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 4:26 AM
> Subject: Let’s Meow Meow / Virtual Mate
>
>
>
>> Are you going to sell a version of this game without Virtal Mate? Thanks.

Convincing 45 people to boycott this game was very impressive, Italicus. Convincing 45 people to never buy pirated or ripper software again would be even more impressive. Convincing 1 pirate to give up the game would be more impressive still.

Lets not forget who the real villians of this are. The pirates.

Ps. There are other anti-pirating software available. Some automatically scan your hard drive and render the game unusable if it detects ripping software. Rumour has it some will unleash viri if someone tries to crack them. Would anyone prefer that G-coll used these instead?

quote:
Originally posted by Nandemonai:
[...] and you have insulted all of your customers.

Nice to see you promote yourself to the position of "collective voice of every G-Collections customer". Did you ever consider that there might actually be people who don't feel like you do? Or was it just an outburst of generalization in the heat of an agitated moment? Maybe there are even people who, heaven forbid, are looking forward to what they can OFFER with this system, who aren't bothered by the fact that you need internet and username/password to play!

I really don't mean any offense here, but I think this mail makes you look like a whining ass. You know almost nothing of how this system works, but still you chew them out, saying they have insulted everyone, based on nothing but guesswork and the rantings of a few hysterical board members. To be honest, I think you've managed to insult your own intelligence with this mail more than G-Collections ever could.

Did G-Collections sell you a game, then out of the blue they suddenly say "Nope, you can't play this unless you use V-Mate, sucks to be you, all your money down the drain"? No, they have announced a system for their future titles, and here you all act like you've already been hoaxed big-time! How the hell can you say they are insulting YOU!?

Many of you are acting like immature brats who can't have everything just the way you want it, and then you verbally abuse the G-Collections staff! What if every gamer acted like you do?

"WTF, I need a 1,5 GHz CPU to play this, I can't use my dinky old 700 MHz one!? Bastards, you dare to presume to tell me I have to upgrade to use your products!? I'm the customer here, ok!? You make your games and systems like I want it, not you! I'm never buying from you again!"

Does this sound right to you? Sure, you're free not to like it, but go acting like they are doing you some grave injustice.

G-Collections say "From now on, our new games will be using an on-line registration system, in order to ensure that we can give you more games in the future. But in return, will lower the price and give you extra services". You reply with stuff like "You've insulted all of us", "You can't make demands like that of us; we're the customers, you do what WE say" etc etc.

If a new game requires an expensive hardware upgrade; no problem. The moment it requires internet for registration: "Whine, you can't do this to me, you've insulted me, games shouldn't require internet because it doesn't suit ME". Me, me, me.

Grow up, for heavens sake, and stop acting like connecting to the internet in order to play an adult bishoujo game is a violation of the human rights. Face the fact that internet is going to be an increasingly bigger part of our society, and if you can't be bothered to get it (akin to upgrading that dinky old 700 MHz), you're going to end up being stuck in the past, playing what was available THEN. Not everyone can (or want to) get/use internet, not everyone can afford a new computer to play new games on. And if you can't play the game whenever you want because you don't have access to internet all the day (like when you're away from the house), tough luck. Play it when you can, then. You don't need friggin' 24 hour access to adult entertainment.

It's not that I don't understand some people getting frustrated, but so many people acting like babies for something so incredibly insignificant... I'm starting to seriously wonder if you would even be able to live without these games, at least you seem enormously adamant on having the ability to play it where ever, when ever.

If there is one thing I WILL criticise G-Collections for, it's their utter inability to communicate with their customers at a time like this. As much as I disagree with many of you, I find it very irresponsible of G-Collections to stay as silent as they do at a time like this. They aren't exactly going out of their way to calm down their customers, explaining the details of the system they are going to use, etc. I assume they are busy working on their games, but if that is the case, I they have their priorities a bit messed up. G-Collections seriously need to get better in the communications department.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-19-2004).]

As for copy protection, I wonder if they could use Starforce 3. It’s not foolproof, (nothing is) but it’s apparently a lot of work to crack a game with it (at least on normal games), so many groups don’t bother doing it unless the game is really good, and it can’t be properly emulated with stuff like Daemon Tools either (yet). At least that’s what I’ve read about it so far.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-19-2004).]

AG3 has a point here. Even though we shouldn’t need to connect to the internet to play the games, it’s not like it’s going to be a problem for most customers. For those using laptops, such as myself, we can live without playing G-collections games while we’re on the road. I really doubt that G-collections wants to make us angry. They’re trying to fight piracy. I think that if you pay for the game, you should be able to play it almost all the time anyway. Everyone is afraid that G-collections will die and that we won’t be able to play the games anymore. Nobody seems to consider the possibility that G-collections might actually survive for a few more years, hopefully even more. Even with the hardware change issue, it can probably be resolved very quickly just by sending an e-mail to G-collections. I think that only people who can’t afford home internet access like Italicus will be inconvienced by this system. G-collections is a US company and it’s business is with the US customers. When bishoujo games are made in Japan, they are not compatible with English versions of Win 98 and ME. That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t appriciate our business but we are not the target of their sales so if a change needs to be made at our expense, it will be made. This is what has happened here. Since this system will not inconvience me at all, I will have to at least give it a chance. I think that I will still support G-collections, but I am glad that Peach Princess is not trying to do something like this.

Myself, I do think it’s somewhat odd to consider V-mate a personal insult, but you’re out of line, AG3. Did Nandemonai personally attack the G-collections staff? Nope. But you sure personally attacked him.

quote:
I don’t mean any offense here…

Oh really? You sure have some guts saying that, after you proceeded to thoroughly debase him and like-minded individuals.

quote:
WTF, I need a 1,5 GHz CPU to play this…

Don’t take this out of context. We’re talking about property rights here, not system requirements.

Keep recklessly attacking others whose beliefs don’t agree with yours, AG3, and you’re rapidly going to lose popularity, here or anywhere else you decide to go.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 10-19-2004).]

quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
If there is one thing I WILL criticise G-Collections for, it's their utter inability to communicate with their customers at a time like this. As much as I disagree with many of you, I find it very irresponsible of G-Collections to stay as silent as they do at a time like this. They aren't exactly going out of their way to calm down their customers, explaining the details of the system they are going to use, etc. I assume they are busy working on their games, but if that is the case, I they have their priorities a bit messed up. G-Collections seriously need to get better in the communications department.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-19-2004).]


I agree. Had they posted the VM announcement AND provide a link to the VM site (where consumers could get more information on the system; VM link is still missing from the G-C site, btw), there wouldn't be so much misunderstanding among G-C's customers. That said, I just chalk up the silent treatment to possible cultural differences. It's certainly not for a lack of caring, since the G-C folks apparently keep their eyes on this bbs, and also politely answer emails regarding the VM.

If you play games online (particularly subscription-based games like everquest), then the VM system wouldn't come across as a big deal to you. If you lack access to the internet (like Italicus), then unfortunately Idols Galore! will be the last G-C release you'll be able to play.

quote:
Originally posted by Ecchifan:
I agree. Had they posted the VM announcement AND provide a link to the VM site (where consumers could get more information on the system; VM link is still missing from the G-C site, btw), there wouldn't be so much misunderstanding among G-C's customers. That said, I just chalk up the silent treatment to possible cultural differences. It's certainly not for a lack of caring, since the G-C folks apparently keep their eyes on this bbs, and also politely answer emails regarding the VM.

As far as I can tell, the V-mate "site" G-collections directly linked to doesn't say anything more than I already knew. The Interlex site doesn't say anything at all (at least the English part), and the company statement only provided a vague description of V-mate's general goals and purpose.

But your cultural explanation for G-collection's silence is rather interesting (assuming the staff really is predominantly Japanese). Regardless, they cater to a Western crowd, so they're expected to be able to deal with us Westerners at our own cultural level. If I went to Japan to start a business (or for anything, for that matter), the Japanese would expect the same of me.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 10-19-2004).]

I love how they say give it a try and it will be so great and easy. What was easy was installing theg ame and playing it. Whats ont cool is needing a account at gaymate.

I’ve decided g-c has really turned into a pile of crap. Any company who implements something like this is a big steaming pile of crap imo.

I’m sure glad I can play japanese games. I’d hate to have to rely on gc for anything except getting bented over and raped in the butt.

39.99 is a price drop? lol, They better start giving those v-mate games away.

quote:
Originally posted by Italicus:
@Unicorn Ganbatte!!!!!! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Ganbatte imasu!
But actually, I already bought my first japanese games a few months before G-Collections announced Kana, Kango Shicyauzo, DOR and Chain for the first time.

So, the fact that I play japanese games isn't related to the V-Mate-matter at all. It was more started by the previous mod of this board raving about a certain game that he thought would have been a great addition to PeaPri's software lineup.
Well, I joined this board shortly after the former mod was gone and things looked pretty bad for that game becoming localiozed, so I gave the original a try and used it as a reason to work more seriously on my japanese.

P.S.:
Said game is still one of my favourites in my collection.

quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
Nice to see you promote yourself to the position of "collective voice of every G-Collections customer".

Maybe he went a bit overboard with "all your customers", but he expressed that the way, they introduced Virtual Mate was a slap in their customer's face.
Some people might like to get slapped, though...

Anyway, the one thing that I think is most important is the reply: Only again the "give it a try"-statement, no apologies for the way the system was introduced, no going into his points, no soothing words, nothing.

If that guy calls his job "customer care", he ought to be fired the day before Nande sent his mail. Retroactive!

quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
Anyway, the one thing that I think is most important is the reply: Only again the "give it a try"-statement, no apologies for the way the system was introduced, no going into his points, no soothing words, nothing.

If that guy calls his job "customer care", he ought to be fired the day before Nande sent his mail. Retroactive!


Agreed. But then again, that sort of reply is all I've come to expect from customer support people. In fact, I expect more intelligent, well-thought out responses from fans on message boards [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img] than I do from customer care "professionals." [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img] It seems all they're really paid to do is smile and nod no matter how rude the customer may be. That may satisfy some people, but it's not what I call good customer relations.