No evidence whatsoever. It was mentioned as their plan in the earliest marketing literature from SNK. But other than that one mention, there is no evidence that they were ever offered for rent. Note, hotels actually BOUGHT the coin-op units. So these weren't rentals either.
Just another retro-vidya myth I'm happy to bust. If people disagree, they're wrong. They certainly won't bring proof.
Cool story bro thanks for the thread really cool.
Just Correcting The Record. Lots of lore circulating about the Neo-Geo is flagrantly made up.
No its a really important mystery you unravelled thanks for keeping us in the loop.
This is the place to do it.
You're not taking this well. Did I bump one of your ad threads off the board? You can always make another viral product placement thread.
None of those posters has any proof that any of these were rental units, as is evidenced by their use of weasel words and heavy qualification. It sounds like people have figured this is a way to scam.
Again, this isn't proof that any Neo-Geos were offered for rental. There is no proof.
Those guys are very knowledgeable. Where did you get your OP picrel from then? Is that not a rental unit?
That's a unit which was sold to hotels, which was coin operated. It wasn't a rental unit.
If those guys were knowledgeable then one of them would surely have some proof these were rental units. But they don't.
>No evidence whatsoever
It's possible that any and all rental units were destroyed or lost to time, and no photos exist anywhere.
>It was mentioned as their plan in the earliest marketing literature from SNK.
Did you look for any other mentions of that anywhere else?
>It's possible that any and all rental units were destroyed or lost to time, and no photos exist anywhere.
Not just photos. No mentions, anywhere, whatsoever.
>Did you look for any other mentions of that anywhere else?
Extensively.
Ok well I found a thread here, regarding the rental units.
https://www.neo-geo.com/forums/index.php?threads/someone-selling-a-rental-unit-on-fb-is-it-legit.269106/
And all the posts say that they did in fact exist, and they even mention the specifics regarding serial numbers and box graphics only found on rental units.
>It was mentioned as their plan in the earliest marketing literature from SNK
Yes this was true
>there is no evidence that they were ever offered for rent.
SNK originally wanted the AES as a rental unit (Japanese rental stores would in fact rent out whole consoles back then) but doubled back on that very early on after seeing how much interest they wound up getting at trade shows.
Supposedly the first wave of AES units (sold in white boxes with plain dressing save for logo and a green chevron accent) contained the consoles that were originally destined to be rental-only, but I can't read Japanese.
>SNK originally wanted the AES as a rental unit
This isn't in dispute.
This is the story, but there is no proof. That's just a warranty card. It could be the green stripe units were merely a final pre-prod run. Nobody knows for sure.
>rentals cost 6 million yen
Really? Seems like a lot.
Reminds me of how eBay gays started a myth that Hagane was a blockbuster exclusive to drive up prices
please elaborate
Speaking of Neo Geo, I wom an offer for a Neo Truf Master MVS with the original MVS box and marquee for $166 after shipping and EU conversion fees. Granted I don't care about the box and thr marquee can be remade for like $10, but it was the only good conditioned unit that had pics of it working and of the boards.
May I see it?
My only concern are two chips on the left board having different fonts, but have the same game id number.
Cool story bro. Glad you came here to tell us.
I have proof.
It's from an episode of Game Catalog 2.
Two women visit a store specializing in superguns and PCBs.
It is mentioned that you can rent systems and boards.
The Neo Geo is not absolutely *specifically mentioned* in this segment but the store sells Neo Geo products, so the logical conclusion is they were also available to rent if the superguns and bare PCBs were available.
?t=515
So... nothing near proof. Got it.
It's not nothing. It's not conclusive but it is strong evidence.
That you replied in this exaggerated dismissive matter tells me all I need to know about you.
Renting a console from an independent rental place isn't the same thing as renting it from the actual company.
Were there any statements by SNK on this topic?
They responded by making a mall amusement park to distracted us all from the truth.
The evidence you're looking for would be in junk flyers and old business documents, they exist but good luck finding them. Import shops would be most likely to rent them, then chain video rental stores, then privately owned rental stores. You only need evidence for a common business practice when you weren't there yourself to experience it
This. Im assuming OP wants to find SNK themselves offering a rental service, but plenty of independent businesses would have offered the console for rent.
The one local game trader had a couple Neo Geo's for rent back in the early 90's. No proof available here but my friend rented one for a week then paid $600 for the system. I played the rental and then the system he owned.
Anecdotal evidence is all OP will ever get. I wasn't around for Neo-geo days but my Blockbuster had off the shelf consoles available for rent from SNES to PS2 at least.
>There's no evidence any Neo-Geo systems were offered for rent
0/troll
11/zoom
What a garbage thread. Arrogant OPs are the worst.
>Arrogant
That's not how you spell moronic
What if OP is both?
Still no proof rental Neo-Geos even existed though.
huge japjac vibes from OP. iykyk
you could rent consoles from any mom and pop video store why would neo geo be any different?
I actually knew of only one store that did rent Neo Geo consoles. HOWEVER! It didn't get much action from customers so they sold the couple of consoles they had for rental purposes at deep discounts. It was a place just off East Broadway in Chinatown Manhattan in the early 90s.
They stopped renting out games, too, not long after that.
Does that count?
It does not because OP is looking for examples in which the console was rented directly from SNK.
*OP is looking for (You)s from strangers on the internet because his parents don't love him.
Blockbuster probably had them but who gives a frick
I rented one out back in the day.
Proofs?
I thought it wasn't hat SNK rented the things out, but renting was technically illegal in Japan (although largely unenforced). The Neogeo was just unique because SNK gave rental places explicit permission to rent them out.
Did they? There's evidence they planned to, but no evidence they did.
You're butt hurt, it's precious.
omg it actually is JAPJAC (Leading pioneer and expert in the field of Japanese videogame playing, studying & collecting in the U.K. since day one' © 2001. Japan resident & TFP founder.)
Maybe OP if you used your FRICKING BRAIN FOR A BIT you'd I dunno maybe REALIZE THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T FRICKING WEIRDOS LIKE YOU WHO DOCUMENTED THE MOST MUNDANE SHIT IN CASE SOME PEDANTIC LITTLE POOPY PANTS SHIT LIKE YOU CAME RUSHING IN GOING DUUUURR WHERE'S DUH PROOOF DUUUURRRRR CITATION NEEDED DUUUURRRRRR
Frick. I hate you. Shut up.
The whole "rental Neo-Geo" premise is based on one, single sheet from a promotional marketing pack made before the system was even on the market. There is no other evidence whatsoever that it was intended for rental, or that it was distributed by SNK for rental.
None.
One single sheet that many different media outlets reported from?
>many
>media
Sorry honey, forum posts from neogeooomers aren't "media outlets."
I've read the rental thing in many different game magazines of the time.
If you could post an image of just one, that'd be incredible. Nobody actually can!
I can read Japanese so that's not a problem. But you only get one chance.
>If you could post an image of just one, that'd be incredible. Nobody actually can!
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 09 April 1990 page 41.
>early-mid 1990
>before system was even for sale
This is just early marketing copy.
You asked for examples. They were given. This isn't about whether the system was ever available for rent. This about the anon saying only one marketing sheet ever mentioned it, and it was never mentioned in any game magazines. He has now been proven wrong about that particular point. Particularly with the EGM coverage, which is not an official SNK advertisement.
>If you could post an image of just one
The one was provided.
Whether the system was ever actually available for rental from SNK is a different matter.
I thought they meant the player was renting them, not the business?
Like how an arcade buys the cabinet, then makes the money back in player credits.
Game Machine Magazine February 1990.
The text references game centers being able to purchase the console and then rent it to customers.
Micom Basic Magazine June 1990
>Bring the excitement of the game center to your home. The same game as ``MVS (Multi Video System)'' is available for rental.
Gamest August 1990
The bottom text says available at game centers and rental stores.
By the way the system was for sale by this time period, and in the same issue there are advertisements to buy the system outright for 58000 yen.
It was for sale from the day they released the console, they never had some initial period where it was rental only. The rental-only scheme was dropped before the first Neo-Geo left the factory.
The point is, there's no real evidence the rental program with special Neo-Geos was even pursued, outside marketing literature from BEFORE the system was even released.
I have an IQ of 156. I'm smarter than everybody you know, combined. Easily.
>The rental-only scheme was dropped before the first Neo-Geo left the factory.
Then why is there an advertisement from August 1990 saying the system is available from rental stores?
IQ matters very little as it determines capability not quality; The size of your jar doesn't matter when you fill it with shit anyways.
OP is so stupid
Gamest 47 July 1990
There is a feature on the Neo Geo.
The text says the Neo Geo MVS has finally been released, but also goes on to mention the AES system is available for rental.
I ran this through online OCR, which put out
今年 の ADOU シ ョ ー で 登場
し た 「 ネ オ ・ ジ オ 」 が 、 よ う
や く 発 売 さ れ た 。「- ネ オ ・ ジ オ 」
は 、「 マ ル チ ビ デオ シス テム 」
と 「 レ ンタ ル シ ス テム 」 の ご 己
つの 方 式 で 世界 同時 発売 で 登
場 し た の だ 。
Machine translated
>The "Neo Geo," which made its debut at this year's AOU show, has finally been released. The "Neo Geo" appeared worldwide simultaneously with its "Multi Video System" and "Rental System" methods.
Personally I only ever knew about Neo Geo back in the day because I'd occasionally see games for it listed in advertising that I guess was packed in with games occasionally or something like that. I have never touched one. I don't have proof that it ever existed.
I do, however, feel 80% confident that Neo Geos were in fact rented out in various places, now that I've read this thread. Thanks, OP! This question never even crossed my mind once in my whole life, and now it's mostly answered. Yes, they were very likely offered for rent! Neat.
OP post wrist
More like he got other people to do his research for him by "pretending" to be moronic, because he was actually too moronic to do it himself
I knew people who rented them back in the day.
elaborate pls
Proofs?
Oh yeah? Well you need to prove it. I won't accept some picture you created to "prove" your lie. You need to build me a time machine and take me back so I can rent one from these alleged people. If you don't do that it proves that you're a liar. So go ahead larper. Time machine NAO or GTFO.
heh gotem