and many people, even now, think that $299 is still way too much even for multiple games that
they offered.
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The retailers did that to themselves -- If they had stuck to a price rather than having them selling for any where from $399 to $75 for the same cab at the same time in different stores people would have gotten used to the price and most likely paid it without much complaining but when people are buying them at $299 and others are getting the same thing for $75 or $150 it's going to lead to people thinking they are paying too much.
A1U didn't help that situation either with all of their marketing pointing to "Real Arcade experience and parts " and deceptive picture taking to make them look more normal sized by never showing the full arcade and having the risers attached but not showing those in the pics or using 5'2" tall actors - so those pre-ordering did not really know what they were getting which resulted in a lot of returns and negative press at release.
i agree with a lot of what you're saying, but that was more a retailer issue.
walmart took the liberty of their managers, where some stores overstocked like crazy, and
then wanted to get rid of them.
other stores, only got a few units, so kept the prices high.
the truth is somewhere else, as gamestop, and other retailers announced the higher prices, and
were undercut with walmarts $299, so they had to match it.
i agree they are priced too high for the substandard and subpar quality of the monitors and controls,
and should be about half the price they normally go for,
now though, with the improvements they've made, they are letting people decide whether they want
to pay for the improved and augmented marquee, controls, riser, etc.
the $300 price for space invaders hasn't deterred people that wanted that, so i don't think that $500 for
Golden Tee will scare people off that want that also.
Final Fight should be out shortly, so we'll see what the reviews on that are like.
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