Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Killing AX Plans

Unfornately, I'm killing my AX plans. Why am I posting this on the Fanime blog? Because that blog is dead.

My plan to not stay a hotel but stay at relatives didn't go through, and the opportunity cost to stay at a hotel is WAY too expensive. Honestly, $125 a night for myself is WAY too expensive, not to mention $170+ to fly up and down from Sac to LA and another $55 to register. That would come out to $665 just on those three things. My Fanime budget is around $750, and that includes spending cash for dealers room. The $665 doesn't include dealers room money, fees for photoshoots, food costs, and everything else that I figured already in the Fanime budget.

And the way things are, those prices will probably go up before I even pulled the trigger on AX, probably sometime around June after Fanime. I was hoping to get a feel for how much I have left for AX after Fanime, but I already know I don't have enough even now for AX.

Besides...Fanime > AX. Word.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

WMMT3

(Pic courtesy of http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/english/aa/wanganmaxi3/)

WMMT3 = Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3

So I was in Reno this past weekend for my Grandmother's 40th birthday, and I had a blast. But the one thing that I kept doing all Saturday was playing, for the most part, WMMT3.

It starts out at Circus Circus, where we first arrive. After walking around and winning a few prizes, I put some cash down for some arcade gaming. Low and behold, they have a WMMT machine - Version 2 though. I look into my wallet to find my Version 2 card, which ironically I started at Fanime! I play through a couple of times, about $5 worth before I leave to leave Circus Circus to go check-in at the Peppermill.

As we check into the Peppermill, part of the sign catches my eye: "Arcade Xtreme." Hmmm, they have an arcade here? I shall go check it out!

So between the time we checked in and dinner (which, BTW, was freakin' awesome - if you are ever in Reno and you want some sushi or Korean food, go to the Sushi Boat!), I went to go check out this arcade. First off, I'm amazed of how many arcade games are here! They even have the new Initial D machine, Ver. 4, that just came out! And all of this suspended between the main building and the parking lot, which is part of their $400 million expansion project they started about 2 years ago (me thinks).

Behold, more WMMT machines - the new Version 3! So I upgrade my card, put $10 on my card (which I love as an alternative to standard coins, and I think more arcades of this calibur should be doing it, see also Dave and Busters, Gameworks), which gives me $12, and blow the majority of it on WMMT3. Yeah, I did play some others in between, but yeah it was all WMMT3.

After dinner and watching UNC getting the shit beat out of them by Memphis, I decide to go back down for the majority of the night. Yeah, my parents are out gambling, so I might as well be out.

For the majority of that night, I spent about $40 on WMMT3, and played some Stepmania and a nice Beatmania machine in between (yeah, they have one of those at the Peppermill Arcade).

When I left Circus Circus, I was pushing 360HP. By 12:30 in the morning, I almost doubled my HP - to 640HP.
There is another story after 12:30 in the morning, but that's for another time...

Anyways, as Fanime inches closer, I hope for a WMMT3 4-player Cabinet, so I can go blow another $50+ on that damn game. Especially when I'm watching YT vids of people pushing 700+HP, and I'm thinking to myself, "God I need more money to push 700+HP..."

(Pic certainly related)

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Photoshoots

I just secured another slot for a photoshoot for Fanime, making it 3 photoshoots that I will be involved in. I'm thinking of going for 4, if I can find someone...but I like 3.

I won't say who's doing them, at least for now...

It's April, less than 60 days for Fanime...what are you doing?