Should I get an IIDX machine?

RedXXX · 05-04-2007, 01:32 PM

So after some very lucky and even more unlucky events, I have come across the opportunity to get an IIDX arcade machine for my own personal use. Call me crazy, but this is one of those times where it can and if I want to WILL happen. But what I am asking is, where is a good place to buy one, and what ceartin things should I look for before making the decision to get one.

rmz · 05-04-2007, 02:20 PM

I personally wouldn't, assuming you're paying anywhere near full price. They get outdated quickly and frankly you could buy a super kick-ass home setup with two ASCs, all the PS2 games, and an awesome sound system for like 1/10 the price of a IIDX machine.

Plus, you don't have to buy upgrade kits or repair broken keys/lights on a PS2 setup

Also, all of the points that people bring up in this thread are good to keep in mind.

kyrilsama · 05-04-2007, 03:23 PM

why bother on buying an expensive arcade version of IIDX when there's a CS version of it?

PICASIO PICASIO · 05-04-2007, 05:07 PM

I dunno, if you can make it happen, than do it. Especially if it's 9th+. True, you CAN get a kick ass setup with a JPS2, 24+ inch CRT and a DJ Dao RE for around 1/2 or so the price (I don't have time right now to calculate), but it's just kinda cool to have an actual arcade cabinet in your house. It's a great party thing.

rmz · 05-04-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParadoxVincent

I dunno, if you can make it happen, than do it. Especially if it's 9th+. True, you CAN get a kick ass setup with a JPS2, 24+ inch CRT and a DJ Dao RE for around 1/2 or so the price (I don't have time right now to calculate), but it's just kinda cool to have an actual arcade cabinet in your house. It's a great party thing.

No offense, but I find it funny how everyone who has said "yeah man do it" in these two threads has been about 16 years old and doesn't have to really pay for much of anything on their own.

Meanwhile, everyone who's paying for their own rent/food/car/groceries/medical/cable/internet/phone/pets/education/insurance/etc. cringes at the thought of blowing thousands and thousands of dollars on something like that.

Spork! · 05-04-2007, 05:33 PM

Heya.

Anyways, I made the mistake of getting one. Trust me red, just buy the home versions. The machine costs a TON to maintain, finding an upgrade is next to impossible, and not a lot of new people will play it.

However, if you still want one, go to manjiro. They will charge a LOT more then channelbeat or coinopexpress, but they get you a machine is 100% working order.

Larrikin · 05-04-2007, 11:34 PM

There really isn't that huge a difference between 2 ASCs and the arcade machine, other than the fact that you won't have to swap out disc to get all the songs. Save yourself the money

The Wise Fool · 06-05-2007, 02:09 PM

I don't really have an opinion on whether you should get a IIDX cabinet, but this must be corrected. You did this twice, so it's obviously not a typo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedXXX

an IIDX arcade machine

IIDX is pronounced "two dee ecks", so "an two dee ecks machine" sounds pretty stupid. It should be "a IIDX machine". "an IIDX machine" only works if you pronounce IIDX as "aye aye dee ecks", which I at one point thought was correct, but is wrong.

天の龍 · 06-05-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrikin

There really isn't that huge a difference between 2 ASCs and the arcade machine, other than the fact that you won't have to swap out disc to get all the songs. Save yourself the money

That - and you would get all the previous songs on the current interface. So you wouldn't have to put up with an ancient (and potentially off-sync) interface if you get the notion to play Smoke or something. :P

Larrikin · 06-05-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 天の龍

That - and you would get all the previous songs on the current interface. So you wouldn't have to put up with an ancient (and potentially off-sync) interface if you get the notion to play Smoke or something. :P

I think saving 10K justifies not being able to play 30 or so odd songs that haven't been repeated in an ideal interface

Arkaaito · 06-12-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmz

No offense, but I find it funny how everyone who has said "yeah man do it" in these two threads has been about 16 years old and doesn't have to really pay for much of anything on their own.

Meanwhile, everyone who's paying for their own rent/food/car/groceries/medical/cable/internet/phone/pets/education/insurance/etc. cringes at the thought of blowing thousands and thousands of dollars on something like that.

In light of that, I find it funny how the only privately-owned Bemani machines I know of are in the hands of a 31-year-old... and the only privately-owned PIU machines I know of are in the hands of two 22-year-olds.

OK, fair warning, this will be a long post, but I think it's justifiable since I seem to be the only person here who knows both happy and unhappy machine-purchasers.

The question is whether you deeply, passionately love it, and whether you know what you're getting into. A love of Bemani or IIDX does not seem to be sufficient for enjoying a machine - rather, you have to have an overarching interest. If you're still reading, let me tell you about the people I know who've been happy with their Bemani machine purchases and what seems to make the difference.

Do you like electronics? Software? Is the idea of taking apart a keypanel to clean it fun to you? How about taking apart a machine to figure out what's wrong with it? Deassembling the machine code for the machine to pull out unlocks? This is the real fun of having a machine for one of the 22-year-olds; he *loves* taking these things apart and fiddling with them, he just goes nuts about it. He's on ArcadeControls.com all the time telling people how to do this stuff. I have had conversations with this guy which consist entirely of him practically bouncing up and down while describing the internals of some doubtless-fascinating part of the Pump machine and me staring blankly at his wall, thinking, "Oh dear gdb, if only I could comprehend this I would be learning so much." He bought his machine while still in college and has never regretted it so far as I know.

On the social end of things, do you have two to four dozen local friends who would love nothing better than to come over and help you break in your machine? Do you live alone/with a spouse and have a good house for hosting them (a house that you plan not to move out of, ever - because these things are hard to move)? Do you love people and love entertaining guests? Are you a community leader both inside and outside of Bemani? Do you know everyone, and do tearful reunions frequently take place through your LiveJournal? This is the reason that the 31-year-old has the machines he does. It lets him be even more of a social nexus, which he really enjoys.

Here are the caveats: If you qualify in one of the above two categories, it may well be a good purchase for you. The downsides are logistical and social - if you live in an apartment or with other people, your neighbors will kill you. They're nigh impossible to move (the machines, not the neighbors), and to even get one into your house you will probably have to disassemble it and reassemble it inside - it's bulkier than a *&@$ upright. If you don't actively enjoy the maintenance (like guy #1) or have a good friend who does (like guy #2), your machine will fall into disrepair. If you don't enjoy the maintenance but plan to learn how to do it yourself so you can have a machine - it's never worth it. Love doing it, have a really reliable friend who loves doing it, or avoid the machine altogether.

And of course, then there's the finances. If you're the kind of person that always seems to have too little money and if you ever find yourself not doing things because you don't have the money - don't do it, you'll regret (and reselling these is also nigh impossible). If you're the kind of person that always seems to have too much money, or more than you know what to do with, don't worry about the money so much; worry about the other problems I mentioned. I know of at least one person (the other 22-year-old) who doesn't regret the monetary expenditure but does (severely) regret buying the machine, because he's now finished college and needs to move elsewhere. If you're still in college (or, gdb forbid, high school), consider just saving the money away until you've gotten to a place you plan to stay for five years or more.

Either way, tell us what you decide and how it goes for you - I'm always curious. You can become a cautionary or encouraging tale for the next person who says, "Hey! Should I get a IIDX machine?"