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[batfax]

I think I had to order Mother 3 from Play-Asia because Lik-Sang had that sudden existence failure before they could send mine. Pretty sure I tried to order something else from them before then, but the "in stock" listing was an accident and they refunded me.

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I've always been somewhat of Image Quality nut, so I order a cable from them had been converted to a 15 pin connection for the GameCube. Had to have that 480p goodness on a computer monitor. RE4 looked so good.

 

[n1fr0b]

"I shed a tear every time I think of Lik Sang"

-Geohot


RIP Lik Sang. My PSP is dead just like you.

 

[malfcn]

I ordered a wafer pad and grips for my gba. That was all.

 

[MegamanXZero]

I used to import a lot of stuff from them and the prices were pretty reasonable if I compare it to Play-Asia. They also had great items that were pretty hard to get either offline or online. Lik-Sang you really shall be missed!

 

[sector4]

Whoa, I haven't thought about this in a long time. I was 16 at the time that happened, and used to buy a few things off them. Like others here, I also have one of their lanyards kicking around somewhere.

 

[Atomski]

Can't you just import consoles/games from Amazon now?

What changed?

 

[Goron2000]

Holy shit, the nostalgia feels. I forgot how good his rap was haha.
What happened to the guy? Is he still around?

He was under contract to develop the self driving system in Tesla until him and Elon Musk had a public spat. He now has a startup with units that attach to a range of different cars and makes them self driving. Guys not only a genius but he can talk the talk.

 

[daTRUballin]

I have no idea what this company is, so for a moment when I saw the title, I almost thought it was saying that Sony killed a person 10 years ago. I wasn't sure how to react to that.

 

[Blablurn]

That was huge back then, crazy,

 

[LithiumSpade]

I got a bunch of games from them over the years. Pretty sure I imported my DS from them as well. Good site. Didn't like what Sony did, and never bought a PS3 as a result (although working in an independent games store I was able to play the exclusives anyway, so didn't miss out on much for a few years).

 

[Piichan]

I always thought the logo was a guy with sunglasses and the two stripes were nostrils. Now that people say it's racist, I finally realize what it's supposed to look like. All these years. Holy shit.

Anyway, great website. As a European it was an amazing site to get American DS games earlier and at way cheaper pricing than in retail. And of course Japanese games like Ouendan. o7

 

[-shadow-]

Never purchased from them myself because I was still too young. But I remember following this case closely because of how weird it was. How much has changed in the past ten years in terms of importing stuff.

 

[Guardian Monkey]

I think of mod chips were the main issue with them. I think the legal fees from the other lawsuits is what did them in. I think Sony just kept going after them which finally shut them down.

 

[Flachmatuch]

Free trade and market refers to the ability to conduct business without unusual tariffs or trade barriers imposed by governments. Not in the case of a creator of a product wanting to control how it is sold and distributed. Whether it is an individual or a corporation, anyone who creates a product should have that say.

This is just a rationalisation. Any kind of control over a product, even if it is something you yourself make, is distorting to free trade *in actual reality*. It is of course acceptable in some cases (don't sell weapons to criminals, eg) but in general, it's all about distorting markets for profit and control. Of course in competitive markets, it's generally self defeating, but in oligopoly markets, it works very well.

 

[woopWOOP]

I just checked what my last e-mail/purchase from them was and... jesus, I remember I was going crazy with buying videogame figurines and trinkets and whatnot back then, but I don't remember it being $80 crazy. I guess I was just getting it all at once with their shipping costs being $33 and all.

Funnily enough the e-mail stated that the "Viewtiful Joe Mini Figure" wouldn't come back in stock anytime soon so they kept the paid amount as store credit for my next purchase.

...My three dollars!

 

[ozfunghi]

Bought the original DS there.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

Can't you just import consoles/games from Amazon now?

What changed?

My feeling is the real the issue Sony Europe had was that they couldn't compete. Remember, those were the days when Sony hardware would release about 6 months later in Europe.

Look at what we have now, Vita was same day as America, PS4 was 2 weeks later (btw, PS4 was months before Japan).

I think of mod chips were the main issue with them. I think the legal fees from the other lawsuits is what did them in. I think Sony just kept going after them which finally shut them down.

From the case reports I could read (i.e. those cited in wikipedia) it sounded like HK$5 million was what they had to pay (HK$8 million was wanted but lik-sang couldn't afford that) so they might have been on a knifes edge at that point. I think it is also the implications of losing their biggest market and what effect that would have on revenue.

 

[staticneuron]

This is just a rationalisation. Any kind of control over a product, even if it is something you yourself make, is distorting to free trade *in actual reality*. It is of course acceptable in some cases (don't sell weapons to criminals, eg) but in general, it's all about distorting markets for profit and control. Of course in competitive markets, it's generally self defeating, but in oligopoly markets, it works very well.

No what I stated was the definition of free trade.

Investopedia

Free trade is the economic policy of not discriminating against imports from and exports to foreign jurisdictions. Buyers and sellers from separate economies may voluntarily trade without the domestic government applying tariffs, quotas, subsidies or prohibitions on their goods and services. Free trade is the opposite of trade protectionism or economic isolationism.

Wikopedia

Trade of goods without taxes (including tariffs) or other trade barriers (e.g., quotas on imports or subsidies for producers)
Trade in services without taxes or other trade barriers
The absence of "trade-distorting" policies (such as taxes, subsidies, regulations, or laws) that give some firms, households, or factors of production an advantage over others
Unregulated access to markets
Unregulated access to market information
Inability of firms to distort markets through government-imposed monopoly or oligopoly power
Trade agreements which encourage free trade.

But what is being exhibited in the fight the big three had with Lik Sang was content protection.

Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are the protections granted to the creators of IP, and include trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets. Artistic works including music and literature, as well as discoveries, inventions, words, phrases, symbols, and designs can all be protected as intellectual property.

The concept's origins can potentially be traced back further. Jewish law includes several considerations whose effects are similar to those of modern intellectual property laws, though the notion of intellectual creations as property does not seem to exist – notably the principle of Hasagat Ge'vul (unfair encroachment) was used to justify limited-term publisher (but not author) copyright in the 16th century. In 500 BCE, the government of the Greek state of Sybaris offered one year's patent "to all who should discover any new refinement in luxury"

So the thing is we have a society, we have nations working together. These concepts and laws are not arbitrary but it keeps things small and large on a level playing field so individuals, larger entities, and nations don't go to war over the smallest of things.

It is all about control but aimed for creators and recipients. Again this wouldn't have been an issue if lik sang waited until the product was officially released, don't forget they were not individuals but a corporation themselves. They picked a fight with another corp and lost. This is how it should be. If you are not interested in control or having specific rights reserved then why even bring up don't sell weapons to criminals? A criminal to one country may be a hero to another one. So you either are for the control or against it. Being conditional about it is rationalization.