General and Gaming > General
VGCollect Secret Santa Feedback
sworddude:
--- Quote from: dhaabi on January 29, 2024, 10:02:32 am ---
Prompt: Members from all over the world participate in VGCollect Secret Santa. Therefore, unless specific items are requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should not expect the exact regional item as a gift. (e.g. NA participant requested NA Resident Evil but received JP Biohazard.)
--- End quote ---
I assume you mean for a console that isn't region locked right?
Cause for ps1, to play imports you either need
- The correct region console
- a game shark in which you bypass the menu
- a modded console
and if you don't have that your stuck with the disc swap trick, which can damage the console and your disc and is a pain in the ass to pull off. But this free option is not always a thing that works on other consoles that's just for ps1.
If it's region locked it's a defo no no unless receiver doesn't mind imports and stated it somewhere. Might be unplayable otherwise. Not to mention how playable would said game be in japanese? If it's an rpg screen translation apps only go so far.
If it's region free you got more of a point, unless someone specifically requests to have their desired version.
Still this is vgcollect, and while imports can be cheaper from a collector's standpoint you'd think people want their own region version. I could see exceptions when stuff is way cheaper but at that point they'd probably have the other version listed in their wish list aswell.
Still would depend on the person, cause as long as the box is english I've seen folks that wouldn't mind either version with consoles like ds, gameboy ps4, switch
puddingm:
--- Quote from: dhaabi on January 29, 2024, 10:02:32 am ---
Prompt: Members from all over the world participate in VGCollect Secret Santa. Therefore, unless specific items are requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should not expect the exact regional item as a gift. (e.g. NA participant requested NA Resident Evil but received JP Biohazard.)
Choice 1: I agree. Unless a specific item is requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should be willing to receive items from any region. 16.7%
Choice 2: I agree. Unless a specific item is requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should be willing to receive items from any region. However, this should only be expected when the hardware to play the item is region-free, such as the PlayStation 4 and Switch. 33.3%
Choice 3: I disagree. Santas should be willing to provide region-specific gifts based on their giftee's location, unless specified otherwise. (e.g. a NA Santa should be expected to gift their JP giftee games from Japan, not from North America.) 33.3%
Other (custom answer): This is a hard one. Generally the non-NA participants are the ones who this could be an issue for, but every time I've gotten a non-NA participant they have had a good variety of easily attainable games for their gifter. 16.7%
This question doesn't necessarily affect anyone who's wanting to avoid shipping internationally, but it certainly does affect all others. Whether you agree or disagree with the above statement, why is that?
--- End quote ---
Interesting to see such a varied response to this and think sworddude has covered how I see it as well.
dhaabi:
--- Quote from: dhaabi on January 29, 2024, 10:02:32 am ---Prompt: Members from all over the world participate in VGCollect Secret Santa. Therefore, unless specific items are requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should not expect the exact regional item as a gift. (e.g. NA participant requested NA Resident Evil but received JP Biohazard.)
Choice 1: I agree. Unless a specific item is requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should be willing to receive items from any region. 16.7%
Choice 2: I agree. Unless a specific item is requested based on shopping preference priority, participants should be willing to receive items from any region. However, this should only be expected when the hardware to play the item is region-free, such as the PlayStation 4 and Switch. 33.3%
Choice 3: I disagree. Santas should be willing to provide region-specific gifts based on their giftee's location, unless specified otherwise. (e.g. a NA Santa should be expected to gift their JP giftee games from Japan, not from North America.) 33.3%
Other (custom answer): This is a hard one. Generally the non-NA participants are the ones who this could be an issue for, but every time I've gotten a non-NA participant they have had a good variety of easily attainable games for their gifter. 16.7%
--- End quote ---
Having thought about this question some more, this sort of preference seems better implemented as a question needing to be asked to each participant during the sign-up process. Unlike the two previous questions, it only affects everyone on an individual level.
Below are several comments received during the initial feedback poll. They're followed by my personal opinion on the matter, but anyone else can voice their opinion as well.
--- Quote ---I wish we could somehow limit participation in the discussion threads to people who are participating or who have participated in the past
--- End quote ---
There are pros and cons to having the discussion be private or public. While a private discussion obviously keeps those who don't have business with the event from participating in the dialogue, it also prohibits anyone possibly interested in joining the following year because there's no public credibility. Of course, we could always move the topic to a private board while it's ongoing and then move it back to the public once completed with a little effort, but only Admins have that capability.
--- Quote ---For easy viewing, status of each package added in the main post (as per previous years) as the event progresses.
--- End quote ---
I agree that this would be helpful, and I did think about including that detail like previous events have done. However, since the pool of participants was so small, it would be quite easy to figure out who their Santa was before their packaged even arrived since I was also giving many participants an ETA on when gifts would be delivered alongside participants posting publicly about when items were being shipped out. I really wanted to avoid anyone finding out their Santa's identity early on.
--- Quote ---[Secret Santa could be improved by having the] visibility to see the info that we have originally submitted via Google Form (if it's not already a function).
--- End quote ---
I believe this would require e-mail addresses to be collected which I felt was unneeded. If a form is ever used again for the sign-up process, it would be easy to relay that information if requested, though.
At this point, the three aforementioned questions were the only ones needing to be discussed pertaining to the event on a general level. Of course, discussion can still continue relating to them should anyone want to add anything. That said, if anyone else has feedback, suggestions, comments, questions, concerns, or anything else worth mentioning, feel free to post them.
I've also updated the topic post with useful links.
dhaabi:
I've decided to bring attention to this topic since 2024's event has concluded. I think I've gathered a general understanding of how everyone prefers the event to be organized, so there's no need to gain formal feedback like before.
First, something I need to improve upon is communication. While I was attentive to keeping everyone updated, I didn't actually make note of whom I messaged and only did so in the moment. Only until about two weeks ago did I realize I had overlooking messaging one participant that their sent parcel had been delivered to their giftee. So, I'll need to add those kinds of notes to the document I manage.
With that said, could anything else about 2024's event have been improved in any way? The first thing that comes to my mind is the deadline for items to be sent out. Perhaps December 1 should be the deadline for everyone, including those only shipping domestically within the United States, although those shipping internationally should still try to mail out items so that they arrive within the first week of December. I only say this since there is usually an attempt for some sort of group gift-opening meetup. I know that some were wanting to take advantage of Black Friday sales prices, so that time will have already passed by the November's end.
dhaabi:
The season for Secret Santa is fast approaching once more! In the next week or so, I will be creating a new topic for those wishing to participate in the 2025 event to respond to. However, there needs to be some discussion in regards to international shipping and the current state of the economic market—namely, the impact of tariffs being imposed by the United States (US).
Right now, I obviously do not know which members (if any) from non-US countries may want to participate in this year's event, though I presume at least one person would want to join based on previous years' participants. I have tried to stay up-to-date on international shipping concerns, but it is such a volatile matter in that pricing, fees, what is and isn't affected, when changes do go into effect, and how other countries respond to such changes vary on any given day. It is my understanding that shipping items to the US could be a financial burden to non-US members, and vice-versa. Or, in some instances, mailing operations may be totally suspended involving the US, which, as of this writing, has been the decision made by at least 25 countries (coincidentally, every country where non-US participants who participated last year are from.) Every day, new updates regarding worldwide shipping are made due to unstable or unrealistic guidelines enacted by the US. So, I believe it may be best to remove potential pairings involving a US participant and non-US participant for this year's event.
I am aware that certain exceptions are (for now) in effect from being imposed by tariffs. From my understanding, video games are not items that would be impacted by such fees, but this exception could just as easily change in the new future. The law is outlined below, as taken from Cornell Law's website:
--- Quote ---50 U.S. Code § 1702 - Presidential authorities
(b)Exceptions to grant of authority
The authority granted to the President by this section does not include the authority to regulate or prohibit, directly or indirectly—
(3)the importation from any country, or the exportation to any country, whether commercial or otherwise, regardless of format or medium of transmission, of any information or informational materials, including but not limited to, publications, films, posters, phonograph records, photographs, microfilms, microfiche, tapes, compact disks, CD ROMs, artworks, and news wire feeds. The exports exempted from regulation or prohibition by this paragraph do not include those which are otherwise controlled for export under section 4604 [3] of this title, or under section 4605 [3] of this title to the extent that such controls promote the nonproliferation or antiterrorism policies of the United States, or with respect to which acts are prohibited by chapter 37 of title 18
--- End quote ---
What does everyone think? While I am planning to once again be this year's event organizer, this is a community event and does not belong to one individual. I am not wanting to dictate some executive decision signed off without others' input—through a democratic process, even.
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