Lady Transformer

New Paper
12 April 2009


S'porean transforms the Transformers

INSTEAD of looking for a job, Ms Sabrina Ng has decided to play with toys.

And why not, considering that the fresh graduate's fascination with Transformers toys is helping her make a steady income at a time when her peers are finding it tough to get a job.

The business graduate is currently making waves in the local and international toy scene by creating customised versions of Transformers toys.

Each day, Ms Ng, 24, devotes close to 12 hours to give the toys a 'complete make over'.

Other than giving the models a paint job, other aspects she fiddles with are the aesthetic appearance of the hands, as well as adding accessories like shields.



Only recently becoming a fan of the series after the release of the Transformers movie in 2007, she has been customising for a year, with help from her boyfriend, Mr Syed Muzaffar, 26, who is in the fitness line.

'At first, we started customising because of our love for Transformers, and not so much about the money. We never expected all of this to happen,' she said.

With the help of the Internet, and support from noted US toy customisers like Mr Michael Morgan of Action Figure Customs, and Mr Michael Accardi (also known as Frenzy Rumble), Ms Ng has built a name for herself in the international custom Transformers scene.

To date, the highest paid for piece - a 10-inch movie version of Optimus Prime, with accessories - was auctioned off online for about US $1,000 ($1,520).

The six-inch models she works on a regular basis cost about $20 from retailers.

But after going through her precision customisation, the toys usually fetch US$360 after a seven-day period of bidding.

Despite the lucrative returns, Transformers customisation - which she describes as an 'excellent hobby'- is not what she intends to do on a permanent basis.

'I do want to find a job in human resources, making use of my degree, but the job market isn't too good right now, so I'll be doing this for the time being,' she said.

One returning customer, and creator of www.tf.sg, a local website for Transformer enthusiasts, Mr Justin Chua, 27, alerted The New Paper to Ms Ng's work.

He owns one of Ms Ng's work - Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime - and another two are on the way.

'I bought something I really liked, and even though I paid a certain sum for the work, it's really worth it,' he explained.

'They are not something I can get from the manufacturer.'

Ms Ng is currently collaborating with Mr Accardi, an established combiner - the art of combining parts of various Transformers - from the US.


ROBOTS IN HER DISGUISE: (Top) Ms Sabrina Ng, with some of the Transformers models she and her boyfriend have customised. (Above) Painstakingly done by hand, Ms Ng patiently dry-brushes a section of a Transformer. --TNP PICTURES: KELVIN CHNG

When asked about why he chose to work with Ms Ng, he said: 'She has a great eye for detail and her painting skills are top notch.

'I wouldn't trust my custom projects with anyone else.'

The collaboration piece will coincide with the launch of the second installation of the Transformers movie series due out in June 2009.

So it comes as no surprise that her one wish is 'to appear on Transformers 3 in 2011!'

Those who want to find out more about the custom Transformers, can visit Ms Ng's website, http://www.artsylovers.blogspot.com/.

PS2 for $188

After a few days for searching, I finally found a place that do sell new PS2. And it comes with one year warranty.

This chain of shops is selling PS2 for $188.

I really dun know much about the shop, not sure if it is reputable. And one of the location is Sim Lim, the notorious Con Capital of IT.

Scary!

Who knows what $188 include? Maybe just the console itself? And the accessories like the controller and cables are extra charges?

Hmmm.... $188 for a PS2. Just for one GOW2. Is it worth it?

I really dun know. Maybe I should contact the guy and ask.

Let me think about it.

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Below is their classified ad.

Hi,we are registered company located in Sim Lim Square,Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Bedok.

PS2 Slim at $188,all 1st hand consoles with one year warranty.We sell 2nd hand consoles also.

We welcome trade in of your PS2,Xbox360,PSP,NDS and PS3 for other consoles.

Interested,pls call 93821820-Alvin for any enquiry.Website http://www.gametrading2000.com

PS2 or PS3

I am seriously thinking of getting a Sony Playstation.

I just wanted to play God of War 2 on Playstation so badly. This is the only thing that is getting me going these days.

Yeah, real pathetic.

But the problem is that GOW2 is a PS2 title and only playable on PS2 and certain earlier generations of PS3.

From my google research, I found out that for PS3 consoles, only the 60Gb and certain earlier models of the 80Gb has that backward compatibility.

What Backward compatibility means for PS3 consoles is the ability to play titles of the prior Playstation, which is PS2 and PS1.

And the present batch available for retail does not have this BC function as Sony took the chip to cut costs and present a cheaper PS

Personally for me, there are only 3 choices.

1. Buy a PS3 which has backward compatibility.
But the thing is Sony stopped producing such models months or even years ago. And the only way to get one is from the used market. Such models are difficult to find and quite rare, not to mention expensive, cos there are people out there still clamoring for such sets.

2. The 2nd option is to buy a PS2.
PS2 has been introduced about 9 or 10 years ago. And there are quite a few game titles due to it's long history. But the thing is fewer game titles are coming out in this PS2 format. So the device could be considered getting obsolete.

The current market rate for a used PS2 is $100 to $150. New ones cost about $150 to $250.
And existing game titles are difficult to find. Most shops dun sell PS2 titles anymore.

3. The last option is to forget about GOW2 and wait for GOW3 which is coming out in early 2010 in PS3 format.

Well, the main purpose of me getting a Playstation is I really wanted to play GOW2. I even bought the game title before I bought a PS.

So yeah, I am torn!

Cannot play PS2 games on present 2009 PS3 consoles

I wrote in to Sony to ask if I could play some PS2 games on present PS3 consoles.
There are just too many contradicting views online and the best way to know is through the official horse's mouth.

This is the response I got.

And I so wanted to play God of War 2 which is only available in PS2.


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http://asia.playstation.com/sg/en/contactus

Hi, i intend to get a PS3. I would like to find out if I can play PS2 game God of war 2 on the latest model of 80 gb Ps3 console ?

Thanks.
------------------------------

Thank you for your e-mail and interest in PS products.

Regarding to your enquiry, please be advised the PLAYSTATION 3 consoles currently on offer at our Sony Style Shops would not support the operation with a PLAYSTATION 1 and 2 game titles.

Only PLAYSTATION 3 consoles model CECH-A06 and CECH-E06 are capable of reading PS1/PS2 games with the colour system of NTSC J.

For updated information regarding our PS products, please feel free to browse our web site at http://asia.playstation.com/sg/en.

If you have further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at http://asia.playstation.com/sg/en/support/contactus/.

Playstation product hotline tel: 800-8523-663（Mondays to Sundays 09:00-20:00)

Thank you for your kind attention.

Best Regards,

WC
Contact Centre
Customer Communications & Relations Department
Direct Touch Point Marketing Division

Expensive Sentosa

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New Paper
4 April 2009

Prices to go up at Sentosa attractions

WHY increase prices in the thick of a recession when visitor numbers are at a four-year low?

By Lediati Tan

WHY increase prices in the thick of a recession when visitor numbers are at a four-year low?

The decision by Sentosa to increase prices of its four attractions - Songs of the Sea, Sentosa Luge and Skyride, Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom and the cable car - by between $1 and $6 from Wednesday has left a bad taste with most people The New Paper spoke to.

Said Mrs L T Tan, a housewife in her 50s: 'The economy is so bad and people are either losing their jobs or getting pay cuts. Would anyone still want to go?'

Miss Agnes Ye, 24, a scientist, said: 'We're in a recession. Shouldn't they be lowering their prices to get more people to go rather than increase prices?

'They should have more promotions for families and couples.'

And to her, the attractions on Sentosa were already overpriced to begin with.

Their concerns over timing are not unfounded. February saw only 689,000 visitors to Singapore - a 15.2 per cent decline compared with February last year.

It was the biggest decline since visitor numbers began falling in June.

Faced with such trying times, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched the 2009 Reasons to Visit Singapore promotion in February.

The promotion seeks to target Singapore as a value-for-money destination for foreigners and also aims to encourage its residents to visit local attractions.

But increasing prices at a time like this seems to go against the STB's bid to attract locals to local attractions, said Miss Ye.

When contacted, Ms Susan Ang of Sentosa Leisure Group, which manages the Songs of the Sea attraction, explained that it decided to gradually phase in adjustments to the admission pricing to allow more people to visit the attraction.

She said that the attraction was priced at $6 for the first 14 months since its launch. This was later raised to $8 in June last year, and to $10 from Wednesday.

'Songs of the Sea is competitively priced against Sentosa's many offerings, as well as other leisure activities in the region,' she added.

The company operates three other attractions on Sentosa, namely Fort Siloso, The Merlion and Images of Singapore, but Songs of the Sea was the only one with a price hike.

A spokesman for Mount Faber Leisure Group, which operates the cable car service between Mount Faber and Sentosa, said that the price increase of $6 was part of its business strategy.

It now costs $18.90 for a two-way trip, instead of $12.90.

Even with the increase, the price of a cable-car ride remains one of the lowest in the world, and the company will be offering promotions for locals soon, she added.

Giving better value for money is also the reason why the Sentosa Luge and Skyride adjusted its prices, said Mr Lyndon Thomas, its general manager.

Although the retail price for the combined one luge and one skyride package has been increased from $10 to $11, it actually costs $2 less than if the two luge and two skyride package was purchased instead.

Said Mr Thomas: 'This isn't an across-the-board price increase - it is a minor adjustment that will save our guests money.'

He explained that it gives discounts of up to 55 per cent on rides for its members, who can buy the one luge and one skyride ride combo at just $5.

He added that most customers prefer multiple rides, so they are actually saving money if they buy the two rides package.

Numbers not affected

'Our visitor numbers have not been affected, in comparison to 12 months ago,' said Mr Thomas.

'I believe the pricing adjustment will help us grow our business, as we are making ourselves better value for money for our number one customers, who are Singaporeans.'

The New Paper could not reach the management of the Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom attraction.

Undergrad Andrew Goh, 23, said he was not bothered by the price increase.

He said that Singaporeans, himself included, generally prefer things that are free.

He added that he only visits Sentosa for its beaches, which means he only has to pay for admission to the island.

A representative from Siam Express, an inbound tour company, told The New Paper that while she understood that the attractions' operators have to cover their costs in these bad times, she thought that increasing prices at this juncture was still ill-timed.

She said: 'I had hoped for prices either to go down or to be maintained.'

But she added that she would still continue to promote Sentosa as a destination for visitors to Singapore, as it is one of our country's main attractions.

Besides, the increase in prices for the attractions have been alleviated by lower hotel prices, she said.

She predicted that for slight increases of $1 to $2, people would still visit the attractions, but for those attractions with bigger increases, the impact will be much greater.