Collectible Games Plunge in Value Following Digital Re-release
Collectible Games Plunge in Value Following Digital Re-release
January 2, 2009
For most gamers, it's great to see an old classic turn up on Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network or the Wii Shop Channel.
But, as Ars Technica reports, such re-releases are often bad news for collectors of hard-to-find video games.
Video games are a digital medium, and re-monetizing rare games via digital distribution services has been a long time coming... How much do rare games drop in value when they're re-released via a service like Xbox Live? A good example is Rez HD, the Xbox 360 version of a rare Dreamcast and PS2 shooter...
"Rez used to sell for about $50 for the Dreamcast version and $45 for the PS2 version through the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008," Nick [of Racketboy.com] explained... "Ikaruga sold for about $75 for the Dreamcast version and $45 for the Gamecube port. Once it was announced that both games would be coming to XBLA in the middle of the year, the games dropped $5 to $15 in value... It seems that the Dreamcast games hold their value a bit more as it is more of a cult classic system, and they are also Japanese imports."
Nick also told us that the domestic copies of the relatively common PS2 and GameCube ports of the game have halved in value.
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BearDogg-X: I wonder what the Metropolitian Moron of Miami said in response to my comment saying that he got a dose of his medicine on the SGC09 Debate thread?
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:51pm
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He gets offended with a bunch of flowers.
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He gets offended with a bunch of flowers.
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GoodRobotUs: LOL He takes offence at the fact he might have *chosen* to be crazy?
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Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He warned me to get a lawyer after I called him "crazy by his own choice"... that´s libel for him
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HilaryDuffGta: "libel" what did he threaten now?
HilaryDuffGta: "libel" what did he threaten now?
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Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Was fun to be threatened for "libel" again.
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Was fun to be threatened for "libel" again.
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HilaryDuffGta: hey so what did i miss??? the usual spam of "crap"
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FlakAttack: Jack ruined his chance to have civil debates with us here. Glad you banned him (again).
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Krono: Unexpected is probably the best word to describe it. Particularly as no decent reason is given.
Krono: Unexpected is probably the best word to describe it. Particularly as no decent reason is given.
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GoodRobotUs: Just heard about that myself... kinda unexpected
GoodRobotUs: Just heard about that myself... kinda unexpected
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Krono: Huh, apparently Sarah Palin is resigning.
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GoodRobotUs: Sounds like he's been mainlining the Angel Dust again
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PHX Corp: So the jackhole finally got through to attack us again
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Andrew Eisen: I deleted all of JT's off topic stuff.
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PHX Corp: He also has more BS Law suits agains the florida bar
PHX Corp: He also has more BS Law suits agains the florida bar
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DarkSaber: Yep, for once it's a GENUINE Jack Attack.
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Comments
I "collect" games and have no problem with digital copies bringing prices down. I buy old games to play them, not pretend I'm making some kind of monetary investment.
Rez and Ikaruga were both games i wanted, but due to me being too young for a job back then, cuts had to be made in my wish list of games, unfortunately these two didn't make it.
I'ts nice to know i'll have another chance
I don't care that prices are dropping. I am actually excited about it. THat means tha tsome old games I want in their original format will be cheaper when I go to buy them.
I equate this situation to comic publishers reprinting hot collectable issues. The original still holds some value as it is the original print, but new people get the chance to enjoy those classics.
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Pheh, god knows i wouldn't care... Frankly, there have been plenty of times i had a desire to play an old game... but asking me to spend more than $20 on something so old is just plain insane. The laws of supply and demand at their worst...
its actually funny, in this case the publisher is the good guy in that when they re-release a game it will be at a fair price and not something as high as the price that a consumer would demand for the rare game... i've seen games being sold for like triple their original worth... the same could be said for any product really
Now someone just needs to do it for Planescape Torment,
I think the digital re-release is a great idea. I'm a huge fan of GOG.com (Good Old Games for people who don't know).
Got myself copies of Fallout and Fallout 2 in prep for Fallout 3, great memories. And they work great on my Vista laptop AND Vista 64-bit Desktop.
Apparently GOG is in talks with LucasArts to start getting those games out there, I'm SO hoping for TIE Fighter and X-Wing to make an appearance.
Would surprise me to see old classics like Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate to make the cut.
It's really helped communities like the Freespace Source Code Project who got the call to optimize Freespace 2 (btw, if you have an old joystick lying around...GET THAT GAME).
I like re-releases. It's only the collectors who would complain about this >.<
There are so many old games I would love to see remade or at least re-released, Wing Commander series, the older lucas arts games like x-wing and x-wing vs. tie fighter, man so many great games that could be brought back :D
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Some games have gotten a reprint which then contributes to their drop in price, I believe that Rez was one of those games. Look at the value of Gitaroo man after it was reprinted. Its not only digital copies that decrease a game's value, its when they get reprinted as well. These reprints are identical to the original copy in every way as far as I know.
As far as Ikaruga goes there are other shooters out there that are probably better and newer, the Gamecube is dead and not everyone has a Wii. Hardcore gamers who are the audience for Ikaruga and these people tend not to own a Wii system.
I never had REZ for the dreamcast, as I never had the system. I bought it for the PS2 when I was able to find the sucker. (It was rare then, according to both Gamestop and EBGames before the merger)) I'll get the 360 port later, maybe along with Duke Nukem 3D.
- Warren Lewis
Thats too bad for collectors but its great for gamers who couldn't find and/or couldnt afford to spend $50+ for them.
Well let's see I don't own a 360 but I do have a PS2 and now you're saying the value of Rez has dropped?
Interesting.
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Could somebody explain the crisis here? Go to EB with a game that has been out for 1 month and see how much the price has been slashed. Classic games? I dunno. Maybe? Problem is that most people will realize that their old hardware is breaking down. Therefore XBLA is the best option for most people. To me there will always be collectors of everything that exists that you can hold in your hand. Some are better investments than others. Video games are a poor choice of collections because its data and that can be transferred. Stamps? Theres a good one. Can't reproduce that. Original is original. Sorry to say this fellas!
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Some gamers have a problem with not having the actual product in their hands. It's sort of that feeling like they are going to get ripped off or just having the feeling of owning the game. I understand to a point...but there are some games you just can't pass up on.
The dropping of price also helps gamers who don't own the actual system the remake is on but the system the original is on.
The "crisis" is that people who spent lots of money to buy rare things are now finding themselves without bragging rights.
I've always admired collectors who collect because they want a nice full library or want to be part of history or any of those reasons.. but always felt a bit of distaste for the ones who want things to stay rare so they can feel better then poorer collectors.
I'm all for re-releases. Not only are you guaranteed a game in mint condition, but there are often additional improvements and bonus features included. If the debate is over collectors vs. gamers, I feel the greater good truly wins out.
"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde
Games being sold as something to play and not really expensive items to sit on a shelf and stare at?
Who woulda guessed!?
There is zero reason to pay full retail price for a used game.
Some digital copies of games have been changed from the original. The Virtual Console release of Tecmo Super Bowl was changed thanks to EA and their exclusive deal with the NFL which for some reason affects classic football games. And of course, the copies of Punch-Out with Mike Tyson, not Mr. Dream. The originals without the changes are more valuable.
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Actually that changed a long time ago. They re-released that game with Mr. Dream on a seperate cartridge for obvious reasons...
I don't have a problem with re-releases. We can hardly complain about one company trying to destroy the second hand market, and then complain about another one re-releasing old games, I'd feel like a hypocrite.
Excellent news. Games are digital and downloadable. If the expected sales revenue of any re-release beats the cost of digitally redistributing it, than go for it, crazy publishers. It means we get to play your stuff and pay you for it too.
The only people really hurting here are those buying up the old games to resell (sod 'em), and the unfortunate few who locate a "bargain" only to have it appear on XBLA a month later (tough break). Boxed copies will still be sought out by collectors, and now they'll have a better chance because they won't have to compete with everyday gamers.
It's better this way. Games like FF7 SHOULD NOT BE SOLD FOR $200 (don't have a source, but it was pretty high up there).
Yes, I don't like FF7...
I hated Secret of Mana and apparently that cartridge is a solid brick of gold or something.
Wait? You mean a physical asset isn't a stable investment?
Not that any of this was an investment, anyway. Whats the point of being a game collector? You could sell all your stuff, but then you wouldn't have, you know, a collection.
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This is good news. If you want the original game, now it is more easily acquired. If you currently have the original, then who cares if the price drops? You don't hang on to old games for resale value, you hold on to them for sentimental value.
Speaking as a collector, I see good news for both collectors and "normal" players. People who want to play the game but couldn't afford to will now have that chance. And it's not as if the collector market is going away completely, though it will definitely drop somewhat.
There are still going to be people who want to own original physical game packaging, there's just something about being able to hold it and flip through it. Given the choice, wouldn't you rather own an original Picasso rather than a reproduction print? You can look at and appreciate both, but to have an original is something special.
But why the heck hasn't Square re-released FF7? $70+ for a set of loose discs is outrageous for a game that sold X million copies. I'll be glad to see that kind of eBay bidding insanity go.