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[GrayChild]

The situation wasn't nearly as bad just a couple of years ago.

What the hell happened? Hell, even stuff like Resident Evil, with titles that are easily obtainable via PSN or GOG has been affected by that. Are people really that desperate for a quick profit, that they're turning the collecting of niche horror titles into large-scale business?

 

[Three]

Rare collectors items?

 

[Punished Miku]

Your physical media future.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Outrageous

 

[Three]

Your physical media future.

These are factory sealed or very rare games. You can buy a used Resident Evil 3 Nemisis for under £20. Don't be stupid.

 

[rm082e]

New sealed = collectors BS. Collectors deserve whatever price the market throws at them.

If you just want to play these games, there are plenty of ways that cost almost nothing.

 

[Three]

New sealed = collectors BS. Collectors deserve whatever price the market throws at them.

If you just want to play these games, there are plenty of ways that cost almost nothing.

It's all "collectors BS". The only reason Kuon and Rule of Rose have shot up in price too is because there are a bunch of FromSoftware and Atlus fans now so the market demand of collectors is setting the price.

 

[Durin]

As someone who likes to collect video games...this is where that culture absolutely loses me.

I'd have to adore a game to spend over $100, but anything past $200 is something I'll just wait to find a better deal or give up caring about.

 

[GrayChild]

Rare collectors items?

Not even collectors editions. The most basic retail copies which could be found for 20-40 bucks just a decade ago. You can easily buy a digital DRM_free copy of Resident Evil 3 from GOG for a tenner:

Resident Evil 3

あれは血の中に潜んでいる… Join Jill Valentine, the heroine and amazing s

www.gog.com

The examples with titles like Kuon, Rule of Rose or any other of the actually rare games are actually used copies, often in less-than-perfect condition. FFS there are bootleg copies "manufactured" in someone's garage that are like $600 right now.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

These are factory sealed or very rare games.

I used to deal in all sorts of rare game nonsense back in the days of yore. Back in a time when Ebay and certain sites were a lot more ethical. Sealed PS1 games, rare boxed PC games, Snes, you name it I probably shifted a copy

I just could not deal with the ball ache in todays climate. It's gone absolutely crazy and you'd more than likely get utterly shafted

Not worth the hassle. I kept quite a few in the end and called it a day.

After that and over the years I've just built up a library of what I could find at the time.

 

[spookyfish]

Is Heritage Auctions at it again?

 

[Punished Miku]

As someone who likes to collect video games...this is where that culture absolutely loses me.

I'd have to adore a game to spend over $100, but anything past $200 is something I'll just wait to find a better deal or give up caring about.

I saw a crappy Pokemon GBA game downtown in a beat up box for $500 and just laughed.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Your physical media future.

Physical is a great investment

How much will all your Xbox downloads be worth?

 

[Punished Miku]

Physical is a great investment

How much will all your Xbox downloads be worth?

Its true. If you are primarily interested in stocking up on potentially declining inventory to resell, physical is better. If you're looking to distribute a limited supply game to more people so they can still play it, digital.

I sold lots of stuff back in the day when I was broke but not a big issue for me now.

 

[adamsapple]

Scarce physical media, no reliable way to get those games digitally for current hardware, no interest from publisher to reprint copies.

Expected results.


* This is for games like Rule of Rose. At least the RE games are available on future proof platforms like GoG.

 

[Three]

Not even collectors editions. The most basic retail copies which could be found for 20-40 bucks just a decade ago. You can easily buy a digital DRM_free copy of Resident Evil 3 from GOG for a tenner:

Resident Evil 3

あれは血の中に潜んでいる… Join Jill Valentine, the heroine and amazing s

www.gog.com

The examples with titles like Kuon, Rule of Rose or any other of the actually rare games are actually used copies, often in less-than-perfect condition. FFS there are bootleg copies "manufactured" in someone's garage that are like $600 right now.

The bootleg Kuon going for $600 are just trying to scam people. You can get bootleg discs of it for like $13.

you can buy Resident evil cheap too if it isn't a collectors item like the sealed mint condition disc versions going for crazy prices. If it isn't really sought after by collectors like the disc in box with missing manual it's not that expensive:

CeX

The thing with collectors items is that the price is unpredictable, as time goes on the price normally increases like antiques. Demand also is unpredictable and so prices jump. Collectors in the market have a new found love for Fromsoftware so Kuon shot up in price as Fromsoftware became more famous.

 

[Kotaro]

Scarce physical media, no reliable way to get those games digitally for current hardware, no interest from publisher to reprint copies.

Expected results.


* This is for games like Rule of Rose. At least the RE games are available on future proof platforms like GoG.

these are sealed games, are not meant to be played. strictly for collecting purposes

 

[Grildon Tundy]

I'd like to see the sell prices over the list prices. Surely no one is actually paying $1000+ for this stuff?

 

[diffusionx]

Rule of Rose has always been an expensive and overpriced (because it's horrible) game.

The graded stuff is a scam, same as always. There are YT videos that go into how scummy that market is, lots of scam artists and grifters manipulating the market like selling shit to themselves to raise the price.

 

[adamsapple]

these are sealed games, are not meant to be played. strictly for collecting purposes

Non sealed copies of Rule of Rose also go for $999.99 or above.

 

[GrayChild]

Rule of Rose has always been an expensive and overpriced (because it's horrible) game.

The graded stuff is a scam, same as always. There are YT videos that go into how scummy that market is, lots of scam artists and grifters manipulating the market like selling shit to themselves to raise the price.

Non sealed copies of Rule of Rose also go for $999.99 or above.

Rule of Rose (and Kuon for that matter) are just some examples.

And I'd argue that even at 400-800 dollars as other used games go (like most copies of Haunting Ground and Fatal Frame right now) it's still an absolute rip-off.

If we had more publishers that do what LRG do (of course, without being such insufferable cunts), it'd be great.

 

[adamsapple]

And I'd argue that even at 400-800 dollars as other used games go (like most copies of Haunting Ground and Fatal Frame right now) it's still an absolute rip-off.

Of course, I agree with this 100%.

Anything in the three digits for a standard version of an old game is a rip-off.

 

[Beretta]

I should put up my PS1 long box Resident Evil for sale at $10,000 and see if anyone buys it.

 

[Sooner]

Bought. Thanks for sharing.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Not such an extreme case, but I wanted to buy Silent Hill Downpour & Homecoming for the Xbox and used copies cost as much as new games (or more). That's your awesome digital future, because you can't buy them in the digital store even though they're both backwards compatible. Meanwhile Steam copies on PC cost pennies.

 

[coffinbirth]

It's called supply and demand.

 

[GrayChild]

Not such an extreme case, but I wanted to buy Silent Hill Downpour & Homecoming for the Xbox and used copies cost as much as new games (or more). That's your awesome digital future, because you can't buy them in the digital store even though they're both backwards compatible. Meanwhile Steam copies on PC cost pennies.

Yup, which is quite weird since both of them are much never titles, not to mention they were much less favorably received compared to their predecessors.

Speaking of which, Homecoming's PC port is so busted (even on older OS like Windows 7), I eventually caved in and bought a cheap PS3 copy. Even running the game through an emulator provided a better experience.

 

[diffusionx]

Rule of Rose (and Kuon for that matter) are just some examples.

And I'd argue that even at 400-800 dollars as other used games go (like most copies of Haunting Ground and Fatal Frame right now) it's still an absolute rip-off.

If we had more publishers that do what LRG do (of course, without being such insufferable cunts), it'd be great.

Nobody - nobody - is spending $400 to buy a game just because they want to play it. You can so easily play all of these games in other ways that if you really want to play Fatal Frame, you'll just emulate, and you get an experience better than you can on original hardware.

People are buying the game because it's perceived as a collectible that will continue to grow in value, or because the value of having the physical thing on their shelf exceeds $400. Likely they will spend the money and not even play it.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Scarcity of supply.

Low print runs on titles creates the demand.

I agree with most of the educated posts in this thread. These games are not intended to be played really, most people are collecting them. I'll still play old nes games or atari games that owned as a kid like FF1 or the mega mans but no way in hell would I take little samson or mr gimmick out of their boxes to play them now.

But personally I have paid large amounts of money to reacquire games from my childhood to play that I lost/broke/whatever. (looking at you star control 2 on 3do...any pretty much ANY neogeo game).

 

[GrayChild]

Nobody - nobody - is spending $400 to buy a game just because they want to play it. You can so easily play all of these games in other ways that if you really want to play Fatal Frame, you'll just emulate, and you get an experience better than you can on original hardware.

People are buying the game because it's perceived as a collectible that will continue to grow in value, or because the value of having the physical thing on their shelf exceeds $400. Likely they will spend the money and not even play it.

I've met several people who do that. Just for the sake of "playing the game like it was indented". Native hardware, old early-2000 4:3 CRTs and all that jazz.

Hell, I know a guy IRL who has this policy of never playing a port or remaster of something, just because "this was made strictly for platform X and so it's best played there". I actually suggested they get a chipped PS2, Gamecube or whatever and burn themselves copies of these games as they're technically considered abandonware, but no...

 

[Kotaro]

Non sealed copies of Rule of Rose also go for $999.99 or above.

it's listed for $1000, but I don't think it's selling at that price, history says used ones sold for $500-$700

 

[keefged4]

As someone who likes to collect video games...this is where that culture absolutely loses me.

I'd have to adore a game to spend over $100, but anything past $200 is something I'll just wait to find a better deal or give up caring about.

I got rid of basically all my physical collection bar a very select few consoles last year because of this, it is ridiculous pricewise to keep up now. Sold my entire Silent Hill Collection and bagged a decent amount truth be told.

 

[El Muerto]

I remember when you could buy these games in the bargain bin at a local game store. The prices are insane, especially now that the people who grew up with these games now have money which puts the games in demand, driving up costs.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Guessing they didn't sell well back in the day, so few copies were pressed. And, they've gotten a lot more popular in recent years due to a bunch of factors (streamers, retro content creators, developments with the IP rights and/or companies involved in making them etc.).

Scary part is those aren't even near the most expensive retro games on the market.

 

[diffusionx]

I've met several people who do that. Just for the sake of "playing the game like it was indented". Native hardware, old early-2000 4:3 CRTs and all that jazz.

Hell, I know a guy IRL who has this policy of never playing a port or remaster of something, just because "this was made strictly for platform X and so it's best played there". I actually suggested they get a chipped PS2, Gamecube or whatever and burn themselves copies of these games as they're technically considered abandonware, but no...

Well, they're not spending $400 to play the game. They're spending $400 to be a nerd about it... and to put the game on the shelf because they are actually collectors who are trying to deny it to themselves for some reason.

As you point out there are far cheaper ways to play the game if they want to play the game. Nobody is kept from playing Fatal Frame because of the cost.

 

[Signalis]

The situation wasn't nearly as bad just a couple of years ago.

What the hell happened? Hell, even stuff like Resident Evil, with titles that are easily obtainable via PSN or GOG has been affected by that. Are people really that desperate for a quick profit, that they're turning the collecting of niche horror titles into large-scale business?

I really liked Rule Of Rose, I bought a copy when it released back in the day and not long after release I got a copy from my sister as well for my birthday(she didn't know I had it) and I still have that sealed copy to this day she bought me.

But yeah, the older games market has gotten insane, while being a collector myself, I would never sell my games and these people selling it at these prices can also go get fucked.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Collectors items and horror is a funny genre. Old tech can actually make it funner, give it a feel. Good horror games never age.

 

[ReyBrujo]

with titles that are easily obtainable via PSN or GOG has been affected by that.

That's not understanding how game collecting works, though. Also, Atlus and NIS games always skyrocket after a few years. The other day I was offered a SNES Wild Gun CIB for 700 bucks which I could have bought since it's usually sold for 1000, and don't even get me started with Aero Fighters, Pocky & Rocky and others of the SNES era.

 

[baphomet]

You posted 2 games that have been very expensive for well over a decade, and a bunch of worthless WATA graded trash worth nothing.

 

[rubik's dude]

As someone who likes to collect video games...this is where that culture absolutely loses me.

Collecting in general is a pretty shit hobby, and I like to collect as well lol.

Between preying on fomo with limited runs of stuff, artificial scarcity, the scam of gradings, and scalpers/drop shippers/side hustlers and aftermarket prices, a lot of the joy has been sucked out.

It went from being about a love for something and wanting to collect memorabilia, to who has the biggest peen because of how much money they made from selling this shit, or who spent the most money on their collection.

 

[LordCBH]

Just pirate them.

 

[GrayChild]

That's not understanding how game collecting works, though.

Perhaps I'm still speaking (albeit a bit naively) from the viewpoint of someone who likes to collect games, but also to actively play them with the copies he bought.

I never believed in stacking a shelf full of rarities just because they cost an arm and a leg, and I'd never buy a game I don't like just for its perceived value. But I guess I'm in the minority.

 

[poppabk]

I mean at one point a small jpg of an ape was worth half a million dollars - even with a massive crash - one jpg is worth the same as 30 copies of one of these games.
Once something becomes a collectors item the price becomes completely detached from demand or actual value.

 

[ReyBrujo]

Perhaps I'm still speaking (albeit a bit naively) from the viewpoint of someone who likes to collect games, but also to actively play them with the copies he bought.

I never believed in stacking a shelf full of rarities just because they cost an arm and a leg, and I'd never buy a game I don't like just for its perceived value. But I guess I'm in the minority.

Let's differentiate, if you buy a sealed copy of a game you want it for collecting only, you don't plan on opening it. If you buy a CIB copy you can both be collecting and playing it. I got friends who love to play with the physical consoles, I'm in a SNES collecting group but many have started collecting TurboGrafx games too because they are cheap still in comparison (especially Japanese ones). Now, we all know that physical games will eventually fail, a battery in a SNES game might leak and ruin the circuit, or the pins might get too damaged, a disc might decay or become too scratched to be playable, etc. In that case those games can drop their price so if you bought them as investment they will be a complete loss. Some of that could happen to sealed games but in this case you are buying the item as a piece of memorabilia, not to play it so if the battery decays and eats the whole PCB away it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't destroy the box.

I personally collect games that I a) played as a child/teen, b) games that I read in magazines at that age but could never buy, c) games that I want to play. Very rarely I buy something to not play it, which is why I nowadays focus more on portable and consoles that have a portable version than home consoles where you need a CRT to experience the game as when you were child. But I totally understand someone wanting to pay 500 or 1000 for a sealed copy, or a copy of a game that had low production.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Spoiler

/s of course

 

[jshackles]

Five years ago I sold a portion of my physical collection, and made enough to put a down payment on a house. Most of the games I sold have gone up in price since then, some double.

Retro collecting has been crazy for a while now.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

graded, sealed acrylic boxes are lame

but i like owning sealed copies of some games
and there's something about playing original games on original hardware (and not mad if youve done things like hdmi hard mod).

 

[Roman Empire]

This is just how the subjective collectors market work.

It's bullshit, and it will remain like that till the end of time.

 

[Windle Poons]

Yeah but… nobody's bought one - there all still up for sale.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Collectors. People who actually play videogames (weird right?) emulate.