THE VIDEO GAME MARKET HAS COLLAPSED

[Lagduf]

This thread is bonkers, if anything, the opposite is true.

I would like to direct everyone's attention to Earthbound on SNES. It's nuts now what the game goes for. $150 for the bare cart, as high as $800 for a mint CIB copy??? Many games of that era are worth a ton now. I've been trying to get into Turbografx 16 games lately, and the prices are sky high.

Even some PlayStation games are still very high, look at The Misadventures of Tron Bonne.

FF7 has taken big hit in value recently, partially due to the re-release on the PSN. The same thing happened with Chrono Trigger when it was re-released on DS. A SNES cart used to go for $60 or so before 2009, now it averages around $45.

I bet Warren Buffet has a dozen pallets of Earthbound somewhere in a warehouse.

 

[cdamm]

I bet Warren Buffet has a dozen pallets of Earthbound somewhere in a warehouse.

and at least 4 more copies of af3 aes.

 

[SouthtownKid]

I don't even understand this thread.

Who in their right mind would look at video games as an investment? They're worthless.

http://www.neo-geo.com/guides/aesguide.html

The balance has definitely shifted (towards a more sensible position, imo) in recent years, but I can remember a time when it seemed like the majority of people here looked upon video games as investments. More than a couple people seemed to look at them as investments even more than as games.

 

[Lagduf]

the majority of people here looked upon video games as investments. More than a couple people seemed to look at them as investments even more than as games.

Sure - but that doesn't mean they were actually sound investments. Investments that you could, you know, stake your financial well being on.

 

[DangerousK]

Warren Buffet says investing in gold still is not better than the stock market.

 

[Lagduf]

When all the markets collapse those who invested in lead will be the real winners.

 

[Zenimus]

When all the markets collapse those who invested in lead will be the real winners.

If you invested in gold, could you like, use reverse-alchemy to get rich quick?

 

[SouthtownKid]

Sure - but that doesn't mean they were actually sound investments. Investments that you could, you know, stake your financial well being on.

I agree completely, but there were people who sure talked as if they were. Almost as if it was their justification for still enjoying video games as an adult. "Kid stuff? HA! I paid $500 for this cart and in 2 years it will be 'worth' double!" and blah blah blah. I see the same thing a lot in comics fandom... although thankfully, less and less as time goes on. The bottom fell out of that "market", too.

 

[Comrade Porn King Mikhail]

When all the markets collapse those who invested in lead will be the real winners.

Only until the government unleashes space lasers upon all of us.

I seriously laugh at people buying graded sealed video games. At least with a graded sealed Transformers toy it's an artistic piece and box you can look at (though still idiotic since you're not transforming the toy), but what the heck will a sealed video game do?

I'm all for vg market crashes. I'll take my loose SNES carts and play them on a portable generator long after Skynet destroys PSN and XBLive.

 

[SSS]

who was that idiot, Red Sunset or some shit who kept spamming the boards here to promote sealedgames.org or something similar?

 

[Curt]

Is OnLive paying you for this?

I wish!

if they were I would have even mentioned them by name, but I do think Onlive "gets it"

 

[Curt]

Truth.

If you're going to collect or did collect it should be stuff you love/loved regardless of value.

Also, Curt I saw most of the stuff you were ebaying and while a lot of it was good stuff it just wasn't really sought after by hardcore collectors. Did it really surprise you that your copy of Shenmue sold for $5?

It did, but this has been going on for awhile, were talking titles like Mushi Pork, Espa, and even DDP were struggling. If your talking about the last couple weeks these are pretty much the left overs. the prices for the Final Fantasys (perfect NM black labels) thats what shocked me, I thought those were solid.

 

[SSS]

purging collectables/ or hobby items due to lack of interest is one thing.

having a fire sale for paranoid fear of the future is retarded, and a decision you may end up regretting.

 

[CrackerMessiah]

Sure - but that doesn't mean they were actually sound investments. Investments that you could, you know, stake your financial well being on.

The trick is to convince other people that the given item is, well, that important. And it only becomes easier because people had/have great memories with games. People looking to relive those experiences tend to congregate, and markets pop up to cater to that impulse.

Then you've got people so see this and think "I have a copy of Metal Slug I want to sell, and I've found a community of buyers that will willingly pay 1000 (or whatever price it goes for these days) for it." They find their mark and sell it. Then they think "Hey - maybe I can do this again. Gotta find MS and other 'rare' games." Over time, at least in a collector's sense, the pursuit becomes one of profit first and foremost. I'd wager that's how many collectors come to see their games as "investments."

What's worse is that places like eBay and the N-G.com market forums are so great at perpetuating that message: they concentrate and amplify an arguably false sense rarity that falsely implies high value. And as long as there are nostalgic doe-eyed people with cash to burn who accept that the legitimate price for a copy of Metal Slug is 1K, the idea gets affirmed through transaction after transaction. This only further reinforces the idea of an "investment."

If you're of a particular mindset, you might think that this kind of kills the innocent 'spirit' of simply enjoying a game at a(n arguably) fair price. That is, playing a game for the sole sake of playing with no overwhelming desire to flip it for a profit. Digital downloads come with DRM and the like, but at least you can argue that they're expedient and affordable.

Can't say I know where to go from here, but being able to play a given game when you want to, cheaply and in the least burdensome way, is a good thing.

 

[Curt]

Regret? You Betcha.

I spent the early years of my life spending all my funds on BULLSHIT when I should have been smart and got into the IVY league or invested that shit.

I start seeing these dollar bills burn like fire, for nothing. Yeah I regret it. Whatever, I'm out in time.

 

[Curt]

purging collectables/ or hobby items due to lack of interest is one thing.

having a fire sale for paranoid fear of the future is retarded, and a decision you may end up regretting.

for me it was BOTH lol

 

[Renmauzo]

All it comes down to is time. The more games (carts, discs, cards...whatever) that get ruined by time and bad owners, the rarer they become; being good games and having small print runs helps too.
No one ever knows what the value for something will be in 50 years, but my mom knew a guy who had a collection of vintage board games (about a hundred) that he sold and bought himself a house with. 50 years from now, there's no doubt in my mind that a lot of this stuff is going to be worth a pretty significant amount, especially as physical media becomes less and less, there will always be a collector's market that wants something tangible for their money.
Just gotta think long term is all.

 

[RATM]

The solution to the coming catastrophe is strict price regulations and quotas.

Even the common game can come to carry a large price tag if we destroy a good chunk the stock.

The market for collectible video games has simply become too large, and important to face radical devaluation. Literally hundreds of people depend on collectible video games to maintain things like their mortgages and retirement funds. We can't allow these people to become stranded simply because market forces have rendered their investment obsolete. Immediate action is necessary.

 

[Dr Shroom]

Gonna buy some more games today, just try to stop me.

 

[terry.330]

It did, but this has been going on for awhile, were talking titles like Mushi Pork, Espa, and even DDP were struggling. If your talking about the last couple weeks these are pretty much the left overs. the prices for the Final Fantasys (perfect NM black labels) thats what shocked me, I thought those were solid.

Then you don't know how to list shit. You could have gotten more money selling on the shmups forums. Also those are recent releases that shit ain't Garrega or Hyper Duel. Spend less time on your art blog more time selling shit less desperately if you are that in need of money.

 

[SNKorSWM]

Art is only worth a damn when the artist that created it is dead. XD

The thing about cd or dvd is that they're literally a dime a dozen. There are no repercussions to overproduce on behalf of the publisher, so most of them do.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Then you don't know how to list shit. You could have gotten more money selling on the shmups forums. Also those are recent releases that shit ain't Garrega or Hyper Duel. Spend less time on your art blog more time selling shit less desperately if you are that in need of money.

Holy crap, terry just regulated on your ass.

 

[terry.330]

Art is only worth a damn when the artist that created it is dead. XD

Are you fucking retarded? Seriously.

I've actually been meaning to ask that for quite awhile. Assburgers, there has to be some excuse for your dribble. You have survived too long for there not to be something wrong with you.

 

[terry.330]

Holy crap, terry just regulated on your ass.

Hold up bro I need to blog about the new Ashley Woods figure before I get down to business here. Then I need to put on a wool cap and scarf and pose for some polaroids that will be used on my linked in profile. You know just... etc.

Tight jeans and hair in my face.

 

[terry.330]

Seriously though I did get a hookup from Curt on a copy of Rez.

Dude's alright.