Mystery Final Fantasy VIII Version

[f4n4t1c]

So I was on Pricecharting filling in / correcting information on games I own when I noticed that the ASIN listed for the original 1999 release of FFVIII was actually the one for the Greatest Hits edition. I changed the information accordingly and then went over to GameFAQs for a higher resolution image of the cover for the display image and also an image for the back of the box. Upon loading the images on GameFAQs I am greeted with this:



This is what GameFAQs considers to be the back cover of the 1999 release of FFVIII. At the time I didn't think anything of it until I decided to change the UPC information on PC to match the UPC on the image; only to discover that the UPC in question belongs to a different game entirely. Specifically: Need For Speed: High Stakes. https://www.pricecharting.com/game/playstation/need-for-speed-high-stakes
Searching the UPC on any sites designed to do so will only bring up NFS, never FF.

After this I think "Huh, that's weird. Who on earth would upload a custom cover to GameFAQs?" Curiosity piqued, I decide to try and find the source of the image. By doing this I find that GameFAQs is not the only place on the internet to think that this is the real back cover, multiple sites are certain that this is the real deal and not a custom cover. Then finally, after digging a little further I come across this page: https://www.tokopedia.com/incursio/kaset-cd-game-playstation-ps-1-psx-final-fantasy-8-isi-4-disc?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=pdp-seo
Which has a physical copy of the game with the image in question UPC and all on full display.



The product also shows custom discs, and a custom cover. Is this some sort of version of the game that isn't recorded? Or am I retarded and someone in a 3rd world country is just trying to sell their cool customized version of the game?

[dhaabi]

Or am I retarded and someone in a 3rd world country is just trying to sell their cool customized version of the game?

Probably not the former, but most certainly the latter. GameFAQs regularly publishes incorrect data across all fields, so this isn't any surprise. The item in question that you found is a bootleg.

[pzeke]

Yup, that looks awfully bootleggitty.

[f4n4t1c]

Or am I retarded and someone in a 3rd world country is just trying to sell their cool customized version of the game?

Probably not the former, but most certainly the latter.

Oh thank goodness I was very confused for a little while.

In that case could someone with the 1999 release and someone with the Greatest Hits release check the bar codes? Everywhere I look they appear to share UPCs and I don't think that's right. Unless PSX games that got re-released in such a fashion always carried the originals UPC.

[dhaabi]

In that case could someone with the 1999 release and someone with the Greatest Hits release check the bar codes? Everywhere I look they appear to share UPCs and I don't think that's right. Unless PSX games that got re-released in such a fashion always carried the originals UPC.

There are four different US Greatest Hits variants, but they all share the same UPC information as the original black label release. That said, it's not uncommon for items of a re-release series to reuse barcode sequences, especially during that time.

[sworddude]

So I was on Pricecharting filling in / correcting information on games I own when I noticed that the ASIN listed for the original 1999 release of FFVIII was actually the one for the Greatest Hits edition. I changed the information accordingly and then went over to GameFAQs for a higher resolution image of the cover for the display image and also an image for the back of the box. Upon loading the images on GameFAQs I am greeted with this:



This is what GameFAQs considers to be the back cover of the 1999 release of FFVIII. At the time I didn't think anything of it until I decided to change the UPC information on PC to match the UPC on the image; only to discover that the UPC in question belongs to a different game entirely. Specifically: Need For Speed: High Stakes. https://www.pricecharting.com/game/playstation/need-for-speed-high-stakes
Searching the UPC on any sites designed to do so will only bring up NFS, never FF.

After this I think "Huh, that's weird. Who on earth would upload a custom cover to GameFAQs?" Curiosity piqued, I decide to try and find the source of the image. By doing this I find that GameFAQs is not the only place on the internet to think that this is the real back cover, multiple sites are certain that this is the real deal and not a custom cover. Then finally, after digging a little further I come across this page: https://www.tokopedia.com/incursio/kaset-cd-game-playstation-ps-1-psx-final-fantasy-8-isi-4-disc?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=pdp-seo
Which has a physical copy of the game with the image in question UPC and all on full display.



The product also shows custom discs, and a custom cover. Is this some sort of version of the game that isn't recorded? Or am I retarded and someone in a 3rd world country is just trying to sell their cool customized version of the game?

Gotto say pretty fun to see the 2ndary game market in a 2nd/3rd world county, allot of fake stuff but also some sellers with allot of quality legit retro items, ye just don't expect it.

Also while there was allot of fake stuff. there where quite some usa snes consoles for pretty cheap prices, so that's pretty interesting I'd say.

Cool stuff.