"Rare" games going PSN/Digital Discussion:

[disgaeniac]

Since the PS3's launch...I've seen a good number of games (that were, at one time, considered either *Really* Rare (like Suikoden II & Panzer Dragoon Saga) and/or *Pseudo* Rare - meaning that they weren't really scarce or hard-to-find at all -but- they were just priced as though they were (like FF VII); I guess because...people were willing to spend inflated amounts of money for a game with...what; around 6-7 million copies sold and/or because it had a little spelling mistake/"Misprint" on the back of it!? 

Well, FF VII released digitally quite awhile ago -and- according to the latest unconfirmed tidbit that I've heard...Suikoden 2 may also soon be getting a PSN release.

I'm personally of the opinion that a game like Suikoden 2 (*Especially* in the case of new & sealed copy) will probably still command & be listed at & sell for pretty much the prices that it currently is.

My reasoning/logic behind this is that Collectors are going to collect and to people like them (us) - just having the ability to play a game /=/ owning and having that baby sitting on your shelf to be picked up & (re)played whenever you want.  Also, I'm thinking that no "casual" gamers were the target/crowd that was looking at & paying hundreds of dollars for a single game -and- lastly, because if someone wanted to play it badly enough (just for the sake of playing it), I'm sure that they could have availed themselves of far cheaper...um..."alternative" ways to play it.

What are the rest of your thoughts & ideas about this?

[foxhack]

Prices will drop, but not by much.

These re-releases will just let the games be available to everyone, not just collectors with bags of money. Only the people who are hardcore physical collectors - or strictly anti-digital-future - will keep getting the physical ones.

Console-based digital distribution is still somewhat... volatile. Your games often won't migrate to your next console. This won't affect you physical people much, if at all.

Unlike we PC collectors who do get regularly screwed over with digital releases. System Shock 2 used to be worth $100, now it's worth $35 at most.

[badATchaos]

Then you got Nintendo where all their SNES Virtual Console games are 7 dollars but then charge 10 for Earthbound because it's Earthbound.

[MJMaranan]

Nice!  Didn't know Suikoden II would have a digital release...  I still love my physical copy but if I do have the money, I'll probably get it so I can download the game on the Vita or PSP.

[bikingjahuty]

At least with RPGs, I've notices that digital releases typically raise the value if anything, probably because it creates more awareness for a said game, creating more of a demand for the physical release, hence driving the price up. I've even seen certain SHMUPs do this as well after getting a physical release. I could certainly see a game like Suikoden II going up in price if it ever got a PSN release.