VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => General => Topic started by: fauxshot on March 12, 2015, 12:39:03 pm
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Here's a question I've been wondering about...
I see a lot of people who are always looking to buy manuals, game boxes, etc. So I was curious... if a game is 'complete', does it need to have all of the original items together when you buy it, or can you piece together a 'complete' version?
For some reason, I have this sort of nagging peeve about 'piecing' a game together; if a 3DS game has the cart and box, but not the manual (for example), I tend not to buy it because it doesn't feel... 'naturally complete?'
So, can a game be 'pieced' together and listed as complete? Do you usually put a note about this somewhere? If you were to resell a game, do you have to make a note about it? As an afterthought, does replacing a box (let's say a PS3 clear case) with a licensed new one (because the old one had a hole or something) still count as being the 'original' game?
I know this seems a bit silly, but it bothers me a bit, for some reason. :P I guess it's like when you buy antiques; if something is refurbished, you usually say that. But games don't seem to have that same principle, since you can always replace bits and pieces easily enough.
Let me know your thoughts. :D
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The way I see it is this does not matter in the least. Think about it logically. Unless you personally bought the game with the case but no manual and completed it, you're the only one who will ever know. If you buy a game anywhere, you have no proof it is the original. Even if it had something unique about that certain game, if I get two copies of the same one complete, I take the best pieces of both to make the best copy. There is no proof of anything you do to make a copy of a game better so don't over think it because unless you bought it brand new there is no way to know if those were all the originals.
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Complete = Disc, Case, Artwork, & Manual.
In modern game's cases, a lot of them no longer come with manuals. Obviously in those cases, I wouldn't consider the manual as part of the complete package.
And I wouldn't know the difference if someone pieced it together to complete or not. So personally, I have no problem with that.
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Would I notice if a CIB game I bought on eBay didnt have its own manual/case? No. So I piece stuff together all the time. Give those straggling manuals/discs a complete home.
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Having the extra inserts outside of manual/box/box art/game is a plus, but not necessary for me to still consider the game complete.
Having that extra stuff is nice - makes it look like the game was barely used or was just freshly opened.
Otherwise, I don't lose sleep over it.
Not having the manual (if it's supposed to have one), however... >:(
Also, yeah, I don't care if I or someone else pieces it together. As long as it's there and in nice condition, I'm good :)
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As long as all of the items (case, disc, insert, manual, etc.) are original items, it doesn't matter to me if it was pieced together. It's no different than buying a replacement part for your car. It's still the same car.
Now as far as buying a game missing the manual (if it is a game that originally included a manual), under most circumstances I won't do it. It nags me. If it's a high dollar game, missing the manual but for a great price, I definitely consider it. Under those circumstances, you can usually find a manual for sale online.
On the flipside, when digging through boxes at mom & pop shops, if I come across a manual I will usually snag it up, even if it's a game I don't own. Just recently, I found the manuals for both SaGa games for the PS2 as well as instructions and case art inserts for a dozen or more Nintendo DS titles. I currently don't own the 2nd Assassin's Creed DS game, but I found the case, art and manual at the store and snagged it. It's super easy to find the cartridges for sale online and in Gamestop's, but they almost never have the box and manual. I also found the box with art inserts (sadly, no manual) for the 1st Suikoden for the PlayStation.
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Complete = Disc, Case, Artwork, & Manual.
In modern game's cases, a lot of them no longer come with manuals. Obviously in those cases, I wouldn't consider the manual as part of the complete package.
And I wouldn't know the difference if someone pieced it together to complete or not. So personally, I have no problem with that.
This is how I feel.
No manual? No buying. No original art work or insert? No buying. No box/case? No buying. It boggles my mind how people will just throw there boxes or manuals away without a second thought. Would they do this with board games? With movies? With music? No, but for some reason they see the manual and pitch it. It drives me crazy.
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Complete = Disc, Case, Artwork, & Manual.
In modern game's cases, a lot of them no longer come with manuals. Obviously in those cases, I wouldn't consider the manual as part of the complete package.
And I wouldn't know the difference if someone pieced it together to complete or not. So personally, I have no problem with that.
This is how I feel.
No manual? No buying. No original art work or insert? No buying. No box/case? No buying. It boggles my mind how people will just throw there boxes or manuals away without a second thought. Would they do this with board games? With movies? With music? No, but for some reason they see the manual and pitch it. It drives me crazy.
Oh, I will still buy an incomplete game, because I'm a cheap-skate. I was just saying what I expect if I buy a game with the word "complete" in the description.
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To me complete is having everything included that a package originally contained. Flyers, adverts, Health & Safety information, registration forms.
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You could also say that it's not "complete" unless it has the original shrink wrap, it depends how far you want to take it. I piece together complete games all the time, you just have to make sure you don't end up with a US cartridge and a UK box or something, which is easy to do with Gameboy games. A pet peeve of mine is if someone is selling a game as complete and it has the original box and a greatest hits cartridge/disc.
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Another vote for *any* complete set = "complete".
It's no more complete if the game, manual, case, and insert are all originally from the same item, than if each piece comes from a different one.
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You could also say that it's not "complete" unless it has the original shrink wrap, it depends how far you want to take it. I piece together complete games all the time, you just have to make sure you don't end up with a US cartridge and a UK box or something, which is easy to do with Gameboy games. A pet peeve of mine is if someone is selling a game as complete and it has the original box and a greatest hits cartridge/disc.
Oooo, yeah, that'd bug me. Those are two diff items in my opinion. Can't mix and match those.
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Everyone has their own definition of what "complete" means. For me, it's disc + case + artwork + manual. If a game came with a map, that should be included as well or any other item. For instance, Lunar 2 without the pendant is not complete.
Flyers, registration cards, DLC voucher card, etc. are not needed for me to feel like I have a complete game.
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Everyone has their own definition of what "complete" means. For me, it's disc + case + artwork + manual. If a game came with a map, that should be included as well or any other item. For instance, Lunar 2 without the pendant is not complete.
Flyers, registration cards, DLC voucher card, etc. are not needed for me to feel like I have a complete game.
Ah yes, good point. Game-related inserts are important for me, too.
Rewards cards, reg cards are not needed but cool if they happen to be in there.
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Everyone has their own definition of what "complete" means. For me, it's disc + case + artwork + manual. If a game came with a map, that should be included as well or any other item. For instance, Lunar 2 without the pendant is not complete.
Flyers, registration cards, DLC voucher card, etc. are not needed for me to feel like I have a complete game.
This is my exact view on it.
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You could also say that it's not "complete" unless it has the original shrink wrap, it depends how far you want to take it. I piece together complete games all the time, you just have to make sure you don't end up with a US cartridge and a UK box or something, which is easy to do with Gameboy games. A pet peeve of mine is if someone is selling a game as complete and it has the original box and a greatest hits cartridge/disc.
Oooo, yeah, that'd bug me. Those are two diff items in my opinion. Can't mix and match those.
I'm of the "as long as it's complete" camp as well, but yeah, can't mix regions. That's two different products. I'm also a bit pickier if the serial number is printed on the box, like on older systems. If it's on the outside, I want it to match the system on the inside if possible. It isn't a deal-breaker, but it's nice to have.
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In modern game's cases, a lot of them no longer come with manuals.
This is how I feel.
...It boggles my mind how people will just throw there boxes or manuals away without a second thought.... It drives me crazy.
Dude, ikr??? While it makes it easier to buy a 'complete' game, it really sucks that there's no manual. :( Even though I don't really read them anymore, it just feels nice to have a big, hefty manual included with the game (that's one reason why I like Disgaea... even though it's only so big because it's printed in 2 or 3 languages, you can't deny the visual pleasure of a hefty manual in the box <3 ).
AND YES OHMYGOSH THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY AS WELL. STORY TIME.
So my friend and I were in his car, and He picked up a copy of Pokemon X at GameStop. We're in the car, he takes out the cart...
... and basically throws away the case and manual.
I think I might've actually said something to him. ::) All I could think was "seriously? Why would you do that???" A perfectly new case and manual, ready to go to a friggin' trash bin. No joke.
I was going to keep it, but decided not to; in retrospective, I should have. And the sad thing is, this happens ALL the time; most DS/3DS games in places like GameStop (or, at least, a good portion) are missing everything. Rustles my jimmies. As was jokingly (? lol) said at the stream, games deserve better. :P Plus, if you go to trade it in or resell it, the value goes down! It just doesn't make any sense (hell, stuff it in a shoebox! The cases aren't that big).
As for the other replies, thanks to everyone for giving your opinions! Maybe I'll be a little more open to buying incomplete games from now on (why I usually hate to is because GameStop charges you the same price no matter what it does or doesn't come with). I should note that I don't count things like health/safety manuals as complete, either, because those are a dime a dozen. xP
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Everyone has their own definition of what "complete" means. For me, it's disc + case + artwork + manual. If a game came with a map, that should be included as well or any other item. For instance, Lunar 2 without the pendant is not complete.
Flyers, registration cards, DLC voucher card, etc. are not needed for me to feel like I have a complete game.
Ditto. As for swapping cases goes, I do that ALL the time to ensure I have the best possible cases I can find for my collection. Typically if I'm trading in a game (which happens less often these days, but still) I will first transplant the game into one of the beat-up GS cases I have on hand. Then whenever I pickup a used game, if the case is in bad condition I'll just swap it back out with the good one I had set aside. Nothing wrong with that IMO - I'd much rather have the best condition case I can find.
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Complete = Items that come with the game that are relevant to the game itself. Generic printed ads, styrofoam, warning inserts, etc do not qualify. Posters that are specific to the game, maps, inserts that actually are for the game (such as Club Nintendo codes that mention the game or ads that are like "If you like blahblah game, then you will like blahblah game) should be considered part of complete.
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Complete = Items that come with the game that are relevant to the game itself. Generic printed ads, styrofoam, warning inserts, etc do not qualify. Posters that are specific to the game, maps, inserts that actually are for the game (such as Club Nintendo codes that mention the game or ads that are like "If you like blahblah game, then you will like blahblah game) should be considered part of complete.
While it's not a deal-breaker, I do want original, boxed NES games to include the Styrofoam block that holds the cartridge up. As well, SNES games I want the cardboard insert that holds the cart in the center.
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Complete = Items that come with the game that are relevant to the game itself. Generic printed ads, styrofoam, warning inserts, etc do not qualify. Posters that are specific to the game, maps, inserts that actually are for the game (such as Club Nintendo codes that mention the game or ads that are like "If you like blahblah game, then you will like blahblah game) should be considered part of complete.
While it's not a deal-breaker, I do want original, boxed NES games to include the Styrofoam block that holds the cartridge up. As well, SNES games I want the cardboard insert that holds the cart in the center.
Yeah, I need the cardboard spacer/holder for gba games for sure.
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Well, if I get the game with the box and manual, I consider that complete.
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Complete = Items that come with the game that are relevant to the game itself. Generic printed ads, styrofoam, warning inserts, etc do not qualify. Posters that are specific to the game, maps, inserts that actually are for the game (such as Club Nintendo codes that mention the game or ads that are like "If you like blahblah game, then you will like blahblah game) should be considered part of complete.
While it's not a deal-breaker, I do want original, boxed NES games to include the Styrofoam block that holds the cartridge up. As well, SNES games I want the cardboard insert that holds the cart in the center.
Yeah, I need the cardboard spacer/holder for gba games for sure.
Forgot GB/GBA games. So basically, any game that the box had a cardboard/styro spacer in it originally to hold the cart in place, I want that item. Not only because it holds the cart in place, but it also keeps the box from getting crushed.
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Complete = Items that come with the game that are relevant to the game itself. Generic printed ads, styrofoam, warning inserts, etc do not qualify. Posters that are specific to the game, maps, inserts that actually are for the game (such as Club Nintendo codes that mention the game or ads that are like "If you like blahblah game, then you will like blahblah game) should be considered part of complete.
While it's not a deal-breaker, I do want original, boxed NES games to include the Styrofoam block that holds the cartridge up. As well, SNES games I want the cardboard insert that holds the cart in the center.
I threw out almost all my foam inserts in the late 90's. I flattened all my boxes and put them in storage when I started collecting Disc games. Kinda wish I would of kept them, now that my boxes are on the shelf again :-\ Got a stack of inserts boxed away that I need to pair up with the proper games now.