Topics

61

Classic Video Games / Pricing according to game condition, do they still do that?

« on: January 12, 2015, 12:57:51 pm »

Why does it seem like fewer people do this now? I go into retail stores and find an obliterated label on a cart, and they charge the same price as the good label. I've noticed there is no consideration for condition, at least not so much anymore. On eBay, if the game is not highly valuable or rare, then condition doesn't seem to effect value. The price difference is negligible. Even an Earthbound cart that has been thrashed is only $10 less on eBay than a good label cart.

I hate browsing eBay looking for a cart or disc only copy to complete a case that I have, only to find there is no discount for the incomplete ones. They're basically the same as buying a whole other complete game. So this idea I've always had about keeping cases around because I could save on getting the game only, I'm ready to throw out. Most of the time you can't save anything.  :'(

I dunno, I remember a time when condition seemed to matter more. If something was bad, or missing, the value was less. Not so much anymore. Maybe I'm ranting over isolated instances, but it really seems like something's different?

62

Modern Video Games / Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia stealth reprint

« on: January 11, 2015, 01:59:47 am »

So following the influx of Calling for Wii that GameStop has seen in the past month, there's another title that should be popping up more and more at your location, Order of Ecclesia on the DS. This was the third installment in the DS trilogy, and is considered to be a sequel to Bloodlines, I believe.

I'm not sure if this is news or not, but I made the conclusion myself today after stopping by two GS locations and checking their dumpsters. What did I find? Two OoE cases and manuals, one at each location. Both appeared very fresh, except they that both had a slight blemish on the same exact area of the case. The manuals looked to be untouched, and had a freshly printed smell to them.

To be sure, the website now has pre-owned copies in stock. However, to most people it will be a "cart only" reprint, as reprints are designated as pre-owned and so being DS, that means chuck the case to save shelf room. So a lot of OoE cases and manuals will be hitting the landfill in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, it's an interesting choice for reprint, I didn't realize it was considered hard to find, although it does remain to be the last DS entry I need.

63

Classic Video Games / So, who is responsible for hyping up Punky Skunk?

« on: December 30, 2014, 02:16:42 am »

I was recently thinking about the phenomenon of games that have no value, suddenly being worth something over night. It led me back to thinking of the PS1, which is a console that still has a lot of cheap games on it.

One such cheap, rather obscure game is Punky Skunk. When I researched the PS1 library this year and drew up my battle plans, Punky Skunk was definitely a back burner title and I jotted down that the average value at the time was $5. Something happened around July and now this random obscure PS1 game is going for $25 - $30.  Something had to happen. People didn't just decide to start paying more for it overnight. Someone must have hyped it up. I suspect it was probably a popular YouTube channel, but I don't know which.

I present you with exhibit A from April of 2014 where a few vultures were seen duking it out over $5 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-Punky-Skunk-PlayStation-1998-Used-/161264938088?rmvSB=true&nma=true&si=flsrKaVE2ZBXOF%252BnAxN%252FzkM54K0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Now I present you with exhibit B, a current auction where several vultures are now duking it out over $20 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Punky-Skunk-Sony-PlayStation-1-1998-/271718791507?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item3f43b3b953

So why, I ask the jury of VG Collect... why, are five people currently duking it out to pay $20 for Punky Skunk? We simply don't have a legit reason, and that is why I ask you to find eBay sellers guilty. Guilty of shill bidding in the second degree!

I bothers me because I know this doesn't just decide to happen. Someone, or something, makes it happen. Now there is one less $5 game in PS1 the catalog. I just hope my local game store hasn't done inventory and updated their price, because I'm pretty sure they've had a copy for some time.

64

Modern Video Games / Does the Wii U ever power completely off while plugged in?

« on: December 27, 2014, 02:20:52 am »

I couldn't remember. I see no physical off switch on it, just the power button which goes red once it powers down. I remember the Wii also had no switch, but it had two modes, one where it the disc drive would light up and the other was a power down with just the yellow light. I just feel weird about yanking the plug while the console is technically "on", even while off.

With consoles like PS2 and PS3, you have a physical switch that completely powers off before pulling the plug, and as for the Xbox and 360, while they don't have a power switch, at least they appear to completely shut off once you hit power. So Nintendo is the weird one, there is no switch, but the console stays lit and can still do things while in "off" mode.

65

Classic Video Games / Which (if any) Genesis sports games came with a standard cartridge?

« on: December 26, 2014, 10:42:47 pm »

I notice a lot of them where non-standard carts. The reason I ask, is because I'm interesting in knowing which ones to look out for just to rob the cases, so that I can box my loose Genesis. The problem is, of course, so many non-standard cartridges with sports. 

66

Classic Video Games / Do you have games that don't consider a part of your collection?

« on: October 25, 2014, 03:12:57 pm »

Either you don't recognize it as a part, or have not cataloged?

I have quite a few, and for different reasons. Sometimes if I find an incomplete game, say for instance, when I found my $1 copy of Silent Hill disc only. Great game, but, until has a case I pretend it doesn't exist. 

In other cases, there's some obscure stuff I never cataloged because I just didn't want to go digging it all out, like my Atari, Coleco and Vectex stuff. So even though I consider that stuff in my collection, it's not cataloged. 

Other times there are just games I wish I had never bought, shovelware crap I accumulated when I first started, that I purposely leave out. Banished from the collection! 

Then there's just stuff I forgot I had, and never added it to my page  - not too long ago, I remembered I had found a couple of CIB SNES games back in 2004ish, before I got big into collecting - one of which, was none other than Castlevania IV. Still haven't added that one! Then there's some games I trashed picked and haven't decided if I want them, or not.

67

Classic Video Games / The two types of price inflation on eBay?

« on: October 19, 2014, 02:18:28 pm »

One thing I've always noticed about different games on eBay is the tendency for high prices that people pay, and then high prices they don't pay. Sometimes, when a game goes up in demand and down in supply, the price increases and folks start routinely paying more the game. But other times, a price starts to increase for no apparent reason, and thanks to the magic that is eBay's sold listings search, it can be found out that people really aren't paying the inflated price. Rather, the only copies that sell are bids that go for considerably less. 

Let's say there's an NES game on eBay, maybe about 25 listings available, average BIN 18$. But the only copies that have sold in the past months went on auction for about $6. VGPC still states the average is about 8$ or 9$. What's with all the people listing it at $18 - $20 BIN? Obviously the demand isn't there to easily get that much, maybe one sale in a month or two at that price.

Guess I just needed to rant about it. But this can seen with so many games on eBay, where demand is not high, the game is not rare, but the value is still perceived to be higher than what most will actually fork over. How, and why does this happen? My only guess is people who aren't necessarily motivated or interested in moving their stuff. If it sells it sells, if it doesn't, no worries. 

I sell a little, and personally, I always price things where I know someone is gonna bite and not a - "crazy number" and I might let go of it - kinda price. But that's me, I wanna make cash quick so I can spend it on my collection.

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Site Feedback / A personal game or item rating system?

« on: September 23, 2014, 10:28:12 pm »

Seen this implemented on another database website. Maybe something like a 1 to 5 or half star to 5 (10), item rating option. Even better if it could show in your collection next to notes.

On a similar note, why is it that price, and a date of purchase remain hidden after entered?

69

General / Pre-owned Walmart games may or may not include instruction manuals

« on: September 14, 2014, 03:16:48 pm »

A simple heads up is all. I purchased Tropical Freeze for the Wii U from Walmart, as a pre-owned game. Of course, they shrink wrap their games so you can't open it just to see what's inside. These days it's getting harder to tell when a recently released game is supposed to include a manual, or slip of paper telling you the manual is in-game, or nothing at all, and it's rather inconsistent.

Super Mario Bros. U included no inserts at all, but the much later Tropical Freeze, is actually supposed to include a full color manual. Luckily for me, I was able to find a thrown out case and manual for this game, but the copy I purchased from Walmart, had no manual inside. This is contradictory to their online policy that all used games do in fact include instruction manuals.

So it's all a bit confusing, but point being, just because Walmart seals up their used copies, doesn't mean that it's actually complete. At least in store.

70

Classic Video Games / The Ratchet & Clank series, your impressions?

« on: September 02, 2014, 06:49:38 pm »

I've never played any of them and there is a few reasons for that I guess. One is a perceived similarity to Jak & Daxter, a series I had long ago invested in, enjoyed, and still yet to complete. To me, this sort of left Ratchet looking like an also-ran. Secondly, the sheer number of entries is daunting. I like 3D platformers, but that's a lot of entries for a game that debuted during the PS2 era. Lastly, I've always felt turned away from the games because I found the subtitles hideously juvenile, and thought if the in-game humor was anything similar, I might not be able to stomach it and actually enjoy the game.

But I know there are plenty of Ratchet fans out there. How are the games actually? Good? Worth investing into all 20 sequels? Any that are particularly better than the others? I ask because I finally popped on a cheap copy of "Going Commando" the other day.

71

General / So why do we care about instructions manuals anyway?

« on: May 30, 2014, 12:57:57 pm »

At one point I told myself that I no longer care if a game has it's manual anymore. I just got really sick of caring, and once they started to make new games without instruction manuals I was both annoyed and kind of relieved too. Yet, I still get annoyed when I buy a dvd cased game and then find out - surprise! no manual! So I guess I do still care. But why? How many manuals have I taken the time to look through? Very few. How many have I needed in order to play the game? None. How do they effect the presentation of the game? Not at all. So why does it still feel wrong?

It's a crazy theory. But I think it has something to do with the weight of the game, being comparatively lighter than most other games that do have them. I know it sounds stupid, but when I buy a game, the heavier it is, the more satisfied I am. The lighter it is, the more I feel like I wasted my money. Even without having tried the game out. Lighter instinctively feels inferior, like less for your money, which is always annoying. Like paying $1.30 for a cheese burger and then realizing it's the size of a cookie. ... or something, who knows.

72

General / What types of games are hard to find or easy to find in your region?

« on: May 26, 2014, 02:36:12 pm »

Been doing this a number of years, and this is what it looks like from my perspective.

It's pretty easy to find NES, N64, GB/C, PS2, Xbox, and Atari 2600 - it varies, but you can find the quality stuff almost as often as the junk. It's somewhat more difficult to find PS1, Genesis, GG, SNES or GameCube - the thing is with those is when you find something it's always junk games or just the console. It's near impossible to find SMS, Saturn, Dreamcast, or other Atari - you can't find these at all, even the crappy stuff never turns up.

Some people seem surprised that I have a hard time finding PS1. I think N64 must have did much better here than PS1 (and that is how I always remembered it). I built my N64 collection in two short years of flea markets, while I had to go online, or to video game stores to buy many PS1 games becasue I never could find anything that wasn't Madden or Rugrats just floating around at a flea market, pawn shop, or thrift store.

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General / What do you define as shovel-ware on a console?

« on: May 12, 2014, 02:31:06 pm »

I think opinions vary on this. To me, shovel-ware is basically any game that comes as an afterthought to some other existing property. It's a game that usually has been contracted to some low cost development team who know little about the IP or how to make a decent functioning game. It's usually based off of things like movies, TV, pop culture, or something that really doesn't work as a video game very well. Something that is already guaranteed sales based on how popular the existing product already is. But you still can't be too quick to call a game based on something else as shovel-ware.

I think shovel-ware is something not to be confused with bad games. Yes, shovel often means a bad game, on the rare occasion can even mean a good game. But a game being poorly made is not in and of itself a qualifying criteria to be called shovel-ware. So there's shovel-ware, then there's bad games. So not every game that turns out bad was forced through just to make a dollar, or without better intentions. Not every game that was developed on a small budget was meant to deceive or rip-off consumers.

That's how I view it, anyways.

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General / What do you think of as "fair" when dealing with a indie/retro game store?

« on: May 06, 2014, 10:27:41 pm »

I'm just curious, if anyone of you have dealt with them before. More so than buying, I am specifically talking about selling items to these stores? Do they treat you right? Do they give you fair store credit? Is it basically a bad idea to sell your items to these stores?

So I went in to trade a few things along with someone today. I didn't expect much, because what I brought in was modern and junky titles that I didn't even consider part of my collection, just junk I had. Six games, and I was surprised when they said I could get $10 in credit. For what I took in, I thought that was decent. I understand they need to make money on them..... So the person I along went with brings in a handful cartridge era Mario titles as trade material, and despite the fact that Price Charting average says one of them is retailing nearly at $25 alone, he gets offered $20 for the whole lot of four Mario games. This knowing that he wanted store credit so that the money goes back into the store, and knowing us as repeat customers who spend good money there.

So basically, you're better off bringing in junk than bringing in high demand games if you're trying to get ahead there. I would have sat on those junky games for a long time hoping to make more than $10 total on them. But selling old Mario games at full market value is a cakewalk, especially on eBay. So there's just no incentive to bring the good stuff to this store, which is sad.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it didn't seem like a fair offer. He didn't accept either. Sure, you aren't going to get full retail out of selling to a reseller, but that seemed like a low-ball offer to me considering what he had. Especially when the store says they base selling prices in line with Price Charting, so it's not like you're getting special prices as a buyer. I don't know.

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Site Feedback / Browsing games by other attributes besides alphabetical

« on: April 29, 2014, 11:43:51 pm »

Thought this would be a cool idea if we could implement filters on console library browsing, such as by value (as estimated by Price Charting) per title , and it would be really cool to browse by most collected (or in collection) by title. Just an idea.