kentuckyfried
08-09-2007, 05:27 PM
I'd post a pic of my actual controller, but photobucket seems pooched right now.
I can't find this in the DP database, exactly the same except it says under the red buttons, 'roller-controller' on the left and 'philips' on the right.
Any ideas on the rarity and value?
http://www.ideo.com/portfolio/images/idam/12344/12344_lf.jpg
MF_Luder
08-09-2007, 07:50 PM
All CD-i controllers are quite hard to come by and are quite expensive. A junky remote was packaged with all early systems, so very few people bought the CD-i controllers which were sold separately. Today, you could buy a new Xbox 360 controller for the same price as an old used CD-i controller. In fact, you can buy a CD-i system for less than a CD-i controller! It is almost worth buying the 450 or 550 models just for the controllers that came packed-in with them (plus those systems are more attractive looking anyways). To put this in perspective, a recent eBay auction ended with 2 worthless CD-i games (Tennis and Compton's Encyclopedia) and a crappy CD-i REMOTE (not controller). This alone ended at $32.... those games are worth about $2, so that's $30 for a remote that isn't anywhere near as desirable or valueable as the controllers (which rarely appear on eBay).
Anyway, I digress. The roller controller was designed for children-- hence, its gigantic size. It is probably harder to find than regular CD-i controllers, but also less desirable because it is not as intuitive for games. Because it's similar to a mouse, it works well for point-and-click games, but it's really no better than the remote for most games that would interest collector's-- like the Zelda and Mario CD-i games. For these types, gamers are going to want a traditional controller. So even if it's more rare, the roller controller is worth less than the regular controllers because there is less demand for them. On DP it might be tough to find someone willing to pay fair value for that. A CD-i specific forum is probably your best bet. Of course, you could always go the eBay route. I usually see them fetch around $20-$40, but most commonly in the $30 area.