More GQD reprints on the way [Archive]

norkusa

02-26-2008, 12:53 PM

According to Cheap Ass Gamer, another batch of Game Quest Direct reprints is on the way. This time it's Fatal Frame II & III for PS2. The bad news is that they're selling them for $50 each, so you're basically paying Ebay prices for them which negates the whole point of the reprint.

The strange thing is that they have Fatal Frame III listed at $69.99 though. CAG mentions a special sale for CAG members, so I don't know if that's what the $50 price is for or if it'll be cheaper than that:

http://www.gamequestdirect.com/018946010410.html

http://www.gamequestdirect.com/018946010335.html

Damaramu

02-26-2008, 01:33 PM

Yeah, I think I'll pass on those. Thanks for the heads up though!

heybtbm

02-26-2008, 01:37 PM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

Oobgarm

02-26-2008, 01:39 PM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

Seconded on both points.

TonyTheTiger

02-26-2008, 01:50 PM

I think it would be more appropriate at this point to list out the games NOT being reprinted by GQD.

Sudo

02-26-2008, 02:45 PM

I'd love to pick up Fatal Frame 3, but not for $50.

Kitsune Sniper

02-26-2008, 02:46 PM

Holy crap. $50 a pop? WTF are they smoking?

TonyTheTiger

02-26-2008, 02:51 PM

They know they can get that for a little while. It'll probably drop a decent amount in not too much time. Plus the used prices will plummet.

98PaceCar

02-26-2008, 03:03 PM

Interesting. I've been considering picking both of these up for the past few weeks. Wonder if I should double my efforts to get an original copy or just wait for the inevitible price drop on used. Would be nice to have mint copies, but $50 a pop is just too much.

RadiantSvgun

02-26-2008, 03:04 PM

Holy crap. $50 a pop? WTF are they smoking?

They aren't smoking, the are freebasing. Its sad, I've seen both those games for $19.99

DJ Daishi

02-26-2008, 05:33 PM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

lol, I feed on their tears...

boatofcar

02-26-2008, 06:41 PM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

Hear hear!

norkusa

02-26-2008, 06:53 PM

My only beef with GQD is that they keep reprinting games that I already own. Of all the games they've reprinted so far, Saiyuki - Journey West was the only one I didn't already have.

When are they going to get to SMT Nocturne? That's one game I wouldn't mind paying $50 for.

bcks007

02-26-2008, 06:58 PM

Dang i own those already too. Is that the only 2 games there reprinting?

koster

02-26-2008, 07:56 PM

According to Cheap Ass Gamer, another batch of Game Quest Direct reprints is on the way. This time it's Fatal Frame II & III for PS2.
It figures that GQD won't reprint the Fatal Frame game that's hardest to find, at least in this neck of the woods. :-/

Leo_A

02-26-2008, 08:50 PM

Isn't this typical GCQ practice? Sell copies at high prices after a reprint and when demand softens, dump the rest at retailers like GameStop?

Could mean we could be picking up cheap copies of Fatal Frame 2 and 3 later in the year.

norkusa

02-26-2008, 08:57 PM

It figures that GQD won't reprint the Fatal Frame game that's hardest to find, at least in this neck of the woods. :-/

Yeah, that doesn't really make any sense. Why not print FF1 if they're going to reprint 2 & 3? FF2 isn't even that hard to find either, so it'd make more sense if they were doing 1 & 3.

And of course, Fatal Frame 1 is the only one of the three that I don't already own.

digitalpress

02-26-2008, 10:45 PM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

Right on.

Fucking collectors.

TonyTheTiger

02-27-2008, 12:21 AM

ROFL

Do I sense some animosity?

udisi

02-27-2008, 12:44 AM

well at $50 a piece they aren't really helping out the gamer here. Pretty mush just screwing the collector. Atleast we know the price will come down a bit eventually, but really I see GQD as trying to take advantage of the uninformed collector rather than helping the gamer

heybtbm

02-27-2008, 09:48 AM

I see GQD as trying to take advantage of the uninformed collector rather than helping the gamer

You're probably right. There's always the possibility of GQD selling off the bulk of the printing to Gamestop/EB like they have in the past. It would lower the price a bit.

Right on.

Fucking collectors.

I get it, I get it. Collectors aren't all bad.

gepeto

03-01-2008, 11:44 PM

I think I seen the first one show up today at gamestop slowly filtered in the used tradein pile like someone traded it in. It was 44.95 used up 10 bucks since I bought mine used 3 to 4 months ago.

Ed Oscuro

03-02-2008, 06:51 AM

Fuyukaze

03-02-2008, 10:46 AM

Wasnt 50 the price when it was first released? Heck, if I can get it new for that, it's not THAT bad. Though I wouldnt mind getting Fatal Frame 1 for the X-Box before I bit the bullet and got 3 for the PS2. Already got both versions of 2 so it's not an issue for me. Besides, that game was in wal-mart for 20-30 nearly 2 years running and no one gave a damn about it then.

TonyTheTiger

03-02-2008, 10:48 AM

Wait, if these are $50 how does it really hurt collectors (aside from some existential worries about whether an item is original or new manufacture)? In some of the other reprints they've done, it did hurt collecting prices (sniff), but in this case it doesn't look like it will.

It may not hurt initially but I think what collectors fear is that later on (I'm talking a couple years or more here) instead of their copy being 1 out of 10,000 (random number) now it's 1 out of 25,000. That will affect two things.

1) The bottom line value of the game. Imagine something being $70 a few years from now had there been only 10,000 but with the reprint now it'll end up being $40.

2) Less about money and more about pride, now instead of being in possession of 1 out of only 10,000, their copy isn't as "special" because everyone and his mother can now get one with ease.

I think the reason some of the above posts show animosity to collectors is because both reasons tend to come off as relatively selfish. People then associate the general "collector" with that selfishness and the rest is history.

What's funny is that this is kind of the opposite of the Greatest Hits/Player's Choice/Platinum Hits situation. I don't know for sure, but I bet there are a lot of people who hate to own a GH copy of a game who nevertheless love that they exist in the first place.

Let me explain. Imagine a game getting a total of 100,000 copies printed. But, they aren't all the same. 40,000 of those copies are GH. Now that means my original copy is no longer 1 out of 100,000 but rather 1 out of only 60,000 originals. It may be an artificial application of value but some people will pay a premium for a non-GH copy of something. But when a reprint ala GQD has no distinguishing features, that throws a wrench in the machinery.

DreamTR

03-02-2008, 10:51 AM

$50 is a bit much for any PS2 game at this point.

Still, anything that gets collectors all pissy, yet puts good games into the hands of more gamers is alright by me. It's a win win IMO.

Line me up for all the MVC2s at $50, please!

bangtango

03-02-2008, 01:41 PM

It may not hurt initially but I think what collectors fear is that later on (I'm talking a couple years or more here) instead of their copy being 1 out of 10,000 (random number) now it's 1 out of 25,000. That will affect two things.

1) The bottom line value of the game. Imagine something being $70 a few years from now had there been only 10,000 but with the reprint now it'll end up being $40.

2) Less about money and more about pride, now instead of being in possession of 1 out of only 10,000, their copy isn't as "special" because everyone and his mother can now get one with ease.

I think the reason some of the above posts show animosity to collectors is because both reasons tend to come off as relatively selfish. People then associate the general "collector" with that selfishness and the rest is history.

What's funny is that this is kind of the opposite of the Greatest Hits/Player's Choice/Platinum Hits situation. I don't know for sure, but I bet there are a lot of people who hate to own a GH copy of a game who nevertheless love that they exist in the first place.

Let me explain. Imagine a game getting a total of 100,000 copies printed. But, they aren't all the same. 40,000 of those copies are GH. Now that means my original copy is no longer 1 out of 100,000 but rather 1 out of only 60,000 originals. It may be an artificial application of value but some people will pay a premium for a non-GH copy of something. But when a reprint ala GQD has no distinguishing features, that throws a wrench in the machinery.

That is a chance someone takes when they buy a game.

Truth is, places like Game Quest Direct (or Gamestop for that matter) have no obligation whatsoever to cater to "collectors." Just like a record company has no obligation to think about people who own a long out-of-print cd that goes for $50-100 on Ebay if they feel like reissuing it.

Would someone at Game Quest Direct (or any similar company) really ever sit back and say "Well, we're thinking of reprinting this game but there are a lot of collectors out there sitting on copies of it and we ought to think about the current value of their investment."

Personally, I am on the side of the collector here, even though my reply might suggest otherwise. My only point is that a company like GQD is free to run their business however they like (as long as it is legal) and they don't have to answer to or apologize to anybody for a reissue like this.

TonyTheTiger

03-02-2008, 03:00 PM

That is a chance someone takes when they buy a game.

Truth is, places like Game Quest Direct (or Gamestop for that matter) have no obligation whatsoever to cater to "collectors." Just like a record company has no obligation to think about people who own a long out-of-print cd that goes for $50-100 on Ebay if they feel like reissuing it.

Would someone at Game Quest Direct (or any similar company) really ever sit back and say "Well, we're thinking of reprinting this game but there are a lot of collectors out there sitting on copies of it and we ought to think about the current value of their investment."

Personally, I am on the side of the collector here, even though my reply might suggest otherwise. My only point is that a company like GQD is free to run their business however they like (as long as it is legal) and they don't have to answer to or apologize to anybody for a reissue like this.

I agree completely that GQD, Gamestop, Atlus, Konami, or whoever have no responsibility to not reprint something they can score a profit off of just because people who already own the game will take a hit in the future. The animosity some people feel for collectors is drawn from (fairly or unfairly) that collectors thrive on keeping stuff out of the hands of the "common folk." And when GQD comes along, people see it as a Robin Hood figure who gives copies to the poor and flips the bird to the "evil collectors" who have no choice but to whine.

It's not a fair way to think. I'm not justifying it but it's how I see it unfolding. Remember the Green Goblin's speech to Spider-Man? How people love to see a hero fall? It's similar, I think. Some people like to see big shots fall. You know, the winners. So if someone is a "winner" in a sense and manages to amass a collection of rare games, some people like to see that guy stumble a bit when GQD rolls in.

Now despite thinking that these people who sneer at collectors are in the wrong, I also think that collectors who sneer at GQD are also in the wrong. If you go to a casino and lose at poker you don't yell at the dealer for giving you bad cards. It's called gambling for a reason. And whenever you buy something in hopes of it being worth something (real or figurative), that too is a gamble with no guarantees.

So, strangely enough, I'm not on either side. I think both are a little dense.

Kitsune Sniper

03-02-2008, 03:44 PM

I don't care about reprints, as long as they're priced fairly.

$50 for both? I'd buy 'em, but $50 each is just stupid.

roushimsx

03-02-2008, 05:33 PM

I don't care about reprints, as long as they're priced fairly.

$50 for both? I'd buy 'em, but $50 each is just stupid.

Yea, their Shadow Hearts Trilogy bundle was decently priced ($100 for all three)...it's a bummer they're not doing a similar pricing scheme / release format for the Fatal Frame games. Hell, it's a shame the third game never made it to Xbox. It's silly how the first two Fatal Frames are so much cheaper on the Xbox despite being clearly superior.

But hey, game collectors are weird! :)

Mark III

03-02-2008, 08:27 PM

I don't care about reprints, as long as they're priced fairly.

$50 for both? I'd buy 'em, but $50 each is just stupid.

Sealed copies of part 3 go for around $100, half that seems pretty reasonable to me.

kaedesdisciple

03-02-2008, 10:42 PM

roushimsx

03-03-2008, 12:34 AM

The only potential problem I can see with the whole idea of reprints is that of shady game store practices. Let's take some hypothetical numbers here, that game X currently sells on ebay for around $70. Now, GQD decides they will re-issue the game with no distinguishing characteristics at a price point of $30. What's to stop any game store owner, Gamestop included, from buying these re-issues, opening them all up, filtering them into their "used" section and marking them up to, say $60? I know the game stores are free to run their businesses how they want as well, but things like that just irk me.

This has been going on for a long time with stuff like Disgaea (which is more expensive used at Gamestop than it is new from Nippon Ichi), but that's kind of an exception to the norm. Nothing is stopping the gamestores from pretending like it's uber rare and charging whatever they want for it and short of doing a full size print run rerelease (complete with prerelease hype, preorders, everything), nothing ever will stop 'em.

TonyTheTiger

03-03-2008, 12:37 AM

Nothing can really prevent that but if it's any consolation it'll balance out because if supply and demand are worth a damn, after a while these stores will find themselves sitting on a lot of unsellable merchandise because it's $40 more than the average Ebay price. But in the short term? They probably could get away with it and nail at least a few unsuspecting customers.

Though, I do notice absurdly high prices for absurdly common games actually cause the items to specifically not move. Case in point: Zelda Collector's Edition. Gamestop charges $40 for this thing and yet every single store I've been to has at minimum 4 or 5 copies. And every single time I return, those copies are in the exact same spot. I'm confident that if the price were even $10 less these games would sell easily. So even with Gamestop's sometimes wonky pricing strategy, the market fights back.

Ed Oscuro

03-03-2008, 12:58 AM

Remember the Green Goblin's speech to Spider-Man? How people love to see a hero fall? It's similar, I think. Some people like to see big shots fall. You know, the winners. So if someone is a "winner" in a sense and manages to amass a collection of rare games, some people like to see that guy stumble a bit when GQD rolls in.
If you're thinking about bragging rights and value before game enjoyment, you've set yourself up for the fall (given we live in an age of digital downloads and piracy).

Of course, that doesn't justify gloating over somebody losing collection value, nor does it make it right for the reprints to have no "reprint" marker on their cases.

It may not hurt initially but I think what collectors fear is that later on (I'm talking a couple years or more here) instead of their copy being 1 out of 10,000 (random number) now it's 1 out of 25,000. That will affect two things.

1) The bottom line value of the game. Imagine something being $70 a few years from now had there been only 10,000 but with the reprint now it'll end up being $40.
Again, the value *right now* isn't changing. If a collector has games for value, serves 'em right. Dump it before the price goes down if that's all it means.

2) Less about money and more about pride, now instead of being in possession of 1 out of only 10,000, their copy isn't as "special" because everyone and his mother can now get one with ease.
As noted above, pride is a bad reason to collect video games.

TonyTheTiger

03-03-2008, 01:28 AM

I don't presume to know why people collect things. Comics, games, cards, coins, etc. I think each person does it for his or her own reasons. Sometimes it's for value and investments, other times it may be for nothing more than the thrill of the hunt. The question is, who's being victimized by whom? Are collectors victims of GQD's evil practice of not noting that something is a reprint? Are the "common folk" victims of collectors who horde great games? Is GQD the victim of collectors who bombard them with complaints about an honest business? Are collectors victims of the common folk who feed on the pain caused by the reprints? Really, who's doing "wrong" here?

Does GQD have a responsibility to mark their stuff as reprints? If so, why?

Do collectors have a responsibility to allow the "common folk" access to harder to find games? If so, why?

Do "common folk" have a responsibility to actually fight it out for the rarities rather than just have a company drop them into their lap? If so, why?

Ed Oscuro

03-03-2008, 01:41 AM

I don't presume to know why people collect things.
Maybe you're retarded ;)

You really mean that you won't "pass judgement" on people or try to guess why an individual collects. I don't, either; I just hear the sob stories after their collecting muse has vanished and they're left staring at the cheap plastic they felt compelled to hoard. Then they dump their items and another collector somewhere else pats themselves on the back for a great grab.

Thankfully, this doesn't happen to everybody, but it happens to enough people that giving somebody years of their lives and thousands of dollars back makes repeating this cautionary tale worthwhile, in my estimation. It doesn't hurt to give people a look at the road ahead and the bumps along the way. I certainly don't criticize anybody who used collecting as a hobby to get them through a rough time in their lives, but I would encourage them to think if there isn't something they can do which will be more productive for them (like learning a trade or polishing up their writing skills - it takes a fairly accomplished and patient collector to know the nuances of the market, and by the time you have this information you've probably blown a thousand dollars easy. I know I have!).

If there's an argument that reprints hurt collectors, there's also an argument that inflated pricing as a result of rare game hype also hurts the general population of second-source (not off stores shelves at launch) collectors - since you need to pay money for games in the first place.

I don't say this as if it makes me superior; it's just the facts. Coming to a realization about the causes and cures of collecting empowers people. I myself have a problem with buying way more stuff than I can play; but I recognize this and can take steps to buying things for reasons that benefit me, and limiting my purchases when I need to.

By the way, I count three broad categories of motivation for collecting:

They want to have a number of things they like: maybe they like gameplay, maybe they like game art, or music.
Maybe it stokes their ego.
They're hedging their fortune (i.e. high-rollin' coin collectors, some of whom don't actually see some of the coins they invest in - ever).

I've watched the scene for a little while, and there's been plenty of visible collectors who dumped tons of money into it and realized they were simply feeding a compulsive hobby. Better than drinking, sure, but you can ruin yourself all the same.

gepeto

03-03-2008, 10:06 AM

I play and collect. I collect with the hopes to one day have enough time to play it all which I prbably won't but it is there to play. Plus some games hold a special place in my heart like revenge of shinobi,Warlords,Gameday(who could forget queens beat at the kickoff).

I look back at my saturn jap fighting collection and I am glad that I can play it when I want.

For me the intriguing part of the collecting started at the end of the snes era. All of a sudden there was a rush to get snes rpg's like chrono trigger and secret of mana and there were'nt alot of them out there..

The emulations were just getting going and people started wanting to replay long lost classics.

When the psx era came up alot of people me included decided not to let that happen so I strategically collected what I wanted and at the end of a products life cycle I would clean up. Like the current xbox,gamecube,ps2. The funny thing is If I just had the patients to wait I would have saved alot of money but I don't care.

When I see reprints I do wish they would change somewhat because some games I had to drive to hell and back to get and I would at least like a reprint stated for what it is. I remember when the psx started the greatest hits people were saying content was different I have never seen it. I think we all can agree there is nothing like having a rare gem. Like the gold nwc cart. ha ha ha

bangtango

03-03-2008, 11:26 AM

Does GQD have a responsibility to mark their stuff as reprints? If so, why?

No. Not unless the in-game content or gameplay itself has been changed in some way.

They are giving the public Fatal Frame II and Fatal Frame III for the PS2 and the price is clearly stated. They've done everything they are "supposed" to do. If someone is hankering to get the original so bad, then let them go buy a first run copy before the market is flooded with reprints (if it isn't already). Nobody is stopping a person here from acquiring it online.

Again, GQD has no obligation other than supplying the game, listing the price and getting it into people's hands. It isn't their problem or their fault that people bought the game with potential resale 10-20 years later on the brain.

TonyTheTiger

03-03-2008, 11:44 AM

I don't doubt for a second that for every collector who knows exactly what he or she is doing, there are 100 who don't. And, yeah, I've seen it myself. You have someone who spends $500-$1000 on one item...pats himself on the back...sticks it on a shelf or in a cabinet for a while...and then one day it just hits him that he emptied his pockets for something essentially useless. I think that's where "real" collectors and the "Sunday afternoon" collectors differ. Before you can really get super serious about collecting anything, I feel like you have to establish a mindset that you are paying money for something you will never use and only stare at. You are paying for a useless piece of copper/paper/plastic/whatever. And you have to be able to keep that in you head because if that mindset breaks down the road you may find a whole lot of latent buyer's remorse come out.

And just like anything else, drinking, drugs, gambling, collecting can be addictive. There are no Collectors Anonymous meetings but I'm sure there are people who think "The car payments can wait. I MUST have that prototype no matter the cost!" And they rationalize that thinking too. "I'll always be able to get a car but this is the only known proto of Super Hedgehogvania 4 known to exist."

I'm kind of an oddball, I think, in that I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I don't own Panzer Dragoon Saga. But it's not because I can't afford it. It's because I'm unwilling to pay "market value" for it. I feel like I'd appreciate it much more to go on the hunt for a deal. Maybe from some random misspelled Ebay auction that tops off at $50. Maybe from some garage sale box of random games each for $10. You know? That's probably my pride coming out, too. Like I think, "Anyone can have a copy of PDZ if they pony up $150. I want that real score." It takes longer to find stuff but it's cheaper, I'll tell you that.

bangtango

03-03-2008, 12:22 PM

I merely play video games, I don't collect them. That opens me up to assertions that most of my games or systems are in crappy condition and I don't take good care of the stuff I own, neither of which is true.

I have a cd collection, video game collection, movie (dvd/vhs) collection and a collection of books. Yet I use all of these forms of media and don't keep stuff around just for window dressing or for monetary value.

The only thing I collect is baseball cards and my collecting habits fall three different ways.

1. Collecting cards of my favorite players (not all of whom are stars)

2. Collecting cards of players from my favorite team (Boston), including their mop up relievers and 5th outfielders.

3. Collecting "later day cards" (twilight years) from superstar/HOF caliber players to compensate for not having their high priced rookie cards. Examples being Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson or Steve Carlton.

As a result, most of my baseball card collection is made up of cards that are worth $2-3 or less. There are plenty that book for only 5 or 10 cents. I only have about 20-25 cards worth more than $10. So it happens to be a very cheap hobby for me. I don't buy rookie cards, buy big "lots" of cards or anything like that which puts me at risk for losing money.

Given the very modest value of my baseball card collection, there is no reason to sell it. Even if I did, it isn't like I will only make 10 cents on the dollar compared to what I invested.

PDorr3

03-03-2008, 01:48 PM

Too bad they didnt reprint the first fatal frame, I have yet to play the series and want to go in order.

norkusa

03-03-2008, 10:00 PM

You can get $20 off Fatal Frame II with coupon code "CAGFRAME" this week only at GQD. Which makes it $10 cheaper than what Gamestop sells it for.

No deals for Fatal Frame III though, which is still $50. :roll:

vincewy

03-03-2008, 10:31 PM

Marvel vs Capcom 2 may be next to impossible due to licensing issues with Marvel Comics, but there're many Capcom titles that should be reprinted, namely SF Anniversary (especially PS2). I'm always annoyed when someone gets upset about GQD reprinting games unless they mark it "reprint", WTF? More people get to enjoy the games (the whole point of the hobby), publishers may also realize the potentials, then more reprints. It reminds me of some Neo-Geo collectors who got upset when SNK decided to port some of the games to PS2/PS1, it's just mind boggling.

emceelokey

03-04-2008, 05:23 AM

I'm not a fan of the reprints. They only reprint games that are sought after because they are rare and not necessairly a great game. I worked at Gamestop when Disgaea and Gitaroo Man came out and those games sat on the shelves for a good year or so with maybe one or two shipments of 6 worth. People didn't want these games to begin with and the majority of interest in the game comes from the fact that they're hard to get.

Look at Gitaroo Man for the PSP. That was supposed to be the second life of that game and it ended up selling less than the PS2 version and you can still find it in many stores 2years after it's been released. GQD did a reprint of that game, sold it for $30 or $40 and now I'm at least seeing one copy of that game in every Gamestop I go to and they're selling it used for $39.99. I just don't like any of it.

I'm all for games being rereleased but now there's things like Gametap, Nintendo's Virtual Console, Playstation Network and Xbox Live where they can put these games out, Charge $10-$20 bucks and more people will still be able to play it but now gets rid of any chance of a B&M place to profit off of it. I gurantee you that if these games were on any virtual download service they still wouldn't sell that well and half of the people that buy the reprints are just hoping to make money off of it someday.