Rare games from this generation?

[dbiersdorf]

Is there any rare and pricey games yet for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii yet? I feel like there should be, as the previous generations typically already had some sought after titles early on in their life cycle (Cubivore comes to mind). But I feel like I have yet to see one, anyone know of any?

[Bojay1997]

Is there any rare and pricey games yet for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii yet? I feel like there should be, as the previous generations typically already had some sought after titles early on in their life cycle (Cubivore comes to mind). But I feel like I have yet to see one, anyone know of any?

I think the possibility of "rare" games in this generation is pretty darn remote. The only possible system that could have rare games is the Wii since my understanding is that Nintendo is not enforcing a mandatory minimum this generation like Sony and Microsoft are. Last I checked, the minimum run you could do of a title for the PS3 or 360 was 50,000 units. Considering how large most of the development budgets are nowadays, I doubt most publishers are doing the minimum and are instead doing runs of 75K to 100K to start. On the Wii, you could have some rarer stuff although the shortest run I have heard of anyone doing so far is 20,000 units. It will be interesting to see if the Atlus games on the 360 sell-out. I suspect they won't given the mediocre reviews.

[kewlrabbit]

The only one i can think of like that is Kororinpa for the Wii. Used copies on ebay typically sell for upwards of $40, which is unusual for a year and a half old game.

[Bojay1997]

The only one i can think of like that is Kororinpa for the Wii. Used copies on ebay typically sell for upwards of $40, which is unusual for a year and a half old game.

Sure, but $40 for a game that originally sold for $40 is not exactly a sign that it's rare. It's probably a sign that it's good and it has maintained its value because a lot of the people that own it don't have an interest in selling their copy.

[dao2]

yah but theres no way a game is gonna be rare when its still in print, which practically all of the games of this gen are :| the number of rares from last gen is hella low as it is ;p

[TonyTheTiger]

My personal stance on the matter is that everyone has to start thinking about what kinds of games set off their "rarity signal." A few years ago you could make a pretty safe bet that a quirky Japanese game or Atlus RPG would go up in value. It seems that people are still in that mindset but if there are going to be genuine rarities on the new consoles (not just R3s that go for $50 because they're popular) then they'll probably be the kinds of games that just got hit with some bad luck. A company folds. A game gets recalled. Some kind of limited promotion. Those kinds of weird situations are what people should probably be looking for instead of the "Anime RPG = Rare" outlook. This is of course all based on what's out there for sale. There's bound to be rarities if you want to include things like developer related games/tools, possibly store kiosk discs, etc.

[DigitalSpace]

I doubt there will be that many rarities for this generation. I think it will be limited to:

-Limited Editions that are truly "limited" (such as as MGS 3: Subsistence LE on the PS2, and even that is just an R5)
-A few Wii and DS budget titles from smaller publishers

[Ze_ro]

Impossible Mission and Super Fruit Fall for the Wii will be rare, as they seem to have been low print runs... but they're both budget games, and they're both straight DS ports, so any value is likely quite limited.

--Zero

[heybtbm]

Last I checked, the minimum run you could do of a title for the PS3 or 360 was 50,000 units.

So you're saying there could be >50,000 units of Operation Darkness sitting around? The horror...the horror.

[PapaStu]

As DigitalSpace mentioned, the truly rare LE's.

In regards to 360 stuff, Mass Effect (was online exclusive in states), Bioshock, CoD4 LE (trust me, its not easy to find, not worth anything, but not easy to find), The Halo 3 LE (the one in the tin, this had the smallest print run of the 3 versions, and I see this very infrequently).

There are a number of very hard to find DS games (Biker Mice From Mars among others), but only a few are commanding any money (Monopoly DS) besides somewhat short printed RPG's.

[TheRealist50]

As DigitalSpace mentioned, the truly rare LE's.

In regards to 360 stuff, Mass Effect (was online exclusive in states), Bioshock, CoD4 LE (trust me, its not easy to find, not worth anything, but not easy to find), The Halo 3 LE (the one in the tin, this had the smallest print run of the 3 versions, and I see this very infrequently).

There are a number of very hard to find DS games (Biker Mice From Mars among others), but only a few are commanding any money (Monopoly DS) besides somewhat short printed RPG's.

Awesome! I bought that tin version of halo 3 lol.

I'd assume that maybe the LE Devil May Cry? I don't see it much places but walmart still sells it...oddly enough the LE version is 49.99 and the normal edition is 59.99, doesnt seem right.

maybe the LE version of MGS 4 and GTA 4 could be "rare" and sought after, possibly in a few years. maybe the LE gears of war? I rarely see that too.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'm putting my money on the Wii games that get small runs, budget and/or limited retail release, may become more in demand than the supply can support in the future and are continuations of modern niche or classic long asleep series. Even some of the small print run stuff may not be that in demand because most of them suck... I don't see many PS3/360 titles being rare. Unless, as stated, you are talking the actual LEs. Not the LEs everyone gets. :)

On a related note, I been trying to track down a copy of Counter Force locally. Haven't seen one yet. Besides the one I saw at TRU last Christmas...

[TonyTheTiger]

I've grown very skeptical about limited editions. Look at Jade Empire. There's at least a 1:1 ratio between the standard and limited editions of that game. Same goes for Final Fantasy XII. Maybe some of those you listed would qualify but it seems like these days predicting if a limited edition will actually be limited is a coin toss.

And, yeah. The Wii budget titles have probably the best shot at hitting that rare and valuable mark. It's not a stretch to envision a situation where a genuinely good budget title comes out and gets buried by higher profile games and it's not until later that everyone realizes how good the game is and tries to get a copy.

[FanOPants]

I think TonyTheTiger nailed it. As a result of the obscene prices fetched by certain Playstation RPGs, collectors and scalpers became obsessed with the notion that anime-based RPGs - i.e. anything brought over by Atlus/NIS - will become valuable in X amount of time. Because so many people have whorded these particular titles hoping to resell them, they're value hasn't budged. That Atlus is beginning to repress titles once they become rare is also a tremendous blow to any potential resell value.

This generation's "rare" ("valuable") games will be on the Wii. A game like Blast Works, for example, has more potential to be "rare" than most other games. After a month or so on the shelves, the game was selling so poorly that it's price was cut 50-75% by most retailers. I imaginge stores will be dried up within another month. The game did extremely well critically, however, and is absolutely one of a kind - just the type of game to generate a cult following. That said, it may forever be a cheap, overlooked title. TIME WILL TELL.

[Lothars]

As DigitalSpace mentioned, the truly rare LE's.

In regards to 360 stuff, Mass Effect (was online exclusive in states), Bioshock, CoD4 LE (trust me, its not easy to find, not worth anything, but not easy to find), The Halo 3 LE (the one in the tin, this had the smallest print run of the 3 versions, and I see this very infrequently).

There are a number of very hard to find DS games (Biker Mice From Mars among others), but only a few are commanding any money (Monopoly DS) besides somewhat short printed RPG's.

Mass Effect CE was exclusive for online in North America because I was able to buy it online off bestbuy.ca with no problems.

It's rare but it was all over North America that I know of.

[Ze_ro]

On a related note, I been trying to track down a copy of Counter Force locally. Haven't seen one yet. Besides the one I saw at TRU last Christmas...
Funny... I see Counter Force all over the place here in Winnipeg. It looks pretty decent compared to all the crappy DDI releases, but I've been waiting for a price drop before I buy it (even though it's everywhere, everywhere is still charging $20).

Speaking of LE's, here in Canada, many games are released with bilingual packaging, but Microsoft has been releasing full-on French-language versions (French voices in-game even) of some games, including Halo 3 and Forza 2. If I'm not mistaken, Forza 2 LE was never released in the US (still not sure why exactly), so I would imagine that the French-Canadian version will end up being very rare... though like most of the games mentioned, not really worth any significant amount.

--Zero

[Wonder_Hamster]

what happened to this board? it used to have intelligent and interesting conversations, and not stupid and pointless speculation

this thread deserves a

[Icarus Moonsight]

That was so intelligent and interesting! Thank you. :p

I hate regional supply inconsistencies. I find it all over the net and cheap too. I'm just a sucker for the instant gratification. ;)

[chicnstu]

I figured Manhunt 2 would have been rare but apparently it's not....

I have the game because I love the original but I don't enjoy it as much as the first. I think it's because the kills aren't shown anymore. Can anyone explain to me why Rockstar wasn't allowed to show the same things they did in the original Manhunt? In the first you could:

- Take a butcher knife, sneak up behind an enemy, press the right button and it would show the main character hacking over and over at the guy's neck until his head falls off.
-Come up from behind and choke an enemy with a bat until he passes out and falls to his knees then take the bat and bust the guy's head.
-Take a wire and saw an enemy's head off

In Manhunt 2 when you press the button for the main character to do the execution, the screen blurs and you can't tell what's going on. I know that there is something you can download to modify the game but it doesn't make sense to me that Rockstar couldn't show that stuff in the second one when they could in the first and even Bethesda is allowed to show that kind of stuff in Fallout 3.

[Nesmaster]

I'd say the BioShock LE, complete with figurine. Because the majority of the people who bought the LE bought it for the figurine, and will likely never sell it. LEs without the figurine will be a little more common, I'd imagine.

[Kitsune Sniper]

In Manhunt 2 when you press the button for the main character to do the execution, the screen blurs and you can't tell what's going on. I know that there is something you can download to modify the game but it doesn't make sense to me that Rockstar couldn't show that stuff in the second one when they could in the first and even Bethesda is allowed to show that kind of stuff in Fallout 3.

The reason for this is that it's a console game, and apparently console gamers need more protection than PC gamers. If they'd released a PC version, completely uncensored, via a digital distribution program like Steam they would've made millions of bucks, but they were probably afraid of lawsuits and general bitching from soccer moms and JT.

As for rare games, the only ones I can think of are fixed versions of busted DS games, like that Bubble Bobble one and Card Fighters DS that were only available via Mail Order.

[Electric Blue]

As for rare games, the only ones I can think of are fixed versions of busted DS games, like that Bubble Bobble one and Card Fighters DS that were only available via Mail Order.

I'm pretty sure fixed versions of Card Fighters have showed up in stores. Not sure about BB though.

[roushimsx]

I figured Manhunt 2 would have been rare but apparently it's not....

I have the game because I love the original but I don't enjoy it as much as the first. I think it's because the kills aren't shown anymore. Can anyone explain to me why Rockstar wasn't allowed to show the same things they did in the original Manhunt? In the first you could:


That game was in complete development hell. It didn't help that North wasn't developing it this time, they were just "overseeing", and judging by the end product, that just means they were sitting back and hoping to let the money roll in for doing nothing. Vienna was working on it (their first major game developed, IIRC) for the longest time but they couldn't meet their milestones and wound up getting shut down. London, Leeds, and Toronto took up individual ports and tried to make them work, but they just didn't have the time needed to polish the turd.

In the end, I'm fairly certain that the censorship controversy and resulting uncut PS2 and PSP leaks were all part of a bigger plan for free marketing in the hopes that people would be more apt to blindly buy the game based on the strength of of the first title and the promise of "so much violence that it had to be censored!". It doesn't help that Rockstar/Take 2 rapes studios of their original identities and renames them all to Rockstar *whatever*. People see the Rockstar logo and assume that everything is being made by the dudes that made GTA3.

But hey, it helped State of Emergency sell by the boatload. Why not see if it works for every other future Rockstar-published game?

[TonyTheTiger]

I didn't even know that Blast Works game existed. I looked up some footage of it and it does look pretty neat.

Therein lies a big problem with the Wii. It's become incredibly difficult to distinguish between solid niche/budget titles and shovelware. I'll be the first to admit that outside Nintendo's own titles and a handful of others, the Wii's library looks like a sea of generic Newgrounds.com flash games. I have no idea what games are actually good.

[Mayhem]

This generation's "rare" ("valuable") games will be on the Wii. A game like Blast Works, for example, has more potential to be "rare" than most other games. After a month or so on the shelves, the game was selling so poorly that it's price was cut 50-75% by most retailers. I imaginge stores will be dried up within another month. The game did extremely well critically, however, and is absolutely one of a kind - just the type of game to generate a cult following. That said, it may forever be a cheap, overlooked title. TIME WILL TELL.

You know, I don't recall seeing it on any shop shelf when I was over in the US last month. And I was sort of thinking of buying it. Guess I'll have to rely on the good old internet and hunting skills... conversely I did pick up HotD2/3 and Shikigami 3 for $20 each that I spotted at one shop each.

[Mangar]

Not sure about "rare" games - But if I were going to play investment video game speculator - The one current game that I feel will be worth decent money, or at least hold onto it's value in the future is Civilization Revolutions for the PS3 and 360.

If you look at earlier strategy type games, these are always the ones which still command a high price on Ebay. Be it Warsong, Pirates Gold (From the same creator) to name just two that popped into my head for the Sega Genesis. To even modern PS2 games like Culdcept.

For some reason: Strategy games that are actually GOOD, tend to hold up well for future generations. I recently popped in Warsong to play it. Strategy games from notable creators, and notable franchises tend to hold up even better.

Not that I'd ever suggest buying video games for profit. But from a purely conversational standpoint, this would be my pick for Non Limited Edition current gen games.

[Bojay1997]

Not sure about "rare" games - But if I were going to play investment video game speculator - The one current game that I feel will be worth decent money, or at least hold onto it's value in the future is Civilization Revolutions for the PS3 and 360.

If you look at earlier strategy type games, these are always the ones which still command a high price on Ebay. Be it Warsong, Pirates Gold (From the same creator) to name just two that popped into my head for the Sega Genesis. To even modern PS2 games like Culdcept.

For some reason: Strategy games that are actually GOOD, tend to hold up well for future generations. I recently popped in Warsong to play it. Strategy games from notable creators, and notable franchises tend to hold up even better.

Not that I'd ever suggest buying video games for profit. But from a purely conversational standpoint, this would be my pick for Non Limited Edition current gen games.

Except it's available on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as the DS and it's literally available at every major retailer including Target, Best Buy, TRU, KMart, etc... There is no way it will ever be rare. I would bet the print run was at least 100K-150K on each platform.

[Bojay1997]

You know, I don't recall seeing it on any shop shelf when I was over in the US last month. And I was sort of thinking of buying it. Guess I'll have to rely on the good old internet and hunting skills... conversely I did pick up HotD2/3 and Shikigami 3 for $20 each that I spotted at one shop each.

It's widely available. Every major retailer is stocking it including Target, Circuit City and Best Buy. The price dropped to $20 at Best Buy and Gamestop last week. For a day or so it was actually $10 at Best Buy.

[garagesaleking!!]

everywhere around me has the halo 3 version in the tin.

[maxlords]

I'd say a fair number of DS games will end up rarities as well. Partly because of the lower print runs, but mostly cause kids are buying 3/4 of em and trashing/losing em. Even with the snap cases, I still see a surprising number or used DS games loose. With a lot of budget and niche titles, I forsee DS games being valuable in the future. Same goes for what's been said about Wii.

[gepeto]

I'd say the BioShock LE, complete with figurine. Because the majority of the people who bought the LE bought it for the figurine, and will likely never sell it. LEs without the figurine will be a little more common, I'd imagine.

You know I bought a limited without the figurine on ebay for 27.00. That was the only one I had seen. With the ability and the popularity of downloads I don't think there will be too many rare games in the future. One wii game I have never seen since launch and there were only one or 2 in stock then was victorious boxing.

[Ze_ro]

I'd say the BioShock LE, complete with figurine. Because the majority of the people who bought the LE bought it for the figurine, and will likely never sell it. LEs without the figurine will be a little more common, I'd imagine.
There was also a bit of a problem with figures breaking during shipping... so finding a Big Daddy in good condition could become difficult.


This generation's "rare" ("valuable") games will be on the Wii. A game like Blast Works, for example, has more potential to be "rare" than most other games.
It's worth pointing out that there may be a cover art variant of Blast Works:
http://www.mywii.com.au/img/game/Blast-Works--Build--Fuse---Destroy-1.jpghttp://static.gamecrazy.com/images/games/boxart/12468.jpg

Now, the first one has an RP rating, and carries the "Build Fuse Destroy" subtitle (which was used in PAL regions), so I'm not sure if that one was ever released in North America. My own copy is the 2nd one with the three circles. Has anyone seen the helicopter cover in the wild?

--Zero

[Xevious]

How about the PAL version of Alone in the Dark - Lim. Edit. for the 360?
It's supposed to be "only" 25.000 made...

[megasdkirby]

For me, it's not that hard to find games now for current or semi current consoles than it is to get the same games 10 years later.

The more time passes by, the harder they become to obtain.

I bet that Atari 2600 games were infinitely easier to obtain in the past, when it was during it's "heyday" than it is now.

[samo]

I don't know if it is rare or not but Marvel Ultimate Alliance Platinum Hits (w/bonus DVD) on the 360 has been impossible to find for me. I have found a couple of different sites that have the PH image for a stock image but no guarantee if it is the PH edition. Anybody want to part with one ;)
For that matter I haven't seen gold around in a while either.

[squirrelnut]

I was thinking about this, could XBLA games be rare? As they remove some of the under performing games, could people want a system with these already installed?

[FanOPants]

Only the "Build. Trade. Destoy." artwork was released in the US.

[Rob2600]

I didn't even know that Blast Works game existed. I looked up some footage of it and it does look pretty neat.

Therein lies a big problem with the Wii. It's become incredibly difficult to distinguish between solid niche/budget titles and shovelware. I'll be the first to admit that outside Nintendo's own titles and a handful of others, the Wii's library looks like a sea of generic Newgrounds.com flash games. I have no idea what games are actually good.

That's why I created the Top 30 Wii Games and Bottom 40 Wii Games thread:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109135


BlastWorks is currently one of the highest rated Wii games and the price just dropped to $19.99. Time to buy!

Best Buy - BlastWorks (Wii) (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8835353&st=blastworks&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1209165388672)
Circuit City - BlastWorks (Wii) (http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=blastworks&searchSection=All&go.x=0&go.y=0)
Amazon - BlastWorks (Wii) (http://www.amazon.com/Blast-Works-Build-Fuse-Destroy/dp/B000TU1IH0/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1217974481&sr=8-1)


I hope a Boom Blox price drop is next. :)

[TonyTheTiger]

I was thinking about this, could XBLA games be rare? As they remove some of the under performing games, could people want a system with these already installed?

That's an interesting proposition but I doubt something like this would happen for two reasons.

1) If a download started to get that kind of reaction, it wouldn't be long before the publisher puts the game back up. It's far easier than a reprint and those seem to happen often enough nowadays.

2) Somebody somewhere would crack it. Unlike a physical game that still will sell for good money because people want the real product, a download is just that, a download. So whether you buy the game or find a crack/pirate/workaround you're getting the exact same thing. So I doubt too many people would be willing to pay a premium for something like that.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I don't even want to think about someone taking up the task to determine the scarcity of DL titles and content. Since there is no physical copy either it is universally available or it isn't available at all, outside of buying a system that has it inside already. How the hell do you rate that? You can't even transfer ownership without sending out the box as well... It would make certain used systems more desirable (netting a higher sale value), I guess, but rarity is pretty much inapplicable in the sense that we all understand it here.

Picked up Blast Works today. About time another 4p shooter gets released. Plus, it has the whole Shooter Maker thing going on as well. Can't wait to dive into the online goodies and see what others have already created. Best $20 I've spent in a long while. :)

[TonyTheTiger]

I don't even want to think about someone taking up the task to determine the scarcity of DL titles and content. Since there is no physical copy either it is universally available or it isn't available at all, outside of buying a system that has it inside already. How the hell do you rate that? You can't even transfer ownership without sending out the box as well... It would make certain used systems more desirable (netting a higher sale value), I guess, but rarity is pretty much inapplicable in the sense that we all understand it here.

Agreed. A download is pure potential. If you have 1,000 copies of a game cartridge or disc then that's all there is. The number can only go down as copies start to get destroyed. With a download, it really works in reverse. You start with one. This single instance of data is then offered around and out of that one instance more appear out of thin air. Essentially, the instances of that data is limited by very few external forces. In theory, every single XBLA title can be as abundant as the Xbox 360 itself. It could even exceed the number of 360s as you can have a computer with multiple copies of the same data. It might not be usable data if it's not on a 360 but it still exists in that instance.

And like I said, there is no appreciable difference between a download that was obtained legitimately and one that wasn't (crackz, hakz0rz, w4r3z, etc.). You can have a copy of the data that was included on the 1,000 cartridges I mentioned above but the difference between the ROM and physical copy is more measurable.

Look at Nintendo's Wiiware games. Without going into specifics, it is very possible to obtain any of those games without buying them from the Shop Channel. What if Nintendo decided to remove Lost Winds tomorrow? Sure, nobody would be able to buy it legitimately anymore. The consoles that do have it legitimately are in Group A. Group B, however, consists of consoles that have the game via download from other sources. It would be very difficult (if even possible) to distinguish between Group A and Group B. And even if you could, few people would care. Any individual instance of the game has the potential to multiply.

So talking about downloads in terms of rarity is like inquiring as to what the rarest SNES ROM is. You can scour websites, newsgroups, torrents, P2P and list out the ROMs that are less available I suppose. But few people if any would be willing to pay a premium for that ROM.

You could think of it like a transaction that can be ongoing and a transaction that's a one time deal. If I found a one of a kind prototype tomorrow I might be able to get somebody to pay me to dump the game and provide the ROM. But the second I hand over that data, I can't go to potential customer #2 and offer, "The ROM ripped from the original game for a fair price." Whether he pays to get the data from me, or gets it from customer #1, or finds it on a website, it's all the same. I suppose in theory you can have a hold out situation where each person is railroaded into paying for a ROM and thus absolutely refuses to distribute it to anyone else without being paid as well but I can't imagine that going on for very long in the real world.

[Famidrive-16]

I'm pretty sure fixed versions of Card Fighters have showed up in stores. Not sure about BB though.

Is there a way to tell with fixed versions or not? There were quite a couple copies of CF in the last store I was in.

Thirding BB though, I haven't seen that game at all since it's original release.

[emceelokey]

Blast Works sucked. I don;t know why tha game got such good reviews but back to the topic.

I think Madden '09 is going to be released on the original Xbox. Xbox has pretty much been taken out of ever retailer that doesn't sell used games and even the game stores have phased those out so Madden 09 might be something worth looking out for.

[koster]

Have there been any rare Madden games? A year from now, used game stores still carrying Xbox games will probably have stacks of Madden 09. ;)

[Nature Boy]

I think Madden '09 is going to be released on the original Xbox.

It is. And it's the first game to be released for the original Xbox since ... Madden '08! :)

Finding copies of Madden '98 on Genesis is harder to find than, say, Madden 94-97, but it's value is still very much the same (i.e. nothing :) ).

[GM80]

Anyone else seen Super Fruitfall (US version) for the Wii? Someone next to me at GameStop was attempting to trade it in, along with a pile of other stuff, and it wasn't even in their system ... so I bought it off the guy for a dollar.

There's a lone copy on eBay for just 99¢, and CodeMasters (publisher) doesn't list it on their website. I read in another thread here that only Best Buy had a few copies, and that was at least a year ago.

[norkusa]

Finding copies of Madden '98 on Genesis is harder to find than, say, Madden 94-97, but it's value is still very much the same (i.e. nothing :) ).

Funny that Genesis Madden '98 is worthless but NHL 98's are worth around $20-$30. I've even seen some go for $40-$50 earlier this year.

[kaedesdisciple]

I'd assume that maybe the LE Devil May Cry? I don't see it much places but walmart still sells it...oddly enough the LE version is 49.99 and the normal edition is 59.99, doesnt seem right.


Just to put a qualifier on that: an authentic SIGNED LE copy of Devil May Cry 4. Has anyone ever confirmed that these exist other than seeing the picture of the group before they were put into "circulation?"

[8-bitNesMan]

I think Madden '09 is going to be released on the original Xbox. Xbox has pretty much been taken out of ever retailer that doesn't sell used games and even the game stores have phased those out so Madden 09 might be something worth looking out for.

I saw Best Buy's ad yesterday and they had Madden '09 advertised for every system except the Xbox. Maybe '08 was the last one for it...

[heybtbm]

I saw Best Buy's ad yesterday and they had Madden '09 advertised for every system except the Xbox. Maybe '08 was the last one for it...

No, there's a regular Xbox version of Madden '09. Maybe BB isn't carrying it.

[roushimsx]

Maybe '08 was the last one for it...

Or you could check Amazon real quick (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019C4MT8).

Oh hey, there it is.

[Bojay1997]

Anyone else seen Super Fruitfall (US version) for the Wii? Someone next to me at GameStop was attempting to trade it in, along with a pile of other stuff, and it wasn't even in their system ... so I bought it off the guy for a dollar.

There's a lone copy on eBay for just 99¢, and CodeMasters (publisher) doesn't list it on their website. I read in another thread here that only Best Buy had a few copies, and that was at least a year ago.

I still see copies at Best Buy here in Los Angeles. In fact, there are a bunch of them in the front row sections still going for $20 at three of the locations closest to me. Could be a rarity down the road, but not exactly a great game so I doubt the value will go up much.

[m117]

Didn't read all the other posts but, I thought about the issue of the popularity of downloadable games in this gen. PSN and XBLA has become a great showcase for some very untraditional yet successfull games that may have in disc form been either non-existent, or in short run. I think the availability of these games on the digital market may be a factor in the decline of the rare, physical media based gems that we are used to seeing for each generation.

[TonyTheTiger]

There's always going to be something that could qualify as "rare" so long as there are physical copies being manufactured. The odds alone would suggest that something would slip through. What varies is how many things turn out to be rare and what those things are.

[kewlrabbit]

I thought of another that's probably going to be somewhat hard to find later. It's called L-O-L (sorry for the spacing, it's not spelled like that, but everytime I enter it like that i get a laughing smilie) by Agtec on the Ds. It got very bad reviews (Game Informer gave it a 1) and is only avalible on Agtec's Website. If that dosen't spell Rare, I don't know what does.

[8-bitNesMan]

Or you could check Amazon real quick.

Oh hey, there it is.

I felt no desire whatsoever to go check Amazon or any other site for a sports game on a last gen system that I have no intention of buying. I was merely pointing out what I observed in an ad from the newspaper. Many thanks for the link and the sarcasm...

[TonyTheTiger]

I thought of another that's probably going to be somewhat hard to find later. It's called L-O-L (sorry for the spacing, it's not spelled like that, but everytime I enter it like that i get a laughing smilie) by Agtec on the Ds. It got very bad reviews (Game Informer gave it a 1) and is only avalible on Agtec's Website. If that dosen't spell Rare, I don't know what does.

True true. I wouldn't be surprised. But, oddly enough, even if the game turns out to be the OMG RAR3ST DS G4M3 I just could never bring myself to spend $20 on a Pictochat clone.

[s1lence]

I see Space Chimps and Summer Athletics for the 360 being hard to find. Hail to the Chimp gave me some trouble trying to locate as well.

Mass Effect LE is going to be a hard to find title (as stated previously) as well as Bioshock LE. I'm sure there will be other variants that are going to be hard to find. I also see alot of the Wii shovelware becoming rare.

[Bojay1997]

I see Space Chimps and Summer Athletics for the 360 being hard to find. Hail to the Chimp gave me some trouble trying to locate as well.

Mass Effect LE is going to be a hard to find title (as stated previously) as well as Bioshock LE. I'm sure there will be other variants that are going to be hard to find. I also see alot of the Wii shovelware becoming rare.

Really? Where do you shop? Hail to the Chimp is stocked at Best Buy, Fry's, Gamestop and a number of other retailers, as well as Amazon.

I still don't buy that Wii shovelware will ever become rare or I think a better way of thinking about it is in demand. I believe for a game to appreciate in value, it has to be hard to find and have something interesting going for it (i.e. it's a good game or a weird game or is really never made widely available at retail.) None of the shovelware games has any of these things going for it. As such, I doubt they will ever become rare.

[roushimsx]

I still don't buy that Wii shovelware will ever become rare or I think a better way of thinking about it is in demand. I believe for a game to appreciate in value, it has to be hard to find and have something interesting going for it (i.e. it's a good game or a weird game or is really never made widely available at retail.) None of the shovelware games has any of these things going for it. As such, I doubt they will ever become rare.

Yea, but rarity and value don't always go hand in hand. There's a ton of R5+ games that don't appreciate in value because the demand for them is low. Hell, there's plenty of extremely uncommon games that kick ass and don't appreciate in value. For every System Shock, there's a Terra Nova still waiting to be loved. For every Planescape Torment, there's an Arcanum that still can't sell to save its life.

Those shitty Wii games may never become valuable, but they sure as hell may become rare in the future.

[Princess-Isabela]

Rare games for this generation?

that would be:

Perfect Dark Zero
Kameo
Viva Pinata

soon:

Viva Pinata 2
Banjo Threeie

there you go ^^

[modest9797]

Viva Pinata is the best rare game of this gen.

[Bojay1997]

Yea, but rarity and value don't always go hand in hand. There's a ton of R5+ games that don't appreciate in value because the demand for them is low. Hell, there's plenty of extremely uncommon games that kick ass and don't appreciate in value. For every System Shock, there's a Terra Nova still waiting to be loved. For every Planescape Torment, there's an Arcanum that still can't sell to save its life.

Those shitty Wii games may never become valuable, but they sure as hell may become rare in the future.

But for games that have little value, I would argue that they aren't really rare at all since rarity presumes people are actively searching for them either on Ebay or elsewhere and having trouble finding them. If your only criteria for rarity is how many physical units are pressed absent an idea of what demand is for a particular title, then there are tons of games that are rare in the world compared to the million sellers. A shovelware title may only have a print run of 25,000 units or so, but if only 5,000 units sell, that means 20,000 units are out there and available. I mean a title like Journey for the 2600 is technically rarer than many other 2600 titles, but you can still buy it factory sealed for under ten bucks 25 years after it was released. The majority of the Wii shovelware is widely available at literally every major retailer including weird places like Kohl's and Mervyn's. That kind of distribution has never resulted in titles becoming rare.

[roushimsx]

But for games that have little value, I would argue that they aren't really rare at all since rarity presumes people are actively searching for them either on Ebay or elsewhere and having trouble finding them.

You're still confusing rarity and demand.

[TonyTheTiger]

But for games that have little value, I would argue that they aren't really rare at all since rarity presumes people are actively searching for them either on Ebay or elsewhere and having trouble finding them.

Let's say I paint a picture. It's one of a kind. There is no other like it. Regardless of whether or not people want to spend money on it or are actively trying to buy it, it is rare. Likewise, Final Fantasy VII had a print run in the millions. Yet it fetches over $50 on a regular basis. Not rare but in demand.


If your only criteria for rarity is how many physical units are pressed

Bingo. That is the gist of it.


absent an idea of what demand is for a particular title, then there are tons of games that are rare in the world compared to the million sellers.

Rarity and demand are two different concepts. Often one can influence the other but they don't have to be related.

[Bojay1997]

Let's say I paint a picture. It's one of a kind. There is no other like it. Regardless of whether or not people want to spend money on it or are actively trying to buy it, it is rare. Likewise, Final Fantasy VII had a print run in the millions. Yet it fetches over $50 on a regular basis. Not rare but in demand.



Bingo. That is the gist of it.



Rarity and demand are two different concepts. Often one can influence the other but they don't have to be related.

Well, except these are mass produced items and are not one-offs. Also, for collectors, rarity and demand are closely related. The painting you described is unique, not rare. If there is no demand, there can be no rarity, just lower quantities of some games than others. There are certain outlets available to every collector (stores, Ebay, other collectors, swap meets, etc...). If a particular game is available for the next 30 years from multiple outlets at a low price, even if that game only had a print run of 5,000, it's not rare. It occurs everywhere and is easily available. Every collector who wants one can get one.

A game becomes rare because everyone who wants one can't get one and because those who have it don't want to sell it. There are certainly games which are not rare which are in demand, but I don't know of any examples of a game which is rare but not in demand. If you have one, I'd love to hear about it.

[Ed Oscuro]

The old economic model is supply and demand for a reason.

Nothing else need be said on that topic, unless the words need to be explained.

There is, however, another part.

If we assume that only supply and demand matter, then we could predict that eventually the supply of any game will diminish to nothing (copies abused; thrown out; or lost to fire, flood, and earthquake).

Of course, this is silly too, because opportunity cost demonstrates that in the time we are waiting (which may well be longer than we have to live) for a game to appreciate in value we could be making much better investment choices.

As a result I have to laugh at this "OMG WHAT'S RAER?!" topics, to an extent. If there's no worthwhile games on the list, you might as well keep your money for something that you'll enjoy, or that will make you a decent return in the future.

[TonyTheTiger]

Well, except these are mass produced items and are not one-offs.

Some are. A good number of the R10s in the guide seem to be nearly that. I don't see the distinction between a one of a kind prototype being "rare" and a painting being "unique." Hell, you could find a prototype nobody else knows exists. If nobody knows it exists then there can be no demand for it. Does that mean that prototype isn't "rare" but just "unique"?


As a result I have to laugh at this "OMG WHAT'S RAER?!" topics, to an extent. If there's no worthwhile games on the list, you might as well keep your money for something that you'll enjoy, or that will make you a decent return in the future.

I think the speculation (the intellectual part of it) can be fun if we're just doing it for shits and giggles. It's kind of like watching a horse race you didn't actually bet on. It's still fun to try to pick a winner.

For me, these threads are helpful because I've been burned before. I can think of at least 10 or so occasions where there was a game I was considering or a game I didn't know existed but turns out is right up my alley but after enough time passes I turn around and now can't find a copy for less than $80. That exact circumstance is precisely why I don't have Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dragon Force, or to a lesser extent Arc the Lad Collection.

I want to avoid that if I can and what these threads do for me is draw my attention to games I might be interested in that could possibly end up costing me more if I wait too long before grabbing a copy. It doesn't mean I go out and buy every game people list. The only game I bought solely because of apparent rarity is NCAA Basketball 2k3 and that was only because there was a copy for $9.99 at a Gamestop 15 minutes from my house.

I did, however, use the rarity threads to find a copy of Bust A Move 3000, a game I didn't know existed but is part of a series I like. It may not become rare and expensive later on but if enough people here seem to agree that the potential is there and it's a game I'd also like to have then I think taking the plunge isn't that bad of an idea. Better to spend $20 on a game you want that drops in price than kick yourself later on because that same game now costs $50.

The problem is that these threads always get out of hand. Everyone starts listing off the games they just "haven't seen in a while," seem niche and quirky, or something equally vague. Before long you have a list of 100 "rare" games which is probably absurd considering the law of averages and also that these days there are mandatory print runs. As much of a dumping ground the Wii appears to be, Nintendo is probably not going to let some shovelware pusher print only 8,000 copies of something.

[Ed Oscuro]

For me, these threads are helpful because I've been burned before.
Yeah, I agree. I was afraid I was sounding too negative; these threads certainly have their uses. I just don't subscribe to the notion that "if it's rare you must get it."

[evil_genius]

The Dead Rising strategy guide is fetching a high amount on eBay for some reason. This is not a fluke either, I have been watching this phenomenon for over a month now.

[TonyTheTiger]

Strategy Guides as collectors items might make sense considering the trends lately. With GameFAQs and so many other free alternatives abound, I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that strategy guides are being printed in smaller numbers than they were in years past. If you wanted to know the layout of that card game in Super Mario Bros. 3 you either bought the guide or figured it out for yourself.

Smaller printings are just part of it, too. These days, strategy guides have to be more than just walkthroughs. If I want a walkthrough, I can open Firefox. For a strategy guide to be a worthwhile purchase they need to be a lot of things. A walkthrough, an artbook, an inside look at the development, etc. So better books + shorter printings = higher demand.