Got $50,000? Then you can own the only FFII (NES) prototype/demo cart in the world!

[Nz17]

Frank Cifaldi of The Lost Levels is selling his one-and-only copy of Final Fantasy II for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This was a demo cart shown at CES back in 1991 during the NES days. He's asking for $50,000, but you better have about $7 more to pay for shipping. ;)

Final Fantasy II (NES) eBay listing (http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140827892276)

Source with details (http://www.siliconera.com/2012/08/20/rare-final-fantasy-ii-nes-cart-hits-ebay-instead-of-self/)

[Tanooki]

Impressive. The owner's friend is a member over at NA and he's the one selling it for the buddy who wants to be left alone by nuts. This is the same game that was dumped about a decade ago which put that ROM online for people to play and get put into repro carts like mad these days. He has received a few offers, last I heard the best one was 6K.

[wiggyx]

Dammit, shipping is $10.40 for me. That puts it about 75 cents out of my price range. Oh well.

[Cloud121]

Know where I can find a hi resolution copy of of that scanned brochure? Or would it be hi resolution scan of a scan?

[xelement5x]

Wouldn't it be funny if Square-Enix decided that they wanted that proto back?

Is there any way to legally own a high-profile prototype like this which ensures that someday the company can't just take it back? I would assume that it's technically still company property, even though it's been missing for a long time.

[Gameguy]

This is the same game that was dumped about a decade ago which put that ROM online for people to play and get put into repro carts like mad these days.
Why would a dumped proto be worth $50,000? I just don't see someone buying it for anywhere near that much.

[Collector_Gaming]

Wouldn't it be funny if Square-Enix decided that they wanted that proto back?

Is there any way to legally own a high-profile prototype like this which ensures that someday the company can't just take it back? I would assume that it's technically still company property, even though it's been missing for a long time.

wanna send the company a email and ask them how that would work out?

[TheRedEye]

Impressive. The owner's friend is a member over at NA and he's the one selling it for the buddy who wants to be left alone by nuts. This is the same game that was dumped about a decade ago which put that ROM online for people to play and get put into repro carts like mad these days. He has received a few offers, last I heard the best one was 6K.

Hi I'm a member here too. I think I even bought the proto off of this forum originally.

[JSoup]

wanna send the company a email and ask them how that would work out?

It's kinda tempting. Might be interesting to see if they have an opinion on this or not.

[Bojay1997]

Wouldn't it be funny if Square-Enix decided that they wanted that proto back?

Is there any way to legally own a high-profile prototype like this which ensures that someday the company can't just take it back? I would assume that it's technically still company property, even though it's been missing for a long time.

Not that I'm aware of, unless the company specifically grants permission and even then, you would only own the physical copy and not have rights to do much of anything with it besides maybe play it personally. There are stories all the time of people getting back stolen property that they lost 30+ years ago, so if the company really wanted to and was able to show that it was removed without permission, they could pursue a civil claim to get it back (the statute of limitations on theft has probably long since run so I don't think there is much concern of a criminal complaint). That's why I always cringe a little bit when I see stories like this get coverage in the mainstream press. When and if protos start going for tens of thousands of dollars, it's going to really provide an incetive to companies to file suit to have the property returned.

[ultimaweapon]

That's really rare indeed. It seems legit and would be a great piece for anyone's collection.

[TheRedEye]

It's kinda tempting. Might be interesting to see if they have an opinion on this or not.

Thanks.

[JSoup]

Thanks.

For the record, this is more of a curiosity thing then an attempt to...really do anything. It's always fun to hear Nintendo rant about the reselling of their old products and it kinda strikes me that not all companies are going to automatically run around the playground with a big stick every time someone says "I'm seeing your old stuff, lol".

[TheRedEye]

Here's a video of a guy threatening to hit me because I put a video game on eBay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrfDNUEQXB4

[JSoup]

Here's a video of a guy threatening to hit me because I put a video game on eBay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrfDNUEQXB4

He makes a good point (although, he is making it in a profoundly immature way) and it's a point that has been made before, many a time. Protos go for too goddamn much money, particularly for what you're getting out of them.

[The 1 2 P]

Hi I'm a member here too. I think I even bought the proto off of this forum originally.

Is that cat in the pictures real? He looks kind of....pissed?

[Sysop]

Here's a video of a guy threatening to hit me because I put a video game on eBay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrfDNUEQXB4
Might as well call him out on it, or well, better not. All it'd do is allow him to get more exposure.

[Space-Ace-13]

No thanks... I'll buy a new 2013 Corvette ($49,600) and a complete copies of Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES.

[JSoup]

No thanks... I'll buy a new 2013 Corvette ($49,600) and a complete copies of Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES.

And still have change for lunch and a taxi!

[Tanooki]

No thanks... I'll buy a new 2013 Corvette ($49,600) and a complete copies of Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES.
Hahaha yeah. Now come on admit it, you'll just go through it all on hookers and blow. :D



Hey RedEye nice seeing you here. I knew you weren't serious with the 50K so the exposure is amusing to say the least. I'd love to see where it actually floats up to though as I'm sure people will shoot decent values rooted in some form a collectors reality. Even if the ROM is out there nearly a decade now, so what, it's still one of a kind. There's a lot of protos out there of which there are multiple copies of the game, and others there aren't. Some are popular, some no one much cares and the prices are according, yet in all cases moderately to well up there.

Hell I have a couple of old GB protos, one of them I'm thinking of ditching too, but I wouldn't dare ask probably more than $50-100 for it just because of what it is. I just haven't decided to pull the trigger on doing so.

[rbudrick]

Know where I can find a hi resolution copy of of that scanned brochure? Or would it be hi resolution scan of a scan?

Nice to see you used my old scan in the auction, Frank! It kind of took me by surprise. I was like, "Oh, cool, my old pic! Wait...Red owns that, right?"

Cloud, pm or write me at my username at hotmail. I can hook you up with the original scans.

-Rob

[MarioMania]

I think this is ruining the hobby

Alot of people on ebay are asking way too much for games these days

[JSoup]

So did the overpriced piece of shit sell or what?

[Nathander]

One one hand it's a one of a kind piece of gaming history and what might have been if the game had been released in the states.

On the other hand it's Final Fantasy II.

[kupomogli]

Relist it for bidding and add a reserve, I'd bid on it, although nowhere near the asking price. Mainly I want to see where the bidding ends at even if it doesn't meet the reserve and sell.

[The Adventurer]

I think this is ruining the hobby

Alot of people on ebay are asking way too much for games these days

Some people really don't understand the value of history or rarity. You're not paying 50k for a game, you're paying 50k for an artifact of history. Or in this case, alternate history where Final Fantasy II was officially translated in 1991.

If this was about the game the person who wanted it would just go download a ROM. Its not about that.

[JSoup]

Some people really don't understand the value of history or rarity. You're not paying 50k for a game, you're paying 50k for an artifact of history. Or in this case, alternate history where Final Fantasy II was officially translated in 1991.

If this was about the game the person who wanted it would just go download a ROM. Its not about that.

Maybe so, but some of us don't like to encourage needless inflation in a secondary market that is prone to wild price spikes anytime some idiot pulls a number out of his ass.

[fergojisan]

I think this is ruining the hobby

Alot of people on ebay are SPENDING way too much for games these days

Fixed that for you.

[The Adventurer]

Maybe so, but some of us don't like to encourage needless inflation in a secondary market that is prone to wild price spikes anytime some idiot pulls a number out of his ass.

I fail to see how a one of a kind game cart can impact the entire used game market. It's a unique case.

Also it's probably not actually worth 50k until it actually sells for 50k. It's just the price the current owner is willing to part with it for. From the sound of it it didn't get any buyers yet.

It's definitely worth SOMETHING, prObably in the thousands too. But probably not 50k. But that's for the buyers to decide. The people who buy these things are the ones who end up setting the price precedent.

[JSoup]

I fail to see how a one of a kind game cart can impact the entire used game market. It's a unique case.

Also it's probably not actually worth 50k until it actually sells for 50k. It's just the price the current owner is willing to part with it for. From the sound of it it didn't get any buyers yet.

It's definitely worth SOMETHING, prObably in the thousands too. But probably not 50k. But that's for the buyers to decide. The people who buy these things are the ones who end up setting the price precedent.

You fail to see how it can impact the market, then proceed to explain how it will impact the market.
Overblown sales prices effect us all in the end.

[Tanooki]

Overblown prices have the moron effect going for them (and against us.) Let's say that 50K game which we all know was just inflated with a best offer to get values floated did sell for 50k for the sake of argument. This shit would be all over the news, at the least moderate and perhaps major website news and probably local, not so sure unless someone did a fluff piece would it hit the likes of Fox or CNN. But there in lies the problem. We know what a proto of a NES game is, your 'moron effect' everyman idiot will hear and see just the following words: Final Fantasy, NES, Nintendo, FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, rare, old games, dig them out, etc depending how the story rolls.

We've seen proof positive the moron effect works. I'm sure we all know of that moron assclown Mark Belelo who used to at times pop up on Storage Wars on A&E and his super flub. The NES-001 these things are worth $15K dollars! He takes it in, the shit doesn't work, dude offers him ten bucks and he looks like he's going to puke. And why did this pillar of mental acuity do something that moronic? Because some chick found a complete copy of Stadium Events along with a few other titles and a complete pristine NES in her attic or wherever it was and some toolboxes up on ebay jammed it up in a pissing match bid war to that value or higher. One dumb move inspires another and another, the moron effect.

That thing sells for 50K, hell even 10K it would hit some news and then it will happen.

[badinsults]

Some people really don't understand the value of history or rarity. You're not paying 50k for a game, you're paying 50k for an artifact of history. Or in this case, alternate history where Final Fantasy II was officially translated in 1991.

If this was about the game the person who wanted it would just go download a ROM. Its not about that.


Well, what is this history of this? This cart has a partially completed localization of Final Fantasy II, a game that didn't make it out on the NES, but did make it out on other consoles such as the GBA and PS1. The cart itself was used at a trade show, eventually making its way to the hands of TheRedEye, who produced an excellent article on it on Lost Levels, and released the binary for anyone to play.

You have to ask yourself, is the cart itself really worth anything? If we are talking about the history of how this game was in the process of being localized by Square, but eventually canned, then that it is interesting. The cart itself is a fragile thing, with chips that will eventually degrade, by their very nature. In 100 years, it is highly unlikely that the ROM on it will be intact, and this will simply be a pcb with some old EPROMs on it. The footnote of Final Fantasy history will note that Square intended this to release the game on the NES, and the binary is available to those who want to delve into it. If you look at it that way, this cart has little intrinsic value, but the binary does.

Who would pay many thosands of dollars for this cart now? If a historian wants to look into it, they have everything they need. In the vast field of video game history, this cart is not really that high in importance and certainly not worth $50,000. Something that might be considered of high importance would be the rumoured 80% complete Final Fantasy IV for the Famicom that ended up being cancelled. If a copy of that were to come out, it certainly would be worth thousands.

[TheRedEye]

Maybe so, but some of us don't like to encourage needless inflation in a secondary market that is prone to wild price spikes anytime some idiot pulls a number out of his ass.

I have a pending deal I can't discuss in detail that is near the number this idiot pulled out of his ass. Thanks for your interest, sorry I ruined your hobby or whatever.

[Nz17]

Don't worry TheRedEye, some of us (such as myself) are in full support of you. :)

[JSoup]

I have a pending deal I can't discuss in detail that is near the number this idiot pulled out of his ass. Thanks for your interest, sorry I ruined your hobby or whatever.

A suckers born every minuet.

[BeaglePuss]

I have a pending deal I can't discuss in detail that is near the number this idiot pulled out of his ass. Thanks for your interest, sorry I made other prototype collectors millionaires.
Fixed that for you, and I thank you for it.