Game re-issues? Your thoughts please.

[The_4th_Survivor]

From my experience with 're-prints' or 're-issues' of games (whatever you would call them), it all depends on the manufacturer as to whether or not the re-issued game title will have a different look from their original release version.

On one hand, you have the 'Platinum Hits' (XBox), 'Greatest Hits' (PS1, PS2) and 'Player's Choice' (GCN) re-issues, which are obviously different from the original release version titles, due to the fact that the cover insert, plastic storage case and game discs themselves are most likely to have a different color to them or simply have some sort of moniker (such as the Player's Choice yellow bar) emblazoned on the top of the cover insert. In other words, it's very easy to distinguish a re-issued game compared to it's original release, thanks to the package and game disc re-decos.

On the other hand, you have companies and manufacturers that re-issue games WITHOUT the obvious 'Player's Choice/Greatest Hits/Platinum Hits' moniker anywhere on the package. The only real indicator of the game being re-issued is usually the fact that 1) the title that was sold out or hasn't been sold for months at a retail chain store (places like EB Games, Target, Wal Mart, Etc.) finally reappears on the shelves and 2), the 'rare/out of print' titles are now being sold for less than what they were previously retailing for. That usually ends up with a price like, say, a game that was originally $49.99 on it's release date is now selling for $29.99 or $19.99.

These re-issued games sometimes do not have any indicators aside from the above mentioned instances in availability and pricing. The game discs and cover inserts themselves are the exact same as the original release version, just without the higher retail price.

Some games that come to mind in terms of being re-issued (usually for the demand they garnered to get re-issued in the first place) are the following:


AirForce Delta Storm (Konami, XBox)

Resident Evil 2 (Capcom, GameCube)

Resident Evil 3 (Capcom, GameCube)



Another interesting thing I discovered was that games like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Disgaea, Digital Devil Saga, and Rez are supposedly getting re-issues.

Judging that these games are not the 'Platinum Hits' type of games (meaning that they probably didn't sell as many copies as say, Metroid Prime, Soul Calibur II, etc.), I have a feeling that the re-issued copies will look just like the original release versions.

I still remember seeing Xenogears retail for $39.99 at EB Games for the longest time, all the way up until about Spring 2003.

What does everyone else think about game re-issues in general?

[Leo_A]

I don't understand your reason for posting this, but anytime a game is rereleased it's fine with me.

[Lothars]

I am glad they reissue games especilaly ones that i may have not heard about or never got a chance to get, so it's all good.

[norkusa]

Another interesting thing I discovered was that games like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Disgaea, Digital Devil Saga, and Rez are supposedly getting re-issues.

Yeah, I've heard that about the Atlus games but Rez isn't getting a re-release. People have been saying that for 2 years now but there hasn't been one. Same goes for Suikoden II.

Didn't Disgea already get a re-release last year?

[Jumpman Jr.]

If its identical in every way, I could care less about re-issues. However, if the label on the outside of the box (or disc, or whatever) said "Players Choice" on it, I won't buy it. I'd much rather find a used origional copy somewhere than buy one new that has that. Why? I'm not quite sure.

[Slimedog]

I love reissues. Even thought I'd never touch one of those ugly Greatest Hits boxes, it keeps the prices down on otherwise costly games. Even if I don't buy the GH title, I can still find the original for the same price. The only one that bugs me is VF4: Evolution. I'm going to have to make my self a new insert for that one because I really don't want to have one ugly red lable in my nice uniform shelf.

Speaking of which, whats the deal on the DBZ GT: Final Bout reissue. I found a guy at the flea market still selling the original version for $150 even though its reissue can be had for $10. Is he smoking something or is there some other difference, aside from the cover art and I would assume Atari being in the copyright screen, to this one?

[kiun]

I love reissues. Even thought I'd never touch one of those ugly Greatest Hits boxes, it keeps the prices down on otherwise costly games. Even if I don't buy the GH title, I can still find the original for the same price. The only one that bugs me is VF4: Evolution. I'm going to have to make my self a new insert for that one because I really don't want to have one ugly red lable in my nice uniform shelf.

Speaking of which, whats the deal on the DBZ GT: Final Bout reissue. I found a guy at the flea market still selling the original version for $150 even though its reissue can be had for $10. Is he smoking something or is there some other difference, aside from the cover art and I would assume Atari being in the copyright screen, to this one?

The insert cover, manual and the game cd art are different. Collectors prefer the 1st print.

Basically the reprint, although it doesnt have green stripes are treated as 'greatest hits'.

[TheRedEye]

What does everyone else think about game re-issues in general?

I think they keep brands alive in the public eye and generate moderate profits for their publishers.

[Niku-Sama]

some times reisues like that fix game problems (i.e. GranTurismo 2)

[gepeto]

I personally do not like reissues. To me they kill the collectability of the game. Sometimes the thing that makes a game special is its scareness combined with the fact that it was an overlooked game.

I will never forget the look on my face when I went in a store and seen final fantasy anthology\chronicles and xenogears greatest hits. Alot of players\collectors got burned on that one. Talk about disgusted.

Do baseball card do reissues like Micheal Jordan rookie card?

I understand the need to squeeze a buck but some games are special and deserve to be left in there original state and run.

[googlefest1]

i like re-issues - they help keep customers happy

but i refuse to buy them - i buy only original release games

i don't like the "hits" packageing

only time ill buy a game like that is for an old system like genesis

[chrisbid]

I love reissues. Even thought I'd never touch one of those ugly Greatest Hits boxes, it keeps the prices down on otherwise costly games. Even if I don't buy the GH title, I can still find the original for the same price. The only one that bugs me is VF4: Evolution. I'm going to have to make my self a new insert for that one because I really don't want to have one ugly red lable in my nice uniform shelf.




easy solution, keep the greatest hits games separate from regular titles. i generally do this with all of my systems, for instance, with dreamcast, i keep the white spine games together and the black spine games together. it looks much nicer that way.

[Captain Wrong]

I buy to play, not collect and I rarely pay fully price. So yeah, I'm 100% in favor of reissues.

[calthaer]

I agree with Capt. Wrong. I never could understand why companies don't just re-release games - even old ones - when they find out that the price goes way up on eBay. Why hasn't Atlus reprinted some of its games? No clue. Supply and demand is broken in the game industry.

[jdc]

I love the chance to get a missed game at a lower price. The packaging isn't really a great issue with me.....but if there is a choice between the silver Xbox case or the original green, then I'll naturally take the green one.

Case in point, I actually never did get around to buying SSX Tricky. I was able to buy it new as a Platinum for a very low price last night.

Condition of the disc/cart, instructions and outer case is more important than what edition it is.

[boatofcar]

I buy to play, not collect and I rarely pay fully price. So yeah, I'm 100% in favor of reissues.

I agree. If you collect games (especially new games) for investment value you need to find a new hobby.

[gepeto]

I play games as well as collect. I collect to be able to play the games when I want to. I just think reissues kill the thrill of the hunt for rare games as well as decrease the vaule of the game. When games are released people have ample time to pick up the game via used trade or whatever.

Gitaroo man Valkrye Profile sat on shelves for a long time at low prices before it became a rare find. Rez too. Question would Panzer Dragoon Saga be a sought after title if it had been reissued.
How about suikoden 2.

I know there are people that price gouge on ebay but i'm talking about getting a rare game at a steal. Nothing beats finding that hard to find title. The dp rarity guide would be tossed out the window.

Companies do reissue Air force delta storm/puzzle fighter/dbz final bout come to mind. Whether you buy to play or collect you got to admit nothing beats getting a rare game at bargian basement prices.

[sabre2922]

Reissues are fine with me Greatest hits etc I rarely pay full price for a game unless its a new Silent Hill ,Gran Turismo or Tekken ;)

I luv the Greatest Hits line for the simple fact that I can pick up (Mostly) Great games NEW for a fraction of the price of the original.

Sure the Green labels on the PSone games look guady but it really doesnt bother me but I understand the want or need to collect original prints if you are a collector its just more economical for me to pick up a greatest hits version if thats what is cheaper.

In fact the only greatest hits games that I have are:

Metal Gear Solid GH

Resident Evil directors cut GH

and Tekken Tag Tournament GH

I picked up all these games for less than $10 a piece so it was worth every penny :D

[Elusive]

I personally do not like reissues. To me they kill the collectability of the game. Sometimes the thing that makes a game special is its scareness combined with the fact that it was an overlooked game.

I will never forget the look on my face when I went in a store and seen final fantasy anthology\chronicles and xenogears greatest hits. Alot of players\collectors got burned on that one. Talk about disgusted.

Do baseball card do reissues like Micheal Jordan rookie card?

I understand the need to squeeze a buck but some games are special and deserve to be left in there original state and run.

Yes, but video game producers generally aren't bothered about people who 'collect' gaming products, or their collectability. They care about profits, and supplying to meet demand. The primary purpose of buying games is to actually play them, not leave them on a shelf.

[bargora]

Companies do reissue Air force delta storm/puzzle fighter/dbz final bout come to mind. Whether you buy to play or collect you got to admit nothing beats getting a rare game at bargian basement prices.
Was the fresh supply of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (PlayStation NTSC U/C) actually a reissue? I had heard from a source of unknown reliability that it was new-old stock from the deeps of some Capcom warehouse rather than a reissue. And when the second burst of them appeared, I don't remember seeing any of them at retail outlets--I got my second copy online. Maybe I just wasn't looking?

Also, when manufacturers reissue a title without defacing it with some bright fuschia "Greatest Hits" bullshit, is there always some way to differentiate the original from the reissue? Are some reissues identical to the original?

[gepeto]

I personally do not like reissues. To me they kill the collectability of the game. Sometimes the thing that makes a game special is its scareness combined with the fact that it was an overlooked game.

I will never forget the look on my face when I went in a store and seen final fantasy anthology\chronicles and xenogears greatest hits. Alot of players\collectors got burned on that one. Talk about disgusted.

Do baseball card do reissues like Micheal Jordan rookie card?

I understand the need to squeeze a buck but some games are special and deserve to be left in there original state and run.

Yes, but video game producers generally aren't bothered about people who 'collect' gaming products, or their collectability. They care about profits, and supplying to meet demand. The primary purpose of buying games is to actually play them, not leave them on a shelf.

That is the primary purpose for you. Some people might buy games to collect with the intent on playing. What people buy games for is there business.
Some people buy comic books sealed in plastic and never open it. Some will say now comics are made to be read but I say to each his own.

I furthermore think the greatest hits is the industrys way of comproming for the collector buy altering the box art and the disk.

I stand by my feelings on the matter

[swlovinist]

In my opinion, the industry does not give a shit about collectors, or they would have listened to us a long time ago...As for the re-issues of games, I stay neutral because I see it from both sides. On the positive, a good game can be more available and easier to find, on the other hand people who bought the game for a collection piece have to deal with a devalued item now. Dragon Ball GT final bout Playstation owners...I feel sorry for you!

[Austin]

I agree with those above who expressed sentiments about the game industry not really caring about collectors. Very rarely do companies release titles or variants that are intentionally supposed to be rarer and more collectible than other titles. (ie, the Lunar Giftset, Growlanser Deluxe, etc.) Releases like those are for collectors: anything else is sold solely for the purpose of *playing*. Video games aren't actively marketed to collectors.

To the person who compared game reissues to reissuing a Michael Jordan rookie card: these are not even in the same ballpark. People who buy sports cards are almost always sports card collectors. Manufacturers like Topps, Donruss, Upper Deck all know this, and fill their packs and boxes with rare "chase" and variant cards, signed cards, holofoils, and the like. They market straight to the collector. Very few people buy cards casually compared to people who buy them for collecting.

Games, on the other hand, are different. There are collectors, yes, but the majority of people who purchase games are only gamers. In that category, there are also hardcore gamers and casual gamers. For every person who picked up a lesser-known game or niche title, there are probably ten people who bought a playstation to play gran turismo and madden and never purchased another game all year. These are the people who are also more likely to purchase a butt-ugly greatest hits release for $20 - because they want to play, and they want to play cheaply.

Too often the games that are rare and valuable are games that were really good but were overlooked when they were new. And in these cases, it's not only the collectors who drive the prices up on eBay and forums like these, but people who just really want to play them. In cases like these, I'm sad we don't see more reissues. More people should have the chance to play games like Rez and Gitaroo Man.

And I don't know about anyone else, but if I were on a team involved with creating a game, I'd want as many people to play it as possible. It'd be something I'd be proud of. I'd like to know people were enjoying it. I'd probably care less if a bunch of people were tossing a copy back and forth on eBay (none of the money which I'd see) and then sitting it on a shelf still sealed for the rest of eternity. That's not why I made it.

Like a lot of people here, I'm also a collector. I have my pile of sealed "rare" games that I've payed too much for on eBay. I've also purchased games to resell at higher prices later. But, in the case of reissues, I'm all for them. I'm a gamer, and I don't look at my collecting as a high-risk investment or to make me part of some type of elite game geek club. They're not really ever intended for that. When it boils down to it, I'd rather be able to play a good game and find it easily than say I spent six months bidding on copies on eBay.

//end rant

[Spycee]

Another interesting thing I discovered was that games like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Disgaea, Digital Devil Saga, and Rez are supposedly getting re-issues.
Is Disgaea getting re-issued ? I bought it today (a sealed copy) in a store, and it didn't have the white seal on the top. The wrapping seems to be a real one though.

[Bojay1997]

The reissue of Disgaea went out to stores a couple of days ago. The reissue does not have the white seal since Sony doesn't use those anymore. It will be interesting to see how this "difference" plays out on Ebay. Otherwise, it is identical to the first and second releases of the game.

[Spycee]

Thanks for the information. Do you know if there are other reissues ? Where did you see that ?

[Bojay1997]

I picked up the Disagea reissue today at Fry's in Woodland Hills, California. They also had copies of Stella Deus, Makai Kingdom and Atleur Iris (sp?) and a couple of Digital Devil Saga. It looks like they already sold out of the Nocturne reissue which they had 5-6 copies of earlier this week. I believe you can go to their website (outpost.com) and order most of these at pretty good prices. You may need to call their 1-800 number to get Disgaea due to a website glitch.