I'd always heard that, but considering how many killer good used game shops there were in Okinawa, I think that might just be a rumor started from a misunderstanding of a law or some such. You know, kind of like how people say that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union.Originally Posted by Haoie
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Yeah, I've noticed that, and I've also noticed how every Japanese game I see is complete. In my area, it's a pain to find any complete games other then NFL Fuckinmadden
I have been to Japan several times and can tell you if it is "semi illegal", no one enforces it!
It is a common practice, almost as it is in the US, except, once again, the Japanese know how to care for their items (hence the better condition).
Over in Japan, it is a great "prize" to be able to sell a rare game in excellent condition (Raidiant Silvergun comes to mind, as does countless PC Engine games).
In the US, we have a different culture. Go into Game Stop and ask for Metroid Prime for the GameCube. They hand you a "cruddy" copy, you accept it, all is good. I think it has more to do with "culture shock" than anything else. It's sad, but Americans (both gamers and collectors) themselves allowed this to happen!
If you collected comic books (I am talking about the US market now) and you walked into a comic book store and wanted to buy a comic book that was worth $50 in near mint condition and the store handed you a beat up one in poor condition, you would have a problem, right? Why do we as video game collectors, settle for less when we shop at Game Stop, Game Crazy, or EB Games? Isn't condition important?
Just think about it! This is more of a post for collectors or gamers, who consider condition very important when buying a used game!
I ask, because on pretty much all of my PS titles from Japan, there's a rather large "No Resale" sign on the back.
Interesting stuff.
"If each mistake being made is a new one, then progress is being made."
I hear that Koreans are generally extremely clean. is this true?
*giggle*
I do believe South Korea has a bit of a hyperhygenic society. I hear they sell microwave-like devices that use UV rays to sterilize stuff. Sounds cool, I'd like to see what they look like.
I read that on UK PS1 game cases too:
For Home use only...no copying, adaptation, RE-SALE, arcade use, charging...etc.
Yeah, but there's a difference between what media producers *hope* the consumer will do with their products (ie: not resell them), and what the consumer is entitled to do. Several years back, the media producers pressured the Japanese government to make 2nd-hand videogame sales illegal, based on the argument that video game releases were like movies, and thus were to be limited in release.
Then a little after that, the government actually thought it through and concluded -- as anyone with half a brain cell should have -- that videogames were like any consumer product, and could be sold in the 2nd-hand market just like CDs or videos.
Perhaps someone here has some links to the original news stories about the ban/repeal of used videogames?
Never heard of this, but I can't rule it out either. Sounds interesting!
Glad to see that I wasn't the only one who noticed the difference in the quality of games. I have some friends in Korea and I'll have to check with them about the UV thingie.
JY
I would say that part of it has to do with the different types of packaging used, especially for systems like Saturn, Sega/Mega CD, 3DO, etc.
Trust me, it has nothing to do with the packaging used!
I can compare Japanese Famicom games to US NES games - both packed in cardboard boxes, and in most cases, the Japanese kept there original boxes in great condition! How many times in the US, do you find a NES game with its original box?
It happens all the time in Japan?
or at least...more often than in the US!
Living in Japan means that all I do buy are used Japanese games. I've got over 800 Saturn games with about 70% of them being used titles. Out of all of them I'd say that only 10 % are in shitty condition. They still work but the discs have scratches on them. Mind you, nothing like the crap I bought from the UK !
Basically if you are buying used in Japan you are pretty much guaranteed quality as long as you aren't buying from a real dump of a shop. Even games in the so called junk sections can be mint most of the time.
Yakumo
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Yes, I agree with most of the other ppl posted on this topic that the 2nd hand/used games and accessories from JPN are almost always complete and in excellent to like-new condition. I used to only buy brand new sealed games until I started to buy several titles that I could not afford or find them in brand new sealed condition. Once I realized just how great the condition was for the used games, I then started to buy used games more often, unless prices for the sealed games were about the same prices as the used ones.
I agree 100%! I have been to Japan several times, as stated before, and have never had a problem finding MINT games! In the US, it is horrible! It even boils over to the culture in general. Sorry, to say, but America is and has been falling behind in all areas of academics, and even, business as well! It truly is a shame.
I by no means want to take this off topic, so please forgive my above ramblings, but it had to be said and it did fit in with what we were discussing. How you take care of your things generally reflects you as person. I can usually tell within ten seconds of interviewing someone, whether or not the company should hire them. I have been 98% accurate so far!
Hopefully, US gamers will in the long run, learn to take better care of their games and systems! This will only happen though, if condition becomes important!
If a video game store were to offer more "trade in" value for a game in better condition, maybe we as gamers would benefit. In turn, they could charge a higher price for it. Any comments? Am I alone in this opinion? I am a collector, so condition is very important to me! I normally don't buy used, because of this!
I really wish video games stores in the states operated this way, but as long as Gamestop continues to dominate, I see no way of this happening any time soon.
From what I've gathered, trade in value and consequently the selling price for used games in Japan are affected by the condition that the case, manual, and game itself are in, which I'm sure contributes somewhat to why the majority of Japanese used games are in such excellent condition.
Stuff from Japan tends to be in better shape, yes, but no one's mentioned one big factor in why American games get so much wear and tear:
The packaging sucks ass.
Seriously. The OP mentioned Saturn cases, which, like their Sega CD and early PS1 brethren, are made of cheap-ass plastic, and break easily. TurboGrafx games came inside those cheesy boxes, with some later games not even getting the jewel case inside. NES boxes, like the game paks inside, have quite a bit of empty space. Super NES and N64 boxes are the same way. And the later-era Genesis games have those shitty cardboard boxes. Even the Game Boy line has a history of oversized packaging with tons of empty spaces that just begs to be crushed.
I'm not saying that US gamers aren't slobs, but the packaging here (until the last couple of generations) just begs for abuse, which simply doesn't happen in Japan.
I'm sorry, but you can still keep youir items in excellent to MINT condition if you want to (I have a MINT condition collection that was all bought new by me). I could care less how its packed, but I do see your point!
I will say this: Playstation 2 and Xbox games are packaged the same way in Japan and in the US. When I see what the used Playstation 2 and Xbox games look like at GameStop, I can tell you that most US gamers and even some collectors are slobs that don't care about their stuff!
So your reasoning is still a little jaded.
Japan games in my opinion are the best kept games I have ever seen. UK games have their share of issues too!
I should say this as well: I am an American, so I am by no way biased! The Japanese just have more respect and it shows in all aspects of their culture and even how they care for their games!
I agree 100%! GameStop and other game stores, should adopt a condition based scale for buying and selling used games.
Could you imagine buying an Amazing Spider-Man #1 comic book used in any condition you wanted at a set price? What condition would you buy it in? Near Mint/MINT, right?
Why don't we, as video game collectors (and gamers) demand that video game stores treat games as collectibles? When someone brings in a game for trade and gets less for it than someone else who has a "near mint" copy, maybe people would learn to take better care of their items and every collector would benefit!
There would be some "kinks" to work out (grading scale, etc.), but its ashame that we have to settle for less!
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