Sealed Games....what is the point?

[metal_head]

Hi,

I know that collecting quirks rear their head with any form of collection, but i'm finding it hard to get my head around the pleasure od owning/collecting sealed games.

I can understand the pleasurable aspect of owning complete original games in nice condition, but to horde them without ever playing them!!!

I do have a (very) few sealed games.....but that is just because I haven't yet got around to playing them....surely the very heart and soul of a game is with its ability to entertain and transport you to some place else.

I can to an extent see the collectable appeal in owning guitars that you dont play, or cars that you dont drive, but those things look pretty....how truly attractive and appealing can a shrink wrapped CD case be?

With a nice guitar you have a fusion of wood/metal whatever whose form gives it beauty....the grain of the wood, the curves of the body, form and function united to create beauty......same with a nice car or whatever.

The game at this level is just a cheap shrink wrapped CD case.....surely beyond the superficial, such as cover art(which I accept can be beautiful in itself, but I bet most peoples CDs are stored sideways out!) a game needs to be played for its beauty to be released, for it to find true value as an item worth collecting? Otherwise we might as well shrink wrap empty cases and boxes!

No disrespect intended, but isn't hoarding games we will never play actually veering towards a kind of unstable unhinged thing to do?

Still, we're gamers aren't we.....we're all nuts anyway!!!

Marc.

[digitalpress]

I'm with ya on this particular rant

The only reason I would ever buy a sealed game is to have a brand new copy, but my sealed games get open (there are a few exceptions to this rule - games that I'll probably never play like the Bandai Pippin Gundam game I've got sealed), and they get played. I don't "collect" sealed games, though condition is important. Again, this is why myself and many others might seek out a sealed game, not necessarily to "hoard".

[maxlords]

Yeah...if it's a game for me, I open it. I have a few that I've been too lazy to open, but if I get older sealed games, it's ONLY to use them as trade stock for later. I don't understand the point of buying a bunch of games that you're never going to open either, but since the demand is there, I DO pick them up for trading purposes!

[samuraiX]

I typically will not open a classic game just to play it. So say I get a new copy of Plok on SNES. I won't open it because I have no interest in playing it. Same goes for a number of RPGs I have. I tend to buy them and then never get around to playing them. For instance I have new copies of Lunar 2, FF VII, Xenosaga and a few others that I bought (with the original intention to play) and will likely never play because I am not into RPGs. As for classic games I do not actively look for new copies. In fact I tend to stay away from them so that when I want to, I can play them.

[Bratwurst]

I typically will not open a classic game just to play it. So say I get a new copy of Plok on SNES. I won't open it because I have no interest in playing it.

I think there are more than enough new-old stock SNES and Genesis games sitting around that opening them wouldn't really detract from their already low value. Plok being one of them, because I see it on Ebay frequently. As for myself, I had no aversion to getting two sealed 32X games because they were cheap enough and I'm aware of numerous merchants pushing them by the boatload now and then.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

I don´t collect sealed games for two reasons:
1) I always play the games i buy
2) I always look the manuals

[shai hulud]

I collect mainly for Snes/Genesis til now and i have probably a hundred sealed games. I love both playing and collecting games, if i have the choice between sealed and open i will buy sealed (as long as cost isnt a huge factor). Almost every game i buy i want to play, but i have so many games right now that it will take me forever to play them all. I dont see the point in opening a game unless you are ready to play it at that moment. I keep them sealed just in case the price skyrockets, then i can sell and get more games i want.

[Quintracker]

Recently I've aquired a 'semi-sealed' nes game. The seal was open at the top so the game could still be accessible, and even it was still in the original baggie with all documents. I personally think it's a great idea. The seal is still around the box so it won't run the risk of damage, but I can still play the game whenever I want.

[Xipe]

I don't collect sealed games.

And you can never be sure a game is originally sealed, if you dont open it, you dont know what you get

[maxlords]

Yes, you can be sure sometimes. You just have to know what you're looking at. Online, it's hard to be sure, in person...not so difficult USUALLY.

[Eternal Champion]

I typically will not open a classic game just to play it. So say I get a new copy of Plok on SNES. I won't open it because I have no interest in playing it. Same goes for a number of RPGs I have. I tend to buy them and then never get around to playing them. For instance I have new copies of Lunar 2, FF VII, Xenosaga and a few others that I bought (with the original intention to play) and will likely never play because I am not into RPGs. As for classic games I do not actively look for new copies. In fact I tend to stay away from them so that when I want to, I can play them.

With all due respect, then why buy them? Do you actually like games? Or are you speculating? Look at the following market crashes to see what speculation does: baseball cards, comics, the stock market...

[Raedon]

unless the sealed games are being sold for a great price I stear clear of them. I get games to play and i get reeeeeaal conficted about opening sealed games.

[dodsworth]

I will only leave a game sealed if I already have a loose one I can play.
In general I like to play or atleast try the games I pickup.

[metal_head]

Hmmmmmmm.....

So, to you guys who DO collect sealed games, what actual pleasure do you derive from owning them?

I can see to a point the guy with sealed Radiant Silvergun or whatever enjoying the "buzz" of owning a desireable game, and basking in the envy of other collectors, but is this feeling not also there with a mint but played and loved copy?

I find it harder to fathom the appeal with fairly common games...what purpose does a sealed copy of "Plok" serve if it is not going to be played?

I'm a bit confused here...I love collecting video games, but I also love playing them. The only sealed games I have are a couple of Dreamcast ones that I got in a bulk lot and just haven't got around to playing, and an X Box game that I just haven't opened yet.

Can anyone actually put into words the satisfaction they derive from owning unplayable games?

And for those of you who do collect sealed games, are you EVER gonna open them.......what about when you are old and on your deathbed....are you gonna have a last fling and RIP the shrinkwrap off and play some of these things before permanent game over......or do they get passed on as a shrink wrapped heirloom for someone else to "collect" until in turn their time arrives to shuffle off this mortal coil?

Actually, I must admit , I've really got LOADS of sealed games.....I keep them all at my local game shop, saves me cluttering up my house!

Regards,
Marc.

[rbudrick]

Hi there,

Sometimes I collect a sealed copy in addition to my playable copy in order to preserve a museum quality rarity. Usually this is only for super-rare games. Also, for completists who want to make sure they have every little warranty card and pamphlet that originally came with the game, sealed copies ensure this....although you have to open them to check off the contents...buy two and open one, lol.

Remember though, someday only the finest quality specimens will end up in a museum....someone should really be collecting these. Those that collect sealed copies will. Might just be tooting our horns here, but it could happen....all pieces of pop culture end up as antiques or in museums eventually. Hey, we collectors are collecting little pieces of history here (yes I actually believe this, and I'm sure many of you won't). Many pieces of my collection are way too valuable for me not to treat my collection in the way a museum curator would.

Also, for rare games, the sealed copied WILL be worth more, and certianly fetch more $ even now....so, their value is certainly higher.

It is true that games are meant to be played, but hey, comics and books in general are often kept so pristine (never opened even) so as to preserve the value. Games are no different. Some games you play, some games you collect, some you play and collect.

-Rob

[orrimarrko]

There are a few reasons to acquire sealed games, at least from my perspective. I am a collector and a gamer, but I don't necessarily have time to play every game out there. Also, there are many games that don't interest me at all.

Do I really need to play NBA Live '95 on every one of the systems that it came out on to be considered a gamer? Of course not. However, from a collector standpoint, I do need to have them if I wish to complete my collection for those systems.

Here's the rub: if I can acquire a sealed game fairly cheaply, I will. It assures that the game is in pristine, complete, unplayed condition. There are definitely ways to make sure that the game is sealed and not just re-shrinkwrapped. Also, ask questions of the seller (especially on eBay) - it helps you determine whether it's crap or not. Remember, if you aren't sure, don't buy it. So, if I buy a sealed game, and it's not one that I care to play, why open it?

Whether you like it or not, loose games have value. Complete games for almost any title raise that value. Furthermore, sealed games for the majority of titles increase the value, because the owner knows that if he/she were to open it, there would be no damage.

Personally, I am not a horder of sealed games for any system. It is way too expensive, Christ - just look at the NES games on eBay - it's ridiculous! However, I am completely anal about the condition of my games, and they have to be complete. If I can buy a sealed copy to assure that the game is in the best condition possible, I will. This especially goes for CD games. My idea of perfect condition and your idea of mint condition may differ slightly. So, I can only guard against that if I have dealt with you before, or if the item is originally sealed.

Just my two cents. In the end, one piece of advice is very clear - collect what you want and how you want. Just because you don't agree with someone else's rational about collecting doesn't make it wrong.

I will say this though. I think that those ass-monkeys who drive up the prices just to artificially increase the value of a game should burn in hell.

Cheers,
Steve

[Kid Ice]

I like to collect sealed 2600 games simply because they're so old. When I first started collecting I would take any 2600 games, torn label, no end label, dirty, etc. So getting boxed or sealed games is just a way for me to stay in the 2600 game without dishing out the cash for the crazy rare games.

Besides, these days if I'm going to play a 2600 game I'll most likely do it through an emulator.

I have very few later generation sealed games, because I almost always buy those games to play.


ICE

[l_lamb]

I was going to answer myself, but the posting by orrimarrko sums up my opinion exactly. I buy games when I find them and may not get around to opening everything. I also will pick up multiple versions of games to get closer to completing a system, but I may not need to play the second or third version (especially with the current crop of systems). I will also sometimes pick up a second copy of something rare or a game that I really like just in case something should happen to the copy I have (not like it's happened so far).

[Archenemy]

I do have some sealed copies of my Macross games mainly because I collect Macross games and they look terrific in New/Shrinkwrapped condition.

I also buy cheap japanese Saturn sealed games, because most of them are worth $3.50 used incomplete and $5 sealed.

But in an overall sight, I don't have sealed copies of my rarest games. I just play them. (I cannot spend $450 in a sealed Radiant Silvergun just to have one sealed/one playable copy x_x )

I don't think that a piece of shrink does cost the same or even more than the game that it's supposed to protect

[imanerd0011]

I think buying sealed games is an alright idea, unless you are spending much MUCH more than a mint complete copy would go for.
When I see a sealed Castlevania go for $500+, I want to smack the piss outta the high bidder. Considering a mint complete copy would go for $15, he is spending more than 30 times more, just for some plastic.