Video game collecting

Video game collecting is the hobby of collecting video games and related memorabilia. Collectors may focus on a particular area of interest, such as Atari 2600, NES, or PC games. There may also be some overlap with anime, manga, comic books, or other media.

Collecting video games differs from other hobbies in that the collectible is interactive, allowing it to be enjoyed as a game as long as it still functions. Nostalgia plays a large factor, as those who grew up with a certain generation of games may have stronger appreciation for games of that era.

A collector may have started out by purchasing video games with no intent to collect, and later find that the act of owning games is in itself the means to collecting, with games owned for display purposes rather than being played.

The value of a game depends on how sought after it becomes by collectors and casual gamers, especially rare games or games with a limited release. The condition of the game may also determine price, such as the quality of the cartridge or disc, label, and packaging. The inclusion of any packaging will increase value, as they are often thrown away.

Full sets

Some collectors may strive towards collecting a complete set of games for one platform, such as the NES. It is up to personal preference whether to include imports, unofficial or unlicensed games, prototypes, etc. While cheaper games can be bought readily, rare titles become increasingly sought after for the sake of completion. Collectors may also choose to include manuals and packaging as a preference.

Consoles

The console itself may be collectible, especially if it includes its original packaging. Some consoles may be sought after for rarity or limited release, limited editions and variants, odd or interesting consoles, or prototypes and cancelled consoles.

By type

A collector may choose to collect video games encompassing a specific publisher, developer, producer, artist, genre, or series. RPGs often retain or increase their value by their quality, length of gameplay, and niche popularity.

Imports

A game may be more valuable in one region for its limited release after it has been localized. This commonly affects RPGs and shooters.

Memorabilia

Memorabilia includes any merchandise related to video games, such as toys, giveaways, or promotional items. It can also include retail displays that were previously unavailable for purchase.

Accessories

Accessories includes special controllers, lightguns, or other devices that may be harder to find. An accessory that has found very limited release will be more collectible, such as the Sega Dreamcast broadband adapter. Online modems or network equipment may be collected for completeness despite their inoperability. Third party accessories may also be of interest.

Bootlegs

Bootleg games and systems may be desired for their unofficial status.

Prototype and development release

Games and equipment may become collectible by virtue of its unavailability. This includes games availably only in prototype form, which may have left the company in several ways (bankruptcy, liquidation, theft). Games that were not released to the public are still of interest to the gaming community, as their software can be copied and distributed over the Internet. Because these titles are not supposed to leave their respective companies, they can be considered black market collectibles. [http://www.nespit.com/frames.html] [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/23/3]

Collectible games

The value of most games will decrease for any system, especially an unpopular system or a popular system flooded with many titles over its lifespan. Games that have a limited release will show an increase in price, but games that were once commonly available can become more expensive as demand increases. Many games increase in value for the quality of their gameplay alone, while others are simply too scarce. Consoles will have games that are the "most valuable" for that system, and become noteworthy among collectors.

Some games that are known for their high value include:cite journal |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= |month= |title=The Wish List |journal=Edge presents Retro |volume= |issue= |pages= |id= |url= |accessdate= 2007-09-18 |quote=Here Retro features a non-definitive list of the most collectible games in the world at the moment [2002] ... Price will vary depending on condition of the box, instructions, whether the item is sealed, how many inserts are retained, and whether that all-important spine card is still present. ]

*"Super Mario Bros" (1987), Nintendo Game & Watch, Japanese version. The most valuable Game & Watch title when in mint condition, with only 10,000 manufactured.
*"Final Fantasy" (1987), Nintendo Famicom, Japanese version.
*"Chrono Trigger" (1995), Super Nintendo, US version.
*"Earthbound" (1995), Super Nintendo, US version.
*"Exed Exes" (1985), Nintendo Famicom, Japanese version. This cartridge fetches high prices in Japan when found with its Silver Members stickers.
*"" (1990), MSX-2, Japanese version. It is claimed that this title is so rare that it has never been seen on Ebay.
*"Panzer Dragoon Saga" (1998), Sega Saturn, United States and European version.
*"Comix Zone" (1995), Mega Drive, Japanese version.
*"Kizuna Encounter" (1996), Neo Geo, European version.
*"Hyper Duel" (1996), Sega Saturn, Japanese version.
*"Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh (1999), Nintendo 64, Japanese version, of which there are only 10,000 cartridges.
*"Tengen Tetris" (1989), Nintendo Entertainment System, US version. This version of Tetris is collectible due to Tengen being refused copyright for its Famicom version of the puzzle game, but they distributed it anyway. It was pulled from shop shelves only four weeks after publication.
*"Marvel vs. Capcom 2" (2000), PS2, Xbox, and Dreamcast. As the license for use of the Marvel characters has long expired, Capcom is no longer able to release this game in any format. As a result, the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game have become more valuable since their release.
*"" (2004), Limited copy release, 1% chance of a store having any copies.

References

External links

* [http://www.nintendoage.com/ NintendoAGE]
* [http://www.rfgeneration.com/ RF Generation]
* [http://www.vgcollector.com/ Video Game Collector]
* [http://www.videogamemm.com/ Video Game Memorabilia Museum]