Kazam! Instant Game Rarity!
Woops, we missed this one from a few days back, but Namako Team points to a fun recent 1UP feature called 'Instant Rarity', written by GSW columnist DannyC, and subtitled: "Are those 'rare' games really worth the dough?"
Danny notes in the intro: "In recent months, gamers have had to pay exorbitant prices at online auctions for titles like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, and the limited-edition version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. For these and many other games, secondary market prices often shoot up past the $100 mark within weeks of initial release, and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Fortunately, however, the commissioned reprinting of rare titles has recently become a common occurrence, and with a little smart shopping, you might just be able to avoid taking a financial hit due to the phenomenon that is instant rarity."
Another interesting bit relates to intentionally low print-run games: "Many games published by Atlus, for instance, have been the victims of eBay price inflation. The company's famously niche titles often sell out immediately, and they're almost always in demand by fans of quirk-filled Japanese titles like Disgaea and Riviera. "Our philosophy is to always leave the market a little hungry," says Zach Meston, Atlus USA's assistant PR/marketing manager." Those cheeky chappies!
Wow, and one more particularly intriguing bit regarding GameQuestDirect and GameStop with regard to Koei's Gitaroo Man: "It soon became apparent that GameQuestDirect was selling its new reprinted stock in bulk to GameStop, who would, in turn, open these sealed games and sell them as used. The reasoning behind this is that used copies of Gitaroo Man command a higher price at GameStop than new and sealed copies -- a strange but common occurrence for older, rarer titles sold at the retail chain."
Comments
From the article: "The reasoning behind this is that used copies of Gitaroo Man command a higher price at GameStop than new and sealed copies -- a strange but common occurrence for older, rarer titles sold at the retail chain."
I don't think this is the reason at all, they can change their new or used prices at will. If this was truly the reason, they'd just increase the price of the new one and sell it still sealed because it's more likely to sell for x amount of dollars if it is sealed as opposed to if it isn't. They have some other reason for selling them as used. My guess is because it's a reprint.
Posted by: BGSS | July 7, 2006 4:30 PM
I have one of the collectors editions of MGS3 with the bonus Metal Gear Saga DVD.
I hadn't known the Ebay prices till I read that article when it was posted, but I would never sell it heh.
Posted by: Jakanden | July 7, 2006 5:00 PM
Zach Meston! So that's what happened to that old NES game cheat book author, he grew up and became evil.
Well, more evil.
Posted by: John H. | July 7, 2006 7:22 PM
I don't think this is the reason at all, they can change their new or used prices at will. If this was truly the reason, they'd just increase the price of the new one and sell it still sealed because it's more likely to sell for x amount of dollars if it is sealed as opposed to if it isn't. They have some other reason for selling them as used. My guess is because it's a reprint.
Not true. With used games, Gamestop can increase and decrease the price with the market, unlike with new games. Gamestop's policies do not allow it to sell any new game over MSRP, either. It has nothing to do with the fact it is a reprint, as they'll move new games to used games after they've been on the store shelves for a while, even if they have never been played before. Recently, employees were told to move all new copies of Shadow Hearts: From the New World was moved from New to Used. It's a way to rotate stock and make room for new games while keeping the used game section bigger.
Another reason it has nothing to do with "reprints" is because often times they'll recieve overstock of new games that haven't been reprinted (space channel 5: special edition comes to mind) and sell them as used as well.
Used games also mean more profit, as an employee will have more of a chance to sell a subscription/discount card to someone buying used compared to someone buying new. In fact, employees are encouraged to ask customers if they'd prefer a used copy of the game instead of a new one.
As for sealed games, Gamestop opens and "guts" (the process of making a display case for a game while keeping the insides in the back counter) almost all of there games now, so it's becoming rarer and rarer to get any games sealed period at Gamestop or EB. Gamestop sells new games for the same amount no matter what, even if it doesn't have the original cover and isn't sealed. In fact, one of Gamestop's newest policies that's being discussed is to open ALL copies of a game recieved, making the issue of sealed games null and void.
Posted by: Mia D | July 7, 2006 11:16 PM