Video game collecting
Encyclopedia
Video game collecting is the hobby
of collecting video games and related memorabilia. Collectors may focus on a particular area of interest, such as retro consoles like the Atari 2600
and NES
. There may also be some overlap with animation, 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. Most consoles, and their games are considered to be collectors' items after their discontinuation.
. 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. For example, shoot 'em up
games for the Sega Dreamcast are particularly sought after and can be expensive to purchase. Games in this category include Border Down, Ikaruga and Under Defeat.
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 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.htmlhttp://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/23/3
Some of the rarest games in existence include:
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
of collecting video games and related memorabilia. Collectors may focus on a particular area of interest, such as retro consoles like the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
and NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. There may also be some overlap with animation, 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. Most consoles, and their games are considered to be collectors' items after their discontinuation.
Approaches
Full sets: some collectors may strive towards collecting a complete set of games for one console or computer, such as the NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. 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
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
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. For example, shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
games for the Sega Dreamcast are particularly sought after and can be expensive to purchase. Games in this category include Border Down, Ikaruga and Under Defeat.
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 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
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
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
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Because these titles are not supposed to leave their respective companies, they can be considered black market collectibles. http://www.nespit.com/frames.htmlhttp://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. Price vary depending on condition of the box, instructions, whether the item is sealed, how many inserts are retained, and whether the spine card is still present. Some games labeled as "special edition" are often produced in numbers that far exceed demand, especially in the CD-ROM era, where duplication has become cheap compared to cartridges.Some of the rarest games in existence include:
- Air RaidAir Raid (video game)Air Raid, not to be confused with Air Raiders or River Raid, is considered to be the rarest game released for the Atari 2600. Its cartridge is a blue T-handle design with a picture of flying saucers attacking a futuristic city. It was the only game released by Men-A-Vision and had an extremely...
(1982), Atari 2600, NTSC-U, 12 known copies. The only copy with package known to exist sold for $31,600 in 2010. - Pepsi InvadersPepsi InvadersPepsi Invaders is an advergame for the Atari 2600 platform, based on the popular Space Invaders. It was commissioned by Coca-Cola for their 1983 sales convention, and developed by Atari as a modification of the original Space Invaders cartridge .The game is a modification of Space Invaders, with...
(1983), Atari 2600, NTSC-U, 125 copies produced. - Stadium EventsStadium EventsStadium Events is the English title of the Japanese Family Computer video game by Bandai. The game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan in 1986, in the United States in 1987 and in West Germany and Sweden in 1988...
(1987), NES, NTSC-U, 2000 cartridges produced., considered the rarest licensed NES game available for purchase in North America. The game's packaging alone has been known to sell for $10,000. One of two known sealed copies was sold for $22,800 on Ebay. - Nintendo World Championships (1990), NES, 26 copies for the Gold cartridge and 90 copies for the regular cartridge. Gold cartridges have sold for over $10,000. The game has been called the rarest and most valuable NES cartridge released aside from promotional cartridges, although it has also been pointed out that Nintendo Campus ChallengeNintendo Campus ChallengeNintendo Campus Challenge was a video game competition sponsored by Nintendo and held at nearly 60 college campuses throughout the United States. There were two Campus Challenge events, one in 1991 and another in 1992.-Games:...
is rarer. - Nintendo Campus ChallengeNintendo Campus ChallengeNintendo Campus Challenge was a video game competition sponsored by Nintendo and held at nearly 60 college campuses throughout the United States. There were two Campus Challenge events, one in 1991 and another in 1992.-Games:...
(1991, 1992), NES, NTSC-U. Most copies were destroyed after competitions, except one copy which was sold to Rob Walters in 2006. The copy is believed to be the only one in existence, eventually selling for $20,100 on eBay. - Virtual BowlingVirtual Bowlingis a Japanese-exclusive bowling game for the Virtual Boy. Along with SD Gundam Dimension War this game was the last video game officially released for the Virtual Boy in Japan....
/SD Gundam Dimension WarSD Gundam Dimension Waris a Japanese-exclusive turn-based strategy game for the Virtual Boy based on the Gundam anime series. It is one of the rarest games for the Virtual Boy, sometimes reaching $1,400 on auction sites such as eBay. Along with Virtual Bowling this game was the last video game officially released for the...
(1995), Virtual Boy, NTSC-J, the two rare games make completing the Virtual Boy collection difficult. - Kizuna EncounterKizuna Encounteris a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sequel to Savage Reign. Like its predecessor, it was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and also included in the Fūun Super Combo for the PlayStation 2...
(1996), Neo Geo, European version, less than 12 copies (the Japanese AES version is, however, not rare and is identical except for the packaging and inserts). - The Ultimate 11 (1996), Neo Geo, 10 known copies. Also known as Tokuten Oh: Honoo no Libero. One buyer reportedly paid $55,000 for both Kizuna Encounter and Ultimate 11.
- Bangai-O: Prize EditionBangai-OBangai-O in its Dreamcast Western release, or in the Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast Japanese versions, is a multi-directional shooter video game developed by Treasure.It was first released on the Nintendo 64 only in Japan with a limited 10,000 unit production run...
(1999), Sega Dreamcast, NTCS-J, 5 copies produced.