How Digital Downloads Affect Values of Collectable Games

[Limewater]

+1. Besides the charity auction, which I bought games for and didn't sell any existing games, I've only sold one game, Actraiser.

You sold Actraiser? I hope you had multiple copies!

I've done a very small amount of trading, but have never actually sold a game. I don't see video games as an investment, though I do own stock in Electronic Arts. That, I do consider to be an investment.

Also, more on point, if y'all do go with a cleaned-up graph, please make the raw data available to interested parties. I can't be the only person who is interested.

[Beak]

Great work, as always!

[elvis]

I think re-releases are great.

1) They bring new blood to old games. MvC2, for example, will now have an influx of new players which is great for the existing fans. 1-on-1 fighting games need human beings to be truly worthwhile, and an expanding community makes old games worth playing again.

2) They give an opportunity for the original developers of the games to get paid for what they did. I think second hand (and third/forth/fifth and so on) sales of games bring no benefit to developers at all. What's interesting is that most recognise at least the unhelpfulness of software piracy for the future of the games industry, but ultimately you can build a legitimate and legal games collection without ever paying full price for a title, nor ever buying new.

My Wii collection of games is about 75% second hand titles thanks to fickle gamers who dump titles weeks after release at 50% the original price. I've saved a bucket, but am very aware that I've done nothing overall to ensure the developers get their full paydirt, which in turn is not great for the industry as a whole.

Of course, there are a lot of things that can be done on the developer/publisher side of things. I see plenty of people doing it right with discount reprints and re-releases of titles later on (many Playstation titles see the "Platinum" re-release type strategy). These are a great way of getting a few extra bucks from those who missed the first round offering for whatever reasons. Also things like the "God of War" pack on PS3 are a great idea. I missed those titles on PS2 the first time around, and will gladly pick up the bundle for PS3 new rather than buy the old titles second hand.

But I have to say I'm in favour of digital download re-releases. Speaking for myself, eBay hoarders and investment collectors bug me, particularly when they are making more money per copy of their games than the people who put the effort in to create them in the first place. Digital re-release means the money is (generally) going to the right people, and ensuring the next generation of games are funded directly.

So when I read articles about how game collectors are "feeling the pain" of digital re-releases, I really can't feel sympathy for people who are doing nothing to assist the industry as a whole. I don't think they're "evil" or anything. I just don't see their benefit to the hobby I love (other than motivation for first-party devs to re-release their old games).

I also find great irony in second hand sellers complaining that they're being undercut by the original rights holders and content creators. Not that I think the RacketBoy article is "complaining" at all - it is an objective observation. But I certainly have heard a number of individuals bitching loudly at the price drop of their "investments". I think shmup PCB collectors rank as one of the worst in that regard, purely from personal observation.

Putting on my asbestos suit now....