Why does it pain some of us to open sealed games?

[Hidden_Darkness]

i've only owned maybe 4 sealed games 1 of which I opened. the game I opened was lords of thunder for sega cd, because the sealed ones seem to sell for the same amount as the used versions thats why I picked that up at the time and I wanted to play it.

the other 3 sealed games i've owned are kirby super star for snes and thunderforce II for sega genesis and phantasy star IV, I bought those for the same prices as the used copies were going for at the time. I just never got around to opening those 3. i'm not a sealed collector so i'll probably just sell those 3 eventually.

I have owned a sealed system at one point, it was a sega master system that I got brand new in 04 or 05 for $50. I opened it and played it because I knew it wasn't something I was going to sell and because I bought it to play it.

[WarmSignal]

For me it really depends on the game/age. Let's say I was at a flea market and found a sealed copy of Mortal Kombat for Genesis and Sonic 2 for Game Gear. I wouldn't open them due to the fact they've been sealed for so long. Even though they are very common games. But if I found more than one copy I would open one for sure. Guess it's kinda like a time capsule feeling opening a sealed game that's been sealed for years.

This is more of my problem. I don't really care about the return investment in the long run, but it's the strange sick sentimental attachment combined with the "time capsule" theory. I do want to play the games, so I'm pretty sure I'll open them. I never intended to accumulate so many sealed ones. I hate having the opportunity to preserve something, most would never think about preserving.

No one thought of leaving a game sealed back in the day, so if you run across one, it's probably because they just never got around to it. It's interesting to see something like that still in original factory condition.

Well, there is one point in keeping these sealed. I'm pretty sure most current gen. consoles will be more or less broken in 20 years, so it's not like you'll be able to play the games anyway. Good luck finding spare parts.

Obviously that would make physical games less desirable. By that time, everything from the Atari 2600 library to current gen will be available in digital form, surely. The generation of people who actually care about physical media are pretty much over with.

[Guntz]

Personally, I prefer keeping sealed cardboard games over plastic cased ones. Anything cardboard and/or sealed will always be worth more than something in a plastic case due to the ridiculous amount of damage a cardboard box can be subjected to.

On another subject, somebody said they have a sealed copy of Kirby Super Star. Given how insane the SNES collecting scene is right now, I recommend never opening that game. Lots of high profile games are gaining value, especially when they are sealed and in good condition. It's so easy to find cart only SNES games, there's no real reason to opening a sealed one...

[retrospiel]

I imagine that the equivalent in sealed Genesis games would be a bunch of sealed Acclaim, EA, and Accolade games. =P

So if I am not mistaken you'd get maybe $10 each in 20 years. That is less than what you paid and not much more than if you'd sell 'em right now.

[Cornholio857]

This is more of my problem. I don't really care about the return investment in the long run, but it's the strange sick sentimental attachment combined with the "time capsule" theory. I do want to play the games, so I'm pretty sure I'll open them. I never intended to accumulate so many sealed ones. I hate having the opportunity to preserve something, most would never think about preserving.

No one thought of leaving a game sealed back in the day, so if you run across one, it's probably because they just never got around to it. It's interesting to see something like that still in original factory condition.

Yep, I can see buying a sealed game to play it. Yes, that's what they're for. But regarding the time capsule feeling opening a sealed game, it's actually a really cool feeling knowing that whatever game I'm opening has been sealed for years and I'm the first to open it. It's almost like when I got my Genesis 6 Button Arcade stick. I bought one a few months ago and it was never used. (I didn't know this upon purchase, what a great surprise!)I opened the box and it had all the paperwork, plastic and brochures. Everything. It's kind of a hard feeling to describe, but I can say this, it feels good.

[Smii]

Well, I understand why people keep some stuff sealed. I do have a small sealed collection:



Of these, some are more interesting left sealed (smurfs, pogs - also have Spot goes to Hollywood) most cost me the same as unsealed copies would've and are meh anyway - and then there's Lords of Thunder - which I bought intending to open, and then couldn't bring myself to. Have avoided buying further sealed CD games I'd want to play for this reason, it's a bit sad. :/

On the other hand I have no problem opening current-gen sealed games. I usually unwrap them straight away even if I don't plan on playing them yet. I do have 3 sealed Xbox360 games, and one PSP game - but that's just because I don't have either console, yet.

[Doktor D]

Because you're allergic to plastic wrap.








@OT. In case you didn't get it.

[Guntz]

Sega-16 sure as an anti-sealed sentiment. Am I going to be assassinated for holding a sealed 32X Primal Rage hostage?

[Zoltor]

Unless you have one of the Holy Grails of sealed games(Stadium Events, Dragon Warrior 3 nes version, Lufia 2, and exc), there really is no reason not to open a game, and if you somehow got a hold of one of the Holy Grail sealed games, you wouldn't be buying it to play anyway(since It's much cheaper to buy a CIB version, then a sealed version of said game).

It's faily easy to predict if a game is gonna become valueable in general, and games that belong to oversatuated genres(specifically FPS), aren't among the games that will ever be worth money, the same goes for any game that gets overhyped at the time of release.

If a company is willing to plaster a game on the TV, It's a good indication that they will over produce the game, because they are suspecting to sell millions of copies(making it eternally worthless as far as collector value is concerned).

The fomula for value is something like this, rarity Vs demand That means the game has to be exceptionally good, yet the company under paduced such(this doesn't happen often), pretty much(there's a few other things that can add value, specials games that aren't sold to the general public, and pre-order delux box sets) the only exception is if a game is pulled from the shelves, with a few selling before hand.

Remember, basically the only reason there is even a collector's aspect to the industy, is because alot of people liked X game, and some of those games were insanely rare, most of which went under the radar as well. You have pure gamers trying to get ahold of a game they heard was amazing, then you have hardcore fans of said game, trying to find a sealed version of a game that not only was under praduced, but was such an amazing game, just about everyone in existance has been opened.

Well there you have it, the perfect recipe for very valueable sealed games.

I personally would love a sealed Dragon Warrior 3, Lufia 2, and the ever elusive Faria game(Faria is a pretty sweet game, and super rare, but the only reason I really want one is, because I have one of the rarest gaming items ever, the special Mail order only Faria Map to go along with it).


To Guntz: Lol trust me, a sealed verson of Primal Rage Isn't ever gonna be worth much, the game is everywhere, and on top of that, there are a hell of alot better fighters out there. If you have some wierd bond with the game(like It's the first fighter you ever played), cool by all means keep it sealed, that's awesome(I'll probally pick up a Sealed Dragon Warrior 1 for a simular reason), but don't expect it to be worth any real money.

[Smii]

Sega-16 sure as an anti-sealed sentiment. Am I going to be assassinated for holding a sealed 32X Primal Rage hostage?

Not likely, as Primal Rage is pleh. Now if it were Chaotix, Kolibri, or... um... other decent 32x game, you might end up being taken from this place and cocooned in plastic film, without air, until you were dead - all ironically.

[Rusty Venture]

I'll let this collection slide.

Because "Wayne's World" is better left a sealed game.

[WarmSignal]

I imagine that the equivalent in sealed Genesis games would be a bunch of sealed Acclaim, EA, and Accolade games. =P

So if I am not mistaken you'd get maybe $10 each in 20 years. That is less than what you paid and not much more than if you'd sell 'em right now.

Bethesda, Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Namco, even Rare = Accliam and Accolade? I don't know about that.

[Hidden_Darkness]

Personally, I prefer keeping sealed cardboard games over plastic cased ones. Anything cardboard and/or sealed will always be worth more than something in a plastic case due to the ridiculous amount of damage a cardboard box can be subjected to.

On another subject, somebody said they have a sealed copy of Kirby Super Star. Given how insane the SNES collecting scene is right now, I recommend never opening that game. Lots of high profile games are gaining value, especially when they are sealed and in good condition. It's so easy to find cart only SNES games, there's no real reason to opening a sealed one...

I don't plan on opening my sealed copy of kirby super star since I found a used one for $7 a few months later in 2004, i've never owned a sealed snes game before that so it's kinda like looking at a time capsule.

[retrospiel]

Bethesda, Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Namco, even Rare = Accliam and Accolade? I don't know about that.

You're right. I have to admit that I got no experience with modern games whatsoever. The most modern console I have hooked up to my TV is a Dreamcast.

Still, what I was trying to say was that I don't think you should expect to earn a lot of money by keeping these games sealed. You might as well sell them now and it wouldn't make much difference.

[QuickSciFi]

this man has one of the biggest, neatest, most complete collections I've seen, and he doesn't keep one sealed item in it. I tend to agree with his phylosophy: